In Sunday in the Park with George, Dot, the painter George Surat's lover, talks about the art of concentration when she's modeling for him. She says that she used to think that concentration was about sitting still but now she realizes that concentration is about... about...
Oh. Sorry. I lost my own concentration and can't remember the rest...
This play was a big test of my concentration. Part of that was that I knew nothing going in.
When going to see a play, I feel like it's best to know nothing about it. And while Sunday is hardly a new play, I don't know it at all, it's not often produced, and chances to see it are few. Let alone first class productions.
When I heard there was a revival by the Roundabout Theatre Company, I was so excited and jumped at the chance to see it. I put off listening to my cast recording of the London Revival (The show is a transfer of that production) in anticipation of it. Not wanting to know anything. Wanting to soak it all up fresh.
To say that the show didn't connect to me, is an understatement. I feel like I not only needed to memorize the cast recording before hand, but also have read "Pointillism For Dummies" and taken at least 6 units of Art Appreciation classes at a French Art University. I was so lost the entire show.
That said, it's not necessarily a negative about the show. It was just very dense. The score is beautiful and I think with repeated listening, this could very well be a favorite show. But the experience of watching a show, this show, for the first time, knowing nothing was overwhelming.
The sets and lighting were absolutely beautiful and stunning. Everything was basically projections on three walls. Using the word projections is a little misleading, because saying projections makes it sound cheap. These were truly beautiful, and seamless. They turned us into the world of what George was seeing on his drawing pad. It looked more like living breathing scenery.
Despite my lack of enthusiasm, I feel like it could be a show I grow to love. I know it holds a dear place in lots of people's hearts (The boy sitting next to me was weeping at the first act finale, almost too emphatically.)
I only wish I had studied that cast album before I went in.
In my last blog I mentioned that I was going to see David Mamet's November, but wasn't able to get in on account of the box office not having any kind of rush policy. Damn them!!!! I don't quite know what is next on my list... until then!
1 comment:
knowing that you didn't like it probably means I'll live for it. :)
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