Candy-colored savagery is the hallmark of Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights. Resembling the work of a sadistic Dr. Seuss, the otherworldly triptych bursts with fantastical creatures and contraptions. Therefore, in a dance-theatre piece inspired by the painting, Martha Clarke...largely ignores such extravagance. Her work is minimalist and monochromatic: It looks nothing like Bosch's unforgettable canvas. And yet, in its tour through the holy and the profane — not to mention the aerial space of the Minetta Lane Theatre — Clarke's Garden manages to evoke many of the same feelings as Bosch's.
In truth, Bosch's triptych consists of four images: When the outer panels are folded in, there's revealed a stunning picture of the earth during creation. It's here that Clarke's piece starts, with 11 actors oozing out of the primordial sea and enduring bestial growing pains before entering the first panel of Bosch's painting, "The Garden of Eden." Clarke there gives us a glimpse of the puckish sense of humor she surprisingly and welcomely sprinkles throughout the evening: Eve plucks the apple from what must be called a vagina tree. As mankind heads out into the world, the palette expands and there are rites of celebration, moments of sheer carnality, and much fun with potatoes.
For most of the play the actors are clad in skintight body stockings stretched across their naked upper bodies. It feels nakeder than naked — which works just fine in a piece that winds through creation, the garden, and damnation. And, of course, there are aerodynamic advantages, which are more critical than in most dance pieces, as here the dancers fly. Think Peter Pan but add a dash of Rapture.
As impressive as the flying is, what impresses most is the work's seamless structure. Certainly Clarke has had much time to hone Garden — it was first performed nearly 25 years ago — but there's a breathtaking vitality to each lazzi. No vignette is stretched to the point where your interest might even begin to wane.
And as scenes flow into one another, violence and beauty begin to dance. A pas de deux between a dancer and a cellist begins on a note of playful sensuality, but as it evolves (in concert with Richard Peaslee's excellent score), it catapults toward a deathgasm that would make Bosch smile.
Presented by Rhoda Herrick in association with David Grausman and Barbara Foy
at the Minetta Lane Theatre, 18 Minetta Lane, NYC.
Nov. 19-April 5. Tue., 7 p.m.; Wed.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 and 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 and 7 p.m.
(212) 307-4100, (800) 755-4000, or www.ticketmaster.com.