38-4,p20

A review by Russ Kaufman

Prior to the start of the Karamazov Brother's new "Juggle and Hyde" show, one is struck by the stage decorations - or lack of them. Gone is the familiar Karamazov backdrop. It is replaced by a stack of corrugated boxes that seem to stretch to the ceiling.

The show opened in darkness with all five Flying K's onstage using three green cyclumen lit stage balls doing various patterns. Although one of the brothers explains to the audience that this is a serious, silent piece, the mood is constantly comically interrupted by Smerdyakov (Sam Williams). When the lights come on at the end of the piece, four of the five have left, leaving the silent Fyodor standing beside a mechanism with arms that did the last segment of his juggling for him!

Following the lit ball sequence, all five Karamazovs come on stage for the "Taiko drumming" piece. Each brother has a large brown box before him with Dmitri (Paul David Magid) stabbing his box repeatedly rather than drumming on it. It ends with the brothers collapsing on the boxes. Smerdyakov comes on next to do a short bit with boxes.

Club passing and feeding has always been a Karamazov forte, and this show is no exception. Fyodor fed the other four not just using his right hand, but using both continuously. This part was flawless, so smooth as to look effortless.

Dmitri and Ivan did their Bach musical piece on the xylophone, tapping out a tune while juggling rubber-tipped wooden clubs. As they did the piece, two large boxes pranced onto the stage, got close to each other, and one of them "gave birth" to a baby box. The "adult boxes" and the two musicians left the stage, leaving the very small box alone. Obviously frightened at being away from its parents and intimidated by the audience, the small box scampered away (with the probable help of a model car inside).