Albee's THE GOAT (or WHO IS SYLVIA?)

Has anyone seen or read this play? I just came back from a fantastic performance in Toronto. What a brilliant play -- the circular symantic games are typical of Albee, but the Greek tragedy component (emphasized by the production I saw) is something new.

I was wholly taken in by the play. Albee was very clever to write in a gay son: without him, the central conflict would have, ironically, just been an allegory for homosexuality. But with the openly-gay son already addressing that particular issue, the play's themes are broadened considerably to explore the boundaries we create for ourselves, the arbitrariness of (and mechanics behind) what is acceptable and what is condemnable, and the conflict between natural behaviour and imposed expectations.

What are other people's thoughts?

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I read the play and saw the excellent production at the Alley Theatre. I think it is a fantastic play--darkly hilarious and touching. Albee is a bad*** that 40 years later, he could still be so provocative.

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Someone directed this using classical styles of performance? That must have been a train wreck!

I saw "The Goat" in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum and it was wonderful. Everything--sets, costumes, lighting, and acting style--were very naturalistic which totally worked. The point is it's a simple story of adultery with one major difference which should make us question the boundaries we set in our relationships (as the original poster said). The only thing that should really make the piece look like a greek tragedy is that last Medea-esque moment.

BlueWizard,

I'm glad you liked CanStage's version, but most of my friends that saw it thought it was pretty dreadful. They all read it first and loved the script, but thought the acting and direction was pretty bad.

Akiva

Shows are generally meant to be enjoyable. Don't feel bad if you go into them with an open mind and come out liking them.

I've seen several shows (films and plays) in the last week that I've liked. Come to find out most people didn't. Oh well, right?

I think there has been some bad blood between Ouzounian and CanStage ever since they produced his musical LARRY'S PARTY a few years back (which, by the way, was a very good show and I am sorry so little of it has been recorded!)

RO did not like GLASS MENAGERIE (which I and most of the other critics loved), TAKE ME OUT (we were all pretty mixed on the direction of that one), MY MOTHER'S FEET (whch was dreadful), HABEUS CORPUS (which was more fun that RO gave it credit for ), THE GOAT and now CROWNS. Of course he did give AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' a rave and found the whole thing on the dull side, though not through any fault of the performers or the production.

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I also saw the LA production and agree with everything mygf said - especially the performance by Brian Kerwin!

And it really shouldn't be THAT surprising that Mr. Albee knows what he's doing

I saw it once on Broadway, and my jaw pretty much scraped the floor the entire time---I was gobsmacked by this show! I would definitely see it again---not so my friend, who I think is still angry with me for picking this show to see!

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I like that CanStage takes risks but most of the time they backfire. Case in point this production and there horribly overconceptualized and overchoreographed production of Sweeney Todd

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Oh man, I might have to make another trip up for that. I really hate productions that turn HAIR into a multimedia experiance. This could be an interesting train wreck, as opposed to Sweeney which was just painful.

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I love this play, at the Taper I was stunned, although I thought the actress who played his wife played too much to the audience sometimes, she was funny but I think it changed the intent of the play and diminished the final moment of the play. I think this play should be performed as naturalistically as possible, these people should be smart and clever but should always stay based in reality. I also think the set at the Taper, while beautiful, looked like a museum lobby. I thought if these people seemed more upper-middle class than upper-upper class it would have been more effective.

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Not all of your friends hated it, Akiva! I saw the CanStage version during previews (with Simon) and we both loved it. It was over a month ago, so my mind's a little muffled as to why we loved it, but it was enough to make me think about seeing it again. I know my parents also liked it quite a bit.

I read it a while back. Its brilliant but only for certain tastes. It's very very surreal and odd but stunningly masterful.