No Man’s Land
Posted: January 15, 2014 Filed under: Broadway, Comedy, Drama, Play, Revival | Tags: beckett, captainpicard, cort, engaged, godot, haroldpinter, ianmckellen, nomansland, patrickstewart, pinter, pinteresque, rep, review, samuelbeckett, waitingforgodot, youshallnotpass Leave a comment
I try so hard with Harold Pinter. I loved studying him in school. I even wrote a “Pinteresque” one-act with my friend Sandy entitled The Bells for a class during senior year of high school (for a brief excerpt, see the end of this review). Pinter’s writing can be so funny and thought-provoking, but when I see productions, I don’t end up being as riveted as I had hoped. I understand his significance and place in theatre history, but the plays simply don’t do anything for my soul. I want to stress that this is not to say No Man’s Land is not a good production; it’s just not my taste. So please don’t let this review stop you from going to see it. The show has received rave reviews and rightly so. I think I’m just realizing that while I may appreciate Pinter, I don’t necessarily enjoy his plays.
No Man’s Land might be the one to see though, especially when you’ve got A-list actors like Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart sharing the stage. It’s pretty grand being in the same room with both of them. Their presence alone is effective. They can hold a room with no words at all, and the cast is nicely rounded out by the younger fellows, Billy Crudup and Shuler Hensley. But don’t expect to go, sit back, and let them do all the work – Pinter expects you to pay attention. There is so much subtext and double-meaning and subtlety to sift through in his language it can take up to 15 seconds to catch on to the fact that a joke was just made.
This production is currently playing at the Cort Theatre in rep with Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. The similarities between the plays are clear: there is a sense of isolation for these characters and feeling trapped in both pieces. And the audience must work hard to understand the given circumstances. In No Man’s Land, we wonder what these men’s relationships are. Where are we? Why are we here? What should we take away from this experience? Whatever you do, don’t expect clear answers. You might finish Act One with an idea about who these folks are and their relationship to each other, but then Act Two turns any semblance of an idea you once had on its head. All of a sudden you have to adapt to entirely new information. And then, for me anyway, the “plot” basically falls off any kind of trackable course. You can try your best to make it make sense, searching for linear storylines and/or relationships, but I think you’ll just end up more confused. As director Sean Mathias explains, “Pinter isn’t saying what he necessarily means or meaning what you might like to believe. Like Godot, No Man’s Land is a game of memory, of time elapsed and elapsing; dealing with things abstracted, ideas and not realities.”
If you’re interested in seeing iconic actors and an iconic playwright then definitely check it out, or if you’d prefer, you can wait for Godot with me. Personally, I am more excited for Beckett’s classic, although my younger self would never have believed that statement, given that the first time I saw the play I was so angry with how much time I’d wasted waiting for this jack-ass Godot. But – that was before I studied the play with the brilliant Dr. Coppa at Muhlenberg College. You know, perhaps that’s what I need to fully understand and enjoy Pinter’s work, too. I just need to go back to class.
Update 4/26/16: This production is transferring to London this summer. You can find more information here.
No Man’s Land
Written by Harold Pinter, Directed by Sean Mathias
Cort Theatre through March 30th
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
Pictured: Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart
And now, what you’ve all been waiting for…an (incredibly brief) excerpt from The Bells:
Cecil: Did you change your hair?
Raine: What?
Cecil: Your hair- is it different?
Raine: No.
Cecil: You seem different. Are you sure?
Raine: Yes…I did…nothing to my hair.
Pause.
Analog.Ue
Posted: December 5, 2013 Filed under: Off-Broadway, Play | Tags: analog.ue, analogue, danielkitson, monologist, recorder, reeltoreel, review, stanns Leave a comment
Up until the current production of Analog.Ue at St. Ann’s Warehouse, I had never heard of Daniel Kitson. He’s known as an English stand-up comedian as well as a playwright and monologist. At the heart, Kitson is a storyteller. After seeing his show, I departed a fan of his stories but not so much of this particular rendition.
Would you like some context? So a light comes up on a table far upstage covered in old-school tape recorders, reel-to-reel players, etc. The particular story being shared with us is entirely pre-recorded, and Kitson slowly but surely brings forward each player, hooks it up to a central circuit board, and plays the next section of the story. He often switches back and forth between a couple players, but primarily he moves on to the next piece of the story with a new piece of equipment.
