BY DAWNE LEIKER
Special to Tiger Media Network
The moment the curtain rose on “Momix: Opus Cactus,” Fort Hays State University’s first Encore Series performance of the 2018-19 season, you could feel the swirling dust of the desert, as glowing human tumbleweeds drifted out of the blackness of the stage.
Directed by Moses Pendleton, “Opus Cactus,” was a mysterious journey into the desert. The performance drew its audience into a world of exotic reptiles, plants and untamed humans. Performed by seemingly elastic dancers, the production also featured props, vividly colored costumes and the power of light and shadow. Scenes played out silhouetted against the ever-changing hues of a desert sunset. One scene brought dancers, sliding on their bellies as sidewinders. In another scene, dancers in wild colored bodysuits, connected as a giant lizard, bodies head-to-tail, as they slithered across the stage.
Momix, a company of dancer-illusionists, uses no high-tech stage production tools in creating its illusions, but rather the agility and power of its dancers fueled by Pendleton’s imagination.
Throughout the scenes, tribal music provided an echoing background that enhanced the images of the desert world. The use of puppets and other props was woven into the performance seamlessly and with intricate attention to detail. I was truly drawn into the show’s final scene, “First Contact,” where an enormous skeleton puppet in flowing robes flew across the stage. The puppet appeared as a dust storm brewing over the dancers, where some were concealed in shadows, and others were bending into the wind in graceful arcs. The elements of the scene gave a sense of movement and expanse that seemed to transcend the stage, creating a haunting and powerful world.
The upcoming Encore season promises to be one of the best yet, with productions such as Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein” (Nov. 12), “Rent: 20th Anniversary Tour” (Feb. 1), and “Rock of Ages” (March 5), just to name a few. The next Encore show, the Russian String Orchestra, is set for Oct. 30.