"Cabaret of Desire" illustrates eight or ten pieces of writing, including letters, poems, and plays, by the celebrated Spanish writer Fredrico Garcia Lorca. It is an intimate collection of pieces that require concentration and a sensitive ear. For Lorca fans, the letters might prove particularly interesting because they are little known. Also, one of the anchor pieces, "Buster Keaton's Stroll," is an unproducable surrealist theater script that lends itself well to pupper theater.
As with all of Blair Thomas' pieces, the treatment of the literature is poetic. Thomas has an impressive ear for the poetry in language and translates it to the stage in a lovely way. The puppets are also wonderfully varied and expressive. One of the early pieces has puppets made out of shoes. The surprise of their creation is enough to command your attention. It's the somber mood of piece that sicks with you, however.
The final piece, "Buster Keaton's Stroll," is fantastic for its variety of puppets and technique. We see Buster Keaton as bunraku puppets of various sizes, as shadow puppets of various sizes, and as represented by a person. Each time a new version of Buster Keaton comes out, one is surprised and the result is wonder. At times the story is wacky and funny but mostly it makes little sense. At those times, it's the magic of Thomas puppetry that keeps you connected.
The pieces all seem to ruminate on existence in some way. I think I'd have to see it a second time to recall all of it, though. What sticks with me most are the moments of surprise, whether brought about by the language of Lorca or the puppetry. This show is a treat for serious fans of puppetry or Lorca's but it's not for the faint of heart or the uninitiated.
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