Coeur de Lune
was originally titledTales of Lunacy
REVIEWS
Performance
Photography
Myra Yellin Outwater
THE MORNING CALL, Allentown, PA
Describing Jon Held's enigmatic and absorbing performance piece, "Tales of Lunacy," now being presented at Bethlehem's Touchstone Theatre, is not easy. The title is misleading. This is neither a tale of lunacy nor madness, but rather more about lunar madness. Think of Held as more of a Bill Irwin, the New York virtuoso clown/ mime/movement artist who astounded Broadway a few years back with his comic work, "Fool Moon." Held's manipulations and dance duos with his mysterious hanging "white moon" are truly mesmerizing, whimsical and dazzling. The narration begins slowly, going from seeming non sequitur to non sequitur in an often-nonsensical arc that finally finds meaning at the end. The fragmentary plot deals with losing a friend, losing your way in this complicated world and getting your bearings back through unexpected means and messages. But it is not the story line nor Held's acting that draws you in. Rather it is the artistry and theatricality of Held's physical skills -- his agility, his juggling derring-do, his grace and his wit -- that makes this event so unforgettable. Held juggles to the beat of off-stage music. An Irish jig leads into a Spanish bullfight. A costume change results in a metamorphosis into a Parisian restaurant where a waiter balances and juggles, while drinking a half-filled bottle of wine, a wine glass, a cigarette and a beret. Another stunning bit occurs when Held loses his pants and manipulates them back on his body without missing a dance step. Another extraordinary moment occurs when Held balances five balls at a time using his head, his feet and his hands and creates his own magical musical tempo. Held describes "Tales of Lunacy" as a "weird pastiche of juggling, dancing, movement and narrative." Philadelphia writer Russell Davis and director Paul Meshejian have helped polish the work and gives it heart and soul and a unity that moves the juggling, sleight-of-hand tricks into a spiritual realm. This is not a perfect piece. It needs a little more tweaking. But having said that, it is always thoughtful, well-intentioned, silly, confusing but always an amusing and engrossing one-man tour de force. And, by the end, "Tales of Lunacy" gets under your skin, leaving you awed and enchanted.
Total Eclipse of the Moon
By Elisa Cohen
NORTH DENVER TRIBUNE, APRIL 26, 2001
There is a show this weekend only at the Oriental Theatre that merits dropping everything to go see. Jon Held's "Total Eclipse of the Moon", dazzles audiences with it's wit, charm, and athletic beauty.
In a one-man extremely funny performance, Held explores through dance, storytytelling, acrobatics, and jugging the concepts of faith, perception and the actions taken in the perception of reality. The 70-minute performance is comprised of many skits in which, as his marketing card explains, Held tells "tales of lunacy in the shadow of logic." Portraying at least eight different characters throughout the evening, Held transforms himself through character acting into a fiery minister, a man of science, two guys wondering about the make-up of the universe and more. Using juggling balls as metaphoric props, Held dashes feverishly from skit to skit, yet the result is a contemplative and connected discourse on the nature of the universe and how humanity interacts and reacts with the forces of physics tempered by reason, faith and logic.
The performance excels in many areas. Held's timing and delivery of the stories are flawless. His dance routines are beautiful. In one performance, a single spotlight showcases just Held's hands and a single white ball. He delicately dances with the orb on his fingertips. As the lights dimmed, I gasped at the beauty of this odd routine. And some of the stories will stay in your mind forever, both for their humor and for their generous exploration of the role of both faith and science in the outcome of our endeavors.
Held deserves a standing room only audience. His energy, humor and grace is reminiscent of a one-man Cirque du Soleil. If you haven't yet taken in a show at the beautifully renovated Historic Oriental Theatre, now is your golden opportunity. Hire a babysitter, put down the TV remote, this is a show not to be missed.
The Mighty Leap