The Encounter

The Encounter

Golden Theatre

December 30, 2016

Photo courtesy of The Encounter

The Encounter is a uniquely told story of one man’s adventure in the Amazon Rain Forest.  At the start of the show, Simon McBurney, who conceived, directed and performs the story, reveals the techniques he will be using throughout the performance.  He talks about how the brain creates a reality when it hears sound in specific ways.  He also talks about how realities are created by the documentation of memories, which result in the creation of a new reality based on how we view these records.  Thus the telling of the tale is framed, and the journey begins.

The storyteller (Simon McBurney) embarks on a journey deep into the Brazilian Amazon to follow the experience of a photographer who encountered a tribe of Mayoruna people.  His encounter is full of tribal rituals and new beginnings.  The storyteller plays a number of characters whose vocal qualities change electronically.  The audience experiences the encounter through headphones that transport the imagination.  As the program notes state, “Our ears, without asking, from a filter, help create a ‘normal’ reality, but one in which we hear ‘selectively.’  As with our ears, so it is with all our senses.  We see only what we want to see…”

Simon McBurney
Photo courtesy of The Encounter

The production is more than just an expertly done, high tech fabrication.  The theme of climate change and ancient beliefs about the earth as a living organism is profoundly delivered.  The production accentuates how great theatre is in the telling of the story, as it bring a unique experience and clear understanding of how technology effects the brain, our imagination, and therefore our reality.  

The limited run of The Encounter closes on January 8.  If you have not seen it yet, make the effort.

Domenick Danza