In these one-to-two-minute increments, we learn about Thomas, an 80-year-old man, who has decided to record his life story at the encouragement of his wife of 40 years. He gets settled in his garage with plenty of snacks and surrounded by dozens of recorders. Meanwhile, this narrative is also spliced with tales of a young woman named Trudy. It’s years later and she happens to own one of Thomas’s tapes and has spent years trying to find the man whose voice she has listened to since childhood. While the story is appealing in itself, it takes a while to get going. The running time is approximately 75 minutes, fluctuating due to the technical problems that may crop up. In fact, it was during the technical difficulties that I was most amused. Kitson’s anecdotes and interjections to fill the pauses were quite amusing and made light of the reality.
It’s a very interesting idea, but the actual execution didn’t hold my interest. Sitting in a dark room with minimal physical activity and lighting makes it difficult to stay present (and awake). With only auditory stimulation, you might be asking yourself: couldn’t this be a podcast? Let’s check in with my theatre companions for that evening. Allison (my bro’s gf) wasn’t too pleased. She has seen Kitson’s work before and was disappointed he didn’t talk to us. His storytelling is his MO, and we didn’t get to see it. Jeff (my bro), on the other hand, kept arguing the point that this is the only way the story can be told! Maybe you should go and decide for yourself. Personally I don’t think it’s enough. While it is an intriguing experiment in technology and audio devices, I found myself counting how many recorders were left on the table.
Analog.Ue
Written by Daniel Kitson
St. Ann’s Warehouse through December 21st
Macbeth
Posted: November 19, 2013 Filed under: Broadway, Drama, Play, Revival, Shakespeare | Tags: briand'arcyjames, ethanhawke, ladymacbeth, lincolncentertheater, macbeth, review, shakespeare Leave a comment
I’m sorry to declare that if you’re a fan of Macbeth, the current production up at Lincoln Center is not the one to see. Maybe you caught the more interesting Alan Cumming production a few short months ago. Or there’s still time to go see the abstract, interactive Sleep No More at the McKittrick Hotel. This more traditional approach, on the other hand, starring none other than Ethan Hawke as Mac, just sits there, barely filling the vast stage that is the Vivian Beaumont. True, the set and lighting designs are epic and at times beautiful, but they cannot make up for the significant lack of stakes within the scene work.
The drama comes across as stale with nothing really hanging in the balance. This is Macbeth we’re talking about! The murderous, bloody, envious story of Macbeth usurping King Duncan’s throne and then destroying everyone in his path in his desperate attempt to hold on to the throne. Instead, when something serious goes down, the moments venture toward melodrama. You know something is wrong when the most effective moment in the show is when the dining room table suddenly appears covered in lobster after Banquo’s untimely end. It’s quite surprising given that Jack O’Brien is the director. I like his work; he rarely disappoints. Is direction the core issue at hand here or is it the acting?
I love Brian d’Arcy James as Banquo. The man has an incredible singing voice, and his speaking voice is just as musical. I found myself wishing he had played Macbeth. And Anne-Marie Duff’s Lady Macbeth was quite astute. Her work, including the infamous “Out Damn Spot” monologue, was some of the best in the show. John Glover is also charming and enticing as one of the bearded witches. As for Ethan, while I have enjoyed some of his film work, he has never particularly impressed me on stage. Granted he is fearless and always ready to take on any part, no matter the size, but he yelled his way through Henry IV and all three parts of The Coast of Utopia. In this, his voice is all one note. There is no music in his sound, and I left craving something more.
The show doesn’t open until November 21st, and I’m very curious what the reviews will report. The running time is just under three hours. I wonder if any cuts were made from the original script. Hecate and the weird sisters are followed around by crawling gremlin-like things. My friend had a nice nap during Act II. I’m not quite sure what else to say. The bottom line is Shakespeare needs stakes. Period. If that is missing, particularly in one of the tragedies, then why is the story needed?
Macbeth
Written by William Shakespeare, Directed by Jack O’Brien
Lincoln Center Theater through January 12th
Photo Credit: T. Charles Erickson
Pictured: Ethan Hawke and Anne-Marie Duff
Bad Jews
Posted: November 18, 2013 Filed under: Comedy, Off-Broadway, Play | Tags: badjews, chai, review, roundabout, shiksa Leave a comment
First, let me say that I did not care for this show. Second, I should also say right off the bat that I am most definitely in the minority. Bad Jews has received rave reviews and audiences love it. My theatre buddy that evening (and fellow Jew) was my brother’s girlfriend, Allison (of Accessories by ASH), and she loved the show, too.
So what’s wrong with me you ask? Well, let’s back up a bit. We start in a fancy New York City studio with Jonah and his first cousin, Daphna (actually named Diana, but she’s super Jewish so she’s Daphna now, don’t bring it up) after their grandfather’s funeral. They are soon to be joined by Jonah’s brother, Liam, who arrives late (missing the funeral) with his Shiksa girlfriend, Melody. Tensions are immediately high, yes due to the death in the family, but primarily because Daphna is “that cousin” who gets in your face about everything. She and Liam can’t stand each other. Jonah would prefer to stay out of the drama as much as possible. As the fighting enters into the wee hours of the morning, these four characters brawl over their feelings toward Judaism, marrying outside the faith, how to best honor their grandfather, and above all who should receive Poppy’s Chai necklace that he’s had since the Holocaust.
