Although there are several wonderful regional theaters that are easily accessible to New York, I don't often take advantage of them. I can probably count on one hand the number of shows I've seen outside of New York (not counting productions I've seen while on vacations). But when I read that a dear friend from college would be appearing in one of my favorite new plays of recent years, I knew I had to go. And when a new theater friend suggested a road trip, I happily took her up on the idea. 
And so it was that we took the trek to Long Wharf Theatre, in New Haven, CT, to see Clybourne Park. I've seen Clybourne Park several times, both in Chicago and on Broadway, but I was eager to see it again, especially as it featured my wonderful college friend. The trip there is pretty painless, so I can certainly see myself traveling to New Haven again. Metro North was comfortable and punctual, though crowded, and my new friend and I spent the two-hour ride chatting about theater and travel. Very fun. We did get a little worried at one point, when the conductor started following a fellow passenger around. We heard the conductor say she would not be opening the doors to let anyone out until he paid her $3, in cash. I wish I had gotten the beginning of that conversation! Luckily the $3 standoff only lasted a few minutes and we got to New Haven in plenty of time to see the matinee. 
The Long Wharf website tells you that they are just a short cab ride away from the train station. That is indeed true. But I confess to getting a little unnverved when our cab pulled into, what looked like to me, an industrial parking lot. I told my new friend that I was worried we were going to be killed (a nightmare I had once about a car service driver who didn't take me to Queens, but instead to the woods, burst into my head suddenly), but she quickly saw the theater in the little complex. I guess I had a preconceived notion that Long Wharf Theatre was actually, I don't know, near a wharf. Silly of me. :) 
The mainstage theater is very attractive and comfortable, and Clybourne Park fits in the space beautifully. The set, which needs to be very specific in both acts, was terrifically designed and utilized, and the acting was first-rate across the board. As always, I found the play to be smart, funny, scary and oh so sad. I believe I may have been moved even more than the previous times I've seen it. The struggles these people have in expressing themselves is just so lonely and true. And I found I heard several things afresh that I hadn't noticed before, which is always a wondeful benefit of repeat viewings of plays.
The first act, set in 1959, remains purposefully stylized and formal-ish, but in this staging, I found new ways to appreciate the stylized performances. And once we got to the emotional core of the act, the artifice gets stripped away to the deep pain underneath. It was really terrific. I just saw so many more layers - maybe it's because I've seen the show several times before and I knew to look under the text. But I just found the acting to be very rich and satisfying, and the text was beautifully illuminated by everyone. The second act, while again hysterically funny, was also terrifyingly raw. I was especially terrified when the seat neighbor next to me began verbalizing her assent to some of the blantantly racist statements. I guess my seat neighbor is the reason Clybourne Park won't seem dated any time soon...
All in all, it was a lovely afternoon, and I think Clybourne Park keeps sneaking its way up the list of my all-time favorite contemporary plays. Each viewing gives me something fresh to enjoy and think about, which is a treat indeed. Plus, I got to have some quality time with a new theater friend, and I got to share a hug and her beautiful performance with an old friend. Oh, and I got to ride a train! I believe I've mentioned before how much I love train travel. Though I will admit to being pretty exhausted by the time I got home - I left my apartment about 9:45am and got home close to 8pm. I was definitely not a swinging NY single gal that night. I was in bed by 9:30pm. Whee! But at least I had a great day to dream about! :) 
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