Theater-Going

This blog mostly focuses on screenwriting and filmmaking, but I also love theater.

This past weekend, I got to catch two shows in NYC and was reminded how fantastic it is to get to watch a live performance – and how much richer the experience can feel than watching my TV screen.

Every once in a while, if you can spare the cash, I highly recommend catching a play. The musicals are the real bank-breakers, but the small dramas can be pretty affordable, often around $40 – and pack a punch.

What struck me the most about watching the plays was how my focus was heightened sitting in a live theater. We can get numb to our TVs/computer screens/etc. Not only does the live environment immerse us that much more in the story – but the story itself is much more focused. Movies nowadays are all about quick pacing: short scenes, constant developments, etc., etc. It keeps us interested but can also feel confusing. A staged drama is typically in one setting, about one long conversation, which contains one strong idea to be explored.

Here’s my two cents on the shows I saw:

Mothers & Sons – This falls into the drama category. Tyne Daly, nominated for a Tony for this one, dominated the stage as Katharine Gerard, the mother of a deceased gay son who visits her son’s former lover for the first time in more than a decade. The lover now has a husband and a son of his own. Daly’s performance is phenomenal, the play offers a lot of food for thought, and the way in which the conversation develops – only subtly dropping hints as to who they are and why she’s there until we get to the meat of the story – was interesting and kept me searching for clues.

It had its flaws… there were a few lines that my sister and I agreed should have been cut, since they just seemed a bit unrealistic and pulled us out of the moment. The ending was also a little unsatisfying, despite the fact it had me crying. Overall, we felt like it had maybe needed one more rewrite to really be perfect – but that didn’t change the fact we had an emotional response and were thrilled that we went.

Cabaret – INCREDIBLE. (And obviously, falls under the more pricey musical category, although you can occasionally find good deals.) This show, about people whose lives are entwined via a shady nightclub and a boarding house as the Nazis rise to power, seemed flawless to me. If not the best musical I ever saw, then the best performances I ever saw, bar none – Alan Cumming as the Emcee and Michelle Williams as Sally Bowles (the latter of which I think is also up for a Tony. He already won for the same role years ago).

Williams and Cumming doing their thing.

I had seen this performed once before. Granted, that was a college production – but it didn’t even come close to the depth of this one, performed at Studio 54 via the Roundabout Theater Company. A new dimension was added when it seemed that Sally Bowles suffered a complete psychological break – something I hadn’t felt in the other production or even seeing the movie long ago.

An added bonus - you can stay for a Q&A with some of the performers after the show. Worth every penny. Go.

Main things I picked up, applicable to all entertainment: don’t underestimate a steady build; subtle hints and clues, moreso than outright telling, play really well and make an experience more emotional; subtleties of a performance can add a lot to a story that may or may not otherwise show up; and finally, keep characters consistent and never forget the power of a larger-than-life personality.