Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

Written over 150 years ago, Herman Melville’s, “Moby Dick” still draws controversy and mixed reviews. From its original publication in 1985, Moby Dick has been reprinted countless times, adapted for film, cartoonized for younger readers, and even translated into productions for dance and stage. Now being performed by Carlo Adinolfi and directed by Renee Philippi, “The Whale” presents a condensed version of Melville’s work combining movement and acting into a theatre-based performance piece.

Produced by Concrete Temple Theatre, “The Whale” is presented as part of the Fortnight2 series held in the West Village’s Barrow Street Theatre. Over the course of 65 minutes, Adinolfi covers minor and pivotal points of the novel, providing the feeling of Melville’s work and a taste of some of Moby Dick’s reoccurring themes.  While one has to applaud Carlo Adinolfi for his ability to cover multiple roles –from Ishmael to Ahab, Pip to Starbuck, and even the whale itself– the believability of each character is somewhat lacking. The transformation or ‘conversion’ from character to character is decidedly clear from Adinolfi’s portrayal, yet the spirit, the individuality of each character is what’s missing. Granted, there’s only so much that can be done when condensing nearly 2,000 pages of literature down to an hour and change, but that’s also part of the appeal of this production.

Conversely, what can be found lacking in Adinolfi’s acting is made up for by the choreography of the overall performance. In his work to convey a whale, a captain, and sometimes a ship with full crew, Carlo surprises the audience with his movement. Contracting and collapsing his torso to simulate the breathing of Moby Dick, precariously leaning on the edge of a precipice, or undulating his hips while demonstrating the rocking of a boat and crew, Adinolfi manages to keep the performance moving along with some smaller, well thought out and well executed pieces of business.

Not to go unmentioned are the technical aspects that help reinforce the world Adinolfi and Philippi create. Having only a sparsely decorated stage to play against, a few pieces of set are easily transformed into a preacher’s pulpit, or later into the bough of the Pequod. The same scenery is used to convey a crow’s nest, the helm, land, and a multitude of other environments; clever deployment and a suspension of disbelief help fill in any missing pieces.

In compliment to a minimal setting, lighting plays a key element in highlighting character features or establishing special effects. By use of a single blue spotlight, the audience now envisions the ocean; by lighting the foreground at an upward angle, characters “dance” on the wall behind like shadow puppets, giving a larger meaning to what’s currently being presented on stage.  Puppets and addition props work their way into some of The Whale’s vignettes, each time renewing the audience’s interest in the performance. Similarly, the continuous underscoring of music by Tyler Micoleau, waxes and wanes it way through the production often highlighting a moment though seldom overpowering them.

In all, “The Whale” seems to resonate more with Melville fans and literary enthusiasts than it would most theatergoers. Whether a lover of Moby Dick or ambivalent to its literary significance, it’s good to see that some of the classics are still of interest to a ‘modern’ society.