Stomp

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Ongoing	Tue-Sat, 8pm; Sat, 3pm; Sun, 2pm, 5:30pm

Profile

A wordless percussion and dance extravaganza, this long-running show consists of a dynamic eight-person troupe repeatedly finding a beat in everyday objects: toilet plungers, plastic bags, water coolers, even the kitchen sink. Beginning with a rousing broom-pushing ensemble piece, the production is structured as a series of sketches in which the rhythms seem to emerge by happy accident. Some scenes spotlight two or three performers, such as a humorously competitive matchbox-shaking number, while others, including a quietly cadenced bit requiring dexterous flicks of cigarette lighters, feature the whole cast. (At times, the entire audience is called upon to participate in hand-clapping routines.) While Stomp is dialogue-free, definite personalities emerge—the clumsy newbie, the mischievous jokester, the seasoned veteran, etc. Sure, these characters drum up quite a racket, but the imaginative ways in which they do so is a reminder of how even the most banal items can become effective tools for art. Created in 1991 by Brits Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, Stomp still feels surprisingly fresh and inventive more than a decade later. — Leaya Lee

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