Le Rêve des Marionettes (Dream of the Marionettes)

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Le Rêve des Marionettes (Dream of the Marionettes)

Les Marionettes Productions at La MaMa ETC as part of the New York International Fringe Festival

Reviewed by Paul Menard

August 27, 2010

Photo by Bruce Schultz

First things first: The marionettes of Johanna Divine and Christy Leichty's underwhelming burlesque revue aren't actual puppets; they're voluptuous performers-cum-metaphors. In this Lafayette, La. import, these magical female puppets, created explicitly to sing and dance for men, end up revolting against their oppressive master (Bruce Coen) and transgressively rewrite their own fantastical variety show.

Frankly, it's all a little Feminism 101 and unfortunately not nearly as vibrant or fun as it should be. The forgivably hole-filled book simply strings together pastiche novelty songs (penned by Divine with Daniel Coolik) that mostly prove forgettable. Throughout, the 14-member bustier-clad ensemble serves up the broken-doll legs and sit-in-it hips of John Vincent's effective—if simplistic—Bob Fosse–meets–Busby Berkeley choreography. (Vincent also appears in drag.)

Sadly, "Dream of the Marionettes" never achieves the requisite sizzle as the cast struggles to fill La MaMa's stage, illustrating that both the material and its performers are limited by more than just strings.

Presented by Les Marionettes Productions as part of the New York International Fringe Festival at La MaMa ETC, 66-68 E. Fourth St., NYC. Aug. 26–29. Remaining performances: Sat., Aug. 28, 5 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 29, 2:30 p.m. (866) 468-7619 or www.fringenyc.org.