Discourse Without Grammar presented by Trap Door Theatre at Online Stream

Around The Town Chicago - Recommended

"...If this all seems rather post-modern, that doesn't mean it's devoid of compassion. The web cameras are almost always very close to each actor's face, creating far more nuanced and humanistic portraits than is possible for Theatre of the Absurd in a live playing space, even as intimate as the one Trap Door usually performs in. Discourse without Grammar is not even necessarily pessimistic, since many of the words in the collages do symbolize nice things that are hard to quantify, and several segments end in ways that could be interpreted as escape or transcension. (The press release describes this experiment as "joyful.") But the movie is bookended by emergency broadcasting color bars and an authoritative-sounding voice reassuring us that, in the event of an actual emergency, we would be provided with official news or instructions. We obviously have a lot more reason to wonder about claims like that now, and Discourse, which is available for rent on Vimeo indefinitely, may help us to recall this moment should things seem to normalize."

Third Coast Review - Recommended

"...Discourse Without Grammar is a fascinating visual pastiche, a modern vaudeville show. Directed and edited by Skye Fort, 11 performers in five countries have created video performances that "investigate hollow words, empty promises, and collaboration without connection." There's language spoken, sung, etched on gravestones and carved in sand. The only actual sentences are spoken by an official voiceover announcing a test of the emergency broadcast system (remember those?)."

Picture This Post - Recommended

"...This reviewer was intrigued throughout, finding the disconnected words and variety of theatrical elements of Discourse Without Grammar as a probing question of the purpose of language. Discourse Without Grammar is a match for those interested in experimenting with language and technology through theatre. This show isn't for anyone looking for a more straight-forward and easily understandable story."