'Play'ing around - Satte pe Satta
...watched a musical last night....
within the first ten minutes my face was contorted with as many wrinkles as a 90yr old....the 'pain'. "I have to sit through another 90 minutes of this??"
i had already written about half of this review in my mind within those first 10 minutes...but then, i decided to 'shut off' the little voice in my head (don't screw up ur face - we all have one, even you!) ...and decided that i'd 'see how it goes'
at the end of it all, i didn't think it was anything earth shatteringly moving/funny/powerful/dramatic etc etc...it was 'ok' ..infact it was yet another installment in a series of 'formlua' productions by this particular group of people...simple example would be their poster - the only thing that changes on that poster every year is the title - everything else - lead actor,actress,director, 'music director'...right down to the designer of the poster...is the same! year after year after year....same 'formula'...
this in mind - after the play was over, i did something i wouldn't have done otherwise....i went backstage.
Now, as a rule, (one've the many little 'rules' i have in my head) i only go backstage after a play if i feel i can be genuine in my appreciation of the play/performers etc...i don't like going backstage and saying, "Hey!!!! Haven't seen you on stage for sooo long - but you looked completely at home out there!! FABULOUS performance! Congratulations" - when what i really want to say to the person is more like - "Why the F#@% are you on stage? Who the f#$% gave you the f$%@%^g right to go on stage and call yourself an actor? Why don't you sell vegetables instead? You should sell vegetables, i think it'll be really good for you...infact, it'll be almost ironic...considering that it'll remind you of your 'vegetative' performances on stage." (No, i haven't said that to anyone.........yet)
anyway...i went backstage after the play - NOT to congratulate them and be pseudo - but to backslap them and be pseudo...i know that doesn't make much sense....i did tell them the truth - just not in the way i've written here...simply because i know a LOT of the cast...and it was just good to see them again. I said the play was 'ok' and that 'last year's play was better' (which isn't saying much) ....but i wasn't blunt with anyone simply becuz all of them were nice people...forget being nice - the one thing that i did like in the play, and the one thing that stands out for me everytime this bunch puts on a show, is that they do it with a lot of 'heart'....they really try :) ...which is why you sympathize with them when they don't quite hit the mark - rather than criticize them unnecessarily...
This is in contrast to the last play i wrote about. I still think that one actors' performance was originally bad. And that the play was really quite boring...and there too - i knew everyone in that cast....but i didn't go backstage cuz...they were going through the motions of 'saying lines the correct way'...or using their 'body' the 'correct way'...or had 'expressions' that had to be 'just right'....there was nothing....well.....'real' about the play. I, as a member of the paying audience, was listening to people indulging each other on stage (it wasn't the case throughout the play...there were a few actors that stood out...or 'moments' rather)....which isn't too different from me indulging my thoughts, through this keyboard, onto this blog...it's ok here - cuz you as a reader, have the option of closing this window whenever you want - no no!! wait...i'm wrapping up soon....but when ur paying to watch a performance...you don't want to watch something cuz it's the 'proper way to do it'...and you most definately DO NOT want to watch egos indulging each other on a public stage...
Also, i must admit...i have a few 'issues' with this bunch...so it wasn't right....but i was a little biased in writing the earlier review...
THIS was the difference between yesterday's show and the earlier one. These guys tried :) ...they didn't really succeed...but they tried to reach out to me - not to 1000 people sitting in the audience - but to me...and i felt it.
In my next posting to do with 'theatre', i think it'll be fair to make transparent the various 'parameters' by which i make these judgements...will also show me how much i actually know about theatre!
All in all...i'm dying to see a play with 'fantastic!!' production value...cuz i think nowadays, unfortunately, since every tom, dick harry and his cousin are so busy trying to 'direct' plays...they've forgotten - or - don't give enough emphasis to the finer details of the performance....the set, the costumes, the lights, makeup...backstage crew....blackouts...and so much more...
It's such a joy to watch a production like 'Fire and the Rain' and 'Tughlaq'... (i haven't seen 'phantom of the opera' yet)..because you know that there's a heeuuuggee production crew at work there...and they're the true heroes of the stage!
So on a parting note - I'd like to thank each and every production crew member for every play that i've ever been a part of - you guys are the one's who make things happen. Without you - there would BE no play...performance....moments in time that the audience is waiting to take away with them...You guys are the one's who make those 'moment's - memories....
