As above— so below. From the profoundly deep to the oddly absurd, Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly, the latest live stage performance from Happenstance Theater, has it all. And also a strawberry. Appearing for a limited two-weekend engagement at Baltimore Theatre Project, this newly devised work comes the masterminds of Mark Jaster, Sabrina Mandell, Gwen Grastorf, Sarah Olmsted Thomas, and Alex Vernon, with their inspirations set ‘adrift’ on stage from the works of Hieronymus Bosch (amongst others) and will fill you with an oddly enlightened sense of wonderment, giddiness, and a strange sense of playful joy. A remarkably effervescent production, this show is such a delight to engage with.
My words always feel like they fall short when I leave a Happenstance Theater show; Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly is no exception. What one feels and experiences and sees and hears in that show is impossible to truly describe and capture in all of its glory, but I’ll do my best. The closest thing I can liken it to is the blissful experience of floating on one’s back in the ocean, staring upward, wondering whether or not a wave will come for you. Welcome the mystery, as they say in the show.
Earthen tones and natural wood set the mood for the show from the moment you enter the theatre. Set & Prop Design Team— Sabrina Mandell, Mark Jaster, Alex Vernon, Nancy Rodrigues— are responsible for this unique musical setup in the corner which is part of the set and part of the sound and all around impressive to behold with both eyes and ears. There’s also a great many painted puppets (Mandell) as well as some masterfully articulated shadow puppets (Sarah Olmsted Thomas) and ‘Boschy’ this puppy-goat-bird creature marionette puppet (Vernon) all of which fit seamlessly into this lost medieval world aesthetic. Mandell, crafter and construction-mistress of the show’s costumes, rounds out the look with peasant garb that really sets the location…adrift in that time zone, as it were. With a few very special pieces— my particular favorites being the wicker-straw-burlap-woven couture featured on ‘Oh Great Diviners.’ (Shout outs as well to Tori Muñoz for her illuminating light design; particularly potent when it comes to clipping in and out of darkness!)
There’s beauty and comedy, tons of whimsy and lots of moments of fascination. When the ensemble is situated inside their ‘boat’ (a wooden ring capturing them all in a tightly confined space) it’s hilarious to watch them jostle one another about; all five of them possess an epic-level mastery in expressive faces and body language; true clowns of their time. I could easily watch Sarah Olmsted Thomas and Alex Vernon blow that flag-sail back and forth into each other’s faces for many more minutes because the simplest of actions with this bunch becomes a whole narrative on its own.
In true Happenstance fashion, there will be moments where the audience is actively connected with in a way that gingerly shatters that fourth wall. The Great Diviners is one such moment and its priceless. When The Crone (played by Sabrina Mandell and her glorious, stunning, and absolutely-don’t-ever-let-it-out-of-your-sight-because-I-would-run-away-with-it hand-painted moth-cape-wing-cloak) engages with the audience over ‘troubles’ not only is it humorous and giving but the way that she and Alex Vernon (who sits off in the percussive tree, that’s what I think I’m going to call it, creating sound effects for ‘the troubles’) interact with the audience but in the way that they respond to one another, active and present, fully engaged with their moment’s scene-work at hand. And of course you can’t escape a Happenstance show without some of the glorious, groan-worthy puns…this time being slung at you from the very soul of Gwen Grastorf’s soles in her ‘Doctor’ character. (As a Pun-tette myself I loudly groan-applaud this nonsense.) Though Grastorf too has a masterful command over the audience; calling them to life with harp-plucks so that we hum on command for her, and we fall silence with a gentle, singular gesture? Truly stunning.
One of the most fascinating things about this particular incarnation of performance is Fool (Mark Jaster) and his Demon (Sarah Olmsted Thomas.) Wholly embodying this impossibly inhuman and yet totally realistic physicality, Thomas is the wildest chimerical chaos as this ‘Demon’ creature, speaking in nonsense tongue and physically engaging her entire body and facial expressions in ways that truly defy description while simultaneously tickling the soul. It gives you a whole new way to look at your demons, particularly when Thomas becomes Jaster’s personal demon. You’ll be breathless with laughter in watching these two bandy about— particularly Thomas, often up on the balls of her toes with bowed legs and jittery movement— playing through these conjoined characters.
Boschy, the beauteous, wonderful, amazing puppy-bird-goat puppet (created and puppeted by Alex Vernon) is so lively and so full of spirit— I just want to take him home. (The puppet, not Alex Vernon.) And again, playing up against Mark Jaster, this incredulously chaotic yet sweet and simple creature has all the emotional fortitude of a human character; Vernon is a true master of breathing life into puppets and this one is no exception to that talent.
The opening sequence alone is a mercurial escapade of “that escalated quickly” and gives you an idea that there will be moments of darkness but also beauty. There will be moments of silliness but also reverence. (Immediately the rotting corpses, which is actually hilarious well-done with mouth-noises and hand gestures, turning into the full circle of life with the ‘tree growth’ from death comes to mind.) There’s also rhythm and gorgeous singing; Jaster, Mandell, Grastorf, Vernon, and Thomas know how to harmonize, know how to breathe vivacity into these songs that are all but lost to time, and they know how to move with routine and purpose but in a way that is utterly mesmerizing and truly fascinating.
Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly is a captivating piece of theatrical brilliance that leaves you awash in whimsical giddiness, floating through the merriment and ominousness of the vast eternal plane that is life. Remember, time comes for us all in good time, and will you have enjoyed yourself this brilliant 80-minute production before it does?
If you truly wish to make your troubles disappear (and do not have a Crone at the ready to assist you in this matter) try getting tickets to Adrift, A Medieval Wayward Folly; it’s just that easy! What do we do now? See above.
Running Time: Approximately 80 minutes with no intermission
Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly plays through March 3rd 2024 with Happenstance Theater— a resident artist company of Baltimore Theatre Project located at— 45 W. Preston Street in Baltimore, MD. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 410-752-8558 or by purchasing them in advance online.
