Clowes Memorial HallSTOMP’s eclectic performance

High energy characterizes STOMP’s eclectic performance

To say that STOMP performers brought everything but the kitchen sink to their performance at Clowes Hall would be an outright lie.

They did bring the kitchen sink. As a matter of fact, the cast brought four of them, along with the usual suspects that have helped bring STOMP international acclaim: an array of brooms, Zippo lighters, plastic grocery bags, garbage cans, newspapers and just about any other piece of trash they could get their hands on.

The eight cast members, set against a gritty urban backdrop, put on a series of high-energy performances that had the audience roaring approval at each conclusion.

A few newer routines were thrown into the mix for this year’s tour. One included paint cans that required some extraordinary timing and juggling skills, while another was a stylized war dance, of sorts, with the performers clashing one another with long poles.

Though the music, of course, took center stage, the next best element definitely were the theatrics thrown in for comic relief.
Each character has a distinct personality, but two did more to steal the show. One was a comical actor who constantly was dissed throughout the performance, while another appeared on the brink of insanity. This one had the audience doubled over in laughter in one performance as he constantly agitated one of his cohorts with crazy antics — from making weird noises to folding up a newspaper to imitate various animals.

That number had the crowd laughing so hard, snickers still could be heard long after the cast had moved on to the next set. One female audience member — who apparently was sitting in a balcony seat based on how loudly her voice carried — couldn’t stop her laughing fit, virtually interrupting the more subdued performance that followed.

Overall, STOMP more than lived up to all the acclaim it has generated for nearly two decades.
It’s a whole lot of noise — from the little boxes of chalk and Zippo lighters to those cast iron kitchen sinks — you definitely don’t want to miss.

by Shari Scales Finnell