‘Tohubohu!’ Fuses Rosenthal’s Talents

How long does it take for a counterculture maverick to become venerable? In “Tohubohu!” at Espace DbD, Rachel Rosenthal, that longtime luminary on the dance and performance art scene, remains as prickly and unpredictable as ever. However, at 69 years old, Rosenthal has attained a near-iconic stature as she sags gracefully into old age.

Compared to some of Rosenthal’s epic recent works, “Tohubohu!” is a relatively intimate piece featuring the Rachel Rosenthal Company, all of whom are formidably versed in Rosenthal’s dance-influenced, expressionistic techniques. A cheerfully unpretentious guru, Rosenthal guides the evening without dominating it, allowing her student-performers their full share of the focus.

Entirely improvised, the series of impromptu sketches fuses dance, performance art and comedy in a challenging program that makes some risky political points along the way. The evening starts off with a riff on colonial oppression, then segues into environmental genocide and so forth. As is typical in improvisation, the cast hits some rough spots, but remains remarkably controlled throughout.

A high point is Rosenthal’s monologue about old age and sexuality, in which she removes a pair of prosthetic breasts and pours Lactaid into them, while discussing her persistent fantasies about a beast-lover. The effect is weird, yes, but oddly poignant.

* “Tohubohu!,” Espace DbD, 2847 S. Robertson Blvd., Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Dark Feb. 2-3. Ends Feb. 17. $10. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.