โVaudeville for a modern age,โ itโs called. Brรผka Theatreโs appropriation of vaudevillian theater has moments of frivolity, but more often than not this โplayโ puts on a surprisingly sincere face as its actors dive into highly charged political and religious territory. In between skits that depict Burning Man, Grateful Dead shows and nutty mimes, Brรผka Stateโs actors recite quotations and poetry by some of the 19th and 20th centuryโs wisest and most caustic figures. The show is heavy with 1960s nostalgia, revisiting a counterculture spirit that mingles cynicism with fervent idealism. Creator and director Dave Anderson, who also appears in the production, says that in a post-Sept. 11 age, a new and challenging form of theater is needed. While the show lacks the sense of cohesiveness one might expect from a production as earnest as this oneโas well as the goofiness one might get find in old-fashioned vaudevilleโBrรผka State is a charming and moving show that will challenge many of its audiences membersโ views on religion, patriotism, art and life. 4″Vaudeville for a modern age,” itโs called. Brรผka Theatreโs appropriation of vaudevillian theater has moments of frivolity, but more often than not this “play” puts on a surprisingly sincere face as its actors dive into highly charged political and religious territory. In between skits that depict Burning Man, Grateful Dead shows and nutty mimes, Brรผka Stateโs actors recite quotations and poetry by some of the 19th and 20th centuryโs wisest and most caustic figures. The show is heavy with 1960s nostalgia, revisiting a counterculture spirit that mingles cynicism with fervent idealism. Creator and director Dave Anderson, who also appears in the production, says that in a post-Sept. 11 age, a new and challenging form of theater is needed. While the show lacks the sense of cohesiveness one might expect from a production as earnest as this oneโas well as the goofiness one might find in old-fashioned vaudevilleโBrรผka State is a charming and moving show that will challenge many of its audiences membersโ views on religion, patriotism, art and life.
