For the past month, I have been going to see pieces on Broadway. It started with Harold Pinter's Betrayal, directed by Jaime Lloyd. This performance gave me goosebumps. Tom Hiddleston played Robert, Zawe Ashton played Emma, Charlie Cox played Jerry in a love triangle. Now I know this Pinter play was not one of his strongest pieces but with the direction from Mr. Lloyd and the subtle nuanced work from these amazing actors...it was a devastating piece. Weeks later the play is still reverberating in my writer's soul. Tom Hiddleston has one of the most heartbreaking moments and the scene still chokes me up. There is something about the emotional impact that has me tempted to buy another ticket to go see it again.
Then I went to see Bat Out of Hell playing at City Center on a high recommendation from a co-worker. Lord was that a mistake. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE music by MEATLOAF, which was why it wasn't a hard sell for me to buy a ticket to go see this show. Let me start with the positive...the stagecraft/set design was actually amazing. The performance of the songs was a bit cheesy but I went with it since the performers could hold the notes. But the choreography was laughable. It was so basic and juvenile that it felt more like a school performance than a Broadway show. I was waiting for "jazz hands" to come out somewhere. The story arc felt forced...trying to fit songs into the story line felt a bit random. I love a good rock opera...hello, rocker chick here...but this did not work for me. The one saving grace was Danielle Steers, who played Zahara; that woman could belt out a song.
Photo by Annie Liebovitz, 2019
On Saturday I finally went to see Sea Wall/A Life....Monologues written by Simon Stephens and Nick Payne. Tom Sturridge played Alex inSea Walland Jake Gyllenhaal played Abe in A Life. Both pieces talked about life, death and loss. Tom Sturridge's staccato performance of Alex was a bit rough. I'm not sure if he forgot lines or if his pauses were on purpose but it really pulled me out of the material. Stephens has some really beautiful transcendent lines that felt a bit butchered by Tom's performance.
Meanwhile, Jake Gyllenhaal's performance was quite captivating. He handled the telling of two stories simultaneously in a seamless manner without losing the meaning of either. It was an hour long monologue and he relayed the material with emotional impact. He made me laugh and also welled me up with tears at some of the more poignant moments. Truly an actor mastering his craft.
Why am I on a theater jag? I am trying to connect back with my own writing. I want to be inspired, moved, shaken awake...I need "something" to get me going again. I've been dormant for far too long and my inner writer is aching for some creativity. I journal to keep me writing but that's not nearly enough. The writing is slow, thick, molasses-like. I've put so many years into this craft and the past couple of years there has been so much neglect that I can barely call it up. That might be why I've shown up to my blog again after all this time. Keeps my mind working on short pieces, hoping to spark that ember in my belly, breathe it back to life. I am a bit lost at the moment.
On Saturday night, I went to see Ayad Akhtar’s play “Disgraced” (2013 Pulitzer Prize winner for drama) at Lyceum Theater. This play centers around Amir, a New York corporate lawyer who finds himself reckoning with his heritage –born in Pakistan, raised Muslim – in a series of conversations and confrontations. Amir, played by the magnificent Hari Dhillon, begins to devolve after a lifetime of tamping down his background. Mr. Dhillon is nuanced and subtle in his portrayal as each layer is peeled away. When Amir’s desperation and displaced anger lashes out in the crescendo scene, every moment has been earned. His performance gave me goosebumps it was so raw and powerful.
Emily, Amir’s wife, played by Gretchen Mol is a wonderful counterpoint. Emily is an artistic idealist who tries to push Amir to embrace his heritage only to slowly discover how deeply he’s buried that part of himself. At times, there is a naiveté that Ms. Mol brings to the role that works without being disingenuous. Josh Radnor playing Isaac and Karen Pittman as Jory share a memorable dinner with Amir and Emily. Jory had some of the best one-liners and Ms. Pittman delivered them beautifully.
