What is the most difficult play to stage?

[Krauter]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 8:38pm

Curious what people feel is the most difficult drama to stage...

[mjohnson2]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 9:18pm

DEATH OF A SALESMAN

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 9:21pm

Black Comedy.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 9:21pm

BEN-HUR. It calls for a realistic sea battle and chariot race, but it was quite popular in the early 20th century and was staged in sports arenas.

[missthemountains]

Posted: 9/21/14 at 10:06pm

I would rank Spurt of Blood by Antonin Artaud to be pretty high up there. It's been deemed unstageable by a lot of people.

[OtherDaryl2]

Posted: 9/22/14 at 4:37pm

Stindberg's Ghost Sonata; Rice's Subway; Balm in Gilead . . .

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/22/14 at 5:42pm

"The Lieutenant of Inishmore" can't be easy. All that .... (SPOILER ALERT) ... bodily fluid. I've always wondered about the stage crew between performances, too. Too obvious? Still.

[mikem]

Posted: 9/22/14 at 6:35pm

Of recent Broadway plays, I think War Horse would be very challenging for anybody without the resources that Lincoln Center has. The horses are integral to the piece but don't have any lines, so you have to find some way of making them come alive with limited resources and budget. I am having trouble envisioning how a community theater could do this show without having it seem silly (which would be counter to the whole piece). The play also has a large cast, and has songs that have to be played and rehearsed as well, so it's also a bit of a budget-breaker.

I do not know when the rights were released (the tour finished pretty recently), but it will be interesting to see what regional productions are like (and how many there are -- this could be one of the least-produced Tony winners for Best Play in recent memory).

[sabrelady]

Posted: 9/22/14 at 6:48pm

Back to Methuselah By Shaw.
I've seen it done- just not well. Shaw himself never expected any one would actually do it.

[Krauter]

Posted: 9/22/14 at 10:30pm

Wow...thanks for this. Frankly, I was not aware of this piece and having read the script, and watched a few attempted versions, I agree that this is amazingly difficult, yet fascinating. I am working on an idea and was trying to come up with an angle and this certainly fits what I was looking for, perfectly.

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 9/23/14 at 12:31pm

I would have to say "If there is I haven't found it Yet" Jake Gyllenhaal was in it at the Laura Pels. The ENTIRE stage is flooded at the end of the play, almost up to the actors knees! Anyone remember that? Try to pull that off in a theatre without a very large budget.

[GoSmileLaughCryClap]

Posted: 9/23/14 at 12:51pm

As a genre, farce can be one of the hardest. Reading the thread, Noises Off came to mind. Think about the sheer volume of stage business and props in both acts. It's insane. And there's no breathing room as it's structured like a Swiss clock. I've never looked at the published script, but it must have more directorial notes than actual dialog.

Updated On: 9/23/14 at 12:51 PM

[eperkins]

Posted: 9/23/14 at 2:24pm

I would have to say "If there is I haven't found it Yet" Jake Gyllenhaal was in it at the Laura Pels. The ENTIRE stage is flooded at the end of the play, almost up to the actors knees!

I think that play could be done just fine without the flooding at all.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/23/14 at 4:57pm

Most of Sarah Kane's stage directions. Those are laughable and impossible if taken literally.