Photo By Sydonia Lucchesi
Cooperative Performance Milwaukee, in collaboration with Danceworks, took a hauntingly dreamy approach in turning Danceworks’ Studio A into a mid-1800s mental hospital for Kelly Coffey’s a woman’s Place. Inspired by the medical records of Mendota Mental Health Institute, Wisconsin’s first mental hospital, audience members were transported back to 1860, a time when women were admitted for psychological diseases ranging from depression to nymphomania to simply the sin of being an opinionated woman.
Three aerialists hung from the ceiling, encased in white silks like spun cocoons, swaying almost indiscernibly under the direction of Andrea Burkholder. Occasionally the bodies inside stretched the fabric, enhancing their oscillations, before emerging like three muses placed high above, representing the watchful judgment of society. A doctor meandered slowly across the stage, continuously reading and writing in his journal. The minimalist movement paired well with the soundscape of cello, timpani and waves composed by NINETEEN THIRTEEN, a Milwaukee duo consisting of Victor DeLorenzo and Janet Schiff. It felt like a gray day in a port town, chilly and muted.
Five women entered clad in nightgowns, the uniforms identifying their alleged insanity. The movement and dialogue, which alternated between group unison and solo voice, depicted the struggles that came when one’s primary classification was “woman” rather than “individual.” There was an impressive musicality and natural rhythm in the delivery of their lines.
Throughout the performance, the actresses were often staged at a lower level than the doctor, whether by happy coincidence or strategic planning by choreographer Marissa Clayton. This reflected greatly the attitudes of the time, when many believed women to be weaker not only in physical stature but also in mental capacity. The doctor, whose arrogant and condescending nature was portrayed convincingly by actor Josh Perkins, even went so far as to claim that any woman with superior intelligence should be considered a design flaw of nature. His persistent intention to brainwash his patients into a state of submission left me feeling agitated and violated, as if I were the very woman to whom he spoke. Coffey invites audience members to watch and question the progress of our modern society.
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Through Feb. 21 at Danceworks Studio Theatre, 1661 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-277-8480 or visit danceworksmke.org or cooperformke.com.
