Collide Theatrical’s “Bonnie and Clyde” — A Review

“Bonnie and Clyde” by Collide Theatrical Dance Company is at the Luminary Arts Center now through November 3rd. This production uses a combination of voice-over and theatrical dance over mostly modern music to tell the story of two of America’s most notorious criminals and their passionate love affair.
Regina Peluso, the writer, director, and primary choreographer of “Bonnie and Clyde,” has mentioned a few times that her interpretation of this story explores themes of media and celebrity. This is most obvious near the end of the second act, but I personally found myself swept up in the story of a woman who refuses to let men take ownership of her destiny or her story. In Peluso’s hands, Bonnie is a young woman who knows that she deserves a better hand than she was dealt, readily takes to a life of crime, and refuses to be a footnote in someone else’s story.
Other choreographers include Assistant Director Heather Brockman and dancers Patrick Jeffrey (Buck Barrow), Jarod Boltjes (Clyde Barrow), and Megan Carver (Blanche Barrow). Peluso is a collaborative artist with a charming tendency toward self-deprecation when describing the contributions of other choreographers. As someone who loves mixing styles and sensibilities, I found the end result both visually and conceptually interesting.

Peluso and her team made some strong creative decisions in this production. I loved the use of dancers’ arms as guns, the use of acrobatics and ballet in multiple fight sequences, and the choice to have the ensemble switch out which state flag they were holding to illustrate movement in a cross-country crime spree. This is a unique, beautifully performed work that I think dancers and theater lovers will enjoy in equal measure.
Aside from one cartoony wig and a couple kind of goofy police hats, the aesthetics of “Bonnie and Clyde” were great. The ensemble dancers wore all black — the women clad in vests and pants and the men in pretty much the same thing but with sleeves. Bonnie, Clyde, Buck, and Blanche each had several period-inspired costumes.

The production used projections to great effect on the back wall of the theater. These reaffirmed where the scene was taking place (a country road, ramshackle housing, etc.) or newspaper clippings with headlines describing the action on stage. The set itself had three segments — an angular, almond-shaped centerpiece and two smaller near-triangles that were rolled around the stage. An assortment of apple boxes, benches, and chairs populated the three set pieces.
Musically, there were some interesting arrangements that crossed several decades of music history and hit most major genres. Samples included Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, Mumford & Sons, Aloe Blacc, the Allman Brothers and more. I loved the use of modern music to tell this nearly one-hundred-year-old story, although there were a couple of instances when the music felt anachronistic. Personally, I thought that the music that included folk, country or stomp-and-clap elements resonated best with the story.

Also! Collide Theatrical does this cool thing where, after the curtain call, they re-perform a couple of key moments from the show. This keeps phones away during the show itself but still allows audience members to capture show highlights on their devices. I didn’t realize this was happening until it was too late, so be prepared!
I recommend “Bonnie and Clyde” for anyone who loves loose historical retellings, theatrical dance, and a good mashup.
You still have thirteen chances to see “Bonnie and Clyde” at the Luminary Arts Center. Tickets start at $35. There are a few performances with post-show talkbacks and one ASL-interpreted performance. You can find those details on their website, listed below.

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