“Big Things Come in Small Packages”…Classic Stage Company’s “IVANOV”

The taste of spit was never so delicious…that is, until I had the privilege of attending Classic Stage Company’s rendition of “Ivanov.” The performance marked a milestone in my experiences with the arts for several reasons. Lacking experience with watching stage performances in such a minute venue, I was initially skeptical as to what to expect from the enclosed stage that I couldn’t help but compare to Broadway musicals and those of other stage performances I had witnessed. Expecting a stifling and lackluster performance, I was proven wrong from the second I entered the venue. Ethan Hawke, the remarkable actor who played the role of the protagonist, Ivanov, was prepared from the very beginning of the play, assuming his position in an unkempt bed as he portrayed the aura of a displeased man trapped in a dull marriage. His presence on the stage as the audience members entered immediately transformed me into the mindset of a middle-aged man in the prime of his mid-life crisis. Despite the serious themes the play explored, some being disillusionment and the lack of empathy within the central character, the portrayal of the characters within the cast was in a humorous manner that garnered some chuckles from me and aroused the kind of excitement that enticed me to have my eyes glued to the screen.

“Great things come in small packages”… the saying could not have been proven any truer as the close proximity of the actors surprisingly enhanced the performance and my experience with the theater. Seeing the brief outline of actors in a Broadway musical as they changed positions is one thing, but being able to witness the facial expressions and gestures of the actors and actresses as they engage in conversations and express their severe emotions made the experience all the more enriching and worthwhile as I found myself entranced by their actions. The moments between Ivanov and Sasha were especially intimate as I felt their wealth of emotions radiate all the way to my seat. I could see the happiness in Sasha’s eyes upon discovering her distorted perception of “true love” and the agony in Ivanov’s eyes as he came to terms with his fleeting marriage with Anna and the need to exorcise himself. I believe the monologues added into the piece also created a more personalized experience for the members of the audience as the actors engaged them in conversation. Ivanov would often times express his frustrations and face all the sides of the audience while asking a rhetorical question in an effort to truly evoke their emotions and enable them to feel his anguish as he, too, expressed it. This technique made me feel as though I was one of the actresses on the stage, merely playing my role as a witness to Ivanov’s folly as he struggles to determine his identity in a mesh of life choices he no longer wants to deal with the consequences of.

Classic Stage Company’s “Ivanov” will always be engrained in my memory as a performance that challenged the norms of stage performances by engaging its audience members in a more intimate environment and on a more personal level. The play breathed life and an innovative dimension into the character of Ivanov, whom was otherwise depicted as selfish and apathetic in the written story. Overall, the performance was rejuvenating and reminded me to appreciate any form of artistic expression, regardless of its size or magnitude.