Posted: 5/8/19 at 12:21am
Being a Sam Shepard fan, I had high hopes for this production. Ultimately, this is just an okay production of a dated play that is really showing its age. That doesn't mean it didn't hold my interest for 2.5 hours, it's just that this production seems to amplify the flaws in the play instead of working around them.
The production begins with, what I guess you would call, a jarring coup-de-theatre that the remainder of the production never actually tops.
Shepard's play is populated with unpleasant characters looking to get out of their circumstances but they spend the entire play working against each other instead of with each other.
The play is very heavy on the metaphors, as is much of Shepard's work. I hadn't realized just how "on the nose" the metaphors in this play actually are, if that makes sense. It's part of why I think this comes across as dated and heavy-handed, when it has potential to be more timely and relevant, in the right hands.
Unfortunately, this play is populated with obnoxious characters. There is not a single character with whom to connect or root for, and that may be the point. Shepard likely wanted audiences to connect to his larger themes, but slapping people in the face with metaphors and yelling at them, probably isn't the best way to do it.
The set is fine. The lighting is fine. The cast is directed to yell every line, as seems the case with so many plays, lately. I haven't been onstage in years, but I can't ever recall being told to just memorize my lines and then shout them. The cast isn't bad, per se, but after a very long 1hr 40min first act, intermission was a welcome respite from all the yelling.
FWIW, the folks in front of me left at intermission and the person next to me yawned repeatedly and spent much of the play looking at their watch.
Not a spoiler, but there is a live lamb in the show and it got the expected reaction. But, I wondered if some of the audience had zoned out of the play when, during a monologue, the lamb was busy being cute and there were audible "awwws" and "oohs." It made me wonder if people were paying more attention to the lamb than they were to the human speaking.
I don't think this will have the impact those involved had hoped, but it's Sam Shepard and that's okay with me. Glad I went, but I wouldn't sit through it again.
PS: I don't want to be that guy but I'm going to be. There were not half-sheet paper towels 40 years ago. It's very noticeable and somebody was a bit lazy.
