The Arts in New York City

To say the least, I was utterly confused because I was waiting for a plot to unfold. When the performance actually ended I thought it was intermission. Sigh. Now that I think back, the whole thing seemed like streams of thought mixed with some scenes that actually happened. In the very opening of the playfor example, Joseph Cornell was talking about food he likes to eat, and then suddenly he snaps into reality when the waitress alerts him.

So one of the expressive elements used I think is the set itself because it is symbolic of his mind. The sky in the back can just go to show that there is no limit to how far your mind can take you.

I’m not sure when there was juxtaposition or not, but I did notice that the people and hanging objects were constantly rearranged. At times it would seem really frenetic, especially in the scene where Joseph was describing to his brother the events of the day. Contrastingly, in the end when he moves the sun over, and arranges the cast in the box, he seems to achieve a harmony. Perhaps he figured the priorities in his life and has found the “true love” (which I still don’t know what it is).

Although I was lost for much of the performance, one of the greatest revelation for me was the woman who was talking to Joseph and was saying how she would buy shoes that she likes and never wears them and how woman during Marie Antoinette’s time lost their hair because of the lead they used on their face as makeup. She says we do all these things because that is the flow in which society goes.

The performance was “interesting”. I’m just kidding! I was bored at times because I didn’t know where the performance was going and it was just all over the place. I wish I understood the fact that it was just more of screening of Joseph’s art an poetry as opposed to a story. Other than that, the lights, staging, overall aura of the theater were excellent.