Theater Review: 'Live From the Edge' Presented by Long Wharf Theatre

“Live From the Edge,” created and performed by UNIVERSES, is a unique production currently being presented by Long Wharf Theatre at Space Ballroom.

Long Wharf is excited to invite Greater New Haven audiences into this borrowed space for a show that is unlike any “typical” theater production.

This is a unique production that is intended to be indicative of the creativity that continues to come out of Long Wharf Theatre. Artistic Director Jacob G. Padron writes that Mildred Ruiz-Sapp and Staven Sapp, the artist who founded UNIVERSES, have been in New Haven as Long Wharf’s playwrights-in-residence for the last three years. Padron notes that this production marks a powerful culmination of their time together and is the right offering for Long Wharf’s new model.

The national Ensemble Theater Company founded in the Bronx is a group of multi-disciplined writers and performers of color. They fuse theater, poetry, dance, jazz, hip hop, politics, down home blues and Spanish “boleros.” They set out to create “moving, challenging and entertaining works for the stage.”

The performance is a "best of" evening that tracks the evolution of UNIVERSES’ poetic language from childhood rhymes and community rituals, to poetry and theater, hip-hop and gospel. It attempts to redefine what theater is and to whom it speaks.

Live From the Edge is definitely a unique performance event that “turns the poem into a communal act.”

UNIVERSES’ long-standing inspiration and philosophy is very ambitious. They set out to explore and further deepen the dialogue of the intersectionality of art and activism, the historical power of theater as a tool for social justice, and the reimagining of American theater, by and for the people.

The content draws from current events, the subject matter evolves with time and reflects ongoing injustices and social issues.

The performance does all of the above in ninety minutes and invites the audience to participate. It quickly moves between the “scenes” that vary in tone and presentation. I had a little difficulty following some of the poetry, but most of the points were pretty clear. My favorite piece was when the group “took us to church.”

The performers include Asia Mark, Nate John Mark, Nsangou Njikam, Sophia Ramos, Mildred Ruiz-Sapp and Steven Sapp. These last two are the artists who founded this performance troupe.

The show draws inspiration from the audience – some elements change night to night because audience interaction and involvement is a core feature of the experience.

A press release indicates that the show is not a reflection of all future Long Wharf Theatre productions. “There is much more programming, some bold like this and some more familiar/traditional for longtime audiences, to come– this is just a taste of the endless possibilities of the new model.”

Space Ballroom is an accessible location.There are signs that mark the driveway to access the ballroom. The address is 295 Treadwell Street, Hamden and there is ample free parking.

To keep artists and audiences safe, masks are encouraged, but not required. Lobby and bar are open one hour before the show. Doors to the theater open about 30 minutes before the performance. The show runs 90 minutes with no intermission and is recommended for ages 16 and above. Content Warning: language and subject matter.

You can stay for a talkback with members of the cast of Live From the Edge after every performance.

Tickets here: https://longwharf.org/buy-tickets/?eventid=23LFTE or the Long Wharf Theatre's Box Office is open, in person, at the Space Ballroom one hour before the show. Call 203.693.1486 Monday — Friday from noon to 5pm or email: boxoffice@longwharf.org.

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. She recently became a contributor to the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column and theatre reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.