There is one scene with Amir’s young cousin Abe played by Danny Ashok at the end of the play that is heartbreaking. After the aftermath of the previous scenes, it felt like adding salt to the wounds but so well done nonetheless. This play is directed by Kimberly Senior.
“Disgraced” began preview performances on Sept. 27 and opens on Oct. 23.
Last night, I went to see The Realistic Joneses at Lyceum Theatre written by Will Eno and directed by Sam Gold. Cast included Toni Collette as Jennifer, Tracy Letts as Bob, Michael C. Hall as John and Marisa Tomei as Pony. They had wonderful chemistry on stage. I am a huge fan of Toni Collette and her timing with both Letts and Hall was spot on. She brought a wonderful humanity as a wife dealing with her husband's illness. Tomei played a bright, fresh character but I wish the part was less of a flakey ditz.
The story revolves around two couples dealing (or not dealing) with the challenges of illness and how they communicate their reality to other human beings about it. The comedic factor was on the high side, the story arc itself was a bit on the low side. Partly because the interspersed scenes felt disjointed and at times the play felt as if there were scenes missing from the story. This play is an hour and 45 minutes long without an intermission and by the last scene I could feel/hear the restlessness of the audience.
Will Eno has an amazing talent for wit, humor and one-liners and on the dramatic side he captures the loneliness that we face when trying to deal with something that is beyond our control. His work inspires me. The play itself may have had some issues but his craftsmanship is superb. Thank you Mr. Eno for reminding me why I love the theater so much. Now I'm off to my writing group and better still...the seeds of an idea are starting to sprout for my next play. Sweet!!
Last night I went to see Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegria Hudes (in previews at Second Stage) and what a play. It won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and I can see why. It’s both heartbreaking and funny. The parts that really made me laugh hard are those very Latin-ness sections. It could have been my family we were talking about and it felt so real and so present. I came away from this piece feeling inspired. I write these words with tears in my eyes because loving theater the way that I do, I always struggle with what my voice is for the stage. And last night, right there, up on that stage was a voice that felt real and contemporary and Latina. I have big happy tears and I’m so glad I went to see it. I won’t pick it apart the way I do other plays, there is always room to refine sections but this play is a rich cohesive piece. Actors Liza Colon-Zayas (Odessa) and Zabryna Guevara (Yaz) are shining stars in this piece. It’s so lovely to see a couple of juicy roles for these wonderful actresses to sink their teeth into. Ms. Hudes was in the audience last night and I went up to her during intermission to wish her my congratulations. If you are in the New York City area...get tickets before the play closes in late January.
It’s Tuesday. Started my day with the sound of construction work outside my window. A jack hammer alarm is harder to find the snooze button on it. For a change, it actually didn’t bother me as much as it usually does. Mostly because the sound of construction gives me a sense that money is being spent on the infrastructure of the city and that always helps our limping economy.
Writing Update: Yep, don’t really wanna talk about it. Just haven’t done much with it this week. There are a hundred and one reasons (a.k.a. exuses) but none of them really matter. I was supposed to have been at 25,000 words on November 15th…wasn’t even close…still teetering around 14,000 somewhere [earlier I wrote 1,400 and that wasn't the case]. Writing this novel makes me want to hide my head under my duvet. It’s frustrating. I have a hard time letting go of control. Ergh. This lesson is biting me in the ass.
Last Wednesday, I was having the worst possible day. I hit my wall. I was just angry. Part of it is the writing (or lack thereof). Part of it is my past keeps trying to invade my present…and I was having complicated feelings about it. The scale was starting to creep up again. I know this is all very personal but hell this is part of the human experience, no? We all struggle with feelings of frustration and anger and how that impacts our every day. And I wanted to quit. Quit EVERYTHING!! Quit writing, quit my shamanic training, quit my job, quit project “healthy me.” Just cut out. Running away fantasies. The problem with running away is that I take ME along in this scenario. It doesn’t matter where I go, I will come upon the same problems and the same manners in which I deal with them in the same way. No way of getting around it…and no matter where I go, there is my stack of baggage that comes along. It didn’t help that I was also dealing with a wicked migraine. I just tuck myself into a cold dark room and I want the world to go away. Actually, I just want the pain to go away.
