Creator, writer, and performer Vinny DePonto explores the nature and range of memory in his one-man show “Mindplay.” His show is fiercely creative, combining elements of mentalist stage magic, stand-up comedy, and group therapy into a performance that celebrates memory and nostalgia, even as we are reminded of how fragile and fleeting memory can be. There are even elements of a childhood birthday party, complete with balloons and ice cream!
The show begins with selections from a few classic recordings of jazz standards of the past: Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald singing “Cheek to Cheek,” the Pied Pipers crooning “Dream,” and Russ Morgan and his Orchestra playing “There Goes That Song Again” and “Moonlight Serenade.” Music in the Morgan manner! These sounds evoke the world of Mr. DePonto’s grandparents’ house and likely similar memories of many in the audience. Active use is also made of metal file cabinets, film slides and slide projectors, landline telephones, and audio cassettes and cassette recorders—retro technology which Mr. DePonto still uses actively, in spite of his youthful appearance.
The show then moves into the realm of mentalism. In one engaging segment, Mr. DePonto gives an audience member a book of Shakespeare’s works and urges the audience member to select any page and tell him the page number. From this prompt, Mr. DePonto is then able to recite flawlessly multiple lines of “Shakespeare” on that page from memory. “Who says you don’t get classic theatre in this show?” he then deadpans.
Throughout the performance, there is a kindly humor, and while Mr. DePonto seeks to draw personal experiences out of audience members, he also makes certain that these volunteers feel at ease and not embarrassed. This is especially true in a segment in which he takes on the role of psychic, knowing the song which was going through an audience member’s mind, realizing that another audience member is grieving for a recent loss, and identifying still another audience member’s fear of failure. In the performance we attended, he also encouraged audience members to read each other’s minds, as when one audience member, when connected by Mr. DePonto with another, could describe a nightmare the other had recently experienced.
Tellingly, the audience is never certain as to the extent to which Mr. DePonto simply has an excellent read on his fellow humans, or whether he actually possesses some measure of psychic abilities. He does, however, reveal the reason for his fascination with memory: Memory is precious, he learned, when his aged grandparents both lost their memories due to dementia at the end of their lives. Thus, anything to strengthen and experience the joy of memory should be encouraged. In this vein Mr. DePonto urges the audience to create “memory palaces,” intricate memory aids woven from personal experience.
While the personal anecdotes from which the star of “Mindplay” draws are poignant, they also serve to highlight the marvelousness of the show. Indeed, this reviewer experienced this firsthand when, with Mr. DePonto’s prompting, details of a childhood home which were thought long ago forgotten were called back to mind. We were left with the idea that the human mind consists of “We Three—My Echo, My Shadow, and Me,” to quote the vintage Ink Spots tune played during the show.
“Mindplay” demands, and rewards, the attention and participation of its audience. The show is fabulously entertaining, causing us to wonder at the memories which the mind retains, and also at the memories the mind suppresses. The show is about 80 minutes long with no intermission and runs through March 3 at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Masks are recommended but not required, except for a mask-required performance on February 11.
