INTERVIEW: Racoco completes expansive project with ‘TILT’
Photo: Racoco Productions presents TILT, choreographed by Rachel Cohen. Photo courtesy of the dance company / Provided by Michelle Tabnick PR with permission.
Take a breath. Pause for a moment. Then enter the world of TILT, the new live performance from Racoco Productions.
This show, which is the culmination of an expansive project, is the brainchild of choreographer Rachel Cohen. The piece sprinkles together swirling movement, live music, wood construction, the game of pinball and the story of Don Quixote.
The movements are directed by Cohen, and she also performs with a company that includes Toby Billowitz, Remi Harris, Masumi Kishimoto and Meghan Schardt. Lynn Wright provides the music.
The performance piece runs through April 6 at Abrons Arts Center in New York City. It follows other pieces — I would and Construct — and is a fitting finale for this multi-year exploration.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Cohen about TILT. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What can audience members expect from TILT?
TILT is a feast for the senses. We’re using old-fashioned theater magic to transport audience members to another realm for an hour and a half. The journey starts with the installation in the lobby — the audience can wander through costumes and set pieces, interact with wooden sculptures, and play pinball, to shift from the everyday world to a world of imagination and play.
Then the show takes them down a rabbit hole, bouncing around inside the mind of Don Quixote in a universe made entirely of wood. It’s like dreaming, but with live musical accompaniment!
How does TILT fit into the other chapters of this expansive project?
We’ve been working with this material for several years. TILT is the final chapter/version of the project. We’ve taken segments of each of the earlier chapters and developed and refined them, and added some new material. So much of TILT’s development requires interacting directly with the set elements that each performance serves as R&D. This was our chance to bring all of that R&D together.
How does Lynn Wright’s music influence the piece?
I think Lynn’s music seduces the audience — and the performers! — into the surreal world we’re creating. His sounds and rhythms create the atmosphere of a person lost in their imagination. And a lot of the music will be improvised, so it will keep all of us on our toes and really listening to each other during the show.
Is it literally adapted from Don Quixote or simply inspired by that book?
TILT is inspired and influenced by the book and does take a lot of imagery directly from the story, but is not a literal adaptation. I was interested in imagining what it might be like to actually be inside Don Quixote’s brain.
Do you love playing pinball? Do you have memories of being in arcades as a child?
I discovered the joys pinball relatively late, maybe 15 years ago. I love how tactile a game it is. And a lot of people ‘dance’ when they play; it’s impossible to keep your body still. But I remember arcades being slightly scary, slightly thrilling places pulsing with sound and energy.
When did you first fall in love with dance?
My mother danced while she was pregnant with me, so I’ve loved dance since before I was born!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Racoco Productions presents TILT at Abrons Arts Center in New York City. Performances run through April 6. Click here for more information and tickets.