There is always this moment whenever I am doing things that are healthy for me where I just want to stop. No rhyme or reason to why I want to stop, I just don’t want to continue. I convince myself that nothing is ever really going to work. In fact, several years ago, I was running (jogging) pretty steadily. I had moved myself from running a couple of miles up to 5.5-6 mile runs. I was getting that lovely release of endorphins and feeling pretty good about my pace. Then one day, I went for a run down along the river and made it down to 116 street from 151 street. It was less than a 2 mile run and I stopped. I wasn’t hurting, I wasn’t winded…I just stopped moving. It was a clear bright cool spring day and I turned around and caught a bus home. I didn’t ask the question, didn’t even bother. That was the last time I ran. I miss running. Note to self: start running again.
I woke up on Thursday having a complete change over. Magic elves were working on my psyche that night because I felt bright and positive and shiny again. Where had all the self-pity that I usually cloak myself with gone? Instead, I opted to get back on healthy food choices and a long walk during lunch. I added another 200 words to my novel but I hardly count them. In fact, I don’t even think I added them onto my NaNoWriMo tally. Ergh! Anyway, neither here nor there. I just realized that I matter. Yes, my writing will sometimes suck…but my writing is just an aspect of who I am, it’s not the sum of all my parts. Weird how something so obvious seems so foreign to me. This is my long answer to a short question: I'm back on track.
Friday night I went to dinner with a friend and we went to see the play, The Outgoing Tide written by Bruce Graham. Such a good piece of drama. Peter Strauss as the lead actor was fantastic! His performance gave me goose bumps. Graham’s writing was gorgeous because it was both funny and serious in a way that was even-handed. There were scenes that went on a tad too long but for the most part it really was an amazingly well developed piece.
Then Saturday night, I went to see Ani DiFranco in concert at Town Hall. She went on one of her feminist liberal rants and I LOVED IT! She started off the night by doing a poetic piece. About being citizens, not just consumers. Yay!! She said a lot more but I don’t want to mis-represent her with my own feminist rant! Hahaha!
Wait, before I get ahead of myself. Let me first talk about the opening act. A little group from Brooklyn called Pearl and the Beard. Their sound was so right on, they actually blew me away. I am sharing one of their songs below. They are so good that I didn’t want them to stop singing. They are playing at Brooklyn’s Bell House, Dec 1st. May go see them there. Their music give me chills!!
Back to Ani DiFranco. She sang new material and there is something about her music that speaks to me down to my DNA. She had some beautiful fucked up love songs that did me in. I was sitting in the balcony with big soppy tears streaming down my face but they were so WORTH IT! She also sang some of her old material, like 32 flavors and Shameless (one of my favorites) and I loved it when the audience sang along. It was a great moment. Really fantastic!
Okay, I think we are all caught up.
I came across this song as I was hunting for new music and loved it...Pablo Alborán and Carminho sing Perdoname. I love the harmonies between these two singers and have listened to this song non-stop since Friday.
So of course I searched out some more songs from both these artists and found this one: Cuando Te Alejas. The song really gets to me at around 2:20 when the tempo changes and I wish he sung this part twice because it's so lovely.
Let's see... today I'm in a fog. I have been like this since yesterday. Shall I blame it on the rain? Today I didn't work on the novel and I feel a little lost for not having spent any time on it. The writing has slowed down...but it's okay as long as I keep working on it. Just today my lack of focus got in the way of sitting quietly and writing.
Last night, I had dinner with some friends and then we went to see Uncle Vanya at Soho Rep directed by Sam Gold. It was a decent performance but the staircase risers where the audience sat was uber-uncomfortable. The first part of the play was very good but the second part was...how shall we say this...some of the actors decided to play their characters sleepy. And the energy just went down the tubes.
