Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
19th January 2017
This play wasn’t about them; it was about us: the audience. It was the most engaging educational theory lesson as well as a good, honest look in the mirror to find both the ugly and the sophisticated side of a human.
The Mostly Everything People introduced and explained Jane Loevinger’s Theory of Ego Development and throughout their performance presented all nine ego stages and conflicts between them. The two performers brilliantly took on a mix of roles, battling for their own egos and the control over situations. It felt like watching kids play, honest and unaware of the external judgements, hungry for knowledge and still in the process of managing to coexist . Jumping between the different stages of ego from the impulsive, pleasure-seeking one to the integrated and wise one, the performance revealed that no one can fundamentally fit into a single category and its description. A man tends to continuously seek ways to grow and change whilst the past experiences and behaviours leave traces.
Through dance and playful music, humorous dialogues and use of thoughtfully chosen props, the audience was invited to reflect upon their individual dreams and values and the social expectations – to realise the difference between the true self and the masks carefully but often unintentionally taken on over time.
The performance was light-hearted, fun and entertaining. Each detail very well thought through and skilfully put together, therefore making the acting look very realistic and transitions between different modes of presentation seamless. It was an evening that left me with my mind full of bubbling thoughts and an honest smile on my face.
words GUNDIJA ZANDERSONA