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Florida Studio Theatre’s Dancing Lessons

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Jason Cannon and Vanessa Morosco in Dancing Lessons. Photo by Cliff Roles

Jason Cannon and Vanessa Morosco in Dancing Lessons. Photo by Cliff Roles

By Kay Kipling

If you’re familiar with playwright Mark St. Germain’s work, perhaps from previous productions at Florida Studio Theatre, you’ll know he sometimes tackles true (Freud’s Last Session) and topical (Best of Enemies) subjects, but he likes to leaven the inherent drama with both heart and humor.

Such is the case with the most recent FST production of a St. Germain work, Dancing Lessons. In some hands, the subject matter—a man with autism and a female dancer with a career and possibly life threatening injury meet and form a relationship despite their handicaps—might be heavy going, but St. Germain makes sure to hit the light notes as well.

The man in this case, Ever (Jason Cannon), is certainly what might be called high functioning; he teaches at an institute of higher learning and evidently makes enough money to pay more than $2,000 to Senga (Vanessa Morosco)—I guess St. Germain likes unusual character names—for one hour of her professional time, so that he can perform an obligatory dance at an awards dinner. She’s not warm to the idea at first; in fact, when we meet her in her casually strewn apartment, she’s popping pills, swigging alcohol and perhaps contemplating departure from this world in the wake of an accident that has left her in a leg brace.

But the money, and Ever’s persistence, persuade her, even if she is curt with him in her swamp of self-pity. And gradually, of course, as they learn more about each other, two lonely people begin to form a bond that just might make a difference in their lives.

Morosco and Cannon in a scene from Dancing Lessons. Photo by Cliff Roles

Morosco and Cannon in a scene from Dancing Lessons. Photo by Cliff Roles

Under the direction of Kate Alexander, Cannon and Morosco are convincing in their slow moves toward one another. Cannon especially has the physical attributes of an autistic right; his Ever is awkward physically, and literally has to practice making appropriate facial expressions in order to register the emotions that come naturally to others.

But he’s smart—smart enough to call Senga on some of the lies she tells herself and others. And he wants desperately to be able to interact with another human in “normal” ways. That’s especially poignant—and funny—in a long scene where he and Senga become more physically intimate.

I have no idea whether or not a person with a lifetime aversion to touch can, in the course of one evening, progress as far as Ever does here (it doesn’t seem that likely to me, but I understand the message of hope it conveys). Morosco (who moves as a dancer would) and Cannon make it as believable as possible. And that’s also true of the play’s last scene, where these two injured people are able, in one imagined dance, to believe in the possibility of change, if they just have the courage it takes.

Dancing Lessons continues through Feb. 27 at FST’s Keating Theatre. For tickets, call 366-9000 or go to floridastudiotheatre.org.

The post Florida Studio Theatre’s Dancing Lessons appeared first on On Stage.


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