‘Wayra’ – Familiar Thrills from the ‘Fuerza Bruta’ Folks

It was good to be back in the Daryl Roth Theatre on Union Square East for Wayra, the new incarnation of the highly popular, long-running Fuerza Bruta that started performances in 2007. The latter show was a thrilling mix of acrobatics, antic performance, and dance party all with an existential twist, and all of those elements remain in the new version. Trouble is that for anyone who caught Fuerza Bruta, there might be too much that’s familiar about Wayra to warrant a return trip. Indeed, the first three segments of the show are almost entirely identical to what debuted in the same space seven years ago. After some expert drumming from a newly installed ensemble (music by Gaby Kerpel), a 6′ high treadmill gets wheeled into the center of the theater and on it there’s a man who’s walking and then, running. Soon, he’s contending with all kinds of obstacles. Chairs and tables—placed onto the treadmill’s belt by technicians —zip past him and he tries to establish some orderrush by him. Soon other performers are zipping along the treadmill, only to zip straight off. Ultimately, the man is crushing through walls made of white cardboard boxes even as a strong wind tries to hold him back.