Traveler's USA Notebook
A Simple Space from the Australian company Gravity & Other Myths at the New Victory Theater may be the rawest acrobatic show to hit the city in some time. Any hint of pretense is eliminated.
Seven performers in monotone clothes perform imaginative stunts on a square black mat with minimal lighting and no effects, save for the shadows thrown on the walls. The effect is breathtaking — a welcome antidote to shows of this genre that go over the top with pyrotechnics and flashy displays.
Even the midpoint solo percussion act involves nothing but the human body, slapping and hitting itself for sounds. In addition, these gifted and charismatic performers relish testing their own physical limits, pushing themselves like competitive athletes to see who can do the most.
Not every attempt succeeds, but that’s the point. This is about tearing off the masks.
Failed stunts are acknowledged to the audience, and fellow company members spur each other on to try again, or go for longer. A Simple Space will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It leaves us with a profound appreciation for what it means to perform. —Fern Siegel