59E59- On a Stool at the End of the Bar

Of all the Macaulay events that I have gone to, this one was by far my favorite. Professor Ugoretz was right when he said that we would definitely be surprised. The plot twist was perfect and everything that led up to it in the beginning helped connect the beginning to the end.

I especially liked the way the creators of the production made it have an actual message. Most of the plays and performances that I have watched never really had such an apparent theme. The play was meant to “expose some of the most pressing issues facing members of the LGBT community today.” I would not have to read the various handouts I was given upon entering the theater to figure that out. Just by watching the first half of the play it was easy to see just how the plot related to today’s issues in the LGBT community. I think that having a message that clearly intertwines itself into a story is important. That way, whoever is watching would know what the writers are trying to tell them. If there was social commentary involved in Carmen, I most certainly did not get it. However, I understood what the writers were targeting in this production. This is a major plus for the play.

Another thing I enjoyed about this play was the set and the entire environment. The way they were able to perform an entire play with just the same set was remarkable. I also liked how the theater was small. It made the performance feel like it was more “in your face” than anything I have ever seen before. It definitely makes the writers’ purpose much easier to convey. It also makes you invest more into the actual performance. The small area makes you stop thinking about whatever it is that you were thinking about and focus exclusively on the performance. Even the simplicity of the set helps you concentrate. Everything about the performance was critical and meshed well with everything else. I enjoyed this performance immensely.