A & E

Attack Theatre's "Games of Steel" is a rush of high-energy narrative dance set to good, hard-rockin' music that was performed over the weekend at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty.

It was premiered in 2005 in a factory setting, and returned in revised form for performance in theaters after a seven-city tour. It will go to Southern California and Boston next season.

"Games of Steel" mixes elements of television game shows and "reality" shows for broader points about living because, as one of the songs puts it, "Everybody plays the game."

The show is billed aptly as a dance-rock opera because the action and music are so well integrated. It opens with a funky instrumental duet between Dave Eggar playing steel cello and guitarist Tom Pirozzi. Their instruments are amplified, of course, but run through computer software that vastly expands the range of sounds produced. The steel cello is also tuned way low, to sound more like a bass, while the guitar gains smartly chosen sound effects expertly articulated by Pirozzi.

The four dance characters are Peter Kope as The Host and Jeff Davis, Michelle de la Reza and Angela Essler as the contestants. The members of the band also have dramatic roles: Eggar is The Odds Maker; Pirozzi, The Prosecutor; vocalist Dina Fanai, The Master of Ceremonies; and percussionist Matt Zebroski, The Conscience.

The games start with physical competition, in which the dancers' athleticism is challenged for both strength and balance using three steel rings, a pole, and a free-standing ladder. The emotional consequences of winning and losing are naturally expressed -- first as a reaction to a specific game, later in the toll it takes on more general emotional needs for approval and self-worth.

Props for the games come together in the context of two fixed elements: an elevated band stand with a ramp going down to the stage floor and three steel towers with a space at the top for the contestants. The visual style of the show is gritty urban. No well-manicured lawns here.

The strength of the dancing is more than matched by the music, which was created by Eggar and his colleagues. Eggar plays very little that sounds like traditional cello. His lines often move like guitar riffs, but then he's toured with The Who and other rock bands.

Fanai is a high-powered singer with raw power on the top but a finely sustained style in more lyrical material sung English, French, Portuguese and a made-up language.

Zebroski is an extremely impressive percussionist, equally adept at driving the band's rhythm and solo work. He comes down from the band stand for an exciting solo played on the steel frame of the towers with the contestants perched on top. His hands are very even and keep excellent time.

The Host is the big loser in the show, nailed as a cheater by the band members in their dramatic personae. At one point, guitarist Pirozzi comes sliding down the ramp, pointing his guitar accusingly at The Host while extended to the full length of the line connecting his instrument to the sound system.

The 70 minutes of "Games of Steel" passes in a flash. The show could well become a cult-hit if released on DVD.

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