Jared Gradinger

We’re all addicted to cuteness. We hear grown-ups going “Awwwww” when they look at popular blogs such as IcanHasCheezburger.com. We cover our ears at teenage girls squealing over the newest Hello Kitty handbags. We take comfort in cute items, being surrounded by them makes us feel secure. So much, I’ve known people go on a shopping spree in buying anything that’s cute to satisfy their cravings. All this cuteness cannot be good for you. Bessie award winning choreographer, Jeremy Wade, wants you to see the ugliness beneath it all.

Jared Gradinger greets his imaginary friend.

“there is no end to more”, is a one-man performance piece that features dance, body movement, multimedia projections, narration and monologue. The show premiered at The Japan Society in New York City on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009. Actor/dancer, Jared Gradinger, single-handedly commands the stage with his interpretation of a Geek’s ultimate daydream fantasy: a super hero battling the forces of evil. Grainger’s exaggerated movements and physical interpretation were accompanied by manga-esque art by artist/illustrator, Hiroki Otsuka.

This multimedia production is minimal in setting, but the message really hits hard. Some of the subject matters included Diversity, Puberty and Community. They were told from the point of view of a rich, giggling, naïve schoolgirl. Gradinger nails the inane mentality squarely on the head.

Our hero awaits his impending doom in the end.

For anyone who proudly brags about his or her Hello Kitty/Gundam collection: BEWARE. All that you consume will haunt you at the end. Remember what I had said about the minimalism of the stage production? Let me just say this: “Less is a lot more”. There is an END to more at the show’s epilogue. We have come to a place that is suffocating, dark and abysmal, not unlike an episode from the reality show, “Hoarders”.

You can view the photos of this performance here.