So You Want to See Sleep No More?

Posted: July 24, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Off-Broadway, Play, Shakespeare, Tips | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Odds are by this point you’ve heard about Sleep No More. It’s been quite the sensation in NYC. What started as a super limited engagement over two years ago is still running to sold-out houses. I’m here to tell you to catch it before it’s gone. As far as interactive, theatrical experiences go, this is top-notch and one of the coolest nights at the theatre I’ve ever had. If you choose to go, it’s good to be prepared so below is my list of tips to fully enjoy the evening.

But first, a few words on what Sleep No More actually is. It’s a Punchdrunk production – a British company known for their interactive, site-specific theatre. A warehouse in the meat-packing district has been turned into this 1920s dark, creepy hotel called the McKittrick. There are five floors and countless rooms. The audience moves through the space freely wearing white masks. Meanwhile, the performers also run around from room to room (without masks so you know who to watch). It’s primarily a dance piece, and through movement, they tell the story of Macbeth. Very little is spoken, it’s super avant-garde, and like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

Okay, my suggestions. Go.

-Review Macbeth. If you don’t know the play, read it first or get an idea of the synopsis and characters. This will be helpful when you catch a scene out of context, but at the same time, don’t worry if you don’t know what’s going on or who someone is. Just enjoy the performances!

-Wear comfortable shoes. And dress comfortably, not too heavy. It’s hot in there.

-Check everything when you arrive. Really. Don’t carry a bag, phone, purse, loose change, etc. You don’t want to worry about that stuff when you’re running around in the space.

-Follow your instincts. If you’re bored or want to check something else out, go somewhere else. That’s why the show is brilliant. You can do whatever you want; you create your own unique experience. No two people have the same night at the theatre.

-On that note, if you go with someone, I highly encourage you to split up. This way you can truly follow your gut and do what you want. You’ll likely run into each other throughout the evening anyway.

-The whole show loops three times except for the finale so you very well may see something twice. If you happen upon a scene you’ve already seen, you don’t necessarily have to immediately ditch. You could follow a different actor at the end of that segment.

-It might be a while before you find an actor when you first enter the space. My first time it took me 40 minutes, and my second time I practically ran into one right when I walked in. As soon as you see someone without a mask, follow! Run if you’re up for it!

-I know there are a lot of cool rooms, props, and keys. Enjoy this and feel free to explore, but don’t get obsessed. I know someone who sat in a room and waited for ages, sure that something would eventually happen, and another friend who found a key and spent the entire show trying to find what it opened. The details are fun and you should definitely look around, but don’t dedicate your evening to them.

-Hydrate! I suggest checking a water bottle with your stuff so you have it to drink afterward.

-Wear a watch so you can head to the ballroom at the appropriate time for the finale. If it’s a 7pm show, head over around quarter to 10pm. This is the one thing you want to plan on. Get as close to the long table as possible.

Above all, I would say be ready to adapt. I wouldn’t go in with a plan; it’ll likely just backfire due to crowds or getting lost and you’ll end up being disappointed. I’ve talked to a lot of folks who have been worried that they’re going to miss something. Honestly, that’s the nature of the show. You are going to miss things; you can only be in one room at a time. But who knows what you’ll get to see?

With or without these tips, you’re going to have an excellent, one-of-a-kind evening. Tickets are expensive, but man, is it worth it.

Sleep No More
A Punchdrunk Production, Directed by Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle
McKittrick Hotel through February 16th
Photo Credit: Yaniv Schulman
Pictured: Matthew Oaks

Reasons to Be Happy

Posted: June 27, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Off-Broadway, Play | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

I was quite looking forward to seeing this Off-Broadway play last night. I know many people have a complicated relationship with Neil LaBute, but I tend to like his work. Several of his plays have struck a chord with me, particularly a production of This Is How It Goes that I saw in London back in 2005. His most recent play on Broadway, reasons to be pretty, which starred Marin Ireland and Thomas Sadoski, was very well done. Yes, it’s a similar title for a reason (no pun intended). Reasons to Be Happy is as close to a sequel as you can get in the theatre. We revisit the same four characters (played by four new actors), in the same town, three years later.

