Neil David Seibel’s production of Weightless takes the audience on a journey into a fairy tale unlike any other.
The show’s opening sequence doesn’t use a single word, yet still manages to captivate its viewers with otherworldly music and lights. The elemental characters dance and float across the stage, presenting themselves as mystical beings, setting the scene of a young girl swimming and floating in water. Before long, we learn that this particular girl, Lucie, is unlike any other. She laughs when she is distraught, she falls up instead of down, and she swims all day in a magical lake created by her mother. Oddest of all, the girl has no gravity; she is personified air.
Seibel uses clever tactics throughout the show to simulate the girl when she floats away by utilizing the elemental characters. They dance around and carry her to help the audience envision her movements. The elemental characters also assist in the scene where Lucie and Caleb bond over falling down and swimming. Seibel’s creativity gets tested with his ability to make the audience imagine that Lucie has floated to the top of a tree and Caleb must climb up to help her fall down. After falling, the two swim and play in the water with the help of the elementals. The scene isn’t just visually captivating, but it also enthralls the audience as it reminds us of a time when we were carefree children creating new friendships.
The characters themselves are quirky, funny and enchanting, and the actors do a wonderful job of portraying their personalities. David Moore (Tarek) provides comedic relief with his eccentric behavior while Amy May (Marie) gives an outstanding performance playing a mother separated from her daughter, desperate to be reunited with the person most important to her. Kaylee Baker (Lucie) and Tony George (Caleb) also pull at the audience’s heartstrings while simultaneously providing a laugh with their characters’ growing relationship. Finally, Faith Roberts (Julie) gives a compelling performance as she plays a stubborn, erratic aunt who nearly ruins everything for Marie and Lucie.
Overall, Seibel’s production of Weightless is not just amusing and fun to watch, but it also gets the viewer to really think about its core plot. What bonds hold us together? And, more importantly, can those bonds become too restricting, so much so that it leads us to want to let go completely?
By Nicolette Parrish