High above our heads, a society matron in a cascading purple dress trills about her life of privilege. Across the hall, a woman in a tightly cinched mechanical bustle glides through a ballroom reminiscing about her halcyon summer affair. In the foggy courtyard, a poverty-stricken man limps toward wealth while dancers cling to window frames behind him (and the audience clings to rough blankets draped over the seats).
Wandering through the ancient rooms of the Old Mint building, each of the four audience groups experiences a different iteration of Joe Goode’s site-specific performance piece. A dynamic riot of movement and text, Traveling Light is an ode to the humanity behind the money, portrayed by vignettes that are sometimes cast in shadow, sometimes shoved under a glaring, dazzling halo of light.
Goode is a master at creating work that’s both deftly humorous and textured with meaning, all tied up in a package of elegantly executed movement. Dancers play off one another, lifting and dodging, while cabbages drop to the stage and women step out of one layer to reveal another. Joe Goode Performance Group is always worth the price of a ticket, and this one’s definitely worth catching before it disappears.
Through August 1st, 8 and 10 p.m. Old Mint Building, 88 Fifth St. Tickets are $29-44 at www.joegoode.org.
