Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Third Rail Projects’ live-streamed RETURN THE MOON is a soulful little show that basks in the potency of collective storytelling

• By drediman
• September 9, 2021
• No Comments

It was a real shame when we lost Third Rail Projects’ long-running Then She Fell – in my opinion, one of the most satisfyingly realized attempts at immersive theater I had experienced to date – to the pandemic. Since that unfortunate occurrence, I’ve been wondering what the folks at Third Rail Projects have been concocting in their “laboratory”. One of those experiments is Return the Moon, a soulful little show that basks in the notion of collective storytelling … but through Zoom.

With just the simplest of tools at their disposal (e.g., video cameras, simple paper cutouts, use of light and shadow), a cast of four embark on conjuring the parable of how the moon was once lost and subsequently found. The show’s remotely-located performers – whose calming demeanor inspires introspection – weave associative input from the audience into the evening’s concoction, resulting in a gorgeously bespoke experience that’s unique to that performance. In its use of miniature props to tell the story, Return the Moon calls to mind Thaddeus Phillips’ elaborate Zoo Motel, which live-streamed last fall. Thankfully, Third Rail Projects eschews that virtual production’s fussy storytelling in favor of simplicity and clarity.

Furthermore, this wonderfully untraditional theater company has accomplished here what many theater-makers have struggled to attain throughout the pandemic. That is, to capture the essence and wonder of live theater through a virtual medium. To maximize the theatricality of the experience, helpful instructions are given to draw attention into your mind’s eye. Equipped with your imagination, Return the Moon turns a vague and simple tale into a potent immersive experience. I eagerly look forward to the unveiling of whatever else the ingenious minds at Third Rail Projects have in development.

RECOMMENDED

RETURN THE MOON
Immersive theater / Live-streamed
Third Rail Projects
1 hour, 15 minutes (without an intermission)
Through September 30