Annie Baker's new play is 3.5 hours long!

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 7/16/15 at 9:22pm

According to Signature's website.

There is a very vague blurb there about the plot of her new play, John, but it really gives nothing away.

Does anyone know anything about this play? 

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 7/16/15 at 10:04pm

All I know is that if it's as great as The Flick was, I'll be there in a heartbeat. 

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 10:05am

Totally thought that said Anita Baker and I got so excited.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 10:17am

Are you surprised the play is this long? Did you see THE FLICK?

The plot summary is intentionally vague. From a New York Times piece on Baker and Sam Gold:

“John,” she said, is the result of “a totally new set of obsessions,” though she wouldn’t share many particulars. With some reluctance, she provided only the first act of the script and access to a few of its scenes in rehearsal. She confirmed that in subsequent acts it veers away from naturalism, inspired by magical realist writers like Bruno Schulz and E.T.A. Hoffmann. “It hopefully gets weirder and weirder,” she said.

Link to full article

[anmiller07]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 10:18am

"Totally thought that said Anita Baker and I got so excited."

this.

[PJPan]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 12:10pm

I'm just terribly excited to see Lois Smith and Georgia Engel on stage.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 6:43pm

As much as I've enjoyed her prior work, I cannot fathom 3.5 hours for theater

[Fantod]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 7:31pm

So you can't fathom about half of Eugene O'Neill's work?

[xxdrewboy85xx]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 7:38pm

I'm really excited about this. I'm a huge fan of Annie Baker's work, I think Aliens is my favorite. If a play is engaging and the acting on-point with no pacing issues then 3.5 hours can go extremely fast. Plus Annie Baker and Sam Gold together is never a bad thing. 

 

I really want to get my hands on a copy of Nocturama.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 8:23pm

correct. i cannot fathom sitting in uncomfortable seats for long stretches of time...I loved Jerusalem - think that was the last epic length piece of theater I saw.

[Fantod]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 8:49pm

You can buy Nocturama in the Vermont Plays from TCG. It's quite good, and I'd place it above Circle Mirror Transformation but below The Aliens, The Flick, and Body Awareness. It would probably be about 4 hours long on stage.

[Mike3]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 10:24pm

After seeing THE FLICK, I will entrust myself to Annie Baker and Sam Gold any time. 

I'll be there on 7/26, and I look forward to every minute.

Updated On: 7/18/15 at 10:24 PM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/17/15 at 10:52pm

I'll be there in the evening on the 26th... 

[Vespertine1228]

Posted: 7/19/15 at 8:09am

Looks like I'll be seeing a matinee. 

If it's a great show, I never care about excessive length. Especially because I always stand up for the entire intermission. I've never understood why so many people stay in their seats the whole time.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 7/19/15 at 10:58am

I love a long show in the summer. You get so much free A/C.