"No Dice" by Pavol Liska and Kelly Copper

The East-Village superduo Pavol Liska and Kelly Copper (The Nature Theater of Oklahoma) came up with their new dramatic production “No Dice”. I went to check it out lat night at Downtown Art in Manhattan. It is definitely the most sophisticated and gratifying piece they ever made.

Oberzan, Gridley and Johanson

The piece is 4 hours long, but I loved every minute of it. Performances by Oberzan, Johanson and Gridley were amazing, very funny, meticulous and physical to the point that I started to worry they’ll all end up with a stroke;)
“No Dice” is based on recorded phone conversations, which actors listen to on there Ipods during performance. Fragmented and schizophrenic, this new play seriously deals with obsolescence and nostalgia of linear narrative. Through rather simple comedic means and (typical for Pavol) obsessive, systemic gestures “No Dice” digs into language as a failed tool of post-modern communication.


Language is exposed as a vacuous structure, coherent yet incapable of conveying stories or emotions. It is the dance and gesture where the “talking” happens. That’s my unprofessional take on it anyhow… Somehow the experience felt cathartic and honest. I think it is a very relevant, ambitious play about life in our times: very NY-Centric and hilarious. I was laughing the whole time.

The sandwiches were good too.

They will play it again in January, info on their website.