Hyperbole: origins

Rogue Artists Ensemble incorporates a mixture of masks, pantomime, and music to do the bulk of the storytelling in "Hyperbole: origins." At the center of a series of vignettes, based on original stories, are Ducis (Thu Tran) and his apprentice Stan (Alex Levin), who use an elaborate machine to re-create myths of creation that combine human beings, fire, love, music, and sin. The only voices we hear are disembodied, coming from machines. Ducis and Stan wear masks, as does the rest of the ensemble, and each scene is set to a different song (the music was chosen from an open call for submissions).

Wordless acting requires intense physicality, and director Sean T. Cawelti's actors operate on the same page, using all parts of their bodies to show emotion and provide narrative. Tran, in particular, develops a strong personality that matches his elongated, bug-eyed mask. Ducis is impatient with Stan, yet there's a tenderness to his actions.

Quality varies throughout the production, but when the company is clicking, as it does in the vignette titled "Origin of the Rabbit in the Moon," all of the audience's senses are excited, as puppets, video projections, music, costumes, and actors meld seamlessly. A few times, the concept is better than the execution, as the overwhelming number of sound and visual effects—and an intricate set designed by Logan Wince—leads to several miscues and clunky transitions. Also, 100 minutes pushes the limit for what's basically a wordless piece without plot. But there's a sense of adventure in "Hyperbole: origins" that continues to make Rogue Artists' productions worth experiencing, warts and all.

Presented by Rogue Artists Ensemble at [Inside] the Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood. Nov. 6–Dec. 12. Thu.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 and 7 p.m. (Also Sat., Nov. 13, 2 p.m.) (323) 461-3673 or www.fordtheatres.org.