What’s immediately clear from the first moments is that these people haven’t changed. They still haven’t grown up and are just as flawed as ever. Now, this may be realistic, and even refreshing to see, but it’s also not all that interesting, or theatrical for that matter. I’ve already seen this story. I don’t see the need to witness the same struggles rehashed by the same characters.

But first, some background. In pretty, the play opens with Greg’s girlfriend Steph screaming at him. It’s an enormously foul-mouthed monologue, telling him off because she found out he told his friend that her face was “okay.” Their four-year relationship promptly begins to fall to pieces while their friends, Carly and Kent, have problems of their own (they’re married, Kent is cheating, she’s pregnant, and so on and so forth). Cut to the opening of Happy, again in the middle of a fight because Steph, now married to the unseen Tim, has found out that Greg is dating Carly…who is raising her 3-year-old daughter alone and still works at the same place as Kent.

Sheesh. Okay, now that all that soap opera set-up is done, we can move on. I was super engaged in the first scene. It’s exciting when a show opens in the middle of a fight! It starts off with a bang, and you have to work to catch up. I love Josh Hamilton (Greg), and it was great to see Jenna Fischer (Steph) play someone so unlike Pam. After making a scene in front of Trader Joe’s, the plot thickens: she wants him back and he has to choose between her and Carly. Of course, other things hang in the balance making the decision more difficult, but I found myself not caring about his predicament. And I sat there basically trying to figure out why.

The core issue simply might be that these characters aren’t very likeable. Greg is pretty much a wishy-washy ass. He’s the master of non-confrontation, and he ends up lying his way through most of his interactions in order to avoid conflict. He is our protagonist, and I was simply not rooting for him anymore. In pretty, I was eager to see him climb his way out of the grave he had dug, but this time around, I didn’t want to see him succeed.

Also, can I go on a mini-tangent for a second? I’m a little tired of the homophobic language LaBute adopts for his “typical douche bags.” Dropping the words gay and fag right and left is a common occurrence in his plays; it’s just how the dumb jocks talk. But I think it’s unnecessary at this point. I get that there are people who still talk like that, but last night it just felt uncomfortable and out of place. I mean, we’re watching this play on Christopher Street while there is a gay pride rally outside celebrating the momentous step forward by the Supreme Court’s decisions on DOMA and Prop 8. I just think LaBute needs a new gimmick for that archetype. Okay, I’m done.

The play is well acted (the cast also includes Leslie Bibb and Fred Weller). My guess is that people who have no prior knowledge of these characters would very likely enjoy this production! I would have liked to see these four go through a new set of circumstances together. I just didn’t need to see reasons to be pretty again.

Reasons to be Happy
Written and Directed by Neil LaBute
Lucille Lortel Theater
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
Pictured: Josh Hamilton and Jenna Fischer

Sontag: Reborn

Posted: June 18, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Off-Broadway, Play | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

I really wish this type of theatre was my style. I continue to go back hoping I’ll change my mind, but I just don’t connect in the way I want. This does not mean I don’t respect the form and the effort to put something unique on stage; quite the opposite in fact. I love the work produced at New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW), even when it doesn’t resonate with me. I can always count on the productions there to be daring and different from everything else going up in the city. Don’t recognize the name NYTW? You have fallen in love with shows that began there like ONCE, Peter and the Starcatcher, and a little piece called RENT.

