Dada Is ...

Photo by Michael Brownlee

We saw Soiree Dada: Blinde Esel Hopse, put on by WNEP Theater last night, starring lots of Dadas I know and Dadas I didn't know, but now do. The show was directed by Don Hall, the blog king of Chicago.

From WNEP's site, written by DH:

"The big question asked by interested parties is "What can we expect?"

Expect theater-in-the-round stirred up to resemble both the midway of Coney Island and The Island of Dr. Moreau. Expect to be a participant in the action. Expect that six people get wine. Expect that ten people get snacks. Six people get baby food. No one will get messy and your clothes are safe. Expect to dance and sing.

Expect an unexpectedly fun and erratic evening of anti-Art, nonsense poetry with a dash of vaudeville, some clowning, a bit of improvisation, a teaspoon of chaos, and served on a plate of Old Tyme Meeting Hall Politicking.

If you've seen Soireé DADAs in the past, this is like that on steroids and floating in the Macy's Christmas Parade. If you've never seen a Soireé DADA, it's time.

TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT www.dcatheater.org "

So, knowing what I could expect ... did all that happen?


When we entered the Dadas were milling around inviting the audience to games to determine where we would sit ... barking and selling their environments to us a la Coney Island. Chris is a hard sell and wanted to go to all the different stations ... I'm easy and got taken in by DADA Nip (see photo above - I sat in the seat that Dada Grizzle is firmly held in to) and got to experience baby food for the first time since being a wee thing - green beans and apple sauce. I preferred the apple sauce. The green beans needed salt. I think it would be funny to hear a tot say, "Hey, Ma - could ya pass the salt? These beans ain't cuttin' it for me." Anyway - Chris ended up with rowdy, randy DADA Rusty Cluster.

Photos by Michael Brownlee

There was a French Side and a German side. I liked those Frenchies. Chris enjoyed those Germans.

I shan't ruin your future experience of seeing the show by telling you this, that and the other thing, but do know this ....

We didn't get anything on our clothes. We felt safe. We felt engaged. We felt amused. We didn't feel bored (there you go, Don). We felt mischievous. We felt like cackling. We felt enchanted. We felt like we were a part of the action. We felt appreciated. We felt allegiance towards the Dada we sat with. We felt French. We felt German. We felt American. We felt encouraged. Mon Dieu, there was something almost familial in the atmosphere!

I danced and sang with Nip. I almost got wine, but then the show started, so c'est la vie. I even oinked.

If you haven't seen a Dada show, it is most definitely your time. Run! Skip! Roll, if you have to! But, for the love of bees, get to this show.