A Theatre Update

I've seen two more shows this week. Here's the scoop:

Playboy of the Western World in a new version by Bisi Adigun and Roddy Doyle
This show was hilarious. The audience chuckled their way through most of the show. Unfortunately, as the writers adapted the play, they lost much of the tragic part of tragicomedy and the play glossed over the danger and the darker themes that make Playboy what it is. I have to do my performance analysis on this play, so it will be a welcome challenge. I've done my research and I hope that I can please the tutor - she seems to keep changing her mind about what she wants in the papers. Another bit of good luck came with this show: The Abbey produces teacher guides for workshops based on their current performances, and I was able to obtain one for my Youth Theatre independent study.

Long Day's Journey Into Night
Well...it certainly was long. 4 and 1/2 hours long. I admit that I probably bothered my seat neighbors because I got squirmy by the end of the show. It was neat to see James Cromwell on stage, but I kind of wanted him to just say "That'll do pig" so that we could all laugh and go home. There were some poor choices made by the actors, but overall I really loved the text. I had never seen or read any O'Neill before and now I feel that I must learn more about his work.

Today I have the morning off to work on papers (hurrah!) and the German students who are living in my house are going to cook authentic German food for us tonight. I'm also looking to get tickets for a puppet version of Neil Gaiman's Coraline on Monday.