Philly Fringe 2026: FringeArts presents Nichole Canuso | Branching Paths’ Lunar Retreat

I’d seen Canuso’s work before so I wasn’t surprised when we were handed headphones, with a soundscape by Bobby McElver, but first we sat on low stools while choreographer Canuso greeted us with a story about a dream that had us in it. It is not my favorite device, but her soothing voice set a tone that continued as she led us into a room draped in diaphanous white.

This was one of my favorite segments—we stood on white dots while the dancers, in varied colors with filmy bits on top that flowed like water (by designer Olivera Gajic), moved around us, turning us with a hand on a shoulder or an arm (we were given an unobtrusive signal to use if we didn’t want to be touched). We followed the dancers into a third space where the sound of the sea filled our headsets, picked up by the video shadow of waves spilling over a white screen while the video shadow of a dancer seemed to float across the scene.

Enter the maze

I was curious and a little excited when we entered the maze, a self-guided choose-your-own adventure at the center of the performance. The nooks and crannies with moon and tide-related props were fun, and there were interactive bits: desks to write the little personal notes pinned on the walls, telephones, books. But after 20 minutes or so, I wished I had a thread to lead me out again.

Ticket-buyers can opt for Lunar Retreat experiences of different lengths (90, 75, or 60 minutes) depending on which timed tickets they buy, with different segments of the audience entering the gallery in successive waves. I opted for the earliest entry, making for the longest show at 90 minutes, figuring that as a reviewer I should see everything. But that extra time, which seemed to all be spent in the maze while the dancers guided two more waves of audiences, didn’t add to the experience. The 75 or 60-minute show would offer a better balance.

A frolicking finale

After the maze, we returned to the large, diaphanous room where our headphones urged us to move around each other as the space filled with the other audience segments. For the finale, the dancers frolicked together as if they had leaped from the carving of a Grecian urn, with high knees and clasped hands reminiscent of Isadora Duncan. I loved all the dancers, but Chloe Marie Newton was absolutely vibrant. She has become a real favorite.

I would definitely recommend this show, but with caveats for some audiences. I loved the dancers and being drawn into the meditative reflections of the moon and the tides and our memories. But the seating is mostly backless or narrow (or both). It is a no-shoes venue and there is a lot of standing or walking, in socks or bare feet, mostly on concrete. So it can be physically challenging. Next time, I’d opt for one of the shorter versions.

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