DANCE RESPONSE #2 - Writing about Running Sushi

What I remember most from when I watched 'Running Sushi' was clarity.  I remember clear lines, shapes, characters and intentions.  There were sharp movements, humorous gestural work, and an economical use of props to accent the metaphors in the still images and movements.  The props I remember are chopsticks, oranges and sushi.  The sushi was associated to the names of the scenes and distributed through the audience to determine the order the performance.  I saw honesty and depth through each vignette which encompassed the major events from life to death and addressed current cultural milestones.  The lighting usually consisted of coloured backgrounds and specials on the rectangular white platform that the performers used for each scene, which reminded me of a comic book or manga outline.  There were also projections of words used on the backdrop.  

The sounds of the performers were clear in their delivery and ranged from foreign noise to comprehensive sentences, and was heard from quiet whisper to shouting.  The male character seemed to have an abstracted voice more of the time that slightly abstracted his intention towards the props or situation, and the female's voice was often statements or observations communicated through English, very clear and often ironic.  The background sounds were eclectic but kept a consistency with a calm white noise that divided each scene.  

I felt permission to enjoy the performance's clever approach and entertaining aesthetic, and I felt taken care of as aviewer.  I related to the commentary about being superficial and genuine in our culture, and how that differs in our private and outside lives.  The characters were one-dimensional in a sense that left me feeling relaxed in my enjoyment, while being undeniably engrossed in its depth and content.