shows shows

So apparently Vanya was the 5th show? I’m having a lot of trouble keeping track of where I am in time and space, etc. Thus, I’ll just go ahead and critique the shows I’ve seen since Othello.

White Guard: Viewed at MXAT. An awesome production. The most naturalistic performance any of us have seen since arriving in Moscow. Set around the White Army vs. Red Army conflict, it took place in a single apartment (according to the set that I saw, anyway) and had some pretty brilliant performances. “Normal” but wonderful costuming, a close to normal set, naturalistic acting and movement, beautiful lighting. Some of our group had already seen the show, and came back ranting and raving about it. I won’t deny that I was expecting something or other walking into the show, but I tried to be as objective as possible. And while I really liked the show, it didn’t blow me away. Griffin asked me why and I supposed that I’m very difficult to impress, especially as I’ve been paying more and more attention to the design aspect of these shows, having worked on Richard 3 this summer. But this design was awesome... I’m not entirely sure why it didn’t change my world. But it didn’t. I liked it, but it didn’t change me.

King Lear: Viewed at the Satirikon Theater. Another phenomenal show. A crazy set, involving a large board with a baby’s face on it and a giant red parachute carpet. Entertaining, but unnecessary. And I’ve developed an appreciation for necessary sets. The performances were great, but the design bothered me almost the whole time. It took me until the second act to get over it and really pay attention to the performances. And I honestly preferred the second act, design preference aside. The last image of the show took me completely by surprise and absolutely and completely changed my world. Three pianos onstage (I am NOT at all kidding-every single show I’ve seen has a piano onstage), three of Lear’s daughters, dead and sitting on the piano stools, collapsed onto the keys, three pools of light (not spots, pools), beautifully loud and epic music. The girls fall, each in turn, onto the keys or onto the floor (as it happens), and Lear goes to one at a time and picks them up and replaces them as they keep falling. Beautiful.

Masquerade: Viewed at the Vachtangova Theater. Favorite. Favorite favorite. A crazy show that I’m absolutely in love with. Didn’t understand a lot of it (because, you know, it was in Russian or whatever), but the design was wonderful wonderful. Staged inside a snow globe (sans glass, obvi), complete with fairly realistic-looking snow (and I could not for the life of me figure out what they used). Meyerhold influenced, therefore the movement was exact, beautiful, and more expressive than anything else I’ve seen. And it had a sense of humor. I really and truly didn’t want to go to the show, because it was the third show I’d seen in four days. Super tired, but glad I went. Favorite costuming choice: a beautiful white dress with full sleeves and a long skirt, with pink pointe shoes. Lovely.

And those are the shows I saw this week. I’m tired, somewhat hungry, it’s Saturday night...

So.

Yeah.

Bye.