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December 13, 2023 | Theatre,
The Technical Feats of Moby Dick
ArtsEmerson’s first show of 2024 will present a classic tale in a way never before seen, with seven actors, fifty puppets, a drowned orchestra, and a life-sized whale. It is Moby Dick, brought to life by Norway’s Plexus Polaire and taking the stage from January 23-28 at the Emerson Paramount Center.
Plexus Polaire’s artistic director, Yngvild Aspeli, is an esteemed director, actress, and puppeteer, with puppetry being a core focus of Plexus Polaire’s work. In her work, Aspeli strives to create universes and places that evoke emotion from the audience. While human-sized puppets are her specialty, Aspeli notably puts emphasis on other technical aspects of a show as well: such as music, light, video, and actors. These mediums help to add to the plotline of a story.
In Moby Dick, there are few human, speaking characters in the show. Fittingly, the most central of these characters is Ishmael, who in both the original novel by Herman Melville and Plexus Polaire’s adaptation, serves as the narrator of the story. The rest of the characters are depicted by life-sized puppets who, with the help of other actors/puppeteers, are voiced and brought to life before the audience’s eyes. A repeated sentiment is the lifelike qualities of the puppets. A review from Theatrius noted that: “many audience members, myself included, left the theater unsure which characters are puppets and which human.”
The puppet of captain Ahab, the main character in Moby Dick, is nearly seven feet tall and when moving, is nearly indistinguishable from that of a human. The fish puppets move with the same grace as a fish swimming along in the ocean. Moby Dick’s puppeteers are masters of illusion and are able to mimic life through their characters. Not to mention the puppet of the notorious white whale, who is similar in size to an actual, real life whale and appears as such.
Another technical component of Moby Dick is the sound design, featuring a “drowned” orchestra. A three piece band – consisting of drums, guitar, and bass – are responsible for all of the music and sound effects in the show and perform live during every performance. The musicians are able to replicate an auditory sea scape: waves crashing, the call of far-off seagulls, and whale song. However the musicians also dictate the mood of the show depicting Ahab’s descent into madness and impending doom with sounds akin to that of a heavy metal concert.
The third technical component that heavily impacts the show stylistically is the lighting and visual effects. Lighting and VFX are known to be clever elements as simply the color or lighting pattern is enough to set the entire tone of a performance. Plexus Polaire had to consider how the lighting would dictate the mood of the show, but also how the lighting would help the actors/puppeteers perform and mask the fact that the puppets are well, puppets.
Much of the lighting is designed to show the puppets while masking the puppeteer in the background, giving the illusion that the puppet is acting independently. In multiple scenes in which human actors and puppets appear on stage in tandem, the lighting is used similarly, to blur the faces and bodies of both actors and puppets, giving an appearance of unity but also uncertainty to the audience.
The lighting, in tandem with the music courtesy of the drowned orchestra, sets a dark mood and carries that same impending sense of doom that is present throughout the show. The often-dark lighting has a dual purpose, it serves as the backdrop and setting of the show: the ocean.
The combination of lighting, sound, and puppet design all mesh together to help create this story and execute Aspeli’s vision and desire to create work that explores ones emotions. For viewers, Moby Dick is a unforgettable sensory and theatrical experience.
Plexus Polaire’s Moby Dick will be performed on the Robert J. Orchard Stage at the Emerson Paramount Center from January 23rd – January 28th, 2024. For more information and to purchase tickets, please click here. Enjoy the show!
Paige Walker, Dec 2023
I look forward to seeing it. I am a regular at Moby Dick marathon readings