Frost/Nix-Fun

I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Frost/Nixon by Portland Center Stage on Thursday evening. I found the play to be clever, entertaining and fairly comical at many points. However, as excellent as the actors might have been, it still became quite apparent that we weren't there to see any high school play. The stage we saw that night gave a real feel for being in the midst of the Watergate Era. Part of this has to do with the overall design of the stage; simple yet elegant, but all in all a perfect choice for that performance. However a show is only made better when all the details are realized and seen through. In this particular regard, PCS certainly shined gloriously.

First things first, and as an actor I really appreciate this, is the drinks. Every drink actually had a liquid in it, which helps substantially in my own mind. Sitting on stage and trying to imagine you have a liquid in your hand doesn't work. Period. The drink helps bring the fantastic world of theatre come alive for both sides; the audience watching and enjoying the play, and the actors performing the play.

Next is the Airline Seats, and quite frankly the whole in flight scene, as everything was taken care of. Every minor detail from the way the champagne was presented by the stewardess down to the advanced placing in the book (indicating a long flight and a well educated woman, as she was portrayed), and even the seats themselves were all too perfect. They were either very good fakes or the real deal in a lot of parts.

Finally, and these were possibly the most commented on from what I heard, was the cameras. Somehow, I'm not sure in what manner they came to possess them but I'm very glad they did, the fine people at Portland Center Stage manged to get not one, but two real-life, working television cameras from the Seventies. Brilliant, is all I can say. It pushed further with the fact that they actually functioned. Many of us in the audience sat thinking that the responses and projected video clips were prerecorded and were set to match the actors as they delivered the lines in real time. A simple concept, but not what happened. Each detail from a ruffled brow to a wicked smirk was captured just as it was happening on stage in the clip. It was a work of genius.

Though the political side might not be every one's cup of tea, I think that Frost/Nixon will still be among my favorites of the shows seen. The dedication is always in the theatre between the actors, audience and the ever important backstage crew, but to have a source of backing equal to that of PCS, really shows some dedication. Not saying money is everything, but it certainly helps in some cases. For many reasons, Frost/Nixon gets two big thumbs up from me.

Mike


PS. Yes I know the title's lame, but I'm tired and need to go to bed.