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Elite Dance & Theatre has transformed The Picture of Dorian Gray into a combination of movement and drama opening on Friday, March 31, at the North Fourth Theatre. <\/p>\n
Dan Belden is Lord Henry Wotton and Alex Harde is Dorian in The Portrait of Dorian Gray. (SOURCE: Two Brunos Photography) <\/p>\n
In 1890, Oscar Wilde incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity and beauty into his sole novel. <\/p>\n
The story begins with a man painting a picture of the nobleman Gray. When Gray sees the portrait, he breaks down, distraught that his beauty will surely fade while the painting remains youthful. He inadvertently makes a Faustian bargain ensuring that the image decays and ages while he remains young. As Grays portrait allows him to escape the physical ravages of his hedonism, he destroys the lives of those closest to him. <\/p>\n
The production opens with the artist Basil at his easel as dancers surrounding him mimic his paint strokes, director Cheri Costales said. <\/p>\n
Its an amazing story; Oscar Wilde is just brilliant, Costales said. When I had my kids read literature, I always told them to wait until the last chapter. Dorian Gray has one of those endings. <\/p>\n
Lord Henry Wotton goads Gray with his hedonistic philosophy: that beauty and sensual fulfilment are the only things worth pursuing in life. In living out this ideology, Gray courts the naive actress Sibyl Vane, who commits suicide after he rejects her. <\/p>\n
As Gray descends into an opium den, the dancers will perform Oblivion, a surreal trip through the depths of his debauchery, Costales said. On returning home, he notices the portrait bears a subtle sneer of cruelty. Its decay is foretold as he continues his descent into self-indulgence. <\/p>\n
Eventually, Gray tries to destroy the painting in a moment of repentance, killing the vestiges of his own conscience. <\/p>\n
The cast consists of 30 dancers in costumes resembling Steampunk with a twist, Costales said. <\/p>\n
Weve got the top hats and the gloves and the boots, she added. Weve probably got about 100 hats. <\/p>\n
The Picture of Dorian Gray has inspired countless TV and movie adaptations. The 1945 film starred George Sanders, Donna Reed and Angela Lansbury. In 2003, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen featured a Dorian Gray character, as did the 2014-2016 Showtime series Penny Dreadful. <\/p>\n
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Elite Dance & Theatre presents 'Dorian Gray' - Albuquerque Journal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" .......... .......... ......... Continue reading