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Group crawls onto stage with 'Gastropod'
Upstart company opens production with run at Abbey
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Photo by Courtesy of Ben Martinez
The relationship between two claustrophobic snails played by Karina Wolfe, left, and Amanda Raleigh begins to break down in the original production of “Gastropod.” The play opens tonight at the Abbey Theatre.
Review
“Gastropod,” an original production of the Heart Hustle Collective. Starring Karina Wolfe and Amanda Raleigh; written and directed by Alma. Tonight, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Abbey Theatre. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and are available at the Abbey Theatre box office and Southwest Sound.
But for those with a more progressive mind and an appreciation for the experimental, then by all means, this story of Yin and Yang snails - yes, snails - is worth a look.
The story, despite appearances to the contrary, is a very human one. Two nameless snails, played by Brooklynite Amanda Raleigh and Durango native Karina Wolfe, contemplate their future as their home - an unseen shell they share - begins to crumble around them.
Raleigh's snail, hereafter referred to as Snail 1 with apologies to Dr. Seuss, sees an opportunity to expand her horizons while Wolfe, Snail 2, is much more timid and resigned to a life of sloth.
It would not be a stretch to call the pair The Odd Couple of the mollusk world, but theirs is a relationship that would be symbiotic - Snail 2 relies on Snail 1 for her very existence while Snail 1 clearly craves a companion - but the story really is the dissolution of their co-dependence.
Snail 1 is mobile, venturing out on numerous adventures and exercising her "belly-foot" incessantly while Snail 2 is content to lounge about, snacking and sleeping in between a predictable schedule of meals she couldn't eat without Snail 1 carrying her there.
Throughout the play, the pair's friendship is increasingly strained, with each finally telling the other, "You're only bearable when I sleep."
"Gastropod" is the sole creation of writer-director Alma (who goes by one name), who met Raleigh, Wolfe and others at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.
The group formed the Heart Hustle Collective, and while only Wolfe and Raleigh are
seen on stage, evidence of the group's collaborative talents is everywhere.
The intricately embroidered "shells" Raleigh dons for her forays into the outside world were made by Portland, Ore., artist Jake Lewis; backdrops of landscapes with overlaid animation are a product of the combined efforts of Karla Santos and Yarden Schneider; and the snails perform several musical interludes choreographed by classmate Lindsay Preiss over the beat-boxing of Durango's Ben Fisher.
In fact, nearly everything seen on stage was handmade by one or more members of the Collective for this performance.
The Heart Hustle Collective plans to take "Gastropod" on a national tour after the three opening performances in Durango.
The group held a successful fundraiser earlier this month at the Open Shutter Gallery, and the members also have a financial stake. Alma said she's happy Wolfe pushed to open the show in her hometown and hopes the momentum carries on to other states.
"She really wanted to bring it here, and I'm glad she did; this is a town that's thirsty for culture," Alma said, adding that the Abbey's technical facilities make it an ideal venue for the multimedia presentation.
It's also got two bars - drink up, Durango.
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