‘Our World is dying’ think The TEAM, and ‘we need to put it down’. In Architecting, we are taken through the past, present and future of the USA, from the Civil War and America’s subsequent reconstruction, to now where the proliferation of mass TNDs (Traditional Neighbourhood Districts) threaten the character and construct of contemporary American life.
Architecting is a show rich in historical and cultural American references, many of which passed me by; perhaps because I am not sufficiently culturally aware or well-read, perhaps because I am not American, or perhaps because the content and structure of the show inhibits its accessibility. I don’t know. Regardless, I spent much of the show confused or playing catch-up and, while I don’t expect to understand everything or be offered meanings and messages on some sort of metaphorical plate, I dislike it when I feel I’m being intentionally bewildered and this is how I felt with Architecting.
Gone With The Wind is an overriding influence – a production company wants to make a new film from the book, though don’t want to combat its inherent racism as this will make it less marketable. There is a Scarlett O’Hara beauty contest and Margaret Mitchell – GWTW’s author – provides an ongoing commentary. The parallels with this novel seem to suggest that, much like the destruction during the Civil War led to the creation of a new and freer America, similar destruction now would enable the US to renew itself once again.
There are some beautiful, some poignant, some challenging and visually arresting moments, but for me a distinct lack of any cohesive whole. The production uses multimedia, drawing in live music, films, images and a set which is gradually deconstructed throughout. Much of the choreography is dazzlingly inventive and energetically executed, and the performances cannot be faulted for their pitch, verve or commitment.
I just wish that I could have followed the ideology and tracked the disjointed narrative more closely. Instead, I was left with a suggestion that change is needed, but without a clear idea of how and why and when.
[Oli Seadon]
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