They had some very good moments and the play stayed with me for a good long while afterwards.
It was 10:30 pm by the time the play let out and I walked to the subway alone. The night was humid and a hot wind would blow from time to time through the intersections. The streets were dark and quiet and the traffic noise had died down. I passed some guys skateboarding in a parking lot trying to do stunts and wiping out with hands, elbows and legs splayed out in all directions. Made me actually wince to see how hard they fell but they'd get back up again and try again.
Anyway, I don't have very much to write today....so I'm off to find myself a strong cup of Earl Grey tea.
Tonight I went to see a series of short plays by one author. The first piece was decent but it went on a bit. The subtext was the best part of the play. The next two pieces were just not properly developed. And it didn't help that the actors were god-awful. As in, they sounded like stiff, affected nubes who just learned the script an hour before they went up. Ergh! I gave up after the first part and during intermission snuck out into the cool NYC night. I won't name the writer because for the most part I really think he's quite talented and his writing is quite smart. The pieces just need more work. It's a decent starting point but they were more works-in-progress than final product.
That said, I have another friend who gave me a draft of his short story to read a couple of weeks ago. It was amazing and the ending was fresh and surprising. The way he uses language...his turn of phrases is quite gorgeous. English is his second language and he makes fiction writing quite beautiful. Then he revised his draft and the story only got better. His additions only added layers, giving the whole piece depth. I am quite humbled at the beauty in his work. There is no envy, no jealousy warming my blood tonight because all I feel is true appreciation for another writer's act at honing his craft. To think that he almost quit writing a couple of years ago. Thank goodness he didn't because this writer...this young talented writer...will have students studying his works in years to come. I will share his name when he's ready to share his work with a larger audience.
Anyway, it's a little after midnight now and I'm finally feeling the effects of a full and eventful day. My brain is in need of a break.
I was able to score some cheepie-cheepie tickets in the nosebleed section to see Evitaagain, this time with the alternate Eva played by Christina DeCicco. Before I made it to the theater, I was having second thoughts about going to see this show for the second time so soon. My interior monologue was going on and on about what a waste of money this was because there were no guarantees that this show would be any better. After all, my first show left me wanting a different experience. However, DeCicco was amazing!!
The big number of “Buenas Aires” was thrilling. DeCicco’s voice was vibrant and her dance moves were smooth and seductive. I get that Elena Roger is a major Broadway star but DeCicco just did a better job. Her voice hit those high notes without it sounding screechy. DeCicco had better phrasing with the songs which made it far more enjoyable. Her rendition of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” was the moment that my interior monologue finally shut the heck up.
My absolute favorite song of the night was her closing number “Lament” it was heartbreaking. I had big soppy tears streaming down my face and I couldn’t make it stop. It was as if with this one song she cracked open my chest and ripped out my heart. Okay, a bit overstated but with that performance....that performance is what I NEEDED the show to be after waiting 30+ years to finally see this musical. *big cheesy smile* All is NOT right with the world but just for a moment I was transported into this glittery world of theater. Everything else just went away.
So my recommendation is go see Christina DeCicco in Evita on Wednesday nights or Saturday matinee, I promise you she is SO worth it.
I went to see the play Harvey written by Mary Chase on Friday, in previews until June 14th. Jim Parson plays Elwood P. Dowd and Jessica Hecht plays his sister Veta Louise Simmons. This play was written and first premiered on Broadway in 1944. This comedy is stylized and reminiscent of an older time but the comedy still plays well today. Veta is trying to institutionalize her brother because Elwood believes he sees and talks to a 6-foot rabbit. However, a misunderstanding ensues and Veta somehow manages to get herself institutionalized. Underlying this premise is the notion about how one treats those individuals that are odd or who don’t conform to the social norm. Elwood chooses to live his life in this “pleasant” surreal fashion to the dismay of his family but he does it without apology. Jim Parson as Elwood works so well for me. He manages to reinvent his persona so that he’s leagues away from his television alter ego, Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory. He was both compelling and curious to watch as Elwood. So very glad I caught him in this play. And I love, love, love Jessica Hecht playing opposite Parson. Her comedic timing was brilliant and there were a few moments that left me unable to breathe, I laughed so hard. The secondary characters played by legendary actors Carol Kane and Charles Kimbrough were delightful to watch but really this play revolved around Hecht and Parson for me. I understand that there was a movie made back in the 50s and I may check it out to see how the film handled the material.
