Decade at a Glance

A bleak, movement-heavy musical theatre piece inspired by the photographs of Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange, "Decade at a Glance" depicts the devastating conditions faced by America's Midwestern farm folk during the economic depression of the 1930s. Ambitiously created, deliberately directed, and staidly choreographed by Joan Evans, the bitterly cheerless production melds traditional folk songs, original violin and flute music (by Annie Chang and Sarah Wharton, respectively), text derived from interviews with Dust Bowl survivors, representative gestural movements, and symbolically staged ensemble tableaux.

Though a product of the Harold Clurman Center for New Works in Movement and Dance Theatre—an initiative supporting the making of movement-based productions that consider physical work to be the essential language of the play—the multidisciplinary show draws its expressivity largely from its musical and spoken-word components. Evans' highly stylized choreography uses the actors' bodies not as kinesthetic communicators, as in dance, but rather as elements in the sketching of evocative stage pictures. The human-body movements that best convey powerful emotions are those deeply rooted in the torso and impelled by strong physical impulses emanating from the musculature of the core, pelvis, or chest. Allen's choreography features virtually no torso articulation and consists primarily of arm and leg actions that suggest but don't really express feelings.

A collection of 15 skilled actor-singers conjures affecting drama with their heartrending monologues, soul-stirring solo singing, and mournful choral harmonies (arranged by Elise Toscano, Anisha Nagarajan, and Dayle Towarnicky). Katja Andreive's appropriately unvarnished costumes and Toscano's clean vocal direction also contribute significantly to the proceedings.

While deftly rendered, the saddening show felt much longer than its 50-minute running time. That, however, may have been due mainly to the suffocating lack of ventilation in the tiny studio performance space.


Presented by Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Harold Clurman Center for New Works in Movement and Dance Theatre, in association with Interaction Arts Foundation, at Stella Adler Studio of Acting, 31 W. 27th St., NYC. Feb. 11–March 7. Schedule varies. (212) 352-3101, (866) 811-4111, or www.theatermania.com.