Review of “Maintaining Stranger”, 21.2.2019

By Ana Sobral

“Maintaining Stranger” really does put emphasis on the word ‘stranger’, be it as an adjective or noun. The very loose narrative revolves around random intimate encounters between absolute strangers, which invariably lead to sexual practices that are uncomfortable to watch. The viewer feels mostly like an inadvertent witness, eavesdropping on conversations that sound very private and yet are conducted in a public space of sorts. At certain points, the characters even address the audience directly, as if their confidential stories were our own. There is an almost unrelenting sense of discomfort, and yet we also sympathise with many of the characters. We are drawn into their confessions, and are amused by the random details they share. The overwhelming impression was one of being stuck in a sort of dream, or perhaps even a hallucination. The mind tries to make sense of the encounters – and their abrupt interruption – but meaning continually eludes us.

The dream-like surreality of the narrative is matched by the show’s stage design as well as its music, which is performed live on stage as the action unfolds. The atmosphere created by the music varies from seductive to oppressive, and it is not always clear whether the characters are reacting to the music or vice-versa. As with the music, the stage design seems to participate actively in the encounters, culminating in a long speech by one of the characters addressing a part of the set, in a moment of literal deconstruction just as likely to provoke a wry smile as a defeated sigh, depending on which side of the cultural chasm of postmodernism one happens to be standing.

Personally, I didn’t find this an easy piece to watch. As a layperson, I felt estranged from the performance, and the postmodern attitude of ennui and purposelessness that pervades the show sometimes felt overemphasized. I suppose that viewers who are more well-versed in modern dance (if that’s what this is) or simply more open to the fluctuations of meaning that the show purposefully plays with will find this a very engaging piece. The artists on stage are faultless in their use of the body as a communication tool, although the message being communicated is never actually clear. That my desire for coherence was constantly frustrated may well underscore the success of their performance.