50% Nonverbal

C. Neil Parsons—School of Contemporary Dancers

C. Neil Parsons oscillates between storytelling, physical theatre, music, and dance in a series of impressionistic segments exploring perception and interpretation in thoughts, words, and sound. Rather than building toward a conventional narrative, Parsons guides his audience through a series of vignettes. Some pieces are more abstract than others, and the variety keeps the performance fresh; there is genuine pleasure in watching Parsons transition so confidently from one scene to the next.

Moving fluidly between the whimsical and the introspective, the performance’s greatest strengths lie in its physicality. Parsons’ stage presence is expressive and playful, periodically incorporating choreography alongside some unconventional and delightful bass trombone techniques.

Shifting from goofy to sincere and back, 50% Nonverbal embraces its eclectic mix of artistic disciplines. Audiences willing to follow its dreamlike logic will find a thoughtful and elegantly inventive Fringe experience.

Ashley Frantik