That Championship Season (First Preview)- Page 2

[A Director]

Posted: 2/18/11 at 4:51pm

It was the FIRST PREVIEW! It takes time for actors to settle into a play. Any play in previews is a work in progress!

"This play may really improve as the cast works together in front of a live audience."

By the way, Jason Patric's father wrote this play.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 2/18/11 at 5:35pm

t was the FIRST PREVIEW! It takes time for actors to settle into a play. Any play in previews is a work in progress!

That doesn't mean that it wasn't boring. It's just a fact. It was boring the first few previews. That may continue; it may not. But at least it serves as a basis for comparison to later previews/performances.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/18/11 at 7:24pm

They've been with the material on it's feet for at least 3 weeks now, so it shouldn't take them that long to find their footing. The play is well directed, but it just lags any motivation or forward motion. I found myself looking at the set details more than listening to the words. I felt like the playwright reiterated a lot of his points. I mean, how many times did we need to the coach to say things like "look at you guys, look what happened" or some variation on that.

[A Director]

Posted: 2/18/11 at 11:20pm

RentBoy - Have you ever been in a play or musical? Based on your comments, I guess not. Yes, the actors have been with the material on it's feet for at least 3 weeks. What is now being added to the production is the audience. The director and actors are discovering how the play plays in front of the audience. This happens with any production no matter how long the cast has been with the material. I know actors who have said, it takes at least a month to settle into the show. Of course, the audience shouldn't be able to tell. I have seen shows in first preview or on opening night and then have seen the same show months later and the production has grown and changed.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/19/11 at 2:11am

Yeah, I know this. I'm not stupid. I'm not knocking their performances. I thought they were all fine, if not a little one note, but I just think the play is rather boring.

[jbmurray2]

Posted: 2/21/11 at 10:56pm

I saw this last Saturday night. Great cast. Unfortunately, story line is not that strong. It drags on at the end. Gets repetitive. And ending is not that meaningful or surprising.

I really did like the characters. Kiefer played a character that was a nice change from his recent and better known roles in film. Jason Patrick was a great drunk. Chris Noth was good as a a-hole. Gaffigan was really good for someone I wasn't familiar with and only knew as a stand-up comedian. And Cox played a familiar character to previous roles, but shined as always.

Maybe the story is worked on in coming weeks. Would require some major re-works I believe to be great.

[Jon]

Posted: 2/22/11 at 10:37am

Well, there's not much that can be done to fix the script, since the playwright is dead.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/22/11 at 1:28pm

And it won a Pulitzer! ha.

[AC126748]

Posted: 2/22/11 at 1:57pm

There are many plays that win the Pulitzer and don't hold up well at all. I can think of scores off the top of my head: Abe Lincoln in Illinois; All the Way Home; The Gin Game; The Shadow Box; Crimes of the Heart; Effects of Gamma Rays...

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/23/11 at 8:23am

AC:

The plays you mention may not be worldbeaters, but I think they're still effective.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/23/11 at 11:06pm

I def. don't care for Gamma Rays.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 2/24/11 at 9:33am

You mean it won the Pulitzer and its not very good??? How could something like that happen???