The Arts in New York City
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!
That’s the line so effortlessly said by Ethan Hawke who played the insane but relatable character of Ivanov in Chekov’s first play. It stuck to me. And it stuck to me well.
I can’t even begin to describe this feeling of amazement and engagement that swept through me while watching this play. It has been a while since I actually watched something of the sort. I was so used to watching media from the comfort of my home with a remote in hand. But there was something different…the engagement of actor and audience, even though there wasn’t supposed to be one. Not to sound pretentious or anything but the “connection” that actors and directors strive for was present, especially within Ethan Hawke.
Believability. Strength. Commitment. Right from the first scene, I could see Hawke’s true talent. Behind the tall set, there was a chair in which actors on deck could wait. Many of the actors just sat on the couch with anticipation. However, Hawke “fell asleep” and tuned into that crazy but sympathetic character that is reminiscent of his recent performance in Sinister. So captivating and enrapturing was Hawke’s performance that I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. In the scene before he breaks down in front of the doctor (Who in my opinion I wanted to punch in the face because he thought he was so correct and pompous with his knowledge.) His eyes, along with his visual saliva and spit episodes, told me everything and his dynamics within his tone of voice kept me trembling and engaged in his train of thought.
While listening to what Ivanov was ranting about, I couldn’t help but have a moment of Déjà vu. I kept saying to myself, “This guy is crazy. A bitch. A loner. A loser. How could one do that?” However, at the same time, I realized that he was describing a lot of people, like myself.
In the midst of midterm week, I was almost frightened to see my own character and personality come to life on stage, especially with Hawke’s skills. He began to speak of his failures in life, along with these overwhelming feelings that forced you to become paralyzed within life. I definitely knew the feeling. When school, work, love life (if there is one), just start collapsing on your shoulders that you slip to the point of almost surrender, wanting to just die to relieve all this stress. (Yes, I know this confession is dark, but this play brought it out of me.) And when people continuously nag you about your life and disappointments, you just yell…WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? And that’s what Hawke did. So true to this feeling of failure and paralysis did he portray this performance. Although at times I called him crazy, I couldn’t blame him because I knew what it was like. (Although not to the point of adultery) He was human and that was it. So simple but complex did Chekov explore the aspect of human error.
Along with this analytic first half, one other thing that got my attention was the way in which actors chose the delivery of their lines. While reading the synopsis of the play, I was very surprised to find all these comedic undertones. From all the context, it seemed as though Ivanov was a very strict and stern play about failure and such. At first, I thought I was watching a completely different play from hearing all of this laughter but I soon got the jest of the comical play. (The obnoxious laugh of the man in the upper deck was a clue.)
Even though many of the actors and actresses couldn’t match Hawke’s energy and emotion, I enjoyed the psychological aspect of the play. It brings up the idea of sanity, which is normal and human.
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Your description of Ethan Hawke reminds me of how excited you were to see him act! You are spot on with the part about how his character related so much to midterms week. At first I thought that Ivanov was being a little bit too self-centered by wallowing in his own self-pity, but then I realized that I too have those moments sometimes, when everything is too much and you just want to stop all of the stress. That was a great analogy! However, I disagree with your last point. Ivanov might have stolen the show for you, but I thought Anna acted her part quite well. I could really feel the pain and emotion in her words when she accused Ivanov of being with Sasha while Anna was slowly dying in her bed. I think the fight between Ivanov and Anna was actually my favorite scene of the show. But overall, I’m glad you got to see an actor you admired!