Gods and Marionettes explores complex questions of humanity

Are humans governed by their passions or by the gods? Is life a case of fate or free will?

These are the questions that Gods and Marionettes asked of its audience.

Organized by USC Spectrum, the show was a collaboration between the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company and the capella troupe, SONOS.

Anna Wierzbowska| Daily Trojan

Ushered in by haunting choral sounds, Gods and Marionettes began by putting an odd twist on actor Donald Webber, Jr.’s introduction.

With a casual tone and no regard for the fourth wall, Webber pulled the audience members into the act by asking them to raise their hands into the air, as if pulled by strings.

With the audience now bound to the show’s central concept, Webber backed away as the two troupes took the stage.

The show was satisfyingly immersive, with dancers and singers meshing together, complimented by the brilliant lighting. It was a sensory experience in which the conjunction of set pieces — each brilliant alone — elevated the performance to a higher aesthetic.

Gods and Marionettes was inspired by Greek tragedies, and although there were some references to the Oracle and other figures within the performance, it did not take any oblique cues from those stories.

Instead, the show borrowed some of the broader themes and emotions from the genre, most notably sorrow and guilt, and looked at the motivations behind the actions of mankind.

The dancers commanded the foreground of the Bovard stage. Dressed in neutral fabrics, the dancers alternated between primal and sophisticated movements. When the vocals were silent and a beat overtook the stage, the company used sharp, reactionary movements.

Later, when SONOS opened into choral renditions — both original songs and new arrangements of modern music — the erratic actions turned into flowing twists and turns.

The dancing and singing coalesced, but for most of the show, the two troupes stayed separate, with SONOS’ vocals adding an ethereal atmosphere from the back of the stage.

But during a rendition of Depeche Mode’s “Blasphemous Rumours,” singer Paul Peglar joined one dancer for an incredibly intimate performance duet. The rest of the cast stepped back and let the two be the center of attention.

It was a standout sequence and a great twist on the grand collaborations between the two groups that made up most of the night.

The lighting was especially impressive. Instead of flashing colors or rapid strobe effects, it was subdued in its changes.

The golden light worked well with the neutral costumes of the dancers, while the subdued dark colors in the background gave SONOS haunting silhouettes.

What was most surprising about the show was Webber himself. At the performance’s start, he was the odd one out, a modern man spouting contemporary dialogue that mixed philosophy and humor. He was charming and entertaining, but as the show progressed, he felt anachronistic with his modern speech and wardrobe.

Thankfully, in the later stages of Gods and Marionettes, Webber fared well. His humor gave way to introspection and contemplation, and the bespectacled figure emerged as a commanding presence.

This transformation came to a head at the show’s climax, which brought the meditative performance into a more intense stage. The neutral colors shifted to passionate reds and oranges, and Webber took over lead vocals as SONOS backed him in a surprisingly intense and philosophic rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It was an unexpected yet fitting finale.

Gods and Marionettes was more nuanced and complex than both interpretive dance and traditional a capella singing are on their own.

By merging the two mediums together and weaving in Bridel’s words, the performance elevated itself into a philosophic meditation on the drivers of life.

Gods and Marionettes does not offer an answer to its central question, but it does forces its audience to consider its complex questions about fate and free will.