A local theater company is taking audiences to an alien world this fall — all without saying a word.
Broken Box Mime Theater will debut “MYTH,” its first evening-length production, at JACK in Clinton Hill from Sept. 25 through Oct. 18. The 65-minute, no-intermission performance uses mime, movement and speculative fiction to explore how people remember, rewrite and forget the histories.
Directed by Broken Box Artistic Director Becky Baumwoll, “MYTH” follows two unlikely lovers living in an idyllic village on a foreign planet with two moons. Their discovery sets off a story about ancestry, memory and the ways the past can shape the present.
The performance is performed entirely without spoken language by a seven-member ensemble of Broken Box veterans: Baumwoll, Ismarl Castillo, Julia Cavagna, Tia Cassmira, Duane Cooper, Deniz Erzaim and Marissa Molnar.
Organizers at Broken Box said the show is meant to bridge the origins of pantomime while combining contemporary influences.Photo by Bjorn Bolinder
The show also features an original score by Jack McGuire, who will perform the music live.
Baumwoll said that as the “only ensemble mime company of our kind in the U.S,” Broken Box Mime Theater strives to honor the past while making it fit present-day themes.
“’MYTH is inspired by the pull between welcoming ancestral wisdom and healing from ancestral trauma,” she continued. “As America washes away our history, we want to create a fable that digs into what that censorship does to the body.”
The production is designed to introduce longtime mime fans and newcomers to the art form. Audience members who are new to mime can arrive 30 minutes before a performance for an informal introduction to the visual language and techniques used in “MYTH,” led by a company member.
Each performance is followed by an informal conversation with performers.Photo by Bjorn Bolinder
Every performance will also be followed by a “Sip N’ Chat,” allowing audience members to have tea, cookies and conversation with members of Broken Box.
The company will host several affinity nights throughout the run, each followed by a post-show conversation between members of the cast and a guest working in the featured community.
The lineup includes Dancer Night on Sept. 28, Activist Night on Oct. 2, Deaf Night on Oct. 3, Industry Night on Oct. 5, Teacher Night on Oct. 9 and Global Night on Oct. 10. ASL interpretation will be provided before and after the Oct. 3 performance.
The show “transports audiences to a foreign planet with two moons.”Photo by Bjorn Bolinder
Accessibility is also built into the production. All performances welcome audience vocalization, and a Relaxed Performance will be held Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. for individuals with disabilities and parents with very young children. During that performance, the house lights will remain on at a low level and the lobby door will stay open.
“MYTH” is recommended for audiences ages 12 and up.
The production’s creative team includes lighting designer Yang Yu and production stage manager Alex Church-Gonzales.
Performances will take place at JACK, located at 20 Putnam Ave., on Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $45 for reserved seating and $15 for students.