The End of TV

Chicago's Manual Cinema has returned to ArtsEmerson after last year's successful "Ada/Ava" with their newest work "The End of TV."

Adding live video performance to expand on the shadow puppetry, mime, and live music used in their last visit, this ensemble of performers create a complex and occasionally confusing story about the friendship of two women.

Set in a Midwestern town, we meet an elderly white woman falling in to the cloud of dementia. Her reality begins to merge with the ever present world of television commercials and QVC shopping. The second woman, young and black, is laid off from her job at the local auto factory and takes a new job as a driver for meals on wheels. Thus the friendship begins.

It is a visually stunning work though it sometimes becomes a bit hard to follow between time jumps and moments of altered reality. It seems the musicians are supposed to provide some context at times, but their vocals are impossible to understand so they ultimately provide atmosphere and little else.

Manual Cinema has created a unique and captivating art form. Although this particular story may become a bit murky at times, the artistry is top-notch and you should grab the opportunity to experience this one of a kind group while they are in Boston.

"The End of TV" continues through January 27 at the Emerson Paramount Center, Robert J. Orchard Stage, 559 Washington Street, Boston, MA. For ticket information, visit the ArtsEmerson website.