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

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Posted: June 25, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Broadway, Comedy, Play | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Okay, before I start this review, a bit of a disclaimer. As some of you may have noticed, my posts have been trending toward the positive. Do not fret! I do in fact dislike some shows – quite a few actually. I’ve been on this incredible winning streak of seeing some really great work. But you can still take me seriously, I promise; I’m very, very critical.

That being said: oh my god, this show is so good.

It’s funny; I had completely ignored this play’s existence when it was up at Lincoln Center. I feel like most of New York was ignoring it or rather, no one in my circles was talking about it. Then it hit Broadway and started being showered with awards. I knew I wanted to check it out before the Tony Awards so I did the youth rush a couple weeks back.

Set in Bucks County, the story focuses on half-siblings Vanya (David Hyde Pierce) and Sonia (Kristine Nielson), named by their parents after Chekhov characters. These two pretty much never leave the house. They stay put day in and day out, lonely and in a permanent state of tedium it seems, only slightly thrown off-kilter by their prophetic, outspoken maid, Cassandra (Shalita Grant). But everything is upended when their movie star sister, Masha (Sigourney Weaver), drops in for an unexpected visit with her new boytoy, Spike (Billy Magnussen). Hilarity ensues from the first moments, ranging from physical comedy and sight gags to endless amounts of witty dialogue: “If everyone took antidepressants, Chekhov would have had nothing to write about.”

The small cast of six (four of whom were Tony nominees) are all stand-outs. Every character gets the opportunity to shine. If you want to catch Sigourney Weaver before she leaves the show, her last performance is July 28th and then Julie White (one of my favorite actresses) will take over through the August 25th closing.

Surprisingly, this was Christopher Durang’s first Tony win for his work (the production won for Best Play this season). Known for his absurd comedy, there’s no letting us down here. Durang creates a world that is not quite reality but at the same time is all too real and relatable. Yes, there are Chekhov references. No, you do not need to know his plays to enjoy the show, although it is fun to get the inside jokes. I went with a friend who is not a “theatre-person,” and she loved it just as much as I did. My cheeks hurt from laughing so much. One second I was smiling à la Old Hats and the next moment I was crying. Kristine Nielson is just glorious.

Okay, that’s all I’m going to say. I honestly don’t want to mention anything else that happens. Again, although many of my reviews have been positive, there have only been a few that said Don’t-Miss-It. This is one of them.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Written by Christopher Durang, Directed by Nicholas Martin
John Golden Theatre
Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg
Pictured: David Hyde Pierce and Sigourney Weaver

Macbeth

Posted: June 19, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Broadway, Play, Revival, Shakespeare | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s hard to believe Alan Cumming wasn’t nominated for this performance. What a feat. The entire production, really, is quite the endeavor. I imagine most of you know Macbeth from reading it in school, or maybe you saw Patrick Stewart in it a few years ago, or you saw the dance film noir version still playing at the McKittrick Hotel (a blog post on Sleep No More to come in the future), but you’ve almost certainly never seen all the roles played by one guy in a room. So I say again, it’s hard to believe Alan was not recognized for this tour de force. True, not all of the show was successful; I was definitely in and out of it. But when I was in, I was in.

We began with a mental hospital of sorts; light green tiles cover the walls instead of the expected white. The only inhabitants are spare cots, a sterile sink, a few chairs, a metal staircase leading up to the keypad exit, and a bathtub. An observation window lurks high above on the back wall. The lights go out and we’re immediately hit with powerful sounds, static and something like Morse code. It’s like a bad connection on a submarine or when you’re stuck in between radio stations, and it creates a super creepy vibe, particularly juxtaposed with the opening actions on stage. The sound keeps the conversation muted as two attendants check in a new patient (Cumming). They scrape underneath his fingernails, swab his cheeks, give him a shot, and collect his clothing for evidence. The man is clearly affected, traumatized. He sits, stunned, fresh bloody scratches across his upper chest, clutching one particular bag of evidence which he refuses to have taken from him. All of this business takes several minutes. I loved that they took the time to set the mood. The attendants finish up, lay him down to sleep, and depart.

And then the Shakespeare text begins. This lost man is suddenly swept up in the story of Macbeth, and his conviction skyrockets as he jumps from character to character, starting with the three weird witches right up through Macbeth’s bloody end. The script has been cut down to focus on only the major roles (Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, Macduff, Duncan, etc). We enter the secret corners of this man’s mind as he transforms his asylum into a feast, a castle, the woods, the king’s bedchamber, and so on.

The real joy is watching Cumming switch characters in the blink of an eye. You never doubt for a second which person he is portraying at that moment. There are physical cues and even props at times, but his physicality shifts so effortlessly that they can practically be deemed unnecessary. He can get a laugh before he even speaks. During an intimate scene between Macbeth and his wife, I actually felt like I should turn away and give them some privacy.

I would say if you have the chance, check it out before it closes July 14th. Not all of the piece is as engaging as one would hope; there is a lot of text to cover and the play runs approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. I admit I found myself bored at times, but when certain scenes click, it’s extremely captivating. Only a handful of clues are sprinkled throughout about who this man might be. The audience gets to walk away speculating, filling in the back-story for themselves. By the conclusion, we have acted as bystanders to a human being falling apart at the seams. No matter how many characters he may have shared with us, he remains one heartbroken man, trapped indefinitely in his own mind and with his own crimes.

Macbeth
Written by William Shakespeare, Directed by John Tiffany and Andrew Goldberg
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel
Pictured: Brendan Titley, Alan Cumming, and Jenny Sterlin

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

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