Kelly McKinne gives her reaction to the recent Rodrigo Toscano BathHouse reading:
I read a few of the performances from Rodrigo Toscano’s book Collapsible Peotics Theatre before I attended the show Monday night in Ypsilanti. Although I already had a preconceived image of how the acts would be performed, my earlier reading was not nearly as intense as the actors that evening. Rodrigo’s Toscano and the actors that performed that evening were able to bring an energy to their show that kept the room focused on every move. Like all of Toscano’s work, these pieces required attention because every action and every word is so alive with meaning. It is wonderful how you can go from watching one actor doing their part of the show, then look over at another actor simultaneously doing their part, and receive a totally different perspective on what the piece might be about.
What I feel is the most amazing part about these works by Toscano, is that they can be performed by several different people and the viewer gets a totally different feel for the show. The show always seems to be focused on the words, how they are pronounced, what is emphasized, and the tone the performer uses when saying a line. Because these slight variations can change the piece so much, I feel that the shows are very fluid. The fluidness of the actor’s words can also be very entertaining when they seem to play off each other and sound like they are a perfect fit based solely on rhythm.
Although one might note that Toscano’s work has extreme depth because of the magnitude of his word choice, I feel that a show by Toscano can also be enjoyed by any person who wants to be entertained by a master wordsmith. His ability to join atypical words and places with rhythm, tone, and regional accents has the tendency to send the listener on a thrilling verbal rollercoaster. I highly recommend Rodrigo Toscano to anybody who wants to be mentally stimulated by performances which require you to look for meaning in every action and to anybody who simply enjoys the intricacies of different languages.