Easily one of the best plays we've seen. A sweeping story that spans hundreds of years and follows the rise and fall of the Lehman brothers and their business. We almost didn't get tickets since finance isn't one of our areas of interest and the play is over 3 hours long. But the play doesn't feel long at all, and despite only 3 actors playing all of the characters, a set that requires a decent dose of imagination, and long monologues throughout, we were both riveted the entire time.
A revival that was originally written and performed Off-Broadway in 1955. The play was supposed to move to Broadway after its initial run, but was instead cancelled after Alice Childress, the playwright, refused to tone down her message. The play exposes the experience of Black actors during the time period and the stereotypical roles that were available to them. It satirizes the cluelessness of white people who feel they are helping to combat racism through their participation in the play when in reality they are only perpetrating it.
The Story The play takes place in the 1950s on a Broadway stage where a group of actors are rehearsing a new play. Wiletta Mayer (LaChanze) is a veteran of the stage; she is jaded by the business, yet determined to continue working and find lasting success. Everything is running smoothly (more or less) until Mayer begins to question the denouement of the play. It's touted as an anti-lynching play that is ahead of its time, but the reality is quite the opposite. The director (Michael Zegen) has encouraged her to dig deep and utilize real emotions during her scenes, and in this process Wiletta begins to internalize the racism inherent in the play (presumably written by a white man). It takes awhile to get to this point though, and before we do the play trods along slowly. It's too long, and I think could have had the same effect even if it was edited down a bit. The Performers LaChanze's Wiletta is a joy to watch - she really does transform over the course of the play. In the beginning Wiletta is focused on the business of acting as a Black women in the 1950s and on how to stroke the director's ego enough to keep her job. By the end she stands up for herself and her opinions about the play. Zegen is also fun to hate as he gallivants around the stage directing and demanding the actors perform random snippets of the play using what he deems an experimental method. All of the actors are strong and enjoyable to watch. Jessica Frances Dukes, as Millie Davis, is hilarious and provides a foil to Wiletta. Chuck Cooper, as Sheldon Forrester, plays his part obediently (even when his character must whittle a stick to no end) despite the fact that he has actually witnessed a lynching. The monologue where he tells the story is one of the most powerful scenes in the play. Danielle Campbell, as Judy Sears, is perfect as a naïve white girl with wealthy parents. She tries her best to be respectful but cannot stop saying the wrong thing. Similarly, Don Stephenson, as Bill O'Wray, does not know how to avoid offending his cast-mates and is very open about his ignorance. A powerful exploration of the multi-dimensionality of Black men. This is both a play that tells a story, but with moments that live outside of the narrative. These pieces are spoken word performance that complement the story and reveal the interiority of each man and the emotion they represent - Love, Happiness, Lust, Passion, Depression, Wisdom, Anger. We shouldn't need a play to illustrate the presence of these emotions in Black men, but we do. And this one provides an honest and insightful portrayal of the everyday lives and struggles of these characters.
The performers, the writing, the direction, and the sound design all come together in an amazing way to create nuanced portraits of the men in a Brooklyn neighborhood. Through these characters and their stories, the play addresses racism, homophobia, gentrification, sexuality, community, history, class, and more. A new opera based on the play by Sarah Ruhl with music composed by Matthew Aucoin. If you thought this classic Greek myth couldn't get any more depressing, this opera is here to prove you wrong.
The Story Diverging from the classic story, Eurydice's father is a leading man and Eurydice seems more focused on him than in love with Orpheus. During her wedding (where she doesn't seem to be having that much fun), Eurydice wanders off and encounters Hades who tempts her with a letter from her deceased father. After Eurydice trips and falls on a staircase, she ends up in the Underworld. Here she is reunited with her father, and must be convinced to follow Orpheus when he inevitably shows up. But it seems she is not entirely convinced to leave her father because on the journey back to life, Eurydice calls out and a surprised Orpheus suddenly turns at the sound of her voice dooming Eurydice forever. Upon her return to the Underworld, Eurydice discovers that in her absence her father has succumbed to the forgetful waters of the River Styx and no longer remembers her. The Set This production takes a modern minimalist approach with very little set pieces. The main focus is the elevator with which Eurydice descends to the Underworld (the rain in the elevator is simple and effective). At one point, Eurydice's father makes her a "room" out of string to give her some comfort - the idea is novel and kind of interesting. But my favorite "set pieces" are the three Stones, guardians of the dead who sing beautifully to Eurydice to explain her predicament. The Libretto and The Music As a play this may have worked as a new interpretation of the story, but when Ruhl trimmed it down to create the libretto something went awry. The words feel stilted and uncomfortable, and are often buried by the music. In such a dark and depressing view of this myth, beautiful accompanying music could be a saving grace. But nothing is memorable, and my takeaway was that the words and the music were at odds. |
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