Richard Move as Martha; “I’m sorry, I don’t think I answered the question…”

1963 allegedly marks one of the most concentrated years of Martha Graham’s alcoholism. Well, at the Walter Terry interview, was she drunk? It seems that she may have missed answering a question or two, but whatever the case might be, Martha Graham was portrayed precisely by Richard Move in “Martha@…the 1963 Interview” at Dance Theater Workshop.

I would have easily presumed Graham’s distinct style of speaking to be incapable of being mimicked and impersonated. Her intricate explanations, her rhythmic, poetic choice of words, and her capacity for seemingly going off on tangents are unique and true to her. Yet Richard Move, who has had years of genuine interest in what is “Martha Graham,” the renowned choreographer, managed to come along and drive his audience away with a vivid, witty, and almost incredulous portrayal.

The initial entrance of Richard Move along with two other dancers instantly had me engaged. The slow, steady, rhythmic steps of the dancers moving across stage built up anticipation to the ingenious animation of an interview that was only miraculously recovered from the archives of the 92nd Street Y. The sharp contrast in mood from the 3 dancers walking in complete silence against Walter Terry’s bold and excited introduction to the Dance Laboratory was so unexpected, it made me smile.

Throughout the interview, excerpts and synthesized portions of Martha’s pieces are performed by dancers Catherine Cabeen and Katherine Crockett. They enter stage left and right while their dancing brilliantly correlates to what Martha has to say at the interview. Whether the chat between the two good friends, Walter Terry and Martha Graham, are of characters from Martha’s epic ballets or of the fundamentals of her technique and choreography, the dancers add a different dimension to the interview. They give the audience a larger insight to further understand and appreciate Martha Graham.

The tide of the interview shifts throughout to discuss the mythological heroines composed in select Martha Graham pieces along with their characterizations. Many depict  the ancient Greek Myths and include characters such as the infamous Medea, Jocasta, the Minotaur, Theseus,
and Ariadne. While Graham and and Terry discussed the representation of Medea along with the creative process for such a psycho-dramatic
character; a crazed, terrifying, animalistic creature enters stage right. It was that spur of the moment wit brings that brought audience
to laughter.

Richard Move’s “Martha@…the 1963 Interview.” is a comedic, genuine, and loving retribution to the great Martha Graham. Move’s perfect-pitch act, makes the audience laugh while at the same time revives an interest in the Mother of contemporary modern dance. The production is a well deserved and whole-hearted dedication to Martha that is as clever as it is revealing and informative.