Truth to be told, I did not want to travel all the way to Manhattan to watch a play; Sunday nights are better spent in bed. Even though it was dark and rainy, I dragged myself to the subway station and arrived at the New York Theatre Workshop for a surprisingly entertaining night.
After the audience received a welcoming from a representative of NYTW, the lights flashed on and eerie music began to play. The first thing I noticed was the LED screen in the middle of the stage and immediately I recognized that it was hanging above a staircase. At the same time, I noticed a female walking to the front of the stage to stare at the screen. Since we weren’t supposed to look up anything about this play, I thought that it would be something set in the modern times. However, after the entrance of Cal and Addie, both servants to the Hubbard family, I realized that something was definitely weird. The way that Cal and Addie spoke and the way that they were treated reminded me of the way many Blacks were treated way back in time. The use of the “n” word was the clearest indicator that this play was not set in modern times. Although people still use that word today, it is definitely not used in the manner that was portrayed in the play. The use of this word may have offended many people, but I feel that the director was right to include this in the play since it is such a clear indication of the setting.
In addition to the screen and the staircase, I also noticed the purple carpet looking walls and floor. Actually, I don’t recall if the floor was purple but I do know that the walls were! I actually thought that the room looked really tacky but over time it grew on me. There was a small keyboard off to the left, a bottle of wine on a small tray in the center front of the stage, and small light fixtures hanging from the ceiling at multiple points. Besides those things, the stage was clear and furniture was very minimal. I actually thought that the set design worked for the play. The same room was used throughout the play and I thought that it was brilliant. It wasn’t necessary to change scenes because everything seemed to be centered on the events that happened inside the house. Actually, the more I think of it, the more I view the room as a cage that held all the conflict inside.
Now let us move on to the clothes. That was another thing that confused me. If the play is set in the 1900’s, why are the clothes so common looking to a girl from 2010? All the men were dressed in suits while the females were dressed in cocktail dresses. Way too modern for the times. Although it might’ve helped to see the characters wear the “correct” clothes, I’d like to admit that I’m glad they did not. I’m sure that the director chose wisely to not incorporate period clothes since I was able to understand the setting and the conflicts of the time all without watching the actors parade around in funny looking garments.
Last but not least, I’d like to comment on the actors. I didn’t really enjoy the acting in the first 10-15 minutes but then I realized that it wasn’t the actors/actresses that were fake, it was the characters. Overall, my favorite character was Alexandra. She was the least corrupt and the one that grew throughout the play. I thought that the actress fit the role of Alexandra almost perfectly. I give her props for falling off the staircase in one of the last scenes. It seemed to hurt. Her Aunt Birdie was my second favorite because she represented a repressed woman that wants so badly to escape the life that she was granted. I almost wanted her to have the life that she wished to have. The way that her husband, Oscar Hubbard, treated her was very crude but sadly the way that many women were treated back then. Oscar, Benjamin, and Leo as the men of the Hubbard family wanted to profit so badly from the people of their neighborhood. The way that they manipulated Regina and Horace (parents of Alexandra) almost made me shudder at how mean people could be. The scenes between Regina and her brothers were usually playful and also hostile. I thought that the tension in those scenes was very interesting and representative of sibling quarrels. The part with Regina and Horace, however, drove me crazy. I didn’t understand where all the love went. ): Whatever to that though.
If you were to ask me to watch the play again, I would say yes. I wasn’t at my most attentive and I’m sure that I missed a few points here and there. The plot was attractive to me and the acting wasn’t bad at all. I’d say bring on the weirdness again.
