Anyone going to SPEED-THE-PLOW tonight?- Page 2

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 12:27pm

The mezzanine was pretty full also. Maybe a handful of seats in the front section were free and the rear looked fairly full when I stood up and looked around just before the show started.

Did anyone stay last night long enough to see Raul? I left around 9:50 after Piven came out and went back inside. I'm definitely going to go back sometime soon during the middle of the week when it won't be so crowded afterwards.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 1:25pm

How does rush work? How much?

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 2:06pm

Stage door was crowded?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 2:47pm

Rush is $26.25, 2 tickets per ID, two hours before the show, whatever's left.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 2:50pm

I would say about 35 people were there. They didn't have barricades set up initially, so when Elisabeth Moss came out to look for a friend and then was coaxed into signing it became a bit of a scene. They brought out the barricades before Piven came out and it was a bit less chaotic.

[boonanas]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 2:58pm

Piven and Moss were the nicest. I can't believe Raul wouldn't just come out and sign some stuff even when he was RIGHT BEHIND the stage door, yet Piven and Moss came out and signed everything even though they weren't leaving yet. When they said no one else would be coming out for another hour, I got the **** out of there and was able to catch the 10:13 PM train home. Nice night. And my girlfriend made Jeremy Piven laugh.

Rush was cash only, BTW. Great seats though.

[antiandrewx]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 3:39pm

Where were your seats?

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 6:03pm

I am surprised anyone came out right away. Don't they get notes during previews, especially the first one?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 6:11pm

They probably came out right away to sign and whatnot before being given notes, so people didn't have to wait while they were doing that. After the dress, the cast was given notes, but Jeremy popped out for a few minutes to sign and take pictures, and then went back inside.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 6:28pm

^ What she said. Moss was out of the stage door before most of the audience was out of the theater.

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 9:15pm

Very thoughtful of Piven.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 10:54pm

I went tonight, and yes, I rushed. And before you ask, my seat was on row BB right in front of the stage. I could see everything, and the stage wasn't too high.

Now, for the show. I have to say I was disappointed. I don't think it's the actor's faults, but maybe. I just didn't like the play. It didn't compel me, and I wasn't engaged. I hated a lot of the dialogue and felt it came off very "stagey." I know that language/words/rhythm is Mamet's thing, but I didn't care for it. A lot of the dialogue felt forced and very static. However, there were moments when it worked and the actors were using it and working with it instead of trying to force it worked. I really enjoyed Piven and Moss, I thought they worked the dialogue (for the most part) very well. However, Esparza seemed to force it at times. He was great sometimes - a lot of the time - but then sometimes it just didn't seem real to me. His big blow up at the end didn't seem to have any sort of weight or any sort of backbone. It seemed to come out of thin air and then evaporate almost as quickly. There didn't seem to be a sufficient build up to the brawl. I didn't even realize the play was over until we were standing on our feet clapping for the actors. I just didn't care for the story or the writing, but maybe Mamet isn't my thing.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 10:59pm

And, lastly, can a brotha get some sound design? The scene transitions were so freakin' awkward! I understand it's a preview, and the second one at that, but can they do something to cover up the noise and the awkward silence? There was some loud clicking noise - I'm not sure if that was considered part of the "sound design," but it was quite annoying.

Ugh, I had such high expectations, but I guess the actors were worth it, but not something I'm dying to see again. And man, I can't even being to imagine Madonna in that role.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 11:07pm

Those are great seats. A friend of mine got front row. It's weird, the stage looked higher to me than it used to. I couldn't tell if I was seeing things, or if there was just more built onto it than there had been for Company.

His big blow up at the end didn't seem to have any sort of weight or any sort of backbone. It seemed to come out of thin air and then evaporate almost as quickly.

That's exactly the point, if I'm interpreting the play correctly. Part of what Mamet is doing is pointing at the absurdity of the whole thing, isn't he? Charlie gets all mad almost out of nowhere, and then suddenly they're friends again. It's supposed to be ridiculous.

