Arts & Entertainment

'Syncopation' dances into Stages Theatre

By Chris Goodier
The Daily Cougar

Every dreamer copes with the obstacle of discouragement. Facing public cynicism, self doubt and financial ruin, the hopeful are forced to internalize possibility while critics target their fools. 

In the play Syncopation at Stages Repertory Theatre, one such believer gets the spotlight through Feb. 9. He goes by Henry Ribolow, meat packer by day, ballroom dancer by night, with one simple goal: "to dance before royalty." 

Set in the early 20th century New York City, winds of change flourish from the trade of ideas and culture in the nationis largest port. 1911 is a good time for dreamers; Edison creates the music box while Ford finds a way to mechanize the horse-drawn carriage. 

Polish immigrant Ribolow has but one invention in mind--to convert a $4 a month room atop a tenement into a world class studio. He only requires a partner. By placing grandiose advertisements in the newspaper (each more preposterous than the last) he lures Anna Bianchi, a woman of humble roots and respectable position. Also a dreamer but with different motivation, she seeks to escape the repetitive stitch of the seamstress factory. 

Bianchi questions Ribolowis motives with an apprehension stemming from a conventional upbringing. Itis not until their sixth session that the partners touch. 

Director Mark Ramont does well in using Ribolowis easy spirit as a vehicle for humor. The meat packer jokes of his extensive high heel collection: "I sleep with women and they repay me in shoes." 

The Stages Repertory venue is also effective. Set in the round, the dance floor/studio is surrounded on all sides by seats, allowing viewers to observe the duois flight from all angles. Its design adds authenticity; Jodi Bobrovsky scoured Houstonis dumpsters to decorate columns with rescued tin, brick and chipped speckle, creating history in a space "reeking of failure." While Ribolow convinces Bianchi to rehearse frequently (she conceals the practice from her fiancé and father), the dancing progresses with more complex steps. After five months, trust grows and a rising comfort enables the sensual tango. Now able to explore their chemistry between steps, the duo embraces in a seductive flurry across the studio floor. 

By shielding her from external influence, Henry allows Bianchi to call off the marriage, speak to the boisterous "odd women" and cast off the trappings of gender. While itis Henryis challenge to continually "break a rule" that encourages her, the contact of dance keeps him attached. 

Henry becomes a voyeur as his unfair expectation of loyalty soon leads to a painful dismay. Hope is in the cards, however; itis soon time for the meat packer to take lessons from the seamstress. 

The story takes time to get going, but historic interjections, with mentions of the Vaudevillian Castle dancers, union riots and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, add to it. 

Syncopation runs Wednesday through Sunday, with after-show dancing at weekend performances. Contact the box office at (713) 527-0123 or www.stagestheatre.com. 

Syncopation

Stages Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway

The verdict: Resuscitating your dream will cost $30.

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