Theatre Report #1

A couple of people who got my New Year's e-card 'complained' that I should have 'warned' them about good plays before the play(s) closed. So, I've decided to do just that. Every week or so (or three or so), I'm going to send out a brief report of what I've seen and what I've liked. I'm only sending this to folks that I think will be interested. If you're not interested, just let me know and I'll take your name off the mailing list. My feelings will not be hurt. :-)

[Note: If you're reading this here (in the blog), obviously there is no email or mailing list. In fact, the above paragraph has been retained only for completeness.]

Also, I'll try to keep my comments very short. These are suggestions, not full-fledged reviews. And to make it even briefer, I've included a grade, from A-F, that summarizes my feelings about the shows.

This first "issue" will cover four shows - all of them pretty good.

The Baltimore Waltz - Grade B

I liked this show somewhat. It's very confusing, but I still liked it. Some of the confusion was cleared up when I read, after the play, that it was written by Paula Vogel right after her brother died of AIDS. It's a humorous (!) play about AIDS (or more specifically about the fictitious disease ATD), and about a brother-sister pair, one of whom has this newly discovered disease. It's far from clear which one has the disease and which one is caring for the other, but it does work itself out. How bad can any play be that leans heavily on Orson Welles, Peter Sellers, and a fluffy white bunny?

A Number - Grade A

This is a very good play. Sam Shepard is excellent, but you probably won't be able to see him. The play has been extended beyond its original 1/16 closing date, but Sam Shepard will be leaving on 1/16. He does a very good job of underplaying his role as a man exploring his relationship(s) with his adult son(s). The play, if you haven't read about it, is about cloning - not from a religious or moral perspective, but from an interpersonal perspective. I tell you this, not to spoil the show for you (the actors tell you this in the first minute), but to let you think a bit about cloning before you go. For those of us who are fascinated by the personal problems of cloning, this is quite a play. Even without Sam Shepard, see it if at all possible.

The Trial - Grade B
An excellent play based on the Kafka novel: Quite interesting, very ambiguous. Maybe it's about a man and his battles with the law, maybe it's about a man and his battles with his conscience, maybe it's about social justice - a poor man who doesn't understand for what crime he's been sentenced to poverty. I wish I could say this is a "must see" as I love the group that's doing it, but it's not quite good enough to be a must see. Do see it, however, if you like Kafka, or existentialism, or even philosophical bantering.

Fat Pig - Grade A

This is Neil LaBute's latest effort, and it's very good. He's not to everybody's liking (a bit nasty spirited and generally not upbeat), but if you can deal with his style, then you should like this play. I don't think it's giving away too much to tell you that it's about a relationship between a considerably overweight young woman and a very attractive (not overweight) young man.