Review: Memento Vivere: Remember to Live by The Moving Company
Theatergoers seeking an original experience have found a unique work in Memento Vivere: Remember to Live, a new production by The Moving Company playing at the historic Southern Theater. Conceived and written by co-artistic directors Dominique Serrand and Steven Epp alongside producing artistic director Nathan Keepers—all alumni of Theatre de la Jeune Lune—the production challenges traditional narrative structures by blending nonverbal movement, striking imagery, and shifting theatrical forms.
The performance features an ensemble cast including Steven Epp, Nathan Keepers, Kenzi Allen, Tracey Maloney, and Luverne Seifert, with Anna Schloerb appearing alongside wordless spirits. Staged with scenic and sound design by Dominique and John Novak, lighting by Marcus Dilliard, costumes by Sonya Berlovitz, and props by John Novak, Nathan Keepers, and Steven Epp, the production incorporates physical theater elements, prop work, and representations of all four earthly elements. The narrative transitions from nonverbal sequences and rain projections to short bursts of dialogue, references to Shakespeare and the Oresteia, and storytelling that reflects on art, history, and human existence.
Dominique Serrand Directs the Physical Theater Ensemble
The collaborative creation is built upon the physical theater traditions of its creators. Dominique Serrand directs the production while featuring in the ensemble alongside Nathan Keepers, Steven Epp, Kenzi Allen, Tracey Maloney, Anna Schloerb, and Luverne Seifert. Anna Schloerb portrays the goddess Athena among other wordless spirits. The staging makes active use of the Southern Theater space, supported by lighting designs from Marcus Dilliard and costume designs by Sonya Berlovitz. The sound and scenic elements, created by Dominique Serrand and John Novak, combine rainfall sound effects and projections with music, silence, and physical routines.
Performance Uses Symbolic Imagery Instead of Linear Plot
The performance avoids a linear, logical plot in favor of symbolic imagery and interpretation. Beginning with rainfall projections and cast members emerging along the stage floor like worms, the characters are established as gravediggers who collect and bury memories. The production incorporates quotes from Hamlet, jokes about death, and a presentation of the Greek tragedy trilogy the Oresteia, culminating in a conclusion where characters declare the pieces of literature they embody.