Reviews（The New York Times／2009）

The show categories in the Fringe Festival are pretty self-explanatory: drama, comedy, solo, clown, vaudeville, magic.

But I’m not sure if “performance art,” as it’s listed in the program guide, quite sums up “Romeo and Toilet,” an hour-long exercise in dancing, marching, clowning and screaming by the Tokyo-based Kaimaku Pennant race.

Here’s how the company describes its work on its Web site:

“Our performance has the style that emphasizes the explosion of energy spread out of actors’ body trying up to their limitation with much of body liquid.”

Well, yes.

At last night’s show the actors performed dance numbers with military-like precision, shouted at each other at close range, slapped each other’s faces, simulated bodily functions using a human toilet and made a human caterpillar. The story of Shakespeare’s tragedy was there somewhere, although all I know for sure is that Juliet was not a person but a Chupa Chup.

Still not sure what to think? The company is keeping a video diary on YouTube, where you can watch rehearsal clips and hear what the performers have to say about being in New York.

“Romeo and Toilet” will be performed Thursday, Aug. 27 at 8:30 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 28 at 9:15 p.m.; and Saturday, Aug. 29 at 4:45 p.m.

By ERIK PIEPENBURG