The heart rules in productions of 'Moby Dick' and 'Stand Up If You're Here Tonight'

Often, emotions propel us in various directions. When all is well we might pursue a new relationship or job, but when things aren’t, we might withdraw or resort to destructive behavior. Two new theater shows, an enthralling and visually epic "Moby Dick," and a funny, but moving "Stand Up If You're Here Tonight," delve into such pivotal moments in its two characters' lives. Captain Ahab in "Moby Dick" grapples with the need for vengeance, while the "Man" in "Stand Up If You're Here Tonight" is after a cure for loneliness. Each show offers audiences startlingly different portraits of what paths one's feelings can take and serves up salient learnings.

It's dark as night inside ArtsEmerson's Paramount Theater, and remains so as the audience embarks on an adventure where light and videos on a black curtain or darkened stage mimic the vast abyss of the sea. A guitarist, a classical double bass player, and percussionist (who all double as vocalists along with the other cast members) flank the stage on which an ocean moves rhythmically. A school of silver fish flits back and forth, and a small group of black-clad, skull-faced characters arrive, swaying, before what appears to be a giant skeleton. Soon, Ishmael, a charmingly poetic Julian Spooner, introduces himself. He shares the tale of Plexus Polaire's electrifying version of "Moby Dick," inspired by Herman Melville’s book. This spectacle, which will haunt the soul long after the waves recede, shows through Jan. 28.

Masterfully directed by Yngvild Aspeli, the opening scenes spurred gasps from seat mates to my right. Immediately immersed onto the sea, the audience meets Captain Ahab, who is out for  blood after a great white whale, Moby Dick, maims him by biting off his leg. Sounds simple enough as a plot, but the captain's hatred for the whale spreads through the crew like a disease and proves to be their undoing. Ominous groaning and moaning, and chilling wails from instruments and voices (Emil Storløkken Åse, Georgia Wartel Collins, Lou Renaud-Bailly) perfectly punctuate the captain's manic rage and the danger of sea-faring.  The integration of puppetry (with the whale expelling air through its blowhole) is excellent.

The exquisite cast and crew of puppeteers and makers, awe-inducing lighting by designers Xavier Lescat, Vincent Loubière and technician Marine David, stunning video from designer David Lejard-Ruffet and technician Hugo Masson, along with sound technician Damien Ory, scenographer Elisabeth Holager Lund, and spare but complementary costumes by Benjamin Moreau helps make this show exemplary. Combined with the mighty work of the production staff, the wondrously large whale — complete with realistic skin folds and blinking eyes — marks this must-see production whose poignant message shows what happens when emotions become all-consuming.

In writer and director John Kolvenbach's "Stand Up If You're Here Tonight" (through March 23 at The Huntington), loneliness, memory and absurdity mesh together beautifully through the outstanding performance of film, stage, and TV actor Jim Ortlieb. The work (which, in an interview with theater staff, Kolvenbach says he wrote for Ortlieb) feels like a top-of-mind conversation Ortlieb has with the audience while surrounded by random objects. Think doors, cages, ladders and the like.

The quick-paced show, of which Lyndsay Allyn Cox is the producing director, is funny and potentially anxiety-inducing for those who cringe at audience participation. This audience member aims to avoid getting involved at all costs, but thankfully Ortlieb doesn't ask too much of the audience. Mostly, he implores showgoers to be present in the space — the theater and our lives — which are whizzing by faster than we likely realize. There was a moment in the show where it felt like he was sharing directly with me. Perhaps that's the point: spending time to connect with as many people as possible as he shouts out decisions and behaviors that determine who stands and who sits.

In an interview featured in the program, Kolvenbach explains how the audience shapes the show, and how it can be full of emotion and tears one night or a full-on comedy on another. On Wednesday, much of the audience laughed heartily during the show. Ortlieb a sage actor, must surely adapt to the crowd's energy before which he performs. Though the audience did chortle aloud, there's sobering material folded in there, too. The pandemic's impact on how crowds gather still has its fingerprints on us and all the stuff of life: decisions, regrets, love, hope, and loss unfold in it, and, if one is present and willing to stand up when called upon.

"Moby Dick," plays through Jan. 28 at ArtsEmerson's Paramount Theater and The Huntington Theatre's "Stand Up If You're Here Tonight" shows through March 23.