Playwright: Martin Sherman . At: TimeLine Theatre, 615 W. Wellington . Phone: 773-281-8463; $25-$35. Runs through Dec. 20
Martin Sherman's play When She Danced is a choreography tease. And come to think of it, that's probably a good thing.
Sherman's historical drama about Isadora Duncan could have dwelled on approximations of the American modern dance revolutionary's art ( or Duncan's rather horrific sports car death in 1927 when her neck was broken after her long flowing scarf got tangled up in the wheel's spokes ) .
But Sherman wisely doesn't go into all that. Especially since there is little to no accurate visual documentation of what made Duncan such a cutting edge dance pioneer.
Instead, Sherman paints an intriguing picture of the down-on-her-luck celebrity artist in 1923 finding help and hindrances among her polyglot entourage of friends, lovers and fans.
Making sure that TimeLine Theatre audiences don't mind that Duncan never truly dances is also a great credit to director Nick Bowling and his cast, who all entertainingly punch up the allure and desperation of this compelling bohemian artist's life.
As Duncan, Jennifer Engstrom amusingly embodies the earthy sort of artist who vivaciously lives for passion and beauty. Sparks truly fly between Engstrom's Duncan and Patrick Mulvey as Sergei Esenin, her impassioned Russian poet, lover and frequently violent drunkard. Both Engstrom and Mulvey show how two people who don't even speak the same language could be so passionately ( and tumultuously ) drawn together.
Entering Duncan's world is the fictionalized out-of-work translator Miss Belzer. Though Sherman doesn't reveal too much about the character, Janet Ulrich Brooks' richly restrained performance shows all of Miss Belzer's past pain and current bewilderment at discovering that the iconic artist who once provided such life-sustaining inspiration could lead such a messy personal life.
Another true standout performance is Alejandro Cordoba as the young and handsome Greek pianist Alexandros Eliopolos. Cordoba plays Chopin dreamily and comically deals with Mark Richard's inappropriate Luciano Zavani ( the all-important man from the Italian Consulate who could provide Duncan with government funds for a dance academy ) .
Helping to keep Duncan grounded ( but not always succeeding ) is Jeannie Affelder's rightly curt French maid Jeanne and Mary Williamson as the critical agent Mary Desti, who does all she can to get Duncan a Vienna dance contract.
Isadora Duncan might be esteemed as the woman who ushered in the art form of modern dance, but Sherman's thoroughly researched drama humanizes her by showing the difficulties that artistic innovators face while scrambling to make a living.
But even more apparent is the fact that dance and music are truly barrier-breaking international languages. TimeLine's superlative production of When She Danced is a potent reminder of how Duncan's dynamic personality and ephemeral artistry served as a source of inspiration and beauty.