This show was definitely different from what I expected it to be. The director of the show made some interesting choices that created an experience unlike any I had been to before.
First of all, I want to commend the director for choosing a play that was so unknown. It is one of a director's first jobs to choose a good play to perform. This play is very socially charged, dealing with the homeless and people's reaction to the homeless community around them. This choice of script shows that this is something that the director wanted to make the audience aware of, and she succeeded.
One of the things that bugged me for a while was the fact that the actors seemed to do their thing in a line: the space provided allowed for them to move closer to the audience, even up to the laps of the first row, but they didn't do this. It nagged at me, until I remembered that the play is taking place on a city sidewalk. After that, it worked really well. In fact, there were a lot of things in this play that worked. I liked having Louie barefoot, especially when we discovered a little more about him... The interactions between the Sergeant and Dimitri worked well, and it seemed natural. I liked having the entire space used lengthwise, with exits at the right side of the room, through the “alley” and out to the coffee shop.
This said, however, there were some things that I thought would have helped the performance. For example, there were a few long stage changes that were done in the silent dark. I would have liked some music to pass the time. Also, the actress who played the younger girl just didn't work. I know that the director had to double cast this for the night, but the age thing just didn't translate. And when the kids messed up Dimitri's lodgings, it wasn't very messed up. They could have ripped the box and crushed some of his belongings, something I could easily see kids doing in this kind of situation.
All that said, though, it was a very enjoyable evening. The themes were conveyed well, and the revelations about the characters at the end of the show were just perfect. It definitely made me think, something I didn't think I'd be doing when I walked in the door. I don't know if this is a show that I'd recommend to the serious theatre connoisseur, but it is an experience that would round out a good night on the town.
2 comments:
I like what you said about the director making a great choice in this play. I think that louie being bare foot was genius after I figured out he was a pigeon. The dialog was great and it worked well, especially in the relationship between Dimitri and Louie.
I agree with you on the whole space thing being used by all the actors. if tessie did it, why couldnt the others. and btw, Dimitri did come the closest to the audience and I think it was because he was trying to get everybody involved in his acting. with all the audience and all the actors. do you think Dimitri ever broke the fourth wall on purpose? - Nici Benois
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