
The new production of The Mannequins’ Ball at Trap Door Theatre is a whole lot of 1930s agitprop choreographed with music, singing and dancing. Nicole Weisner and Miguel Long direct 90 minutes of what may seem like mayhem—until you parse out the politics in the play by Polish playwright Bruno Jasieński (translated by Daniel Gerould).
Through the story, set in Paris, we learn about the lives of mannequins—posed and motionless 364 days a year, they awake to dance on the day of their Mannequins Ball. Trap Door’s excellent performers pace the stage before the play begins and we begin to feel what the life of a mannequin is like. (You will, of course, suspend disbelief and sympathize with these enchanting creatures.)
The play begins and the mannequins move, glorying in their dance. “What a joy it is to move, to whirl in a dance, to grow drunk with motion,” one of the dancers says. But soon the ball is invaded by—Quelle horreur!— a Human (played by James Wheeler). What to do with this creature? The mannequins confer, decide on a quick trial (as they twine a long red scarf around themselves and the victim) and sentence the Human (James Wheeler) to death by decapitation.

In the next scene, the mannequins have removed their masks and appear as Humans, attending a party in the mansion of the industrialist Arnaux (Dan Cobbler). One of the attendees is Levasin, another industrialist (played in a manly mode by the talented Marzena Bukowska). The Mannequin Leader (Shail Modi) arrives too, disguised as the dead Human, who was in fact a political leader. Angelique (Cat Ryan), Arnaux’s daughter, flirts and dances with the Leader and so does Solange (Emily Nichelson, Levasin’s wife.
The rest of the story involves machinations against socialism by the industrialists and against capitalism by the workers as two labor delegates (Gus Thomas and Genevieve Corkery) announce a strike.
As is often the case with a Trap Door production, the entire performance is choreographed (by Miguel Long) so the actors are in constant motion and their dialogue is stylized rather than spoken naturally. (And the action moves so fast that you sometimes may find yourself puzzled about what's going on.) Original songs and sound design by Danny Rockett provide a dramatic, sometimes creepy, musical background. Set design is by Merje Veski.

The costume designs by Rachel Sypniewski dress each mannequin a little differently but they all wear black sheer tops with black pants or tights with long purple chiffon stoles draped over their bodies in distinctive ways. Each mannequin also wears one or two white hoops or frames, again placed differently for each character. The mannequins wear distinctive silver masks. Makeup consultant is Zsófia Ötvös. Kayci Johnston is stage manager.
Playwright Jasieński was a poet, novelist, playwright and leader of the Polish Futurist movement in the interwar period. Jasieński was also a Communist activist in Poland, France and the Soviet Union, where he was tortured and executed in 1938 in a Russian prison. One writer said of him, “… even now, over 70 years , Jasieński is still such a socially awkward commodity, certain to make English-speaking readers as uncomfortable as Polish ones. Most of the greatest writers seem to have been born at the wrong time, but only a small handful of the truly odd ones feel as though they wouldn't be quite at home—or embraced—at any time.”
The Mannequins’ Ball continues at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland Ave., through March 1. Tickets are $31 for performances Thursday-Saturday (with two-for-one tickets on Thursdays). Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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