Theater is Easy Theasy.com (NYC)
by Markus Paminger on 8.24.10
BOTTOM LINE: A series of clown, mime, and dance skits that will have you grinning from ear to ear, or quite possibly laughing non-stop.
Bravo Mr. Magical Exploding Boy. In a festival dominated by words you have us all
in stitches without uttering a single one. Your mischievous grin is highly
contagious. Who would have thought that watching you do something as menial as
take a sip of water between scenes could bring so much joy.
While watching Magical Exploding Boy, performed by the mime Dean Evans at the
4th Street Theatre as part of the NY Fringe Festival, I had a continuous smile
on my face, if not an outright guffaw. Evans's clown character is pure magic,
filled with highly concentrated innocence and naiveté. His wordless performance
is fueled by nothing but vocal sound effects, extraordinary physicality, and
childlike energy. There is little rhyme or reason to any of his skits, but
watching him play human jetpack with the audience, or discover the sadistic side
of his detachable-limb doll while trying to take it on what should have been a
romantic date, reverts one back to an earlier, happier time when the only limits
of reality were the limits of one's imagination.
Evans's abilities in clowning and miming are first class; he wouldn't be out of
place in a Cirque du Soleil show. Evans is truly a marvel to behold.
It is worth noting that Magical Exploding Boy offers some variety in its
skits, and the depth of Evans's talent as an artist in general - beyond his clown
characters - is shown off by his skillful dance numbers, which are more
interpretive than comical. And although these dance numbers don't necessarily
mesh with the rest of the performance in style and tone, they are good enough
that anyone interested in modern dance should have a look.
Magical Exploding Boy is what the Fringe is all about, since it is a show you
would rarely see outside such an open-minded festival. And Evans's raw talent
deserves to be up there with the best of them. Go see this show right now, strap
yourself in, and prepare for an incredible journey through the mind-bending
imagination of Dean Evans. Just try not to fall out of your chair laughing.