It was such an amazing experience watching “Little Foxes” in the NYTW! Walking into the theater I really didnt know what to expect. It was a small little place that didnt look like it was that fancy and the space in the theater was pretty limited too. However, as Mr.Goodman introduced himself and the play, I felt like there was something to look forward to, and indeed there was.
To start off, I think that the set was stunning. It looked very extravagant and the purple color of the room gave it a mysterious feel to it. Furthermore, it kept my attention throughout the whole play and made me feel engaged and active in what was going on. As the play started, all I saw was a guy laying down in the LED tv screen. To be quiet honest, I was afraid something would pop out of nowhere as the music in the background gave the set an anxious mood. Although that did not happen, we get introduced to some characters that were in a high place in society around the early 1900’s. When the characters started rolling on the floor, I thought to myself, “How ironic?”. These people may have been considered supreme and powerful to the people around them but in the inside they were cheaters, liars, and scam artists. This was evident as they were crawling around like some animals looking to hunt.
My favorite character throughout the whole play was Alexandra. Her sympathy for her father vs Regina’s cold feelings for Horace made her character very honorable in my eyes. Additionally, throughout the whole play she was constantly looking out for Horace and showing genuine care which contrasted the behavior of the Hubbards. I eventually started to despise this family pretty quickly and didn’t appreciate their greed and selfishness. I also hated the fact that Oscar kept putting Birdie down because I felt like she had great potential and some helpful suggestions that were not even considered. I also felt bad for Birdie because I think living in that family made her become a little crazy as was evident in some parts of the play (all the banging and screaming) but I believe she was still a caring, and generous person. The way she tried to warn Zan was very brave of her and showed her priorities in the family. Addie was another character I liked because of her comedic remarks and confident nature. I felt like she knew exactly what was going on and her presence gave me a sigh of relief.
The idea of using modern clothes and applying this play to current times, I think, was a brilliant one. Living in New York City, one may not relate to the times that was originally set and described so the directors use of different attire may have been hinting to something that is present in our society today. I feel like he was definitely trying to address racial issues but also the economic problems we face today. In one part of the play Regina says something along the lines of, “Either be a N-word or of the upper class, no point being in the middle.” I feel like Hove is trying to portray people in our society today that are on “top” by saying many of them used corruption to get where they are. During the time of the play, Im sure no one suspected the Hubbards of such behaivor but it was there and even today we might not suspect an individual or group of individuals that does not mean that corrupted people do not exist in our everyday lives.
Overall I enjoyed the message of the play and the play itself. I think that it was not only entertaining but also of important value in our lives. I liked the modern twist to the play as it helped the audience relate to it and see the play from another perspective. Even though the lamb scene was pretty disturbing, I thought the ” Little Foxes” was awesome and hope to see more plays like it soon!
