Dreamscape

By Keith Boykin, in theater
Wednesday, April 16 2003, 10:03AM

Christalyn E. Wright's new show, Dreamscape, at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange is a multiracial, women's science fiction fantasy set in a dream world where "womb powers supersede." Wright employs dance, drama and comedy in a physically and musically expressive form of storytelling.

The six-woman cast includes three characters who fall asleep and imagine themselves superheroes in a sitcom television series engaged in conflict with the dreaded "Feature Creatures."

Rhonda, Rickey, and "Randi with an I" wake up one day with outlandish superhero costumes emblazoned with an R over their wombs. The three women pledge commitment to "rebirth, rejuvenation and one love," and dance their way through a script that pays tribute to the elements of fire, earth, water and air.

When Rickey (Christalyn Wright) is defeated and incapacitated in a dramatic fight with the premier Feature Creature (Tamieca McCloud), she has to call on her inner strength and powers to save herself. Meanwhile, Rickey's superhero friends, Rhonda (Foluke Arthurton) and Randi (Kelly Bartnik), tend to their wounds while they plan to rescue their fallen sister.

In the denouement, Rickey squares off with the lead Feature Creature who had beaten and taunted her, and in her final victory demonstrates how she was able to learn from her previous defeat.

No, I'm not making this up. The show successfully relies on the collective imagination of the artists and the audience and the latter's willing suspension of disbelief. It's a fun, entertaining and empowering show.

The magic of the performance is that it all takes place on a relatively small stage with little set design other than a few metal folding chairs, a black curtain, lights and specially composed music by composers Kwame Brandt-Pierce and Toshi Reagon, who sat behind me in the show I saw. Todd Richmond (sound design) and Paz Tanjuaquio (narrator) rounded out the music team. Tish Benson also deserves credit as the writer.

Dancer, choreographer, actor Christalyn Wright is an artist in residence at Brooklyn Arts Exchange and the founder and artistic director of the Wright Now!PerformanceXperience. But for a couple of hours a night on a small stage in Brooklyn, she became Rickey, an ordinary woman faced with an extraordinary situation who was able not only to survive, but to prevail.

It's a simple concept, but it works well in Dreamscape.

Dreamscape appeared at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange from April 11-13.