The Arts in New York City
It was raining and freezing outside and going to Manhattan wasn’t a pleasing idea. After getting lost and almost being late to the play, I finally arrived at the Classic stage company. The building really surprised me because it just looked like a little café from the outside. However, it hid a small auditorium in the back. The place reminded me of the club called Max’s that Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe used to visit before they started out. It felt like a meeting place for artists. The auditorium was very unique, in that the stage was in the center of the audience and was not raised at a higher level. For the first time we didn’t have to look up or down at the stage but could look directly ahead at the performers. Even though it was a very small auditorium, I liked it because it was comfortable and allowed me to feel a connection to the actors. Another thing I liked at about the setup was that the actors spoke to the audience and didn’t ignore them. It made their roles seem more realistic.
I also liked how the organizers weren’t afraid to change the props right before the audience, instead of closing the curtains. It made everything less secretive. I also liked that some of the actors came in from the entrance, which added to the realistic element of the paly. I thought the acting was superb and my favorite scene was probably with the lady in the barn who complained about not having anyone to talk to. Her interaction with the audience made me laugh especially the part where she gave her half eaten cucumber to someone. . I like how the actors used every single prop on the stage and were able to utilize such a small space to its fullest. When they looked at the imaginary cherry orchard, I could almost imagine it being there. Imagining a lot of the things the characters talked about also allowed the audience to take an active role in the play. Overall, I really loved the play and its small setting. I preferred it to a Broadway show because the actors and the story seem too far away and unrealistic. I think this event was probable one of my favorite of the whole semester. And, of course, it was made better with the appearance of Ethan Hawke.
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Saira,
I too thought that this performance was the best one of the year. I walked into the building and thought I was lost, but there were the depressed and forlorn faces of teenagers that told me I was in the right place. The theatre was fantastic. We were literally 10 feet away from the stage, and I finally saw what the performers actually looked like. When I sat down, I could actually fit my feet into the space in front of me, unlike in Carnegie Hall.
The first thing I noticed in the play was John Turturro. Recognizing him from thought-provoking dramas like “Mr.Deeds”, I immediately felt the urge to cry with happiness. When later on it was revealed that Ethan Hawke was in the audience, I actually did cry a little and almost fainted, but I managed to stay concious. My favorite part of the play was when the girl and boy in the straw patch are about to get it on. She unbuttoned his pants, and I was so shocked I almost fell out of my seat. Of course, nothing happened, but for a second I wondered if we had come to the wrong performance. And on the subject, the old women with the cucumber was hilarious. Every performance should have interactions with the audience like this, and if I was that old man, I would have definitely eaten the cucumber.