Man in a Case, reviewed by Aoife Hughes

Maybe it was their intention to make their adaptation of Chekov’s short stories less than spectacular. And one would hope, as that was exactly what it was. It was debatably uncomfortable in the first moments to watch infamous Mikhail Baryshnikov act on such a blank stage with such a quiet story. We were warned; Baryshnikov spoke to MassLive in mid-February and told them “If you want to see a dance, you should drive to New York and see (New York) City Ballet or (American) Ballet Theater or other companies,” Baryshnikov said. “This is experimental work.” Nevertheless watching someone who had been described by Gesley Kirkland as “literally like a moving picture” simply move around the stage like anyone else was off putting, and it was hard to shake the images of Baryshnikov dancing in his hay day as a leading male and watch him perform such a different role in such a different medium.

The plot was nothing less than confusing, even seasoned show-goers were perplexed during the show because of the switch between two of Chekov’s short stories three quarters of the way through the performance. Although at times the audience could catch up and enjoy moments of strong acting and talented directing, they were unfortunately infrequent and led to sureness during the show. However, in those moments, the audience may have been able to connect to the bittersweet and regrettable life and relationship reclusive Belikov (Baryshnikov) had to fight through, and this was made sure of by talented acting by Baryshnikov.

Unfortunately many of the other characters seemed nothing less than anonymous because of Baryshnikov’s presence. Jess Barbagallo and Chris Giarmo hold their own when they had the stage as the hunters in the first portion of the stage, and shone in some comedic moments. However Tynberly Canale, Belikov’s lover, and Aaron Mattocks, performed forgettable roles with no essence of anything special to them. Tei Blow, the sound designer, stood out in his on-stage role, providing sound to add to the atmosphere and scene. The direction by Big Dance Theatre, Baryshnikov and Arktype/ Thomac O. Kreigsmann to put the sound designer on the stage was a bold and interesting move, however it paid off and added nicely to the on stage situation.

Because Chekov’s stories combined were hard to follow, it further meant that it was hard to relate to the show and took away from potential enjoyment for an audience member. Baryshnikov’s role was interesting, as, although I do believe he seemed at times questionably uninterested, maybe that’s just how the character needed to be. Also, maybe the shadow he cast over the other characters was also a conscious decision, to highlight his role as isolated but influential to others. That, however, is a question for the producers.

The strong moments and shining actors in this show seemed lost under Baryshnikov and his role, however, if you dig deep, you may find moments that glimmer with great production and execution from the ensemble.