Underground River
 Jane Comfort and Company in Underground River
 Photo: Donna Ann McAdams

Jane Comfort and Company in Underground River.
Photo: Donna Ann McAdams
"Mr. Twist's tiny cloth puppet and the energetic dancers who occasionally manipulate it help turn a fantasy into a telling comment on rebellious inner voices that perhaps not just the comatose hear." - Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times

"The gentle movements, patronizing tone of the psychiatrist's voice, toy-like flying fishes and the wee marionette the dancers charmingly manipulate fashion a touching child-like ambience. The dancers sing and move with a bouyance that is almost magical, they seem to transform the hard-surfaced floor into a pillowy cloud and hold the audience within their web." -Backstage
Underground River, winner of a 1998 Bessie Award as a "risk-taking and profound theatrical tour de force," is an exploration of the rich fantasy life of a girl who appears to the outside world to be unconscious. Singing a cappella songs by Toshi Reagon and interacting with the magical visual creations of puppeteer Basil Twist, the dancers dwell in a world of magic realism and eccentric beauty unseen by those who wish to make her "well."

Conceived and Directed by Jane Comfort
Choreography by Jane Comfort in collaboration with the Company
Text by Jane Comfort
Music by Toshi Reagon, Haydn and traditional folk song
Visual Effects by Basil Twist

For further information on Underground River, go to www.janecomfortandcompany.org
Underground River has been presented at
  • Jacob's Pillow
  • The Joyce
  • Dance Theatre Workshop
  • The Bates Dance Festival