I  must admit that I went into the Factory Theater to see Whistler in the Dark’s production of Ted Hughes’s Tales from Ovid with more than a little apprehension.  Supplied with my prior knowledge of the limited capabilities of the Factory Theatre space, and being told that the actors perform Cirque d’Soleil style acrobatics on long strands of silk, I could not imagine how the two could possibly come to rectify themselves for a successful production, especially having read that the actors had only spent months practicing skills that people spend their entire careers perfecting!  How could they have learned enough to be able to use their new talents perfectly while flying over a room full of people?

I was dazzled by how wonderful the play actually was!

Not only did the flying amaze me, but the actor’s skill level was high enough that I wasn’t even distracted by the use of the techniques in the play on a whole. It was a seamless production of very able-bodied players that captured the essence of playwright’s extremely moving script.

The actors were clad only in black leotards, but managed to transform themselves and their bodies to each play about 30 different roles through the evening. Mac Young was a standout performer.  Though he mastered the technique of maintaining a godly persona, I was touched by his ability to interweave that character with very human emotion.  His portrayal of Phaeton, the sun gods son who took the reigns of the stars chariot and drove it straight into the earth, was particularly beautiful.   Erin Brehm, as Atlanta, was memorable  and I wish I had seen more from her. She took my breath away with her poise.  Jennifer O’Connor was a fierce woman in many of the scenes, but her best by far was Arachne culminating in a great personification of a spider in her web during my favorite myth, Arachne.   The actors were masterful at cohesion, working as a unit and making their bodies speak as poetically as the script, and that is why I thought that Aimee Rose Ranger’s acting sometimes seemed a bit out of place. Her modern style and cadence of speech was occasionally distracting as it worked against the ethereal and dream-like quality of the piece as a whole, especially when she was embodying female characters.  I found Danny Bryck’s solo performances to be forgettable, I liked him best when he stuck to ensemble work.

The use of space was excellent.  As the lengths of silk were used not only for the flying, but as set pieces as well, the actors transformed each scene so completely I never lost track of what was happening or where I was. The best use of the silks and the space were in the Arachne, Myrrha and the Bird scenes, where the effect went beyond just “attractive and clever” to truly mesmerizing.  The beauty was only added to by lighting designer PJ Strachman, who’s artistry created a beautiful scape for the world of the play to unfold.

I applaud Meg Taintor, Director and Artistic Director of the Company, for her passion, creativity and vision in creating this piece and in this style.  It was a wonderful piece to watch and I would recommend that everyone keep an eye on Whistler in The Dark Theatre!