Category: theatre

One of the problems with plays about real-life conflict and politics is getting the real-life issues right in context. It’s a much more difficult thing to do than you might first suspect. Two Off-Broadway plays take a stab at the Middle East, and pitfalls abound…

Why does the idea of political theatre scare off so many people? “Perhaps the problem is the very term ‘political’: most often it is used to mean theatre with a left-wing axe to grind. So, among other things, the question carries with it a hackle-raising, almost indiscernible whiff of red-baiting: ‘Are you now or have you ever been a member of the…?’ Added to this, there is the fairly mainstream notion that ideas and political theory are limiting for writers, if not downright hostile to talent and the ‘real’, and that truth springs from the individual, unencumbered by the blinkers of politicking.”

With business down, Broadway’s looking for a hit. A bunch of new shows are opening, led by a new musical version of “Urban Cowboy”. So how is it? Terry Teachout isn’t impressed. The story? “By turns cynically maudlin and pointlessly vulgar, it is a tissue of unfunny clichés so implausible-sounding that you wonder how Aaron Latham could possibly have been born in Spur, Texas. And the music? “Have I mentioned the score? Well, there isn’t one, only a jumble of ditties that might have been chosen by randomly punching the keys of an oddly stocked jukebox.”

“The bracing, dizzying state of the world lately has given rise to several plays about politics, and even more articles about plays about politics. The great virtue of plays about political history like ‘Midnight’s Children’ and ‘Golda’s Balcony’ is that they take the seemingly intractable problems out of the realm of finality and return them to contingency, where they belong. They remind us that, although the conflicts in the Middle East and on the Indian subcontinent owe much to ancient grudges and religious rivalries, they are also a product of individual leaders and the discrete decisions that they made.”

“On stage, there may be no more daunting task than the solo performance. The show is you – and you’re the show. But actors continue to brave this special kind of high-wire act. Some of the reasons are economic: It makes for a short line at the pay window. But the more profound lure is artistic: the chance to have the audience all to yourself, to shape an intimate show that’s entirely personal.”

During the 1991 Gulf War, business on Broadway faltered as people stayed home. That hasn’t happened so far with the Iraq war. Last week “business climbed primarily for musicals, with two of the most popular, ‘Hairspray’ and ‘The Lion King,’ selling out and grossing over $1 million each. There were sturdy ticket sales for such shows as ‘The Producers,’ ‘Mamma Mia!’ and ‘Chicago’. Although overall ticket sales were off from a year ago, $12.9 million compared to $14.2 million in 2002, there were more shows playing last year – 31 shows compared to 27 productions last week.”

Michael Billington wonders if West End theatre is at its lowest ebb ever. So he does a little research on what was offered decades ago compared to today. “After comparing what is on offer today with the same week over the past four decades, I have come to the melancholy conclusion that the West End is dwindling into neon-lit irrelevance. What seems to have gone out of the window is the idea that the commercial sector should offer a kaleidoscope of possibilities: musicals, comedies, farces, thrillers, straight plays and classic revivals. The irony is that it is probably better run than at any time in recent memory.”

Is Shakespeare the new opportunity for female actors? “From solo plays to plays using music, dance, and original monologues and dialogues, women are freely appropriating almost anything relating to the Bard – his plays, his sonnets, even his biography – to forge highly original works that showcase female sensibilities, perspectives, and talent.”

Ontario’s Shaw Festival is “launching a major expansion and renovation of its main theatre, the company announced yesterday as it introduced a $50-million fundraising campaign.”

It is a truism that in tough economic times large theatres cut back and small theatres continue doing what they do because their expenses are low. But mid-size theatres – they’re the ones that really get hurt. “With little in the way of economic cushions and small staffs that already have employees doing two and three jobs apiece, these theaters are struggling to economize without having to cannibalize.”