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MATTHEW MURPHY |
A few nights ago, I went to see the “show” Fuerza Bruta in a converted bank on the east side of Union Square. I put show in quotations because this 70-minute evening defies categorization. It’s part performance art, part dance piece, part circus act, part rave, and all of that adds up to a unique and thrilling night.
My friend Dan decided to take me for my birthday, but I must admit I had no clue what to expect. Having seen the show De La Guarda a few years ago, which was created by the same group, I only expected to be dazzled and scared for my life. After we handed over coats and bags to be stored for the proceedings, we entered into a large black box of a room. It was already filled with hundreds of people by the time we arrived, so we sandwiched our way in and got closer to strangers than I ever care to again.
Little did I know the close proximity was hardly something to be afraid of in comparison to the show. We were herded around the space to allow for various set pieces to make their grand entrances, each one more frightening than the next. There was a man running on a treadmill contraption in the center of the room as a wind machine hurled objects at him. There was a pair of women running on the walls of the theater as they chased each other and tumbled through the air. Most jaw dropping of all, there was a section of the show that included the entire ceiling lowering to within an arms length above our heads, while water flooded over it and women performed an acrobatic water wonder show.
The creators of the show have pulled out all the stops, and it’s the type of show that plays into all of our fantasies as performers. I even got to participate in it at one point. A man stormed through the audience before stopping right in front of me. As he yelled gibberish in my face, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the center of the room while people closed around us. We began dancing together and then he stopped and stood as stiff as a board. He handed me a mysterious square and instructed me to smash it over his head. Not exactly how I expected to spend a Friday night, but I wasn’t complaining. Here are a few pictures I took during the show! Check it out for yourself!
(The show began with a man running non-stop in the center of the room.)
(The lights shifted and we craned our heads to see this pool floating across the ceiling.)
(A dancer stands for a moment on the ceiling which lowered to inches above our heads.)
(My friend Cody senses impending doom as the ocean lowers above us.)
(A dancer rests in the water right above my head. One of my favorite pictures I’ve taken.)
(Group shot after the show ended. We were all soaking wet as they turned the water on the audience for the last five minutes. It’s a great ploy to ensure people buy Fuerza Bruta shirts. Maybe we should do that at performances of Swan Lake. Give the audience the experience of being IN a lake and hose them down, then sell amazing shirts as they leave the theater…)
