hpeabody930 said: "I was at the first preview on Saturday. Sonia Friedman came out beforehand saying that the company had not yet run the full show with tech, nor had they finished teching the end of the play, but that they were going to go for it.
There's not a particularly delicate way to put this but.... it was terrible. The direction and production on the whole were so pretentious and unfocused, it's hard to imagine it getting much better. Performances are fine, but it was the first time I genuinely felt like I was watching actors being held hostage on stage. There were no dynamics in the production, everything was treated with the same weight, which made it difficult to follow. It became about directorial gimmicks of filmed conversations (and parties) in bathrooms (why???), strange bits of narration, and just general lack of clarity in the story being told. No chemistry between any of the actors whatsoever. They totally missed Eve's cunningness and her ability to manipulate others, and Margo became a thankless role who eventuallykind of disappeared from the play. Tonally it was all very strange. Like a dark, campy, pseudo-melodrama- which I don't think is wrong for All About Eve, but itnever gelled.
It was my first van Hove play, and from what I understand the Brechtian quality seems to be his thing, so maybe it's just my taste. I'm all for Brechtian, but let's be clear about what the story is that we're telling and why we are telling it in this way.
And yeah, WOOF, the ending. I don't even know if I could spoil because it is truly so insane that it makes no sense. Let's just say that it includes people appearing out of a bed, smearing lipstick on their face, and playing the piano. Mhmm.
I've heard that they've changed it since Saturday and granted according to Sonia, they hadn't properly teched it. But oh man. Another instance of watching probably great actors being held hostage.
Happy I saw it, but trust no one who says it is good. :P"
It sounds like you saw the same ending I did which was completely fitting and made complete sense so I have no idea what you are going on about.
