Lively stage take on Tetris perfect fit for spring break fun

"Wild" and "chaotic" are not words normally associated with Tetris — the venerable video game that has seen players try to carefully and precisely arrange geometric blocks since the 1980s.

But those are the words that come to mind after seeing Tetris, a movement-based theatre piece from the Dutch company Arch8 that's running at Manitoba Theatre for Young People during spring break, and which takes its inspiration very loosely from the classic game.

What does that look like onstage?

With a mix of contemporary dance and gymnastics, four performers (Kim Jomi Fischer, Ryan Djojokarso, Paulien Truijen and Mayke van Kruchten) contort themselves into weird shapes, and push, pull and drag each other into various arrangements.

It's not so much a literal interpretation of Tetris as it is a show that evokes the sense of the game. But along the way, it also looks at how people connect with each other — both physically and metaphorically.

The performers are impressive acrobats and demonstrate remarkable strength as they arrange themselves into various positions, often literally stacking themselves on top of one another. 

While contemporary dance can sometimes be an impenetrably abstract form of performance, the troupe here (and creator Erik Kaiel) aren't afraid to be silly and have fun as they tumble, run and bounce around the stage.

Parts of the first half of the hour-long show, though, seems to prove the adage that it's more fun to play a video game than to watch one — there are moments where it seems to be moving a bit slowly and becomes a bit repetitive.

But patience is rewarded when the performers break from the stage and enter the audience asTetris begins to embrace its wild side.

By the end of the show, the performers are not just in the audience, they're also dragging the audience up on stage in what becomes a wild free-for-all. (You'll have to take your shoes off before you get up onstage, so socks are recommended).

Kids at the school performance I saw formed chains that wound across the stage and through the audience, and danced with abandon onstage. By the end, most of the patrons were onstage, and the only ones left in the audience seats were a few bemused adults — and the four performers themselves, watching with what appeared to be genuine joy as the kids cut loose onstage.

It's all pretty silly and is definitely a triumph of fun over form — but it's also one of the wildest endings I've ever seen in a theatre. By the end, the atmosphere sounded more like a rock concert than a theatre performance.

One young audience member describedthe show as "lit." Again, not likely a word that's been applied to Tetris before — but one that seems to fit here.

Public performances of Tetris run at Manitoba Theatre for Young People from March 23-31.

New season focuses on journeys

On Tuesday, MTYP announced an upcoming seven-show season based on the theme of "arrivals and departures" — and one that will see some returning favourites both onstage and behind the scenes. Here's what's coming up:

Comet in Moominland (Oct. 12-28): MTYP's founding artistic director, Leslee Silverman — who was let go by the theatre in 2013 — returns to direct the latest production of this show, which has become an MTYP staple and toured across North America since its premiere at the theatre in 1989.

Still/Falling (Nov. 2-4): This play aimed at teen audiences looks at depression and anxiety. It will tour to Manitoba schools throughout the winter and spring.

House at Pooh Corner (Nov. 30-Dec. 30): Winnipeg's favourite bear (last seen on the MTYP stage in 2011) returns for the holidays.  

Torn Through Time (Jan. 25-Feb. 3, 2019): Three Winnipeg playwrights — Carrie Costello, Frances Koncan and Cherissa Richards — team up for this brand new, made-in-Manitoba play. It centres on Jess, a student who magically summons three important but unheralded women from Canadian history as their 10-year-old selves.

What If Romeo and Juliet… (Feb. 15-24): Does the story of Romeo and Juliet have to end in tragedy? Montreal's DynamO Theatre asks that question in this play that looks at what might have happened if the characters in Shakespeare's famous play made different choices.

The Polar Bears Go Up! (March 15-24): We have our own polar bears in Manitoba, but MTYP is importing a pair from the U.K. This show for youngsters from two British theatre companies follows intrepid polar bears on their exploring adventures.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (April 5-14): This adaptation of the Jules Verne classic, co-created by master impressionist and MacHomer creator Rick Miller,  features video projections by Winnipeg's Deco Dawson designed to take kids on a deep-sea trip.