If you are under 21, you may enjoy “The Black Rider” at the Ahmanson Theater, playing through June 11. However, if you are blessed with the slightest tinge of maturity, you will want to do a Munch scream before the end of the interminable first act.
This is a production by the celebrated Robert Wilson, whose imagination generally takes the route of minimalism. In “The Black Rider” he goes overboard in terms of makeup, costumes and sets.
For awhile you might find the imagery entertaining, but there is simply no depth in this retelling of the legend of Faust and the devil. It takes some time to figure this out if you haven’t read the program. You must pay attention to the banal lyrics written by Tom Waits who also wrote the music. The other member of this guilty triumvirate is William S. Burroughs of “Naked Lunch” fame, who is sort of responsible for the book.
The actors are stark figures who are made up to look like zombies. The imaginative costumes by Frida Parmeggiani cannot be faulted because they fit the outlandish proceedings. The hero, played by Math McGrath, must keep his mouth open and his hands splayed, Wilson style, as he enters a shooting contest to win the hand of the heroine who is required to sing in a squeaky voice. In order to become a straight shooter, he receives seven magic bullets from the devil, played menacingly by Vance Avery.
Suddenly, fake birds are strung up on a wire along the scrim, as in a shooting gallery. When our hero tries the first time, he misses. With the magic bullets, he successfully zaps the birds one by one. As a touch of humor, the hero’s pants fall down after a shot.
There is some clever legerdemain, such as a casket mysteriously setting itself upright, pine trees that move up and down and a surrealistic stag.
You have to feel sorry for the actors, who must wear garish make-up, weird costumes and assume exaggerated mannerisms. The original music arrangements by Greg Cohen and Tom Waits were appropriate and inoffensive.
But there is no substance here. At three hours, this is an ordeal for the average theatergoer. However, “The Blue Rider” might very well be a winner in Las Vegas, but I wouldn’t bet on it.