Updated On: 10/4/08 at 11:07 PM

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 10/4/08 at 11:48pm

Potential spoilers below:

I think the blowup works because of how Charlie acts in the first act, insanely nervous and exceedingly thankful...then he explodes for two minutes, and then reverts when Bobby realizes what the hell is really happening. Like emcee said, the transition and the reversion is ludicrous, though Esparza's performance of Charlie's tirade against and questioning of Karen brilliant. Personally, I really only started liking Esparza's performance post-outburst. Before that I could not tell if it was the dialogue, his diction, or something else, but I really wasn't digging what he was doing.

[CockeyedOptimist]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 1:00am

Is Piven's acting any different than his portrayal of Ari Gold (i.e. does he bring anything new to the table)?

Also, I too am curious what the stage door is like. I absolutely adore all three actors and everything they've done prior to S-T-P, so I am going to stage door this one. Is it crazy? Are they taking pictures with people? (Whatever, I'll admit it, I really want pictures with them :) I don't care if that makes me a pathetic fangirl haha)

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 2:38am

He basically plays a variation on the same character, but that's not to say it's a bad thing. it works well for this, and it's obviously not the same character. Gould has a more emotional arch than Piven has probably shown on the show, so I was surprised by that, and I really enjoyed his performance.

I agree, Frogs_fan85. He seemed really disjointed with the dialogue he was saying. I felt like a lot of the time he was just throwing words out there without actually playing what he was saying. Like, I'm guessing a lot of the dialogue is written in a staccato manor with a lot of breaks between words, except he wasn't really connecting what he was saying. He would just say the words as written without playing the in between. It didn't really work for me. And I understand the "blow up" situation and I can understand how it works, but I don't care for it. If it was intended for a comedic effect, I think that was lost. But then again, I don't think the show was my sense of humor. I found myself just staring at the play instead of laughing with it. I have more of a "The Office," "30 Rock," and "Family Guy" sense of humor, and I felt like this was just telling me "THIS IS FUNNY, SO LAUGH" a lot of the time - especially with a lot of Raul's line readings. And I didn't see much of a change in his character at all, but that could be the writing.

[boonanas]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 9:12am

I thought that role was perfect for Piven because he made everything he said seem funny. I'm not talking about the giveaway lines like Fox: "Do you know what I'm talking about?" Gould: "NO". I'm talking about the lines that had something to them.

I also thought Esparza was excellent, one of the best actors i've seen on stage. (I've never seen him before except in the documentary on Broadway where he was in Taboo)

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 11:44am

Rentboy, the loud clicking noise between acts was supposed to be a film projector.

Cockeyedoptimist, Moss and Piven took pictures with those who asked. And I agree with Rentboy, Gould experiences much more of an emotional arc than anything Ari has ever gone through. The way he delivers the news to Charlie in the third act is way more emotional, exhibiting nearly sadness and depression, than any of Ari's stuff.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 11:57am

We are going this afternoon.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 12:03pm

Yeah, and from my first row seat I could def. see tears in Piven's eyes at the end. It was a nice, gentle touch. And I'm not bashing Esparza, he was excellent at some points, but at the beginning he and Piven just didn't mess well, they eventually found a nice stride. But Esparza's stage acting, and Piven's stage acting are two different styles because Piven and Moss are probably more use to the subtle television acting, so Esparaza was a bit much up-close, but perhaps from the balcony he was just fine.

[Hest882]

Posted: 10/5/08 at 7:31pm

I wasn't sure if I was liking the play until the sucker punch of the 3rd act, actually. It was great to see Raul--he is just such an expressive actor. Jeremy Piven was quite good but basically playing a variation on his Entourage character. Elizabeth Moss was lovely as well, but I've never found her all that compelling on Mad Men so she was as good as expected...but no more.

I came away from the play feeling thrilled, as did my husband. That said...given the length and the confines of the play I wouldn't say it's worth paying full price for unless you are a huge Mamet fan or a huge fan of one or more of the actors. Discounted or rush price? Sure. It was very good theatre, just not at inflated Broadway prices.