My recently pleasurable experience watching ‘Love’s Labor’s Lost’ at the Pub Theater and midterm assignment to write a review has sparked my interest in the theater section of the NY Times.. Which led me to this article, ‘When Two Beautiful Lives Begin to Unravel‘, by Charles Isherwood. This is a review of the play ‘Belleville’, about a young couple married for five years who live in Paris. The play is an observance of how the couple’s marriage slowly and inconspicuously unravels (as the title of the review says) and falls apart. I love how Isherwood marvels at the fact that the play is set in Paris, pointing out how the city itself is associated with an amazing and romantic vibe, yet the marriage crumbles apart regardless. Isherwood mentions that the opening scene starts off with Abby going home, expecting an empty apartment but instead finds her husband, Zack, in the bedroom during a moment of “self intimacy”. I found it quite funny and interesting for the play to introduce itself in this way. The fact that the play is about a young marriage that the two lovers may have ‘stumbled into’ too quickly makes it a topic very easy to relate to to nowadays as young adults fall in and out of relationships based on impulse.
Isherwood’s description of the playwright’s “thrillingly good play’ and ‘nail-biting psychological thriller” stirs up a curiosity in me, not only of the storyline but also of the quality of the perfected directors choice, made obvious by Isherwood. He mentions how the characters are “portrayed with insight and delicacy”, and how Zack “never loses his laid back charm”; how a knife is brought onto set for practical purposes but automatically creates an idea that it might be used “for more gruesome ends” and even the closing and opening of doors “resonate with ambiguous meaning”. All in all, I guess I actually wanted to comment more on how I found Isherwood’s review to be extremely effective and well written, urging me to see this play.
Would you say that this article supported your heightened interest in the theater section of the NYTimes? You seem to have really enjoyed Isherwood’s review. The words you quote him on are really attractive and make me want to read his review!
This play sounds very interesting and I would love to go and see it someday. The plot allows the audience to really connect with the play. Today many people rush into marriage and don’t consider the alternatives and I feel that one can learn something from the play.
A play’s success or appeal often stems from the audience’s ability to relate to the plot. The first few years of one’s marriage are often an adjustment period where one individual tends to scrutinize the other and find small nuances in character or behavior. Belleville picks up on this notion and promises to be an exciting performance.
The plot of the story seems interesting and displays how some people are getting married too young. I mean with the rate of divorce now i would definitely take my time before getting married. I don’t think that the first years of marriage are the time to find out about your partner that should be done before marriage.
Hey Jessica, this seems like an interesting premise for a play. But I agree with you that Mr. Isherwood’s review is well-written and probably makes me more interested in this play than the plot line.
I definitely agree with you that this production is particularly relatable. As the fad of marrying at an earlier age continues, many obstacles and nuances are created along the way. This play seems like the perfect example and after reading your post about it, I am definitely fascinated in seeing how it all unravels on stage.