This particular production is a one-woman show based on the writings of Susan Sontag, adapted and performed by Moe Angelos. When the play begins, all we are able to make out on stage is an outline of a projection. As it comes into focus, we see a worn, tired woman smoking cigarette after cigarette. She begins to share words with us written years before, and together we observe her younger self (played by Moe live). As we witness this brilliant young woman mature, we simultaneously watch the older Sontag judge and try to reshape her past. The relationship between her and her younger self drives the majority of the storytelling. A note from the program: “A fascinating aspect of [Sontag’s] journals revealed that Sontag would re-read her early journals, often annotating passages and leaving margin notes. Sontag’s act of revisiting her former self served as a springboard for this production in which older and younger versions of Susan intermingle, creating a portrait of this prismatic and elegant mind.”

The show is technically impressive as the projection design is seamlessly intertwined with Moe’s action onstage. The timing is key and must be exact in order for her to engage with a video of herself. If she trips up on her words, things can quickly unravel as she only has a certain amount of time to get her lines in before her pre-recorded self speaks.

Moe is wonderful and I tried to be invested in Susan’s journey, but I wish there had been more of an arc within the piece. There wasn’t a shift in the relationship to her older self. I left wanting more of a revelation.

Nonetheless, it is clear from the first few lines that Sontag had a way with words. If my diary sounded the least bit like hers did at age 15…I would have started blogging a lot earlier, let me tell you. It’s effective to hear her words and notes on different topics as she grows up, attends school, discovers her sexuality, and moves through her romantic struggles. I appreciate that an attempt was made to take this beautiful material and try it out on stage. If you are a Sontag fan, definitely see it. It just didn’t strike a chord with me. Perhaps it will with you.

Sontag: Reborn
Based on the books by Susan Sontag, Adapted by Moe Angelos, Directed by Marianne Weems
New York Theatre Workshop
Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich
Pictured: Moe Angelos

The Comedy of Errors

Posted: June 5, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Comedy, Off-Broadway, Play, Shakespeare | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Fortune smiled upon me last week when I won the virtual lotto to Shakespeare in the Park’s The Comedy of Errors. For those of you who haven’t heard of Shakespeare in the Park, every summer The Public Theater produces two shows (not necessarily Shakespeare) at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, and admission is free! The location is stunning with the view of the park beyond the stage and Delacorte Castle suspended above. I won the lottery because it was the first preview, not to mention the terrible weather forecast for the evening. Despite the imminent rain, I was ready to enjoy myself and ended up being able to do so under clear skies!

I listened to the hoppin’ sound of swing music as I entered the space (prepped with napkins to dry my chair). The pre-show had dancers performing some great choreography, and I was happy to see them return for all of the scene transitions. The Delacorte stage has once again been transformed, this time into a local market street. Three buildings (which rotate!) of bright pastel colors have a great flat effect, resembling the buildings you might see at Universal Studios. I loved them, and they were a cute, efficient way to keep up with the constant new settings in this town of identicals.

The Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare’s very early works; it’s his shortest play and in my opinion a little scattered. I like to think it’s foreshadowing for all of his later, stronger work. It’s like a first draft for Twelfth Night, or…what you will (that’s a lame joke for the Shakespeare nerds). Two sets of identical twins, separated at birth, find themselves traipsing around the same town. Antipholus and his servant Dromio arrive in Ephesus where their twin brothers live (also named Antipholus and Dromio of course). The new-in-town brothers start to cross paths with families, wives, and fellow villagers, and hilarity ensues as the endless accounts of mistaken identities pile up.

Which brings me to my main complaint about the play itself: it just consists of one running punch line – the same gag over and over. But luckily, we have Hamish Linklater (Antipholus) and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Dromio) to take us on this ridiculous journey, so frankly, no one cares that the plot is full of the same silly stunts. These two, alongside the rest of this great cast, excel at keeping it fresh. I jump at the chance to see either of these actors perform live. I have had the opportunity to see both of them tear up the Delacorte with laughter in previous years – Hamish in Twelfth Night and Jesse in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They are hilarious comedians and watching them work together and adjust to the mishaps and slip-ups of the first preview made it even funnier.

