By Miriam Gershenson
ESCONDIDO, California – We walked into The Grand Ritz Theater that smelled like popcorn. We could hear chatter in Hebrew as people were looking at the many raffle prizes that could be won. As we entered the theater hall and approached our assigned seating which happened to be three rows from the stage, we could see a bunch of orange Home Depot buckets on the stage, thinking, the stage isn’t ready for a performance just yet. As we drew closer to our seats, we realized the stage was full of various items and concluded, those props were part of the show.
While we had some idea of what to expect due to my interview with the mastermind behind the production, Noa Barankin, this production surpassed all expectations.
The show began with one of the performers coming on stage exploring various props until she came across a banana. Proceeding to interact with the audience non-verbally, it quickly set the expectation that it will be a very interactive yet non-verbal experience that we had walked into. As more performers came on stage, we couldn’t help but notice that the attire was all black with yellow accents. This led my husband, Albert, and me to believe that perhaps this was a gentle nod to the hostages and the orange buckets were for the red headed Bibas kids that were taken Hostage by Hamas on October 7th along with their mother and father. After the show, I went to ask Barankin about this, she told me that they have used the yellow for many years and it was chosen for the fact that it reflects the “street” style.
The ensemble consisted of seven members, one being a male. Each one had a unique style and “voice” in their way of dancing, interacting with the audience, and the general presence on stage. While each was different, together they created a cohesive experience for the viewers that was incredibly engaging. The performance was full of surprising props that one would not consider instruments such as spoons and bubble wrap as well as traditional instruments such as drums, and a keyboard.
What was interesting is how Barankin brought modern technology into the show. She connected her cellphone to a speaker and used an app that represented what modern day electronic dance music DJs use when artificially creating sounds and beats. During this segment of the show, along with many others, we felt inclined to dance in our seats.
I don’t know when the show will come back, but when it does, I highly recommend everyone go see it. You may be as lucky as we were and get to see characterizations of Darth Vader and Indiana Jones. You can stay connected and up to date with the DrumatiX crew by following them on Instagram/
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Miriam Gershenson is a freelance writer residing in Escondido, California.