Flashback Friday!

Hi there!  Today I was going to write something on female empowerment, or the female voice, or something along those lines, after a movie and play I saw back-to-back, but I don't want to sound too stupid or glib, so let me ruminate on those thoughts a little longer.  I think I have something to say, and I want to do the topic(s) justice.  

But I didn't want anyone to forget about me, so I'm presenting a flashback post.  I was chatting about this play the other day with a pal, so I thought it would be a good one to remember.  It also got me thinking - I never really paid attention to 'trigger' warnings before, but I do now.  I can tell you exactly which play made me understand the phenomenon, too.  I'll tell you that play, if you ask.  And the play I write about below definitely set me off.  I wonder how I would receive this play now.  Food for thought.  My review was a bit divisive at the time (most of my friends adored the show), so we'll see how it stands up...

2007:  I saw Coram Boy last night - I found it an entertaining experience but I wasn’t blown away.  It’s extremely theatrical, which I generally love, but sometimes I found it a bit…much.  Intellectually, I understand WHY all the theatrics were used, but at times it just seemed like theatrics for theatrics-sake instead of for production-sake, which, for me, undercut the emotion that needs to be there as well.  

There was a plot thread that I didn’t know about beforehand that I wish I had known about beforehand because it took me right out of the play.  There was a major theatrical moment early on, and instead of it being a fabulously thrilling moment for me, I was taken out of the play completely and it was hard to get back in. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, so I won’t go any further on that.  I was then resistant to throwing myself over to the piece, but around the middle of the first act, something happened that totally engaged and did thrill me, but that only lasted for about 20 minutes.  Then I was out again.  Therein was the problem for me.

photo credit: Sara Krulwich

I found the acting uniformly excellent.  Jan Maxwell is always a treat (even evil Jan Maxwell) and I was very taken with Xanthe Elbrick as the young Alexander. I enjoyed the story a great deal and was extremely moved at the ending, but I just wasn’t transported for the entire evening.  Maybe I was expecting too much.  But it was rather distracting to be so engaged, then not engaged at all, back and forth, all evening, but perhaps that’s just me.    Many people were terrifically moved throughout, others were bored out of their mind and laughing at some of the theatrical tricks used.  So this show won’t be for everyone.  But the choir was thrilling, the acting was grand, and if you can get discounted tickets, I’d say go.  It's pretty safe to say you won’t see anything else like it this season.