‘Together: un/tethered’ at Denver’s Studio Loft asks us to let go and think about that for a moment or two

One of the first things HOLDTIGHT Company asks audience members to do upon arrival is to do the unthinkable: relinquish all cellphones. In their new production of together: un/tethered, the performance art company based in NYC and Denver flags phones as the ultimate tether, and in the 90-minute immersive deep-dive ahead, everyone is asked to question their connections good or bad and even share them out.

For the performance, the Studio Loft space above the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Center is set up with chairs lined along two sides with a large floor space dedicated to the action. Low lights, smoke and subtle music greeted us as we were directed to try out a couple of old-timey phones to talk or listen. (Not sure I got this part.) Hanging overhead is a labyrinthine jumble of ropes and nets, all in service to the theme of those tethers attached to us.

There is, in fact, enough rope here to outfit a Baltimore clipper. Audience members all get a thick bit of rope to tie around their waist, the bounds of the performance space are marked by more rope and the players are roped up as well. The notion of interconnectedness is explored in physical layers such as this as well as through psychological and metaphorical explorations of the ties that bind — or destroy.

An ambitious project

The creator and director of together: un/tethered is Gwendolyn Gussman, who is joined by five other performance artists all dressed in loose outfits designed by Gussman and Maki Teshima. They made me think of scrubs, but like those you might see in a hospital in Tibet.

The other key member of the cast is Daniel Weidlein, who composed and performs the music throughout the show. A multi-instrumentalist as comfortable with a sax as he is on keyboard and flute, Weidlein provides a soundtrack that occasionally breaks out into more up-front bits. With the exception of some grating sax at one point, most of it is soothing but punctuated by a series of variations that make it much more than a background track.

Also setting the mood is a brilliant series of lighting cues designed by Alex Taylor. Taking advantage of the wide-open space, Taylor explores many layers of dark purples and reds, shadows and patterns that add tremendously to the quasi-mystical vibe Gussman appears to be going for.

together: un/tethered is comprised of quite a few individual moments that range from dance/movement to stomping about to lying on the floor in exact positions to solemn recitations of personal anecdotes. These range from Weidlein describing a puppy his family got when he was a kid to Divya Maus relating a near-death episode involving a high-speed Vespa. Motherhood is explored, as is loneliness and togetherness, and it’s all deeply affecting.

Highly immersive

While the artistry and talent present in this show is high quality, what most impressed me the powerful commitment to the audience. The story vignettes work beautifully to strengthen the connection between the audience. Later in the show the audience will be on its feet to join the action with both spoken word and movement (you will in fact get a chance to deploy that rope around your waist!). The ability to interact with the players after watching them purely as an audience member cleanly stripped away the artifice of the fourth wall. It turns the performance into an experience that you won’t soon forget.

Some of the pieces of the performance went on a bit long, even if the repetition was meant to be part of the message. While the relaxed pace contributes to the highly personalized nature of the show, at 90 minutes, I couldn’t help but feel that a bit of trimming wouldn’t hurt to tighten things up.

One of the things I really came away from was how to think about “enough” — a tricky, sticky wicket for Americans taught from birth to grab whatever we can. As Gussman writes in the program notes, we often say “enough is enough” in anger, but what if we yelled it in celebration of being in this moment without worrying so much about stuff, or what comes next?

“Live in the moment” isn’t a new concept, but HOLDTIGHT’s inventive and thought-provoking performance puts it in a new light through sound, movement and a highly physical recognition of our bodies in this space. It’s a short run but if you can get to it, it might just change how you think about that digital anchor in your pocket.

*Note: tethered: un/tethered is the first of three parts to this cycle, beginning with the theme ‘together.’ In the fall, HOLDTIGHT  will premiere the other two parts: “alone” and “mother,” which will each be their own evening-length 90-minute show. In 2025, they plan to perform all three parts together as a multi-hour experience.