*sniff*
;) later
within the first ten minutes my face was contorted with as many wrinkles as a 90yr old....the 'pain'. "I have to sit through another 90 minutes of this??"
i had already written about half of this review in my mind within those first 10 minutes...but then, i decided to 'shut off' the little voice in my head (don't screw up ur face - we all have one, even you!) ...and decided that i'd 'see how it goes'
at the end of it all, i didn't think it was anything earth shatteringly moving/funny/powerful/dramatic etc etc...it was 'ok' ..infact it was yet another installment in a series of 'formlua' productions by this particular group of people...simple example would be their poster - the only thing that changes on that poster every year is the title - everything else - lead actor,actress,director, 'music director'...right down to the designer of the poster...is the same! year after year after year....same 'formula'...
this in mind - after the play was over, i did something i wouldn't have done otherwise....i went backstage.
Now, as a rule, (one've the many little 'rules' i have in my head) i only go backstage after a play if i feel i can be genuine in my appreciation of the play/performers etc...i don't like going backstage and saying, "Hey!!!! Haven't seen you on stage for sooo long - but you looked completely at home out there!! FABULOUS performance! Congratulations" - when what i really want to say to the person is more like - "Why the F#@% are you on stage? Who the f#$% gave you the f$%@%^g right to go on stage and call yourself an actor? Why don't you sell vegetables instead? You should sell vegetables, i think it'll be really good for you...infact, it'll be almost ironic...considering that it'll remind you of your 'vegetative' performances on stage." (No, i haven't said that to anyone.........yet)
anyway...i went backstage after the play - NOT to congratulate them and be pseudo - but to backslap them and be pseudo...i know that doesn't make much sense....i did tell them the truth - just not in the way i've written here...simply because i know a LOT of the cast...and it was just good to see them again. I said the play was 'ok' and that 'last year's play was better' (which isn't saying much) ....but i wasn't blunt with anyone simply becuz all of them were nice people...forget being nice - the one thing that i did like in the play, and the one thing that stands out for me everytime this bunch puts on a show, is that they do it with a lot of 'heart'....they really try :) ...which is why you sympathize with them when they don't quite hit the mark - rather than criticize them unnecessarily...
This is in contrast to the last play i wrote about. I still think that one actors' performance was originally bad. And that the play was really quite boring...and there too - i knew everyone in that cast....but i didn't go backstage cuz...they were going through the motions of 'saying lines the correct way'...or using their 'body' the 'correct way'...or had 'expressions' that had to be 'just right'....there was nothing....well.....'real' about the play. I, as a member of the paying audience, was listening to people indulging each other on stage (it wasn't the case throughout the play...there were a few actors that stood out...or 'moments' rather)....which isn't too different from me indulging my thoughts, through this keyboard, onto this blog...it's ok here - cuz you as a reader, have the option of closing this window whenever you want - no no!! wait...i'm wrapping up soon....but when ur paying to watch a performance...you don't want to watch something cuz it's the 'proper way to do it'...and you most definately DO NOT want to watch egos indulging each other on a public stage...
Also, i must admit...i have a few 'issues' with this bunch...so it wasn't right....but i was a little biased in writing the earlier review...
THIS was the difference between yesterday's show and the earlier one. These guys tried :) ...they didn't really succeed...but they tried to reach out to me - not to 1000 people sitting in the audience - but to me...and i felt it.
In my next posting to do with 'theatre', i think it'll be fair to make transparent the various 'parameters' by which i make these judgements...will also show me how much i actually know about theatre!
All in all...i'm dying to see a play with 'fantastic!!' production value...cuz i think nowadays, unfortunately, since every tom, dick harry and his cousin are so busy trying to 'direct' plays...they've forgotten - or - don't give enough emphasis to the finer details of the performance....the set, the costumes, the lights, makeup...backstage crew....blackouts...and so much more...
It's such a joy to watch a production like 'Fire and the Rain' and 'Tughlaq'... (i haven't seen 'phantom of the opera' yet)..because you know that there's a heeuuuggee production crew at work there...and they're the true heroes of the stage!
So on a parting note - I'd like to thank each and every production crew member for every play that i've ever been a part of - you guys are the one's who make things happen. Without you - there would BE no play...performance....moments in time that the audience is waiting to take away with them...You guys are the one's who make those 'moment's - memories....
*sniff*
;) later
