2010 in Theatre

I’ve linked if I reviewed the play at the time I saw it, and wrote a little ditty if I didn’t.

The Little Dog Laughed

The Misanthrope 

iGod
This was a student production at my university, written and directed by one of my childhood friends. It wasn’t all it could be, but it had an interesting premise. The “iGod” was a modern man, and the people who ‘believed’ in him. It was a play on cults and religion.

The Libertine
This was another student production, but it was more lavish. It was absolutely hilarious, and I thought all my friends did spectacularly. If I hadn’t gone to see it on its last night, I would’ve seen it twice. 

Wicked
I had never seen Wicked, despite wanting to. The circumstances never seem to match up, for some reason. The night I went to see this I happened to be in Victoria near curtain time, and I poked my head into the box office and asked if they had any tickets left. They did, and I got a great seat for what was a wonderful show. I wish I’d seen it with the original Broadway cast, though.

Women, Power & Politics: Then
Women, Power & Politics: Now

Les Miserables*
I had seen Les Mes before. I was on Shaftesbury Ave with not much to do the night before I was flying out, so I decided to rewatch it. Wasn’t as good as the first time I saw it, but definitely had some singers that give me goosebumps.

Tap Dogs
The reason I went was pretty simple: Adam Garcia plus dancing. I almost missed the show, because I wasn’t in London for the large bulk of it, but I’m glad I didn’t. It was absolutely mesmerizing. I really, really loved.  

Deathtrap

Book Review: Gagarin Way

Book #32

It’s hard to review this play. It’s written by a Scottish playwright and set in Fife, so it’s nice to finally read something that is geographically relevant. But, my God! There is so much swearing in it. I’m not even opposed to swearing. I swear like a sailor and for the most part don’t give a shit when people do it and it would be very, very hard to shock me by swearing. But in every line of every page of this play, three of the ten words would be swearwords! I’ve never heard the word cunt said so much in my life.

That said, it was an interesting play. It’s easy to read because the dialogue is doing ingeniously. Burke definitely has an affinity for writing dialogue which makes me jealous. The play has four characters, two who are conducting a human heist, one who is kidnapped and one who is thrown to the mix accidentally. It makes some interesting comments on our society.

Book Review: Cloud 9

Book #26

I love this play. Maybe I’m the right age for it. Maybe it’s just different enough to be interesting, maybe because I don’t read a lot of plays I think it’s clever, maybe Caryl Churchill is just an amazing writer. 

It has two acts, one set in Victorian times in a British colony in Africa. Act Two is in London in 1979 — a hundred years have passed, but for the characters it is twenty-five years later. In first act, Betty, who is Clive’s wife, is played by a man to symbolize her trying to be everything men want her to be and not appreciate herself as a woman. Joshua, their black servant is played by a white to represent him not respecting himself as a black man and modeling himself after what Clive wants him to be. Their son, Edward, is played by a woman because he is effeminate and gay, despite his father trying to “straighten” him out. In Act Two, the only character played by someone not of their gender is a child, Cathy, who is played by a man.

It sounds complex, and it is, but it makes for a great reading. I really, really wish I could see this in performance though because there are so many intricacies created by doubling the actors and switching genders with actor-character that could only come out properly in performance. I will definitely go to see this as soon as it’s put on anywhere near me.

Churchill discusses sexual politics in an interesting way, looking at women who are willing to be subordinate vs those who are not, she plays with the sexuality of the characters and almost has homosexuality become a lifestyle rather than something one is born with, as all the main characters experiment with what they want their sexual life to encompass. She ends the play with some resolution but no clear sexual resolution and thus I deduce that she is aware that for some sexuality has no clear frontiers. 

Book Review: A Streetcar Named Desire

Book #25

“Whoever you are, I’ve always relied on the kindness of strangers,” — Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire

I had never read Tennessee Williams before, which I clearly now realise was a huge error on my part. I seem to shock people when I tell them that I haven’t seen the 1951 movie, I haven’t even seen a snippet. I know it’s Brando’s signature role, but I wish people would stop saying it’s such a big deal.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed Streetcar. I always find it fascinating to read texts where one is not immediately predisposed to idolize a character, and that’s definitely the case here. I thought Blanche was fascinating and I wanted to use my black-belt skills on Stanley and make him bleed. He got me so angry. I wanted to shake Stella out of her stupor. Williams’ writing conveys such emotion, though. Reading up a little on his life makes me understand how he could write with such depth, though unlike some critics I’m loathe to make a direct link between Blanche and his sister.

One curious effect the play had on me was it made me hungry to direct it. I’m not really inclined toward drama any more than watching movies and attending the theatre as much as I am able. I have a deep appreciation for it but rarely would actually want to insert myself into the equation. Now, though, I’m seriously considering putting on a production. Considering we’ve got a student acting society, with several good actors, I may actually do this next year. We’ll see.

This edition also includes Sweet Bird of Youth and The Glass Menagerie, which I haven’t read because they weren’t included in the module. You get bet that I will, though, the moment I have a minute to spare. 

Book Review: As You Like It

Book #23

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” — As You Like It by Shakespeare

Considering I just posted my review of Confucius, I was going to wait to post this till tomorrow, but what the hell. I read them in tandem — not for any particular reason, I am not, for instance, writing an abstract, pseudo-intelligent essay comparing the two — because when reading anything for university I always have some light relief (yes, I consider Confucius light relief). I can’t dig into a novel because I wouldn’t put it down.

So, Shakespeare. I have a love-hate relationship with the man. Granted it was a long time ago, but when I read A Midsummer Night’s Dream (and had to preform it) I disliked it, I love Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet and my personal favourite Shakespeares are The Taming of the Shrew and Much Ado About Nothing. Then you’ve got a few everyone knows, so I’m aware of the storylines and maybe have seen them in a movie, but haven’t actually read/seen performed on stage (Twelfth Night, The Tempest etc).

I had to read Richard II and King Lear for this module as well (reviews upcoming). And then I decided to buy his sonnets, which I actually really love. So I approached As You Like It with caution because I was tired of Shakespeare, because I didn’t want to be doing my homework, because this is the reading for an essay that’s late and I’m nervous about writing it. But I really liked it! It’s a witty, wonderfully realised storyline full of little innuendoes and I can easily see how a 21st century performance could take some wonderful liberties with interpretation. 

There are a few famous quotes that come from this play that were nice to read in context. That’s something I’ve always loved — being able to pin down a famous quote to its text.

I find that as I grow up I am liking all sorts of things I swore I’d never like. Last year I suddenly found out that I now loved peppers for instance, whereas I used to not be able to stand them in anything. Now? Smelling peppers being cooked make me so happy. I’ll eat them with anything. I also swore, as an irritable twelve-year old, that I’d never love Shakespeare. Whoops. Sorry, little me.