The word "NANDA" is a Japanese colloquialism loosely translated as an expression of surprise. It's the perfect word for this four-man group's show, The Jacket, described by the group as "acrobaticalist Ninja theater!" The show blends martial arts, acrobatics, film, animation, juggling and vaudeville into a side-splitting creation that will entertain the whole family.
I've never seen anything like it before. The four men travel through time, on stage and on screen, in pursuit of a legendary Tolkien-esque jacket that gives its bearer magical (and often bizarre) powers. It's all tongue-in-cheek with satirical pop culture references woven throughout.
The four performers hail from Port Townsend and have been friends since early childhood. Daniel Milholland, NANDA manager and friend says, "Television was a rare luxury in our collective lives, so we had to get creative at a young age to entertain ourselves." Seattle audiences now get to enjoy the fruits of their imaginative childhood pursuits.
Laura Spruce Wight is a Seattle-area freelance writer and mother of two.