Now, I have only seen this production one other time, a couple summers ago, and in that version, two similar looking pairs of actors played the Antipholus and Dromio roles. This allows for the big finale scene typical of Shakespeare comedies: true identities are revealed, all the lovers are matched up, and everyone goes home happy. In this production, Hamish and Jesse play both twins within their respective pairs. As wonderful as it is to see more of Hamish and Jesse, I’m not sure if the final scene works as is. I think the audience is forgiving of the awkward staging, but I’m partial to the big reveal of the two sets of twins. It’s such a great pay-off! Maybe this version’s ending would have bothered me less if they had embraced the joke about the lack of another set of twins throughout the piece and not just played toward the inevitable problematic ending…but I digress.

Despite the tricky ending and repetitive plot, it’s always a hoot to watch actors have so much fun. Thank you clouds for sparing us and keeping the stage relatively dry for this incredibly game, talented cast. I’m sure the piece will only get tighter, sharper, and funnier.

The Comedy of Errors
Written by William Shakespeare, Directed by Daniel Sullivan
Delacorte Theater, Shakespeare in the Park 2013
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
Pictured: Emily Bergl, Brian T. Lawton, Heidi Schreck, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Rachel McMullin, and Hamish Linklater

Old Hats

Posted: May 28, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Comedy, Off-Broadway, Play | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

I could not have started with a bigger grin on my face at the top of this show. As the curtain was drawn, it was like the corners of my mouth were drawn with it, pulled up as high as they could go, and I didn’t stop smiling for the entirety of the performance. I wrote in my previous blog post that Here Lies Love hits the ground running. Well, these two actors literally hit the ground running, and it is instant comedy. Thanks to a few friends absolutely insisting that this show was not to be missed, I made it a priority, and I’m happy to report that you should too, if only to have the opportunity to see these two men share a craft that’s more and more difficult to find in mainstream theatre.

Old Hats stars the immensely talented Bill Irwin and David Shiner and is now extended through June 9th (Playbill has a $60 offer if you’re looking to save a little money. Sign up if you don’t have an account). I was immediately captivated by them. They have the audience in the palms of their hands from the first moment, and it is miraculous to witness. This piece is like a master class in comedy, watching two genius clowns do an incredible dance. Not a word is spoken, but hundreds of stories are told. Yeah, yeah, I know how cliché that sounds. Deal with it. From a businessman to a hobo to a magician and his assistant, they transform from sketch to sketch, and it’s like seeing your favorite cartoons brought to life before your eyes.

A kick-ass band led by Nellie McKay accompanies the sketches and is featured between them. I really want this girl’s job. She has a Regina Spektor-type vibe to her voice, and the jazzy blues keep your toes tapping from scene to scene. There are moments when the music is so in sync with the sketches that it’s as if the actors are creating the sounds with their bodies. Speaking of which, I want to give a shout-out to the sound and lighting team. They have a ridiculously hard job. Those cues are crucial for the comedy to work and the punch“lines” to land.

I cannot stress enough what a pleasure it is to watch these two play off each other. Whether it’s a simple magic trick or bringing a person to life out of a rag and beer bottle, they are a wonder to watch. The sketches are a mix of classic clowning we already know and love and modern age clowning involving projections and iPads. I should also mention that the audience interaction is priceless. Unlike the plants used in One Man, Two Guvnors (as funny as that was), Bill and David are working with fresh, clueless audience members every night (they’re definitely not plants; my friend was pulled up on stage when she went). They were handled with such care that I never felt uncomfortable for the participants or feared they would be embarrassed, and it set up the building blocks for enormously funny comedy, especially in the second act.

There is so much more I want to say about individual bits and scenes, but I don’t want to give anything else away! I guess you’ll just have to check it out for yourselves. I’ll leave you with this: a copious amount of spaghetti is always funny. Always.

Old Hats
Created by Bill Irwin and David Shiner, Directed by Tina Landau
Signature Theatre Company
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
Pictured: Bill Irwin and David Shiner

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