Inspired by Tennessee
Williams’ 1953 Broadway play of the same name, Atlanta Ballet presented the
world premiere of Camino Real, March 20 - 22, at the Cobb Energy Performing
Arts Center. It was choreographed by
Atlanta Ballet choreographer in residence Helen Pickett.
Told from the
perspective of Kilroy, a character based on patriotic iconography from the WWII
era, this young American soldier and one-time prize-winning boxer finds himself
trapped in the surreal, dead-end town of Camino Real forced to grapple with
mortality, the burning desire to connect and the will to live.
Through his
journey to bring renewed hope to the town of lost souls, Kilroy meets a cast of
unlikely characters from various periods of history and pop culture, such as
Casanova, Esmeralda (The Hunchback of
Notre Dame), Marguerite (The Lady of
the Camellias) and Lord Byron, who together struggle to escape their
fates.
“This is your
classic good versus evil story,” said Pickett, whose adventure with the play
began five years ago when her father handed down his copy from his college
theater days, suggesting it would make a good ballet.
“I read it
once and put it away, not understanding how I might tackle the content,” said
Pickett. “A year later, I picked up the play again and found my way into the
story: focus on the characters first. Now, it is such a part of my reality, I
can’t imagine how I will let go of these characters.”
Pickett
announced the project shortly after accepting her residency with Atlanta Ballet
in 2012 and has been working on the production ever since. Every aspect of the ballet, from the music to
the costumes to the set design, has been a collaborative effort between Pickett
and the team of artists she assembled.
The whimsical
costumes were created by award-winning designer Sandra Woodall -- Pickett has known her since she was a student with
San Francisco Ballet. Woodall introduced Pickett to lighting designer David
Finn, whose commissions include Cirque du Soleil and numerous major U.S. ballet
companies. Finn recommended set designer Emma Kingsbury, who he subsequently
worked in tandem with on the scenic design. The rich, textured score, which
Pickett describes as a character all its own, is the creation of composer Peter
Salem.
“All of these
people truly enjoy the art of collaboration,” said Pickett. “They are
magnificent artists that bring all their ideas to the table. We are like mix
masters; we just throw all of our concepts into the bowl and stir and filter. I
am in love with each of them and their visions.”
The final
layer of the creative process ... the choreography, which was a collaboration
as well with Atlanta Ballet’s full 23-member company. Pickett began working
with the Company in September, devoting full days to rehearsal to ensure this 75-minute
ballet would be completed by the scheduled March premiere.
Adding to the
theatricality, Pickett challenged several of the dancers to learn lines.
Williams’ text – actual excerpts from the play - were spoken by the principal
characters throughout the ballet.
After more
than 300 rehearsal hours, Camino Real
graced the stage with splendor. Salem's
score conveyed the jazzy streets and sweaty ennui of Camino Real and Pickett's choreography grafts to it organically.
What Pickett understands is that if a story is to be
translated into dance - in this case dance theatre - its structure must be
rendered transparent, otherwise there's just too much to assimilate. She has done everything right. She knows that ballet-making is about
assembling the right team. And that's exactly what she's done, to a triumphant
effect.
I absolute loved everything about Camino Real and hope that a special performance is scheduled soon,
because seeing it once was just not enough.
