After The Party by Thomas Doone Dance visualizes and dignifies the mere act of thinking – | ACHTUNG!

2023-10-05 18:46:51

This company based in Catalonia has demonstrated in After The Party that, to express something, it is not necessary that everything be called by its name, and if you hurry me, that it be capable of identification. Take into account that in performing arts it is essential that the image that is being displayed on stage is eloquent enough so that the text, dance movements, and other resources are accompaniment to what is really being addressed.

Therein lies the need for the creator, the director, and the performer in play to know how to distinguish the gradation in which each of the elements used for a performance must be exposed. To this extent, nothing has to be chosen at random or on a whim, otherwise one would be communicating something different from what one had in mind at the beginning, or worse still, something diffuse and inconsistent. However, in the case of After The PartyWe, the viewers, have come across a piece that shows us how each of us sees ourselves from the outside, in the moments in which we are in our internal hole. I would even venture to affirm that Thomas Doone’s dance solos were a representation of how his character confronted his thoughts, memories, and why not say it, what it means to “carry himself around” all the time. time.

Along these lines, I think that this British professional has taken the risk that the audience will not follow the thread of what is happening at every moment, or that they will find that the piece is barely moving forward. In any case, Thoma Doone had the “prudence” (so to speak) to transfer this internal dialogue of his character to different situations, times of day, etc… Which gave it greater credibility, being that it is a good way to make reference to how a subject can fall into a state of absorption at any time and place. To the point of reproducing/reliving conversations in which, let’s say, he did not do everything he would have liked, or this would be an exercise to understand and overcome what has left “resonances” in his entire being.

Photo: Manuel Perez

After seeing this piece, I regret even more that these areas of human condition they are not visualized and dignified, beyond this caricature image of the Ancient Greek philosopher sitting on a rock looking towards infinity; the romantic writer walking around his room countless times, searching for the exact word to express what he wants to express… In short, things that stigmatize the mere act of thinking and being alone with oneself. Those who say that they do not do it frequently are lying, even in the circumstances in which they play music or any technological device in the background, they are, at the very least, “peeking” into said state.

That is why I defend that one of the most powerful things about After The Party is that its protagonist is a brave and sincere being. As long as he is not afraid to show himself as a vulnerable being; as well as, a being that needs to be in a safe space where he can be heard, without his thoughts and actions being belittled. In case there is any doubt, it is not about accepting any behavior as good, but rather, about integrating mechanisms that allow us to rectify our mistakes and know how to continue on a daily basis, without this entailing discrediting those people who take action. seriously about their own lives, under the slogan that “overthinking things” usually leads us to something bad.

Photo: Manuel Perez

At this point, this character has dug so much inside himself that he has found himself with a kind of “another self”, represented by his charming puppet, who, not surprisingly, looks a lot like Thomas Doone. That is: in the same vein as his dance solos and other situations were the “channels” through which this character moved within himself, this puppet emerges in which his mere presence and interaction implies that he can no longer “ “dodge” what happens to you, using something that acts as a “mirror” so that the “reflection of light” lands in another place. No, the mirror is in front of said character, and it will not leave until this individual at least finishes accepting that it is part of himself.

As you can imagine, After The Party It is one of those works that the more it is studied, the more things can be extracted from it, and, probably, more than the one himself Thomas Donne intended. Yes, everything is done with such simplicity, honesty, precision and love, that it is very difficult not to be captivated. Truly, this professional has managed to materialize something with this project that many have not been able to undertake, or have fallen short along the way.