The Arts in New York City
The night was cold and rainy; I took out my phone trying to determine where exactly the Classic Stage Company was located. The streetlights were scarce, but there was one building with doors open, lights on, and bustling with people. I muttered apologies for crashing into people as I tried to get into the clump of Macaulay students attending the play. As we were ushered in, I took in the setting and how remarkably small it was compared to anything I was expecting. The stage was masked with a sheer white cloth, enough to see the outline of the actor on stage with some objects. This cloth was pulled out of the way by three different people walking at the same time – it was an art in itself.
The transitions and use of the property was fascinating. We would hear sounds out of the room, which was just as surprising to us as they were to the actors. People walking, laughing, yelling, and train sounds all brought the play to life. When the play moved into the other acts, the lights were darkened and people wearing the clothing appropriate for the time period moved in and changed the sets. The entire fashion worn by the actors and stagehands brought an authenticity to the play that I definitely appreciated.
The acting was superb, especially as we considered their facial expressions and the interactions with the audience, since we were so close. The audience, however, was not an integral part of the performance; we were merely there – watching the events unfold. In the breaks of the audience, they would walk through, as if these paths were just instinctive. Unlike the other performances we went to, we were given an amazing look at this play – the story was easy to follow, the music played a small part in the play. It really felt like we were transported to their memory – as I imagined what they were talking about. There was no cherry orchard. That was the biggest part of the play, but I didn’t seem to miss it. I imagined it just as how they described it – the path going through the cherry orchard, the blossoming blossoms. This just solidifies the brilliant acting that we witnessed. The connection of each actor to the cherry orchard was palpable. This connection was the most significant portion of the play – not the missing objects.
This performance was my favorite out of all the performances that we went to this semester, not necessarily because of the presence of esteemed actors – but their specific acting in this play. I was genuinely interested in how they would bring Chekov to life.
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I generally liked this review. It provided a perspective of the play, The Cherry Orchard in not a bland, “informative” view, but in a personal view. It was highly descriptive, providing the art not only in the performance itself but on the settings of the performance, combining the sheerness of the cloth, the smallness of the Classic Stage Company, and even the rainy day with the actual play itself. I also liked that you did say about the acting skills of the cast, the close proximity we were to the cast and the absence of the Cherry Orchard. I loved how you were able to bring your experience at the Cherry Orchard to life just like the play was able to bring the play to life. However, it would have probably been better if you connected the reading of the Cherry Orchard to the play that you have watched. Otherwise, excellent review!
I felt that this review accurately depicted the experience at The Cherry Orchard. It hits all the main points in terms of acting, transitions and surprise. I also thought that it was one of the best performances that we attended. I liked the fact that we were able to get a close view of the actors and actresses and be able to see their facial expressions. Although we sat at the side, there were some instances where the actors and actresses were looking directly at us. This is in sharp contrast to the other performances that we went to such as Don Giovanni. In these other performances, we always sat in the back or in the balcony seats. For me, Charlotta stood out the most. Out of all the actors and actresses she was the only one that interacted with the audience. The scene that surprised me the most was when she took out the cucumber and started eating it. She even ended up sitting with the audience.
I also liked how the transitions between the scenes were played out. Unlike other plays, the curtains were see-through, allowing us to see the set changes. It was interesting being able to see the objects on stage being taken out and brought in one by one. It helped to create a more intimate atmosphere because we were able to get a glimpse of the backdrop and how these sets came to be. This along with the music made the interval between these scenes changes pass by quicker even though they technically took more time than in performances such as Don Giovanni.