Beware! The lights are out and not only one, but four villains plagued Gotham. The only way to overthrow the city once again? Batman, a battle of latex and dancing—all of it took place at “The 16th Annual Liquid Latex Show: Peace, Love and Latex” on March 21.
The event, which had two acts, first started with the group named “Batman.” Needless to say, the performance involved the comic book and was littered with all its colorful characters. Batman and his sidekick Robin fought against four villains who threatened to take over the city. The highlight of the show was nearly at the end, when the Joker held a sign that said: “This is a bomb.” He then proceeded to throw it at the other players, who were at the back of the stage. They all reacted as if the bomb had exploded, collapsing onto the stage. The designs, made by Sam Laney ’17 and Mary Millage ’16, were very similar to what an actual Batman, Robin or Joker costume would look like, except these were pulled off well.
“They Might Be Science” was a little idiosyncratic, but in a good way. This section of the show is for those people who are unable to choose between science and arts. Their name alludes to the American alternative rock band They Might Be Giants (TMBG). The highlight was the crew’s latex created by both Julia Doucett ’16 and Ayelet Schrek ’17. It was the only group of the night whose models’ bodies glowed when the room went completely dark. The liquid latex designs were also funky and had science-related colors with a lot of dots and DNA models: It was creative, indeed.
The third group was a highlight from beginning to end. The group “In My Head” dedicated their piece to the people who have mental illnesses, such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), anorexia nervosa, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. The liquid latex had more of a supporting role in this piece, but it was all for a good reason. Julie Joseph ’18, who choreographed and starred in this segment, shined with her sublime and smooth ballet movements, grace and simplicity. Every aspect captivated the audience’s attention; this was heightened with a song that perfectly set the mood by the Welsh singer Marina and the Diamonds, “Fear and Loathing.” Through Joseph’s eyes there was a real, intimate story of struggle and survival that impacted the audience.
“Bad Bitches Get Money” celebrated the strong and unique women in the music industry, such as Florence Welch, St. Vincent, Lady Gaga, Kesha, Ana Tijoux, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Beyoncé. They beguiled their audience with their strong feminist message, which had a striking conclusion, like a cherry on top of an ice cream. The moment the eight models turned their back, they formed the word “Feminism.” Not only was the group’s message relevant and straightforward, but the audience’s reaction was positive; both men and women went wild.
The second act commenced with the “Spice Girls Reunion 2.0,” which was a piece that did not have enough elements to highlight. The theme, on the other hand, was interesting: pop hits from the 90s.
Another theme that was nuanced and compelling was “Artistas, Feministas.” Each of the models had a different stylish design, created by Kiara Tringali ’17 and Rachel Dillon ’17, that represented either a famous female artist, such as Frida Kahlo, or female paintings, such as Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” and Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Their designs were mind-blowing and groundbreaking because of their originality. Their performance was frisky, colorful and engaging and it was a nice way to pay homage to the “individual masterpieces and the beauty of collective feminine expression.”
The penultimate piece was “Mario Kart.” The models started the performance offstage and in a haste they all sprinted towards it. They all had colorful designs that were very well made, especially Gwen Mowell ’16 and Thomas Hearne’s ’16 portrayal of the character Toad, which was simply outstanding. “Mario Kart” had original choreography, emulating a video game’s technical movements that reenergized the audience and set the mood for the ending.
The last piece was “Carnival.” When the word “Carnival” is uttered, one can only think of the carnival that occurs annually in Rio de Janeiro; nonetheless, this piece also tried to bring the party of other carnivals from around the globe, such as those in Venice and Trinidad and Tobago. Not only did they bring dance moves from these exotic places, but also masks, jewels and feathers. The designs were not that outstanding; however, the colors were very representative, such as purple, yellow and green—these are very much the colors that are utilized during Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival. Their performance was not as flamboyant as one would expect from a carnival theme, but they did a swell job closing the show.
Overall, the performers showed creativity and courage. It is not easy in the first place to step on the stage and portray somebody else, let alone when the person is almost completely nude.