I also went to see Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience by Dan and Jeff. My sister scored some free tickets so we checked it out on Monday night with my 16-year old niece. It was so silly that I couldn’t help but laugh. Some of the material fell flat on this NYC audience but Dan and Jeff recovered beautifully. The funny bits for me had to do when they accidently cracked each other up, i.e. the kiss from the dragon or the very melted chocolate cake that Dan Clarkson spread on his face or even the 11-year old skinny kid who took down Jeff Turner when he played the part of the snitch. They had a hard time recovering from those moments which cracked me up. It reminded me of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman from the Carol Burnett show. I know that not every one loved it, in fact a couple from our row left in a huff after 25 minutes. And if we had paid full price for the show, I might have gotten my panties in a twist about it. But free tickets allowed me to let go and enjoy it for what it was. I have to say that out of the two I thought Daniel Clarkson held up a lot of the show. I get that Jeff was more the straight man in this comedy bit but I really wish he had taken on more of the roles to off-set how one-sided the show seemed to sway. This is a funny show, just leave your up-tight ego at the door and enjoy it for the silly fun it’s meant to be.
Let’s see what else have I been up to? Oh yes, I started my very own twitter account and after several weeks of not knowing how to either read tweets or post them, I opted back out of it again. Yes, even I have my limitations with technology. Not to mention that I happen to read a very interesting article on the internet and privacy. It alarmed me enough to pull back from both Facebook and Twitter. Although, I have enjoyed social media for the time-suck that it is, my tolerance for it has been diminishing by leaps and bounds. I will keep to my blog but I’m going to make a concerted effort to keep the personal bits down to a minimum.
Let me start off this entry by writing-- I get that I had big, billowy, clouds of expectations for Evita. After all, I’ve wanted to see this show since I was 8 years old. When the music began to rise for Requiem for Evita, I had goosebumps from sheer excitement. The big headed man who sat in front of me wouldn’t sit still so I had to perch on the edge of my seat to see the opening number, and the rest of the show for that matter. I also had to resist the urge to hit him in the back of the head with my playbill for a good part of the show. Then Ricky Martin came out and started singing. He has a decent voice and he pulled it off...but he lacked emotional depth for me. He’s a Latin man for goodness sake, emotional depth is in our DNA! Anyway, he reminded me of the kind of Broadway singer that uses jazz hands. He did lots of assertive pointing when he sang, which when I think about it now actually makes me giggle. Having said all that, he was okay for the part of Che. I just wanted more heat and tension between Che and Eva and it just wasn’t there.
Which brings me to my next point, Elena Roger playing the part of Eva was SO disappointing. Ergh! I mean her voice was NOT meant for this part. She sounded like Edith Piaf throughout the show (and not in a good way) as she shouted through the better part of the musical. Roger also hit some really bad notes when she tried to reach those higher octaves. The sound she made actually made me cringe. Believe me, I understand that this is not an easy musical. However, it didn’t help that her very thick accent got in the way of the songs. If I didn’t know almost every song in this show, I would not have understood half of what she sang. I know she’s been working with diction coaches but let’s just say she needs more work. I think her one decent moment was the last song, “Lament” because quite frankly it was the only song she couldn’t shout her way through. *sad sigh*
Just to give you a measuring stick, remember the movie version of Evita with Madonna and how god-awful she was in it...let's just say that Madonna sounded half-way decent in comparison to Elena Roger's shrieking version. Yep, it was that bad!!
