3/23/2017 A Revived 1920s Ballet Will Be a Surreal Confection of Candy and Kitsch

ARTICL

ARevived1920alletWilleaurreal
ConfectionofCandandKitch
WhenAmericanalletTheatredecidedtoreviveRichardtrauurrealit,
accharineWhippedCream,MarkRdenwatheidealcandidatetocreatetheet
andcotume.
AngelicaFre March13,2017

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etMcrideawirlGirlinWhippedCream(photoRuvenAfanador;imagecourteofAmericanallet
Theatre)
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3/23/2017 A Revived 1920s Ballet Will Be a Surreal Confection of Candy and Kitsch

AGiongirlwithaperfectlcoi edVidalaoonowearingaallgownmadeoflaofmeatand
auagelink;awide-eed,ilver-haired,childlikewaifhalfumergedinaodofwatercontaining
amoea,protozoa,odpart,andafoetu;Amandaefriedaaladwithermine(inthicae,ita
deadcat)andKatPerrpoinglikeTitianVenuinaGardenofarthlDelightettingtheeare
jutafewexampleoftheworkofpop-urrealitpainterMarkRden,who,inhi30-earcareer,rought
thelowrowartmovementoutoftheundergroundcircuitofouthernCaliforniaandintothe
maintream.

owhenAmericanalletTheatrechoreographerandartit-in-reidenceAlexeiRatmankandartitic
directorKevinMcKenziedecidedtoreviveRichardtrauurrealitandaccharinealletWhipped
Cream(calledchlagoerwhenitwaoriginallperformedinViennain1924),Rdenwatheideal
candidatetocreatetheetandcotume.Thelirettofeatureaowhojutreceivedhicon rmation
venturingintoapatrhopandoverdoingonugar.Hiexceecauehimtohallucinate,andhi
deliriumtakethehapeofamaivewhirlofwhippedcreamemergingfromanoutizedowl.Hethen
ndhimelfatthehopitalundertheminitrationofdoctorandegtoeavedPrincePraline,
PrinceTeaFlower,andPrinceCo ee.Liquor,whoarealopartofthiroalcontingent,educethe
medicalta intoadrunkentupor,andthealletendwithanapotheoiofweettheoriginalalo
containariotoflowlpatriepaci edvatofeer.

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ketchcourteofMarkRden

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3/23/2017 A Revived 1920s Ballet Will Be a Surreal Confection of Candy and Kitsch

Rdenjoinarichtraditionofurrealitdalingintheaterwork:alvadorDalworkedonaproduction
ofLeTritanFou,DorothTanningdidthecotumeforalanchineTheNighthadow,andrntand
MirworkedonDiaghilevRomeoetJuliette,juttonameafew.

Thiia rtforRden,whohadnopreviouexperiencewiththeaterdeignaveforthedioramainhi
Ga90erie,whichcamewithackdrop,taging,prop,cotume,andevenminiaturelight
witche.ForWhippedCream,heworkedwithcotumedeignerHollHneandetdeignerCamellia
Koo,whotranlatedhiartworkintoet,prop,anddancealegear.Icouldneverhaveeguntodothi
projectwithouttheirexperienceandexpertietoackupmcompletelackofexperienceand
knowledge,hetoldHperallergic,withmorethanahintofmodet.Hne,whohadeignedcotume
for veAmericanalletTheatreproduction,wacarefultotatruetoRdenartandnotgetting
caughtupinthetheatricalitthatipartofdeigningforthetage.Toher,theexperiencewaakinto
eingamidwife.Markdidalltheworkmakingthea,hetoldHperallergic,Ijut[helped]him
irthit.

Inordertoavoidunduein uence,hedidntextenivelreearchAdaNigrinoriginalcotumeforthe
trauproduction,whichtandoutfortheirelaorateArtDecoelement.Intead,hewenttraightto
theource:The rtthingIdidwhenthiprojectcameupwatogetaCDofthemuic,heaid.The
muiciwonderfulItcontainuchagreatvarietoffeelingandmood,fromexcitingmarchetover
dreametherealpaage.Itwafuntoliteninthedarkandimaginewhatmighteontage.

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cenereingproduced(imageJoannaentein/Cernunno)

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Whatheimaginedwaacand-coloreddreamcapepairedwithhitrademarkurrealim.wirlGirlwear
apu palepinknumerthatreproducethewihoficing.PrincePraline(whowilledancedarah
Lane,MitCopeland,andCaandraTrenar)wearacoral-pinktutuwithacand-tripedodiceanda
matchingkirtdottedwithwhitepom-pommeanttorepreentugarprinkle.ThecotumeforPrince
TeaFlower(dancedtellaArera,GillianMurph,Iaellaolton,andHeeeo)imoreelaorate,in
thatitreproducethehapeofthetea owerinarealiticfahion:Thekirtharowofolive-greenleave
punctuatedwithloom,whiletheodicecomewithpetalthatarehand-painted,edazzled,andface
upward.ThatwaHnefavoriteitemtoworkon,andthefactthatthepetalweredeignedtoe
poitionedthatparticularwacreatedauniqueetofchallenge:Whentheokeoraqueofthetutu
connecttotheodice,wehadtoutthekirtontopoftheodice,whichithecompleteoppoiteofa
traditionaltutu,heexplained.Ilovehakinguptradition,othiwaalat.

