“No Place to Go” Is The Show to Go To
Sheba Wood ‘17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
ArtsEmerson hosted No Place to Go, written and performed by Ethan Lipton & His Orchestra, in the Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theater. In the style of a band performing in a jazz club sort of venue, No Place to Go tells a story through narration and music, featuring Ethan Lipton (vocals), Vito Dieterle (saxophone), Ian Riggs (bass and acoustic guitar), and Eben Levy (electric guitar).
The story focuses on Lipton, who loves his part-time job, only to find out that his company is relocating to Mars and that, unless he relocates to Mars with them, he’ll be unemployed within the coming months. Lipton had a soothing yet captivating voice, similar to narrators from 1940s detective movies. Lipton also tells his story in a manner that makes the audience sympathetic without inducing pity, which is refreshing for a serious and depressing topic such as unemployment. Also, the versatile sounds of the music, along with Lipton’s rather bouncy and flexible dancing and vocal range, kept the audience entertained and smiling despite the upsetting subject matter.
The story is mostly told through song, beginning with one about how having a job is like “having somewhere where someone belonged.” As the story progresses, each song is able to have its own identity within the show. The genre of the music could be classified as jazz; however, there’s also clear influence from the blues, Latin music, rock and roll, rap, and some aspects of electronic music, which alludes to the progression of industry and the choices that Lipton and his co-workers must make to adapt. The genre choices are applicable to their placement in the show and illustrate the emotion coming from the main character, which had a visible and audible reciprocating response from the audience.
The setting was also effective in that the theater had tables around the slightly elevated stage area, instead of the usual rows found in most theaters. The camaraderie found when engaging in small talk between audience members at each table was clearly linked to the connection that the workers in the story have, as well as the friendship between the band members. In addition, the lighting changed subtly between different songs and monologues. Not only did this convey the feeling of the music, but the frequent usage of red, white, and blue together helped to remind the audience that the story was very real for people in this particular country who are unemployed due to outsourcing, cutbacks, and other corporate decisions.
No Place to Go was advertised as “an irreverent, musical ode to the unemployed,” which was truly accurate. The performance, with its relatability, high quality music, and character development, was made at a perfect time in our United States history, and people should pay attention to it. It gives a tuneful voice to those whose voices have been silenced.
No Place to Go’s run has ended, but ArtsEmerson’s season continues next with Man In A Case, Feb. 25th – March 2nd.