And another thing, I think the music director hit the fast forward button during the first act. Quite frankly, some of it was Roger singing ahead of the music. Other times the timing of the music felt almost manic, like they were racing for the intermission. Either way, it went by so fast that there was no time to make those very important connections between characters. Ergh!
What worked
Rachel Potter singing the Mistress song, “Another Suitcase in Another Hallway” was by far the highlight of this production. Her voice was nuanced and beautiful. She absolutely shined in this one moment. Lovely.
The Ensemble was amazing both in voice and in dance. During the seduction scene between Peron and Eva, there were several ensemble members dancing a gorgeous tango. I almost wanted the leads to shut up so I can enjoy the dance sequence. Rob Ashford’s choreography was AMAZING!! Loved it.
Max von Essen was the right amount of charming and smarmy as Magaldi. His voice was ridiculous (in a good way). Wish he was on stage longer.
So here is my confession, I may go see it again when Roger’s understudy performs. Wednesday night or Saturday matinee. I really want to experience this show without a pained expression on my face. Is that wrong? Let's see if I can score some cheap tickets because there is NO way I'm shelling out full price for this show. Anyway, Go! Make some beautiful music. End Scene.
Okay, I’m writing this blog in the midst of a raging headache but I was hoping that writing (which is my cure-all next to drinking water) would distract me from it.
The Avengers / Joss Whedon
How long has it been since I raved about Joss Whedon? Oh right...after Cabin in the Woods. Well, I went to see The Avengers this weekend and loved it. It’s partly because I’m a die-hard Whedon fan. Go Mutant Enemy, Grrr-Argh!! And partly because I really love the snarky humor in the movie.
Yes, the action in it was pretty good too but you know me, I’m always about the dialogue and there was enough juicy bits for me to chew on. Also, I didn’t watch in 3-D because my eyes don’t quite compute without shutting down into a migraine. Anyway Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow didn’t hurt the eyes either. I wished Cobie Smulders had more lines because I’m all about strong smart women in films. Robert Downey Jr. was most excellent as per usual...but I’ve gotta give a big shout out for Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Ruffalo completely won me over in this film.
I’ve been reading what the critics are saying about the movie and there are few things that I agree on BUT (rabid Whedon fan about to shout) EVERY TIME JOSS WHEDON has tried to do his own thing, the studios nix his ideas because they tend to run too far into the dark side. So Whedon needed a win here and I’m glad he’s doing well by this movie. Anyway, I’m probably going to go see this movie again on the big screen ‘cause it makes me really laugh out loud.
Evita
So tomorrow I am going to see Evita on Broadway. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. No, seriously, I have wanted to see this musical since Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin were leads in the original production, back in 1979. Every time the commercial came on t.v., me and my sister Ces, would belt out the few bars of “Buenos Aires” and dance around our living room like two crazy children. Anyway, I begged and pleaded for my folks to take me to see it but alas it wasn’t in the cards, too expensive. They thought I was too young for some fancy broadway show and they took me to the circus instead. * humph * Let’s just say that I’m not a fan of the circus. I always felt bad for the animals. * doing a little happy dance *
Okay, headache seems to be getting worse so I went and got a big mug of ice cold water. The cold water has made my fingers very cold and pressing them to my temples feels so gooooood. It’s a mild migraine. I’m having dinner with some friends later and I’d really like it to go away before I have to meet up with them.
At this very moment, I’m listening (very softly) to Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy”...I love the opening lines to this song. “I remember when I lost my mind. There was something so pleasant about that day. Even your emotions have an echo in so much space.” Haha! Great lines.
