East Bay Express, 9/22/04
Reviewed by Gregory Weinkauf

Paradox Pollack in "Orphans of Delirium"

Some play bingo. Some bowl. Veteran director Antero Alli ("Hysteria") encourages advanced
socialization through paratheatrical ritual. In this lively treatise, eleven participants writhe,
grunt, and spasmodically twitch live onstage in San Francisco in order - or, more appropriately,
in disorder - to achieve spiritual intoxication. The actual rituals ("The Dreaming", "Wrathful Deities",
"Hungry Ghosts", "The Sacrifice") play out in somewhat disturbing long takes to a soundscape by Alli's
partner Sylvi, and between them Alli and two performers (Nick Walker and Paradox - yes, Paradox -
Pollack) discuss primality, transformation, surrendering to formlessness, that sort of thing. (The movie
critic here smiled and would like Christopher Guest to join up ASAP.) Despite the way-outness of the
material, Alli's style is fluid, thoughtful, and elegant. His tale of a free-form childhood "ritual" called
"Hit the Dirt" (wherein friends "executed" each other in inventive ways) provides a skeleton key to
help comprehend the weird identity quests of these groaning, bleating adults. "To get past yourself,"
he explains, "you have to have a self." Intriguing challenge.