Gone But Not Forgotten - The Persians (Mini-Review) - Magnificent!

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/16/06 at 11:53pm

Just a quickie to let you know there is a very short run of six performances by the National Theatre of Greece going on, ends Wednesday of the oldest play of the Western world, Aeschylus' play The Persians. Greek drama at its best.

In Greek with easy to read supertitles above and to each side of the stage. Music-like sound effects help create the eerie setting. I love a play that doesn't really need a set, and this is one of those.

This production of the classic is using Asian theatre techniques of spectacle borrowed from Beijing Opera, taking the stage with glorious robes of costumes, turbans, capes. Borrowing from Asian theatre actually makes sense, since this is a tale of the Persians, who are Asians, even if a Greek play.

These are all tremendous actors, commited, physical, whose natural voices and laments fill the space with no trouble, un-mic'd. Great presence in this bunch. There can be 25 individuals onstage and each is just that, with costuming and direction that gives each distinct movement and individuality. The blocking and tableaux are to die for in excellence of direction.

Oh! The costumes! Great modern takeoffs on elegant olden Persian robes in a sheeny silver or gold or gold and turquoise mixed. There is a wonderful lighting effect from the modern triangle of tiered see-through steps that gives all the robes a turquoise effect at one point.

The wonderfully voiced King (Yannis Kranas as ghost) and Queen (Lydia Koniordou, the only woman in the play) have costumes with long pillow sleeve effect, a clever steal from the Chinese but who cares--they fill the stage with them to great effect. I won't tell you what the young King Xerxes (Christos Loulis, who evidently is one of the tops for actors in Greece) trails onto the stage in, but it's a great effect!

The choreography--too wonderful. This cast sets the eeriest mood with slow reactive movement at the start, almost Butoh in its effect, as the initial cast eventually takes and sets the stage as the elders awaiting news of the battle of the Persian army at Athens. Oh, their shudders of reaction as they learn the tale and outcome of the battle. Various choreography evoking Persian dance, even hints of some whirling effects along the dervish line later on.

Nice place across the street, Abboccato, at 136 West 55th Street, we sat outside and had seafood appetizers, delicious, before the show. I went with a Greek friend who has a home in the Greek Islands and she loved the performance, too.

Catch it if you can--brilliant visuals and superb cast!

© 2006 nomdeplume by pseudonym All rights reserved.


Updated On: 9/21/06 at 11:53 PM

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/18/06 at 10:34am

Check TDF now--this run ends Wednesday and it's a terrific production.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 9/18/06 at 11:17am

The Times just gave it a rave.

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/09/18/theater/reviews/18pers.html?ref=theater

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/18/06 at 11:30am

Every director and choreographer in town should get their butt to this show.

We could use a few more class acts around town.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/18/06 at 4:37pm

TDF tickets are now gone!

If you can still land a ticket from the box office go and see it!

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 9/19/06 at 12:51am

Well, there are certainly plenty of tickets left. The orchestra was probably about 70 percent full tonight and I think hardly anyone was upstairs. I would imagine this will be at TKTS for all the remaining performances.

I can only echo nomdeplume. If you possibly can, hie yourself to City Center for one of the remaining performances. This is astounding theatre the likes of which comes along rarely.

[Calvin]

Posted: 9/19/06 at 12:02pm

All right, nom. You convinced me. I'm going to give this one a shot, even though Aeschylus was never really my cup of tea. I did have a cat named Xerxes, however.
Updated On: 9/19/06 at 12:02 PM

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/19/06 at 2:41pm

Wow-wow-wow, under "NATIONAL THEATRE OF GREECE: The Persians" the tickets are back on sale on TDF for Wednesday at 8:00 PM.

So glad you will see this incredible adventure in theatre, Calvin. I should have known a good guy like you was cat people.

Anybody serious about theatre in this town--

GO SEE THIS SHOW!

Everyone who works at the Public Theatre should get their fannies in seats to see this show. This is a TRUE modern takeoff on a classic. With the skills that a classic requires to bring it to life even thousands of years later.

You don't just toss any fleabitten movie name and anyone considered "trendy" onstage with a classic to wind up with crap from amateurs.

We deserve this kind of talent from our Public Theatre and other theatres. It takes years and years of knowledge and experience to create a terrific production like this. So much thought and devoted ensemble work in every bit of it.
Updated On: 9/19/06 at 02:41 PM

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 9/19/06 at 7:58pm

Much as I agree with you that this production is remarkable, the Public doesn't have the money to do work like this.This production was workshopped and I would bet that they worked on it for months. I don't think you can do what that chorus did without working on it for months, even if the actors are part of a company. I would imagine that the theatre has 30 or 40 actors on salary all year so that they can produce work like this. You can't do it otherwise. And the Public certainly can't afford that. No theatre in this country can.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/20/06 at 12:08am

The Public has done a great job with some of its shows. I think it can do better, and I wish it wouldn't just seemingly toss casts and directors together for some of its classics. Good blocking and direction hasn't any substitute; I have seen casts do great work in 6-8 weeks. There was a lot of design and brainwork behind planning the movement from tableau to tableau in The Persians. It would be informative to know how long they spent in rehearsal.

I do agree, nobodyhome, that to have the luxury of a troupe of salaried actors gives the actors a chance to develop and hone their skills and create a tradition and style of performance. When I criticize the Public, perhaps it's not fair and they do their best with what they got, but they are who I look to (along with maybe BAM and to some extent the Roundabout) to put on the classics, and I always long to see the best show possible.

They've had the tradition of companies of salaried actors in Great Britain (RSC and other troupes), though even there I read they are doing away with some company salaried acting positions to cut costs. Updated On: 9/20/06 at 12:08 AM

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/20/06 at 10:27am

See it tonight if you can--it's the last chance.

Not listed on TDF anymore, but worth every cent of whatever you pay.

[Calvin]

Posted: 9/21/06 at 10:48am

Nom, darling, I should have known you wouldn't steer me wrong.

I still maintain that Aeschylus is not my cup of tea -- or ouzo -- but wow, what a stunning production! This was the absolute best development of a chorus that I've ever seen in this style of production. I was surprised that something with virtually no plot and in a foreign tongue could captivate me for an intermission-less two hours. It certainly wasn't an easy evening of theatre, but it was a rewarding one. And my little Calvinesque bonus -- Xerxes was a hottie.

Not for everyone, I guess. A lot of people were walking out, which to me, was disheartening. It's one thing to walk out of a production that's dreadful. But to leave just because you aren't getting it, distracting everyone around you -- I mean, you knew what you were coming to when you bought the tickets, yes?

I also noticed they were taping the performance last night. I'm assuming it was for something we'll probably never see, as the videographer seemed to be speaking Greek.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/21/06 at 11:15pm

So glad you were able to catch that terrific staging.

It's a wow that lives on in my memory and consciousness.