The Legend of Korra
The sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender is finally airing. (Tony reminded me yesterday.) So I watched the first couple of episodes yesterday and was really getting into it. At first, I was resistant because the original characters were no longer in the storyline but once I let that go, it grew on me. Tony said that the lead character of Korra reminds him of me because she’s so headstrong and stubborn. Ha! I totally see it. There is a scene in the second episode where she is trying to learn to air-bend. Her teacher tells her to be like a leaf in the wind to get through a maze of spinning walls. Korra proceeds forward and gets knocked upside her head by those spinning walls and after a couple of unsuccessful tries she gets so angry she uses fire to blaze through the walls. Ha! Yep, I totally see it. Anyway, this is a great animated series to check out for young and old alike.
Update on Indigo
Let’s see writing is like those spinning walls, I’m getting knocked upside my head trying to get through this next part in my novel. Hehehe. I’m still writing. I haven’t given up. I promise not to torch the pages. I just sometimes feel like I’m not smart enough to write this novel. There is so much story to tell but I’m not sure I’ve got what it takes to finish it. Crazy, I know. I write despite my natural tendency to want to run away from this story.
I’ve gone on for ages and the headache is a dull ache in the right side of my brain. I think I should be okay for tonight if I don’t drink or eat. Ha!
Peace,
Last Friday, I went to see the play, How I Learned to Drive written by Paula Vogel. The piece is about an affair between its protagonist Li'l Bit, and her uncle Peck. It takes place over the course of years, with the character of Li'l Bit maturing from age eleven to eighteen before she puts an end to it. Before I went to see this piece, I knew the playwright approached the pedophilia subject matter in an ambiguous way. In fact, I was interested in the ambiguity.
However, this play just went too far into the other direction. I don’t know if it was the stage direction or the material itself but at one point, the young girl was held responsible for the uncle’s “indiscretion”. I began reading some of the behind -the-scene material about how the actors broached the subject matter and Norbert Butz talks about the play being a love story. I really wrestle with this description because sexual abuse of minors and it’s long lasting impact cannot be justified with this idea of love. After all, pedophiles love their young victims.
I understand this play was controversial when it first came out. I read somewhere that Vogel took Nabikov’s Lolita and tried to tell the story from Lolita’s point of view. My problem with it is that at the very end of the relationship Li’l Bit is 18 years old and she rejects her uncle Peck but only after she is a walking wreck herself. By this time, she has dropped out of college with a raging drinking problem and working in a small town factory. I buy the wreckage afterwards but how does a young woman struggling with this past abuse muster the courage to say no to her abuser? The point (I think) is that she has had all the power but this does not speak to the kind of damage that is perpetrated upon the body, mind and spirit of a young person. I just don’t think the “power” was ever earned for Li’l Bit, that is the element that was missing for me. And for this production to try to relay this power dynamic of abuse as a love affair just makes me shudder.
The one breakout moment was when Jennifer Regan, playing the part of Uncle Peck’s wife admits she knew what was happening and blamed Li’l Bit for it. Regan delivered the monologue in such raw and accusatory way that her performance gave me chills. Anyway, my head feels like it’s going to explode because there is so much more I want to say and address but I think I need to get back to my own work.
On Saturday, I went to see the play, Look Back in Anger by John Osbourne at the Roundabout Theater. Sam Gold directs Adam Driver as Cliff, Charlotte Parry as Helena, Sarah Goldberg as Alison Porter and Matthew Rhys as Jimmy Porter.
Matthew Rhys as Jimmy rages across the stage, sounding off his working class frustrations on his temperate upper-crust wife Alison, who does not fight back, who plays games to make him forget his anger. The relationship is volatile and can hardly be sustained and when Alison’s friend Helena comes to visit, Alison quickly finds a way out. This crucial point is never fully realized for me. Alison just goes along and leaves but the moment when she makes up her mind is never properly shaped. It felt like Helena took away that choice from her.
