slaughterhouse five or childrens

Slaughterhouse Five or The Children's Crusade

Science fiction, war trauma and survival mechanisms are stirred

together until there are practically no lumps in Kurt Vonnegut's

Slaughterhouse -Five or: The Children's Crusade. Purposeful and sharp

direction, chameleonic actors, and a comprehensive adaptation of the

novel make this experience existential, ethereal and cerebral, but

those who are not open-minded about breaking theatrical barriers may

not appreciate the sensory overload.

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Reviewed by Cindy Pierre

Kurt Vonnegut's 1969 novel, Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's

Crusade, is one of his most popular works, widely regarded as a

classic. Drawing heavily from his experience as a prisoner of war

during World War II, Vonnegut focuses on his psychological trauma with

a science fiction lens while waxing poetic on the global human

condition. And to top it all off, he uses time travel as a plot

device. A veritable goldmine of concepts, inventiveness and vision,

adapting the novel for the stage can either be a daunting task or a

dream come true. Fortunately for playwright Eric Simonson and director

Joe Tantalo, their collaboration makes it look like a piece of cake.

And for the patron that likes a little bit of indulgence, this

production hits many of the right spots.

When American soldier Billy Pilgrim is captured during the Battle of

the Bulge by German soldiers, his lack of training in combat and his

lack of conviction as a chaplain's assistant shines through. He's 23,

and ill-prepared mentally and emotionally for the carnage that lies

ahead. Billy, along with other prisoners, is transported to a

slaughterhouse in Dresden that the Germans use as a makeshift prison.

While holed up in there, air raids rain down on Dresden, forcing the

prisons and their guards to retreat into a deep cellar to survive. Few

make it out alive, and when Billy and the others return to the

surface, they have to deal with the mayhem and massacre that awaits

them.

From there, Billy becomes "unstuck" in time (not limited by

chronology) through undefined means, and begins to randomly and

repeatedly visit different stages of his life, from his combat time to

civilian time with his wife. Although not the catalysts for his new

condition, aliens from a planet named Tralfamadore (represented

wonderfully by kneeling men with swaying lights in their palms) who

see in four dimensions (the fourth being time) rather than three give

him insight on his experiences. They introduce fatalism as the frame

for what is happening to Billy.

Godlight Theatre Company's production of Slaughterhouse Five is a

marvelous feat that would have crumbled if everyone involved wasn't so

committed, talented and disciplined. Production designer Maruti Evans

splatters blood on the floor and suspends dog tags and helmets from

the ceiling on large hooks that unmistakably and metaphorically

emulate the butchery of the soldiers. It is a visual that keeps the

audience grounded in the reality that inspires the fantastical

elements of the play. Joe Tantalo's strong and purposeful direction

keep the cast of ten in line, and his corralling skills are needed for

the limited performance space of Theater C at 59 E 59th street

theatres. Movement director Hachi Yu and fight choreographer Josh

Renfree work wonders to emulates the rapidness in which Billy's life

scenes unfold in this production, making every cinema-like vignette

fluid and well-constructed. Sound designer Andrew Recinos creates

original music that catapult you to the war scenes, but pointedly,

they're not places that you want to stay in for long. The cast is

generally impressive, but Aaron Paternoster distinguishes himself as

the character actor and Gregory Konow is reflective of post-traumatic

stress disorder in a subtle way as adult Billy Pilgrim. As the actress

embodying all of the female characters, Deanna McGovern holds her own

against the boys.

Although the play doesn't explore Billy's affluent life as an

optometrist, the second major theme in the novel, this production is

still very comprehensive and flattering to the original material. It

keeps almost all of the senses invested and like the novel, challenges

conventional storytelling. Though an exciting production, those who

don't like plot scrambles and theory intersections will be perturbed.

Chaotic until the quiet, seemingly incomplete ending, Slaughterhouse

Five is part anti-war, part absurdist fantasy, and all intellectually

stimulating. It is a must- see for not only Vonnegut fans, but for

those who don't like traditional theater.

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Through February 17th. Tickets: $25 212-279-4200

59E59's Theater C 59 East 59th Street between Park and Madison