REVIEW: 'The Black Rider'

Audience members filing into the Ahmanson Theater for the April
26 performance of “The Black Rider” most likely had no
idea what they were in for. What they got was a collaboration of
three prolific artists in different media, combined with the story
line of an old German folktale, “Der Freischütz”
(The Free Shooter). The events that transpired on stage over the
next two and a half hours constituted a strangely unique
experience.

American director and designer Robert Wilson’s work is
known primarily in Europe ““ particularly in France and
Germany ““ where large theaters are subsidized by the
government, providing funds for his detailed and meticulous visions
to be realized.

“The Black Rider,” first produced in Germany, is
executed in Wilson’s signature style, based in an elaborate
yet abstract setting that emphasizes visuals throughout. It is an
expressionistic take on the tale, fused with a stimulating score by
Greg Cohen and Tom Waits.

The tale is centered around Wilhelm, a clerk who sells his soul
to the devil in exchange for a handful of magic bullets.

He does this hoping that the father of his one true love will
consent to their marriage after being impressed with his
marksmanship. The devil warns him, though, that some of the bullets
are for himself and some are for Wilhelm.

Throughout the play, several other cryptic warnings are given
against using the magic bullets, such as, “Will what you do.
Do what you will.”

Such wordplay continues amid a series of episodic scenes
involving elaborate choreography set to music and culminating in an
appropriately beautiful, yet ironic, ending.

With the intention of lightening the mood, “The Black
Rider” opens with a jazzy cabaret-style number, complete with
an MC welcoming the audience to the show as he sings, “Come
along with the Black Rider / We’ll have a gay old
time.”

The lighthearted atmosphere continues into part of the first act
with mildly amusing physical comedy. Once the story truly settles
into itself, however, it grows much darker, utilizing the visuals
of the performance to convey its various mystical elements.

The combination of unique, lyrical speech patterns, several
modern dance sequences and musical interludes continues into the
second act, which grows more serious as the devil makes his
presence in the characters’ lives known.

The seemingly simple story line is layered underneath elaborate
visuals and a complex musical score, requiring a certain discipline
from audience members to decipher the exact events that take place
amid these physical manifestations of the characters’
emotional states.

Within these expressions of emotion, the morality of the folk
tale manifests itself, displaying Wilhelm’s agony as his good
intentions are foiled by the devil’s evil plan.

The scene in which the last magic bullet hits its mark is filled
with agony, portrayed through a tragic violin piece and the
painstakingly slow movements of the actors as they react to what
has just happened.

“The Black Rider” is not for passive audience
members seeking escapist theater. The stylistic elements layered
atop this rather simple folk tale require almost as much meticulous
attention from the viewer as from Wilson, their creator.

Seemingly disconnected episodes call for constant interpretation
to link the basic events of the story together. Viewers who choose
to commit to this journey, however, will be richly rewarded.

““ Meropi Peponides

E-mail Peponides at [email protected]