Ivanov Review

Although I have never been a huge fan of theatrical plays, I was excited to see Off Broadway’s presentation of “Ivanov” when I heard that Ethan Hawke would be starring in the play. Although Ethan Hawke was the only actor I knew at the performance, he wasn’t the only star; every actor/actress was able to portray their characters effectively and I was able to feel the emotions many of the characters expressed. For example, Ivanov’s depression and struggles felt all so real to me, and Anna’s anger and Sasha’s love towards Ivanov was heart warming. It’s truly amazing to see the actors and actresses lose themselves in the play. They become so absorbed in their performance that at times, chunks of saliva would come spewing out of their mouths; a true talent.

While I was mostly excited to see Ethan Hawke perform, the two characters that constantly grabbed my attention were Borkin and Lebedev. Borkin’s accent was pleasing to the ears and he was full of energy, spoke with a powerful voice and had strong body movements. Lebedev, my second favorite character, possessed such wittiness and humor that he added a comedic aspect to the play. Since the entire plot had a serious message, I enjoyed these comedic scenes in that it provided moments of relief from all the built up tensions. Ivanov was also portrayed very well, but I felt that his scratchy voice was not projected as loud and powerful as characters such as Bolkin and Dr. Lvov.

Overall, I thought the play was very well performed. There were very intimate moments that stimulated my sympathy, such as when Ivanov and Sasha expressed their love towards each other near the end of Act II. I really enjoyed how the actors spoke to the audience, which connected the viewers to the performance. It was especially amazing how some of the actors/actresses were able to cry on cue.

There were some moments where the dialogue would be too quick for me to fully comprehend so I would look at the audience for their reactions.  In addition, I would have really liked to see some changes in the scenery. Unlike “L’Elisir d’Amore,” the story of “Ivanov” unfolded within two main sceneries. Multiple sceneries and props would retain my attention a lot better and would have a much better aesthetic appeal. Also, I didn’t expect Anna to have such fury towards Ivanov. This is definitely not to say that she has no reason to be angry, but I did not expect Anna to openly express so much anger towards Ivanov. I expected more of an internal struggle for her.

In the end, I really enjoyed this performance and it has even sparked a possible interest in theatre for me. I would definitely recommend this performance to anyone who hasn’t seen it!

 

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