“Expression is the need of my soul,” perfectly defines the array of performance art Sarah Agnew and Jim Lichtscheidl use in their original production, archy & mehitabel…life in lower case. From their acting style to their unique use of the set and props, from their musical creations to their interpretive dancing, Agnew and Lichtscheidl bring together all of their talents to really shine in imaginative, theatrical conception.
Archy & mehitabel tells the unlikely story of and man and woman who are reincarnated into a poetic cockroach and a sassy kitty. In his efforts to die and be reborn into a respectable animal, Archy, the cockroach meets a cat, Mehitabel, and beings to write her manifesto on an old typewriter. During their adventure, the friends meet a variety of insects including a lightning bug, a worm, a spider and a drunken hornet. As the pair grows closer together, Archy and Mehitabel lend each other a helping hand during a time of need, before the reach the inevitable end to the circle of life.
Agnew and Lichtscheidl bring the story beautifully by bringing their characters to life with a unique acting style. Both actors personify their animal characters perfectly by exhibiting common animal habits with ideal comedic timing. As the lights rise on Lichtscheidl’s cockroach, he flees from center stage and clings to the nearest wall, just as a cockroach scurries into the darkness when lights are turned on. Additionally, Lichtscheidl shares another great cockroach inspired moment when he falls on his back and cannot roll over without help from Agnew. This hilarious mockery of a cockroach with a giant shell helps to maintain the witty, playfulness throughout the production.
Agnew is not outdone by Lichtscheidl’s bestial impersonations. She also used animal movements to inspire the habits of her feline character. Throughout the production, Agnew used repeated gestures often associated with cats, like stretching her back, liking her arms and scratching her ears with her hands. Both actors manage to use these animal imitations while still remaining mostly human in nature. This combination gives the actors a wide range of movement and vocal capabilities while still keeping the audience caught up in a fantasy world of the secret lives of animals. Furthermore, both actors in this two-person production are highly skilled and complement each other’s talents without overshadowing one another. Their performance is both playful and honest. Agnew and Lichtscheidl do not force any part of the production and take this opportunity to do what they love and show it to the world.
Agnew and Lichtscheidl are also exceedingly playful and creative with their use of set design and props as spectacles. Upon entering the theater, you gaze on the set and think nothing of its simplicity. The walls of the stage are merely covered from floor to ceiling with an assortment of white paper with a lone desk in one corner and an oversized spider web in the other. However, as the production unfolds you realize the simplistic set is actually more complicated than it seems. Agnew and Lichtscheidl pull pieces of paper off of the walls and use them as prop and costume pieces. For example, Lichtscheidl takes a large, plain, white piece of paper from the set and ties it in a bow around his neck to create the costume for the drunken hornet.
Another part of the set is an oversized pile of paper that Archy and Mehitabel lived in. This set piece was also used in an interesting way. Agnew and Lichtscheidl became fleas by poking only their heads through the paper and hiding the rest of their body among the paper stack. This creative approach to prop and set design gives more evidence to Agnew and Lichtscheidl’s innovative expression and keeps the audience wondering what is going to happen next.
Agnew and Lichtscheidl also expressed their creativity by making music and dancing in an absurd but remarkable manner. Not only are there originally written songs by the duet, but composer, Eric Jensen, lends a hand in the musical accompaniment to the piece. However, when Jensen is playing a tune on the piano, Agnew and Lichtscheidl make it seem like the sound is coming from them. In the scene with the lightning bug, Lichtscheidl strums the strings are the spider web as if it were a bass to make it look like he is creating the low notes of the song. Additionally, Agnew and Lichtscheidl use their props to create live music on stage. In several scenes Agnew rubs two crinkled papers together and produces a provocative musical rhythm. Also in the fly swatter scene both actors use this prop by hitting it against the floor or against each other to add a tune to the piece. The playfulness of the music and Agnew and Lichtscheidl’s genius exploration of objects delights the audience over and over again.
Fly swatters are not only used to create music, but dance as well. Agnew and Lichtscheidl wave the fly swatters around in rhythm in order to choreograph dance moves to go along with their songs. The actors did the same thing with balls of paper. The paper balls were attached to thin wires, as if they are floating in air. Agnew and Lichtscheidl manipulate the wires and move them about throughout the whole space to make it appear like the balls of paper are dancing. The eye cannot help but be entranced by the whimsical movements of the gliding paper as the dance around. These unusual uses for everyday items evoke the imagination and take objects far beyond what they actually are.
Not all of the dancing is done by fly swatters however, there are plenty scenes where Agnew and Lichtscheidl dance with one another and prove their ability to collaborate brilliantly with one another. In the scene with Percy the tom cat, Agnew and Lichtscheidl use a series of balances in order to create a push and pull dance between Mehitabel and her cat boyfriend Percy. For example, Agnew supports Lichtscheidl with her back as he lies across her and climbs up a wall with his feet. Throughout the entire dance, the actors do the same movements only opposite of each other, generating a salsa feel to the song. In addition, Agnew and Lichtscheidl build a spectacle by having the lighting change with their movements. During sharp, sudden movements the lights switched color and direction. During repetitive movements, the lights flashed several times. This dance further exemplifies their ability to work well with one another and use simple ideas to create something extraordinary.
Throughout archy & mehitabel…life in lower case, Sarah Agnew and Jim Lichtscheidl use every form of creative expression to present a piece full of fun, laughter and imagination. From bug creatures to catchy songs, from puppetry to interpretive dance, the production shows the duo’s exceptional range of acting talents, their wild imaginations and playful natures which express their souls and keep the audience in awe and wanting more.
archy and mehitabel...life in lower case premiered at the Open Eye Figure Theatre in October 2008.
Recommendation: See it!
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