MACC to Host Theatrical Dance Comedy

Photo courtesy: Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center presents the Chicago-based Lucky Plush Productions with their
presentation of Rink Life. The company’s last visit to Maui was in 2015 when they performed The Queue.

“Rink Life combines theater, physical comedy, postmodern dance, and social commentary that nods to the visual aesthetics and social dynamics of 1970s roller rink culture,” a press release from the MACC read.

The performance is in Castle Theater Thursday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

Rink Life’s staging and choreography are built from the spatial rules and social codes of a roller rink, and its script-turned-libretto—created from passing conversations, distant whispers, pop-song earworms, and found scripts—is entirely spoken and sung live. As the ensemble sings full-throatedly to score their experiences, they demonstrate through effort, risk, beauty, and failure that they—and its audience—are utterly dependent on one another.

The performance features music ranging from the Bee Gees to James Brown, Paul McCartney, Cat Stevens and many other artists. Rink Life has been created and directed by Lucky Plush Artistic Director Julia Rhoads, along with Collaborating Director Leslie Buxbaum Danzig and with added collaboration by the work’s seven-person ensemble.

Lucky Plush Productions is an ensemble dance-theater company based in Chicago, led by founder and Artistic Director Julia Rhoads. The company is committed to provoking and supporting an immediacy of presence—a palpable live-ness—shared by performers in real time with audiences. A unique hybrid of high-level dance and theater, Lucky Plush’s work is recognized for its layered choreography, nuanced dialogue, surprising humor, and socially relevant content.

Lucky Plush is equally dedicated to engaging students and community members with the company’s ensemble practices through tailored arts education programming.

Since its founding in 2000, Lucky Plush has created more than 30 original dance-theater works including 13 evening-length productions. In addition to regularly performing in Chicago, the company has presented work in over 55 US cities from Maine to Hawai’i, and its international partners span from New Zealand to Cuba.

As part of Lucky Plush’s visit to Maui, there will be a special ‘Devising Dance Theater’ workshop
with members of the company on Wednesday, March 25 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the MACC’s Omori Room A. It has been designed as a unique and playful workshop that will provide participants a glimpse into the creative process for Rink Life. Workshop participants will be led through a collaborative process in which they turn movements, stories, and song into a short group composition. Space is limited so advance registration is recommended.

The workshop is open to dancers, actors, and movement-curious beginners age 16 and up.

Click here for more information.