Vieux Carré

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 7:15am

The Wooster Group is now presenting a production of this rarely produced late Tennessee Williams play. Whether you know and love this work, and wish to savor it again, or whether you are seeking to discover its beauties for the first time, I would say in both cases: buyer beware.

This production is a hyperkinetic, souped up, sexed up, technologically wild phantasmagoria, which, in my opinion completely misrepresents the essence of this piece, and smashes this elegiac, poetic, and humane memory play to smithereens.

I admire the aplomb of its young cast, some of whom, unfortunately, have been directed to play their parts way over the top.

I found the whole thing horrific, but several younger audience members seemed to be much taken with it, and applauded enthusiastically.

Compounding the problems was the theatre itself, the most uncomfortable monstrosity since the unlamented Zipper, which at least had its its own funky style. Here you sit not on seats but on padded planks, two to a plank, and you lean against straight padding behind. No armrests, little foot room, everyone cramped together. Add to that the disastrous decision to present a two hour play without any intermission (to prevent walkouts, perhaps), and that the theatre was overheated. The result was a heaping helping of pain.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 9:55am

It's a crappy play. I saw the original production on Bwy and actually fell asleep during it.

My two recollections were of someone tossing boiling water through the cracks in the floor of an upstairs apartment while two gay men were making love directly beneath it; and Grace Carney playing a ghost who wafted through the boarding house.

This was Tennessee Williams at his burnt-out worst.

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 10:12am

Dollypop,

If you disliked and fell asleep during the original production, maybe you would find this one more to your liking, since it bears little resemblance to the play as we've seen it, and it certainly is a wild ride.

But I couldn't recommend seeing any play in that theatre.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:00am

I'm assuming that the Wooster Group is up in MA?

[TheColorOfFlame]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 11:09am

The Wooster Group is probably New York's most cherished and beloved experimental theatre group - MY most cherished experimental theatre group, and certainly Ben Brantley's, for what it's worth (not much, I suspect).

Their productions rarely at all resemble the original source material.

In a way, it's not about Vieux Carre. It's about the lens through which The Wooster Group has viewed Vieux Carre.

They always open my eyes to the hilarity of human nature through their caricatures and over-the-top posturing. I can't wait to see it next week.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 3:00pm

Is it visually interesting or anything? I don't mind experimental theater, but to do me, I sort of question the point of it.

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 3:21pm

To TheColorofFlame,

"In a way, it's not about Vieux Carre."

You're absolutely right. It's about how the Wooster Group views "Vieux Carré." And i guess that's where I disagree with the approach of this group towards this play. I feel any production of a play should be about that play, and not about how a company views that play.


To Rentboy:

Yes, I would say it's visually interesting, with things going on all over the place. Whether any of it is relevant to the text is another thing.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 4:53pm

After Eight, I usually call that "masturbatorial directing" or "the concept got ahead of the train".

I could not agree with you more -- it must ALWAYS be about the play. Even Anne Bogart and her company of viewpoint trained actors know that.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 2/5/11 at 4:53pm

After Eight, I usually call that "masturbatorial directing" or "the concept got ahead of the train".

I could not agree with you more -- it must ALWAYS be about the play. Even Anne Bogart and her company of viewpoint trained actors know that.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 2/10/11 at 3:27pm

Couldn't agree more. A crappy play and a horrible production.

http://familycircle.typepad.com/family-circle/2011/02/vieux-carr%C3%A9-by-the-wooster-group-an-unfocused-mess.html

I just pray that Brantley doesn't wet himself over it...

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 2/10/11 at 3:49pm

Oh, poo. For a moment I thought this thread was about Vicki Carr.
It Must Be Vicki

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/10/11 at 4:03pm

"This production is a hyperkinetic, souped up, sexed up, technologically wild phantasmagoria"

That's Wooster Group's mission. Everything they produce involves technology.

"My two recollections were of someone tossing boiling water through the cracks in the floor"

That was something that happened in the boarding house that Williams was staying in.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/10/11 at 4:42pm

From the original production I remember Sylvia Sidney as some sort of harridan, a naked young man, and in a supporting role, the late Iris Whitney who as urban legend had it, was under John Garfield when he died of a massive heart attack.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 2/13/11 at 8:27pm

I saw the Saturday performance. Thank God I made a point of reading the play again before seeing it. Actually, I found the whole thing rather interesting, albeit bizarre. Having the same person play the Nightengale/Tye characters and the Mrs. Vine/Jane characters worked for the purposes of this production. However, for anyone who likes their theatre to be off-beat, this should be an enjoyable experience. The play moved very quickly and there was so much going on with the mixed-media aspects that I was never bored.

I agree about the comment re: how uncomfortable that theatre's seating it -- WHO came up with the crappy idea of have bench-like seats for two with no arm rest, little leg room, etc. Thank God I had an aisle seat -- otherwise it would have been physically unbearable for me.

I'm sure Tenneessee Williams would have been delighted that both male actors spent much of their stage time wearing nothing but a jock strap.