THE TESTAMENT OF MARY previews- Page 2

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 3/31/13 at 7:36pm

I saw it yesterday and am still not sure what I think of it.

I am curious, for those who read the book, how close does the play follow it.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 3/31/13 at 8:54pm

Hmm. Just found out I'm comped for Thursday, might as well check it out.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 3/31/13 at 8:54pm

Hmm. Just found out I'm comped for Thursday, might as well check it out.

[Pammylicious]

Posted: 4/1/13 at 11:24am

Is it good for the Jews or not?

Updated On: 4/1/13 at 11:24 AM

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 4/1/13 at 1:00pm

I am not religious, so I can not say if it is good for the Jews or not. I will say I do not know understand why it attracted protesters, I guess I do not see it because I am not religious. LOL!

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 4/1/13 at 8:06pm

It played to 30.27% capacity last week. Yikes.

[whatever2]

Posted: 4/1/13 at 10:49pm

didn't it just start previews last week???

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/1/13 at 11:36pm

Has anyone rushed it yet? I would like to rush tomorrow night's performance, but can't get to the theater until 11am. I'm assuming with those grosses, I won't have a problem. Am I correct?

Where are the seats?

And thanks in advance!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/1/13 at 11:48pm

It did not play to 30% capacity. It made 30% of its potential gross.

It played to 70% capacity.

[Pammylicious]

Posted: 4/2/13 at 10:15am

Totally agree with Whizzer. I hated it. Disliked the character immensely.


**SPOILER**

What was the purpose of the audience visiting the stage beforehand?

Was it me or was she portrayed as a alcoholic, psycho bitch?

[CarmenDeBris]

Posted: 4/2/13 at 12:35pm

I rushed the show saturday morning. I just stopped over to the theatre after I got my rush ticket for Pippin and got a seat in the front row. It is student rush to just clarify and I was asked to show an ID.

[macnyc]

Posted: 4/2/13 at 12:46pm

***************SPOILER*************************

I have no idea why the audience was invited up on stage before the show. I didn't go up because I was seated in the fourth row, and felt I could see everything from there. I guess the glass enclosure that Shaw was seated in covered up the pool on stage, which we subsequently learned was pretty deep! Otherwise a few audience members might have gone missing.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/2/13 at 1:21pm

I got a rush ticket at 10:45 this morning. Seems that I was the first one by my seating assignment. The Box Office staff was very friendly.

I'm a huge Fiona Shaw fan, so I'm very eager to see this. Will definitely post my thoughts later tonight.

[WhatIWasBorn2Do]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 10:12pm

Saw the show tonight. Was enthralled, but not in love. It was a very moving, engaging, and fascinating piece of theatre. Fiona Shaw was good in the beginning, and then great at the end. It was a very fast 85 minutes, which I was happy about. Not being very religious, I found the show easy to follow and interesting. I went up on the stage beforehand, and it DEFINITELY helped me connect with the show. Im surprised no one has mentioned the oddity of this being performed in a huge space, with the huge proscenium. At some parts, it really worked to the shows advantage, but at others, I found myself gazing around and just listening.

~SPOILERS~
The items on stage confused me at points. I understand the symbolism mostly, but some didn't resonate.

I dont really understand why she got naked and went swimming, in that moment it seemed random. It also caught the audience off guard (obviously) and took a minute or two to get back into the show.

So, I was captivated and moved and enjoyed the show. I am really glad I got to see this type of show, and it was also my first one person show. Not sure if I would recommend this as much as I do Vanya/Sonia, but it was worth seeing as a student exploring and learning all ranges of theatre.

[macnyc]

Posted: 4/3/13 at 11:21pm

I interpreted Mary's plunge into the pool as a baptism or some other ritual cleansing. But she didn't seem changed in any way afterward, so I really don't know what it was supposed to be..

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 4/4/13 at 10:58pm

Saw it tonight and thought it was great. Definite nomination for Shaw, maybe even a bit of an edge because she'll still be running come Tony time. (I think.)

