Speak No More: A Silent Shakespeare

Too much blood on their hands

Tonight, we attended the annual free Page to Stage Festival at The Kennedy Center to see preview scenes from the upcoming Synetic Theater performances of Macbeth, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet, all 3 of which we are planning to attend this Fall.

Prior to staging scenes from 3 Shakespeare classics which will comprise Synetic's  Speak No More: The Silent Shakespeare Festival which begins with Macbeth on Sept. 14, members of the company demonstrated samples of dance warmups which they do daily, sometimes for as long as 4 hours at a stretch.

Afterwards, artistic director Paata Tsikurishvil, his wife and resident choreographer Irini, and members of the troupe, answered questions from the audience about performing in what is hailed as America's premiere physical theater. For the those who don't know exactly what physical theater is (and I was one of those until I arrived in Crystal City), it is a form of performance which uses no words, but instead employs drama, dance, movement, music, acrobatics, and mime to tell a story.