Heading Into Night Review – A Clown Play About…Forgetting

Daniel Passer in HEADING INTO NIGHT - Photo by Cooper Bates
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Co-created by award-winning director/adaptor Beth F. Milles and Cirque du Soleil clown Daniel Passer, the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble proudly presents HEADING INTO NIGHT. HEADING INTO NIGHT premiered at The Cherry Arts in Ithaca, New York, where Milles is a member of the acting and directing faculty at Cornell University. In addition to Passer, the piece features Peter Mark as “the mover” and German Schauss as “the musician.” Billed as “a deeply moving yet unexpectedly humorous work that delves into the intricacies of memory,” Milles and Passer “lead the audience on a surreal and poignant journey, finding hilarity, joy, and unexpected revelations in the ironies of fading memory.”

Peter Mark and Daniel Passer – Photo by Cooper Bates

Milles observes that “Clowning is often built on repetition, so this seemed a very organic connection…there is nothing less certain than not knowing. And there is a mystical, tenuous fragility in the state of losing one’s place, as well as an audacious power in just ‘being.’ This work is focused on the joy of rediscovery.” Passer adds that “Looking through the lens of a clown, and bringing a sense of joy and childlike innocence to the theme of memory, has been a rich landscape to explore…I love collaborating with Beth and dreaming up the impossible and striving to bring it to life.”

Daniel Passer – Photo by Cooper Bates

HEADING INTO NIGHT is almost exclusively a nonverbal celebration of the mobile face and body of Passer, a highly experienced mime who strips emotion to its components and offers a childlike and innocent view of the world. Most certainly, there was repetition – and repetition – and repetition (to focus on Milles’ words). For most audiences, the show may have been overlong, in that stacking boxes in multiple ways could prove less than exciting. For those involved in the exquisite detail of Passer’s work, however, this might also be considered a blessing. Audiences may also find it difficult to connect with the overriding theme of the piece (memory and forgetting). The bits of humor thrown in certainly helped to raise the entertainment threshold, as did the final moments of the production.

Peter Mark, Daniel Passer, and German Schauss – Photo by Cooper Bates

The creative team did a yeoman’s job of adding spice to Passer’s performance. Kudos to costume designer Marion Talan de la Rose, lighting designer Jackson Funke, projection designer Gabrieal Griego, video designer Wei-Fang Change, aerial designer and rigger Bianca Sapetto, sound designer Christopher Moscatiello, and all the others who contributed to the production. HEADING INTO NIGHT will certainly appeal to a niche audience who enjoy the surreal, poignant, clever, and creative.

Daniel Passer – Photo by Cooper Bates

HEADING INTO NIGHT runs through November 17, 2024, with performances at 8 p.m. (10/16 and 11/6 only), Fridays, and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. Tickets range from $20 to $40 on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Fridays are Pay-What-You-Can (reservations open online and at the door starting at 5:30 p.m.). For information and reservations, call 310-477-2055 Ext. 2 or go online.

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