Review of Beau & Aero, on stage at the Complex (Doxie Theatre) as part of the 2014 Hollywood Fringe Festival.
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Amica Hunter, left, as Aero and David Cantor, right, as Beau.
Do you want to know the secret of flight? Here: If you want to fly, you don’t need to close your eyes, madly flap your arms, and wish really hard only to inevitably be disappointed that your feet remained firmly grounded. Instead, go see Beau & Aero, a flight of fancy whose inspired silliness will lift you up with laughter.
David Cantor and Amica Hunter – graduates of the San Francisco Circus Center’s Clown Conservatory – play the titular bumblers. The good news for anyone afflicted by coulrophobia (fear of clowns) is that they aren’t escapees from a certain Stephen King novel titled with a pronoun. Dressed as aviators from the barnstorming age of flight, the comic duo portrays buddies in buffoonery throughout a breezy 50-minute performance attuned to all ages. Dexterous bodies and balloons in various stages of inflations are some of the props of choice in a series of antics bursting with imaginative play and lunatic wit. There’s no narrative, but Amica and Dave have the skill to impress their characters with distinctive personalities without the structure of a story to guide them. Thus, David’s Beau is imperious and somewhat bullying while Amica’s Aero is sweet and feisty. As we are served up clever gags, madcap physical comedy, and remarkable acrobatics, we can also discern a relationship between the characters: Mildly contentious but always whimsical and not without an underlying bonhomie. It all adds up to a show that celebrates free-spirited play that finds delight in everything. The giddiness even extends to audience participation, which in their gentle hands is an invitation to go on stage, not to be embarrassed or humiliated, but to play with two very silly friends. Dances with clowns, anyone?
Also on stage is unabashed bravado. The Dorie Theatre, in which David and Amica are performing as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival, is a cigar box that makes Santa Monica’s Promenade Playhouse seem like the Ahmanson by comparison. Where cavernous theatres charge audiences with a powerful albeit anonymous communal experience, cozy ones creates a powerful, immersive intimacy. Yet when the house isn’t near capacity, as it regrettably was on the afternoon I attended, the energetic feedback between performers and audiences is that much harder to generate. I’ve seen stand-up comics in these situations flail their arms desperately in an attempt to connect, only to be lucky audiences didn’t have crates of tomatoes readily at hand. Contrariwise, I can’t forget how the Mission UK performed in Ventura to an inexplicably near-empty concert hall – after the opening acts packed the house. Just as Wayne Hussey and his band didn’t hold back for us merry and miniscule gang of fans, Amica and David performed their shtick without reserve. They succeeded in pulling the audience, however unjustly small, into their riotous performance until the seams between performers and spectators were erased.
With their skillful craft, irresistible charm, and ability to draw audiences into their world, it would be easy to envision David and Amica as players in one of the renowned circus attractions. Yet Beau & Aero unquestioningly demonstrates that they have the imaginative flair to create their own distinctive place in the theatrical circus community. They have already begun to define that place with the foundation of their own company, called A Little Bit Off. All that’s missing for these emerging talents is a sizeable audience.
As for the future, I can’t wait to see what zany ideas will pour forth from these clever clowns.
Beau & Aero at the 2014 Hollywood Fringe Festival, by A Little Bit Off. Starring Amica Hunter and David Cantor. On stage at the Complex (Dorie Theatre) located at 6476 Santa Monica Boulevard (at Wilcox). Performances on: Friday, June 20th at 9pm; Saturday, June 21st at 11pm; and Sunday, June 22nd at 3pm. For tickets and information, visit the offical Beau & Aero page at the Hollywood Fringe Festival website.
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