The nudity, audience on stage, and vulture that disappears within the first three minutes all read like gimmicks. It was nice to be able to stand on the other side of the glass and look directly into Fiona Shaw's eyes, but other than that there wasn't much point in having the audience on the stage. I only went up there to stand where Christine Ebersole stood and get in a "Da da da da dum." :)

As for the play itself, enthralling is indeed the perfect word for it. The narrative does take some huge jumps (Wedding at Canaa to Crucifixion?) and it isn't exactly clear who Mary's two visitors are, but I'm glad I went.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/4/13 at 11:01pm

Someone asked how it compared to the novella. I can only judge by the comments in regards to the play, but it seems to be pretty faithful. A vulture, from what I remember is mentioned (but no act of Mary actually taking off her clothes--again from what I remember.) Thinking back on how disappointed I was with the book, I could see it working better as a dramatic monologue, in some ways.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/6/13 at 11:51pm

I saw this tonight and have to join the camp of people who were not fans. It just was not for me. I thought it was pretty pretentious to be honest, even Shaw's performance, which was way over the top. I have no doubt the woman can act her ass off, and she's absolutely giving 150% here, but I felt like I was being screamed at for a majority of the show. Frankly, I didn't get the symbolism of most of the objects on stage and thought the staging was at odds with the environment (bombastic and crazed, but the show took a mostly minimalist approach at the same time? I just didn't get it.) This approach to the character of Mary wasn't as "revolutionary" or "fresh" as it thinks it is. I thought it was edgy just for the sake of being edgy, wasn't particularly moving or insightful, and felt long for 90 minutes.

A lot of people around me were nodding off and checking their watches throughout. This was a tough one. It is worth noting that Shaw did get three very enthusiastic curtain calls tonight. Updated On: 4/6/13 at 11:51 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/7/13 at 12:50am

I saw the play tonight and it didn't offend my Catholic senses. After a few minutes I realized it was more fiction than a literal (or even radical) view of Scripture. It bothered me that so much was out of sequence with the Gospels (the wedding at Cana should precede Christ's public ministry and Mary and Martha lived in Bethany--not Cana.) On further thought, maybe that's the point that the author was trying to make: that Luke and John were deliberately distorting the actual facts.

Equally annoying is the way Shaw is directed to move items from one side of the stage to the other without any motivation.

Was I bored? No. Was I offended? No. All I can say is that it was better than THE ANARCHIST.

Updated On: 4/7/13 at 12:50 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/7/13 at 1:16am

Your Catholic senses?

[Spotlight Star 82498]

Posted: 4/7/13 at 3:59pm

Saw this last night and was in the first row on the left side. Really didn't love it, but didn't HATE it. It was okay and I soon realized too how this wasn't offensive, she still loved her child. She just didn't want him to die. I walked on the stage before the show and it was interesting with all the different set pieces. Shaw was great but the pacing was a little off. Once it took off, which was about half way through, it took off and it went fast. The nudity was done tastefully and the water from the pool touched the front row a little. (Feel like there should've been a warning). So, I would not recommend this to anyone really. So don't rush to see the show ad I think it is RIDICULOUS that they are selling that god awful balcony for 50$! I would give this a 3 out of 5.

Updated On: 4/7/13 at 03:59 PM

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 4/7/13 at 4:08pm

What did you all make of the vulture. (Sidenote: an usher told me his name is Pinhead.) Yes, there's the story about the man feeding the rabbits to the vulture as Jesus was crucified, but why have him onstage only to have him disappear before the play even starts? I think it's just a cheap gimmick, but I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions.

[Dubliner]

Posted: 4/7/13 at 6:26pm

Oh dear the production sounds rather gimmicky. In Dublin Garry Hynes set it in a simple hut with a tented roof that extended over the audience. Mary just had a table and chairs. There was no vulture and no bathing. I wonder is the script very different? In Dublin it was called just Testament and she was just called Woman. The book had not been published at the time.

Updated On: 4/7/13 at 06:26 PM

[Michelle4]

Posted: 4/7/13 at 7:13pm

*Spoiler*

I viewed the vulture as symbolic of the opportunistic apostles who wanted to use Mary's plight (when she was at her most vulnerable) to enhance their tale. The story of the rabbits getting their bellies torn out would seem to represent Mary in her misery and confusion, frail and easily manipulted after her beloved son's Crucifixion.
I am Catholic and intially was unsure if I'd want to see something that may be disrectful of my religion. After seeing it, I found it far from it. It seemed more fictional and based on a story of Mary as a regular human being and what she may have gone through emotionally as an ordinary person. Did it make me question whether the story of Jesus' Crucifixion was simply a tale made up by overzealous apostles? I think if it had, I might have found this to be a rather controversial show but as is, I found it to only be a what-if scenario. Interesting enough to think about, but not to be taken so seriously as to be offended by it.


Updated On: 4/7/13 at 07:13 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/7/13 at 9:58pm

Shaw's re-telling of the Crucifixion is one of the best parts of the evening.