Now I went into this play thinking I was going to see a slapstick comedy about Jews. The play does have some good laughs (there is one bit with Molly Ranson as Melody and I could hardly breathe), but this is no farce. There are serious issues being covered, and very intense words are shared. Thoughtful questions are raised and interesting perspectives put out there, but the way in which they are approached is what put me off. I want to hear these arguments but not from these people. For example, the second Liam is introduced he is a jackass through and through with no redeeming qualities. Why do we start with him there? There isn’t anywhere for him to go if he’s already so terrible.
It’s hard to watch people fight for close to two hours. It’s hard to watch unlikable people tear each other down with cruel words. Some of what these characters say is exactly that: cruel. They are bullies, pure and simple. There are two monologues in particular that are full of hateful words directed at another person in the room. Luckily there comes a point when someone steps in, but I as an audience member didn’t see why we had to watch it. Charles Isherwood calls it savage humor, and apparently it’s just not my style. I only felt a consistent sense of unease.
Maybe the discomfort I felt during the show is part of the playwright’s intention; perhaps he wants to ruffle some feathers. But instead, I felt like Jonah – stuck in the middle and not wanting to get involved.
Bad Jews
Written by Joshua Harmon, Directed by Daniel Aukin
The Laura Pels Theatre through December 29th
Photo Credit: Joan Marcus
Pictured: Tracee Chimo, Philip Ettinger, and Michael Zegen
Luce
Posted: November 15, 2013 Filed under: Drama, Off-Broadway, Play | Tags: congo, jclee, lct3, lincolncenter, luce, review Leave a comment
Lincoln Center is full of “thinker” plays right now. Luce, currently playing at the Claire Tow Theatre through the LCT3 program, prompted another evening full of conversation as my theatre companions and I debated what actually went down during those 100 minutes.
Luce marks the New York professional debut of JC Lee, an up-and-coming playwright and recent graduate of the Juilliard playwrighting program. He grew up with one of my best friends so I’ve known JC for a while now. I was even in a play of his back in 2007 in trusty ol’ Allentown, PA called The Nature Line. His dialogue is quick, smart, contemporary, and often provocative. His new play brings up some interesting ideas about stereotypes, privacy, student/teacher relationships, culture, etc.
As things kicked off, I wasn’t completely gung-ho about this production. The first scene turned me off. It felt forced on the acting front with everything being spelled out for us, and the blocking felt false and unnatural. Once I disengage, I admit it’s hard to bring me back from the edge, but after a couple more scenes, I was definitely drawn back in and more engaged.
So we’ve got a boy named Luce, a 17-year-old kid from the Congo. He was adopted when he was seven years old by Amy and Peter, rescued from the war, and brought over to the states. He’s now a high school senior football player, hoping to get recruited. He’s an A student, popular, and everything his adoptive parents could hope for. Look how this poor boy turned out despite his past! He’s a dream poster child to everyone around him. But after some trouble starts to brew with one particular teacher, warning flags start popping up. When the teacher discovers illegal fireworks in his locker and brings in Amy for a little parent-teacher meeting, the plot is set in motion and we get to watch how his parents handle (or don’t handle) the situation. As things escalate, we are left to wonder: Is Luce innocent? Is he still plagued by his childhood and now acting out?
Although I had trouble with some of the direction and acting, I think this was an exciting debut. The ambiguity of Luce’s innocence lasts the majority of the play. Although even that ambiguity is arguable. My friend made up her mind about Luce’s actions much earlier in the play than I did. We heard an adorable older woman leaving the play afterward saying, “I just don’t know what to think!” I personally don’t think the play leaves much doubt as to whether Luce is guilty or not of a certain act. It’s definitely left up to the audience until those last few minutes, but even then, one could argue it still isn’t 100% one way or the other. Most signs point to guilty, but do we give him the benefit of the doubt? I know I did. But is that only because I, like his mother, so desperately want him to be innocent because of his past? The play asks many questions: how much privacy should a teenager be allowed? Who’s really at fault here? But I left asking primarily: how far would you go to protect your child and your child’s future, no matter his past?
Luce
Written by JC Lee, Directed by May Adrales
Lincoln Center Theater through November 17th
Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel
Pictured: Marin Hinkle, Okieriete Onaodowan, and Neal Huff
Becca on Broadway 