A
Life in the Theatre
This production,
for me, was the embodiment of what really great theatre is all about: the story
was edgy and challenging, as was the casting and the direction; the actors
themselves were superb; the production was well-designed, the set was simple
and real; the experience was engaging and surprising.
There are many
details in this play that paint a mostly accurate – albeit at times exaggerated
– picture of a life in the theatre. There
is also, as you would expect, a strong undercurrent of “between the lines”
dialogue as we watch an older actor and a younger actor in complex
interactions, both onstage and backstage.
Ironically the
biggest drawback in this play was the dialogue itself. Certainly David Mamet is widely regarded as a
prolific author, playwright, and director -- and in so many ways this script
seems brilliant, even to an ordinary audience member like me. At times the discourse is poignant and
believable. More often than not,
however, it felt like an exploration of how many different ways the actors
could deliver the word “Yes.” The excess
of one-word sentences was, at times, affecting in its own way. But eventually this became boring, even
mildly off-putting.
Awkward exchanges
aside, Andre De Shields and Ariel Shafir are superb. Who knew you could act the hell out of so
many one-word sentences? In De Shields, the audience is fortunate enough to
witness a brilliant artist deliver his craft with vast amounts of talent. Shafir is strong as well, and the chemistry
between the two is at times palpable. I
watched in fascination as these two men played off each other. They were funny and real, complex and
absurd. And human.
For me, the
Alliance Theatre scored another home run, not only with the excellence of the
production itself, but also with the selection of this piece for the 2009-2010
season. I loved it.
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