Theater review: 'Hoodoo,' 'The House With Two Doors' and 'Yours, Isabel' at the Shop at Fort Fringe

You might not expect to encounter accordion music in the midst of a transformative mystical journey -- but the wheezing tunes fit quite naturally into "Hoodoo," an intriguing physical theater piece with a current of whimsical humor coursing through its philosophical depths. Devised by an ensemble -- Scot McKenzie, Dan Istrate, Kathleen Akerley and John Gurski -- this 50-minute dreamscape imagines a mythic showdown between a man and an enigmatic being -- a shadow self? -- who just happens to be a dab hand on the squeezebox.

The piece is part of the inaugural Wattage performance series, a new initiative by those ever-ambitious folks at Capital Fringe. Wattage also features two other just-minted shows: "The House With Two Doors," Faction of Fools Theatre Company's reconstruction of a 17th-century commedia dell'arte work; and "Yours, Isabel," a World War II play penned by Christy Hall. The three productions run in repertory through May 9 at the Shop at Fort Fringe.

During "Hoodoo," a looming toadstool-shaped rock turns the stage into an eerie stretch of desert. (Jan Forbes designed the geological formation, which at times looks like painted Styrofoam -- but who expects high-gloss production values in the world of Fringe?) An exhausted traveler (McKenzie) in a torn black jacket and black pants crawls into view, digs for water and -- in some of the show's few spoken lines -- salutes the Earth, wind, sun and moon. Then, as wind wuthers in the background (Nate Taylor masterminded the evocative sound design), the man conjures his loincloth-clad double (Istrate) from the rock.

The dancelike physical activity that ensues -- fight sequences; a bout of chair-tossing; steps and poses in which the two men mirror each other; a "Stomp"-like percussion moment -- seems to ponder the mysterious, antagonistic relationship between civilization and primitivism, rationality and instinct, the Self and the Other.

Or something like that. Anyway, it's all highly watchable, and the crisp, sinewy movements of Istrate, who has performed in Synetic Theater's physically stylized productions, add considerable flair. With its seamless flow and sensibility, "Hoodoo" is a testament to the possibilities of ensemble creation.

An ensemble also generated "The House With Two Doors," but the product is far less polished. Faction of Fools is a troupe that specializes in commedia dell'arte; its artistic director, Matthew R. Wilson, and his performers have, through months of creative brainstorming, re-imagined the 17th-century Neapolitan comedy "The House With Two Doors," a tedious bit of antic buffoonery involving scheming lovers, doddering fathers, clownish servants, surreptitious bedroom visits and occasional winking rifts in the fourth wall. Dressed in colorful period garb (Lynly Saunders is costumier), the cast tends to display the kind of fidgety movement-style characteristic of amateur performers -- though Toby Mulford, Annetta Dexter Sawyer and Laura J. Scott bring poise to the roles of Il Dottore, Tartaglia and Rosetta, respectively. The production does boast beautiful masks designed by Antonio Fava, an international director, actor and craftsman.

Yours, Isabel, written by Christy Hall; directed by Rex Daugherty; with Stephanie Roswell and Matt Lutz. Approximately 90 minutes.

Hoodoo, devised by Scot McKenzie, Dan Istrate, Kathleen Akerley and John Gurski. Assistant lighting design, Yuriy Zahvoyskyy; costume design, Julianne Brienza. Approximately 50 minutes.

The House With Two Doors, directed and devised by Matthew R. Wilson, written by the ensemble, based on the Casamarciano scenario. Assistant director and deviser, Toby Mulford; sound design, Josh Taylor; set/props coordinator, Mike Smith. With Vanessa Buono, Chase Helton, Michelle Tang Jackson, J. Denise Perrino, Graham Pilato and TD Smith. Approximately 70 minutes.