Gold made a choice to pull some passages from Jimmy’s speeches regarding the socio-economics of the time (post-war London). I think he wanted to create the love relationship as the central figure. Without those themes it does lack some of the reasoning behind Jimmy’s caustic speeches. Matthew Rhys as Jimmy was scathing and I couldn’t look away as he pushed and pulled every other character within his sphere. Jimmy was unfulfilled at the dead-end-ness of his life and there was nothing to shake him out of his anger. And as much as he loved Alison, he raged against her most of all because he knew down to his bones that he would lose her eventually. No one could love another with so much cruelty and not expect a departure. I loved his performance. I read the NY Times review about how he didn’t go far enough and I have to disagree. To make it bigger would have hardly given the audience a chance to sympathize with Jimmy when Alison finally leaves..
When Alison returns and Jimmy and Alison have their moment together, it crushed the air out of my lungs from the raw impact of that scene between them. Sarah Goldberg was genius in that scene with Rhys, as she played a nuanced, vulnerable performance.
It’s a tough play but at the end of it…I was reminded why I love theater so much.
Last Friday I went to see Athol Fugard's play, The Road to Mecca at the Roundabout Theater. Although the cast was stellar…I have to say that the piece was over-written. The story could have unfolded without so much exposition. I was drowning in words. I held up pretty well in the first (hour-long) act, primly perched on my seat, listening to the conflicts that were unfolding for the two main characters (Miss Helen and Elsa Barlow). I was interested, invested, and following along. But once the intermission came up, I realized I didn’t quite understand the relationship between the characters until deep into the second act.
Rosemary Harris (Miss Helen) had this gorgeous monologue halfway through the second act but it went on way too long and when it was over, I thought the play was close to finished…only to learn that it would go on for another 25 minutes. It was a painful 25 minutes because the exposition continued and new information was introduced. From that point on, every five minutes, I thought the play was winding down only for more words, more story and I was overcome with an attack of the giggles. In this instance, I was really glad I was in the nosebleed seats because I couldn’t stop laughing. I kept asking out loud, “Is it over yet?” only for the actors to go into another monologue.
The acting was superb. The stage design and lighting were beautiful. I just wish some of the monologues were tighter. I think the next play I want to go see is Look Back in Anger by John Osborne. It’s been in previews this past month and it opens on Thursday night. Hmmm. We shall see.
Last night, I went to see Close Up Space by Molly Smith Metzler currently in previews at the Manhattan Theater Club. I haven’t stopped thinking about the craft of the play. The story has SO much potential but I don’t think it’s quite fully realized. It had some interesting and beautiful elements to it, like the way Harper (the daughter) uses the Russian language and poetry as a way of communication with her father Paul. And the great chasm between them created by Harper’s mother’s death. Rich, interesting back story.
Instead, this piece gets mired with weird office antics. There are several characters that could well be cut out and never missed, i.e. the intern. The office manager is there for comic relief but winds up coming off like a Zach Galifianakis wanna-be character.
No disrespect to Rosie Perez but she was completely miscast as the superstar writer, Vanessa Finn Adams. She shrieked through her scenes and she had trouble enunciating words that were supposed to give her an air of intellect and sophistication. Her final exit was a Shakespeare piece but I couldn’t tell you which one it was because I could barely understand her. Metzler was starting to use the character of Vanessa Finn Adams as Paul’s confidant but I think Metzler could have gone further with that relationship, shy of a consummated sexual relationship. That way when Vanessa finally leaves it’s not just a professional blow but a personal one too as another relationship slips through Paul’s fingers.
Okay, the best moments are David Hyde Pierce as Paul sitting in a tent dictating a letter to his daughter. It was painful and beautiful to witness. The other moment was Paul’s confrontation with Harper as she tried desperately to communicate with her emotionally distant father. They were by far the two strongest scenes.
Last but not least, big shout out to Todd Rosenthal for his set design. It was absolutely perfect. He worked some serious magic on this set.
I write and I paint. Then I try to articulate some coherent thoughts about the creative process on this blog. In between those moments of producing work, I take photos, listen to groovy music, watch indie movies, read (a lot), go hear live music (preferably someone that rocks), go to the theater to see a new play from time to time, watch sci-fi movies, and continue to cultivate my curiosity. Then I write about that too.
