Strange Humors

Equal parts comedic and combative, former Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Strange Humors is an eccentric, jocular display for two men. Composer John Mackey, Battle’s frequent collaborator, provides a fiery score propelled by elements of African hand drumming and Middle Eastern folk music.

Planted far apart along a narrow shaft of light, the duo mirrors the building tension between Mackey’s string quartet and djembe with quirky spasms. They ultimately meet for an explosive confrontation of wits and prowess, as though “possessed by the force of feelings beyond their control” (The New York Times).