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tellaAreraaPrinceTeaFlowerinWhippedCream(photoDougGi ord;imagecourteofAmericanallet
Theatre)

Ifthoecotumeeemtraightforwardlprettandcute,thatdoenotappltoallofRdencreation
fortheproduction.Infact,fortheWhippedCreamWaltz,theenemlenumerattheendofActIthat
trauenviionedaari onthetraditionalalletlancuchathewaninwanLake,thewiliin
Giele,orthenow akeintheNutcracker,Rdendidnotcreatetheexpectedillowwhitetutu.Intead,
387
helookedtoJapanZentaifahion,whichconitofunitardcoveringtheentireod.MWhipped
Shares

Creamallerinaareatake-o onthattheme,heaid.Weaddedatranparentoftcapemadeofthe
moteautifulandfacinatingfaric.Itioweightlethatitgentlmovethroughtheairaifitwere
madeofmoke.

MarkRdenignatureelementarewidelpreentinhiartworkfortheallet:Theallerinaaredrawn
inthetleofhiwide-eedwaif;thecolorpink,fromcand-coraltocoolerhue,haeenued
generoulinothcotumeandet;theetthemelvefeatureelaoratetrompeloeilverionofthe
moldingandengravingthatRdenfavorfortheframeofhipainting,andtheakaig,doll-eed
whiteeatnotunliketheluckdragoninTheNeverendingtor,towhomRdendevotedhientirenow
Yakeriein2008plaanimportantroleintheohallucination.Therearemanmoreofhi
trademark,utothRdenandKookeptmumaoutthepeci c.Youwilljuthavetocomeeethe
howandtrto ndthemall!aidKoo.

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3/23/2017 A Revived 1920s Ballet Will Be a Surreal Confection of Candy and Kitsch

markryden
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Segerstrom Center for the Arts

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7,897 likes 32 comments
Character studies. #abtWhippedCream @abtofficial @segerstromarts
MARCH 10

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3/23/2017 A Revived 1920s Ballet Will Be a Surreal Confection of Candy and Kitsch

markryden
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Segerstrom Center for the Arts

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7,964 likes 52 comments

#abtWhippedCream @abtofficial @segerstromarts
MARCH 9

Kooalohawordofawefortheproductionuilderandcenicartitwhoweretakedwith
recapturingRdenpaintingtle.IdonotjutmeanthatthecancopinchforinchMarkver
detailed nalcoloredartwork,heaid.Itithroughtheirowngeniuartitrthatthereallcapture
Marktleandjoandpiritinallofthedetail,whichtrulgivelifeandviranctothepainted
elementoftheeautifulworldthatMarkhacreated.

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AlowrowartititheidealcomplementtoWhippedCream,atodaaudiencearemorekeento
undertandthemixofhighandlowartthatpuzzledtheatergoerandcriticduringthealletoriginal
run.Infact,theproductionwaunanimoulpannedwhenitpremiered:Itwacalledderivative,anal,
derior,inartitic,ofpoortate,and,aoveall,kitch.Thiwhipped-creammoreli,however,noto
eatodiget,wroteVienneecriticHeinrichKralik.Perhapundertandal,thealletoutized
udgetandecapitthemeclahedwithwartorn1920Vienna.Peoplealwaexpectideafromme,ig
thing,trauconfeedinalettertohifriendRomainRolland,whowonthe1915NoelPrizein
Literature.HaventItheright,afterall,towritewhatmuicIpleae?Icannotearthetragedofthe
preenttime.Iwanttocreatejo,Ineedit.

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ketchcourteofMarkRden

Whileworkingonhideign,Rden,adefenderoftheueofkitchinart,foundhimelfharingthat
mindet.Theueofeautandjoinartioftenjudgedtoekitch,heexplained.Idontfeartheue
ofkitchinmart.Ielievekitchiadomainthatholdthepowerfuluniveralarchetpeofthe
collectiveconcioune.

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3/23/2017 A Revived 1920s Ballet Will Be a Surreal Confection of Candy and Kitsch

Withfewproductiontodate(40performanceinViennainthe1920,apremiereinrelau,aVienna
mphonandVolkoperaproductionin1964,aMilaneereenactmentatTeatroNuovoponoreda
gelateriain1989,andarevivalattheGrtnerplatztheaterinMunichinlate2014)anduchhigh-pro le
artiticcollaoration,WhippedCreamhathepotential,McKenziereckon,toecomeanewclaic.Ver
fewpeoplehaveheardthecore,verfewpeoplehaveheardofthetale,heexplain.oitanallnew
experience.Forthepeoplewhoelievethatalletintnecearilforthem,thedrawoftheartwork,the
factthatitiafantataleanditleanoteniltowardtheater[more]thanallet,maproducean
entirelnewaudience.HeeeWhippedCreamaATownWizardofOz.DoethimeanRdencame
upwithelementaiconicatheellowrickroad,theedazzledlipper,orthegleamingtowerof
meraldCit?Heiperhapoverlcautiouaoutuchenthuiam.Igueonltimewilltellif
omethinginparticulartandoutandreonate,heaid.Theeverlatingenduranceoftherured
lipperinotthekindofthingIfeeloucanpredictorconcioulcreate.

ketchcourteofMarkRden
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AmericanalletTheatreWhippedCreamwilleperformedattheegertromCenterfortheArt(600Town
CenterDrive,CotaMea,California)fromMarch15toMarch19.ANewYorkrunattheMetropolitanOpera
Houe(30LincolnCenterPlaza,NewYork)willfollowfromMa22toJul1.

TheArtofWhippedCreamwillehownatPaulKaminGaller(515W27tht),openingMa20.

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