The woman, trapped in the dimly lit box, feverishly climbs both sides of the wall, desperation creeping around her. As she climbs the walls, the air around her is quickly escaping. She is suffocating.

She sucks in the last breath she has, and collapses – dead.

The woman, Jessica Miller Thompson, a dancer for Thodos Dance Chicago, re-enacts a scene about one of Dr. H. H. Holmes’ victims Saturday in the Theatre of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Thompson’s performance was only one part of the sprawling dance production “The White City,” a dance loosely based on Erik Larson’s book “The Devil in the White City.”

The performance covered the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, a time filled with Holmes talking young women, a fan obsessed with the mayor and one man’s dream.

The first act of “The White City” detailed the evolution of the 1893 World’s Fair.

With the opening narration, setting the stage for all the events kicking off the performance, the stage became filled with men, all in period-appropriate suits, dancing around a table.

The table became the focal point of the dance, as the dancers spun,

twirled, flipped over the table, all in a frenzy of discussion on the architecture of the White City.

And in a turn of tragedy, one of the architects – John Root, as performed by dancer Kyle Hadenfeldt, contracts walking pneumonia.

Dressed in the white hospital gowns, Hadenfeldt slid across the floor and the hospital bed as the creation of his dream played out before him.

Spanning the entire story of “The Devil in the White City,” “The

White City” condensed itself to one act only. With longer, haunting pieces, each new piece showcased another facet.

“The White City” also focuses on the obsession of a man and Mayor Carter Harrison, intercutting the creation of the World’s Fair and Holmes’ crimes with this interlude.

However, once the first act ended, the production time-jumped into the 1960s with pieces by cinematographer Bob Fosse.

Completing the “Bob Fosse Trilogy” were pieces based on “Cool Hand Luke,” “Tijuana Shuffle” and “Mexican Breakfast.”

Ending with a flourish was a contemporary piece by Thodos’ choreographer Lucas Crandall. This completed the transition of times during the production.

Dwight Vaught, the director of Doudna, said bringing “The White City” to Eastern was a two-year endeavor.

The performance at Eastern was the finale for the dance company’s Midwestern tour.

While the first act was inspired by Larson’s book, Melissa Thodos, the artistic director for Thodos Dance Chicago, said a lot of research went into the piece, including the Chicago History Museum.

She said she chose the story to make people from Chicago aware of this particular part of history.

Thodos added that while people who enjoyed the story and history of piece would come and see the production, they would also enjoy

the dance.

“It draws in a different audience for that reason,” she said.

Bob Galuski can be reached at 581-2812 or dennewsdesk@gmail.com