Weekly Margin 2024, W20: Three Houses, The Good Person of Setzuan

5/14/24: Three Houses

What: Signature presents Dave Malloy's new musical, a loose adaptation of The Three Little Pigs, that sees three disparate individuals at a mysterious open mic night, sharing the stories of how they "went crazy" while isolated during lockdown in 2020/2021.

And? "My heart broke, and then the world broke, and then my brain broke too." Dave Malloy truly is a special voice in the theater, and I'm always grateful to see a new work of his. He's so adept at coming at ideas from weird angles, offering new lenses on things that are simultaneously relatable and entirely unfamiliar. His agility at dilating the experience of obsession and addiction, as demonstrated here and in Octet and Preludes, shows a person who knows of what he speaks. While this probably won't surpass Great Comet or Octet for me among Malloy's canon, I still loved it and am glad I saw it.

Mia Pak and Margo Siebert. Photo by Marc J. Franklin.

Streaming

• Wilma Theater's The Good Person of Setzuan.

Weekly Margin 2024, W19: Staff Meal, Sleep No More

5/07/24: Staff Meal

What: Playwrights Horizons presents Abe Koogler's new play about a mysterious restaurant, that is somehow a mix of meetcute, restaurant culture, vagrant culture, a demolished fourth wall, and the end of the world.

And? This play is so fucking weird and I absolutely loved it. I don't properly know how to talk about it without spoiling it, and it's so much better to go in with as little information as possible. Fantastic work from everyone involved, including the eerie scenic design of Jian Jung lit gloomily by Masha Tsimring, with uncanny valley sound design by Tei Blow, and a pitch perfect ensemble cast, both heartbreaking and hilarious, directed by Morgan Green.

Jess Barbagallo, Carmen M. Herlihy, Erin Markey, and Hampton Fluker as
Server, Server, Christina, and Waiter. Photo by Chelcie Parry.

5/11/24: Sleep No More

What: Punchdrunk's immersive adaptation of Macbeth and the Paisley Witch Trials: an installation across five floors of a warehouse with dance and promenade audience, flavored by the music and style of the 1920s, and the scores of film composer Bernard Herrmann.

And? Technically a repeat visit, but after over a decade of not attending: I came to say goodbye, as the show will be closing next month. I didn't go in with a set plan, but let myself wander the space and explore the quieter parts of the space. I got to see the ballroom dance twice, once from the lower level, and once from the mezzanine, as well as a number of solo moments I didn't remember from before. I saw the card game but never managed to catch the interrogation. I followed Catherine for a good spell. I had given up the idea of getting a farewell 1:1 and was fine with that, when -- I got the sixth floor 1:1! After all this time! I'd assumed it wasn't happening anymore, once they opened up the Club Car upstairs. I've learned my lesson a bit since the year when I posted every spoiler and secret I could uncover here, so I won't detail it here (but will privately upon request). But oh, I'm so grateful I finally got to experience it. A beautiful farewell. And my friend Sophia left with a kiss from Hecate on her mask.

The card game. Photo source.

Weekly Margin 2024, W18: Illinoise, An Enemy of the People

4/30/24: Illinoise

What: A dance musical inspired by Sufjan Stevens's album Illinois: a collection of stories told around a campfire of lanterns.

And? A lovely aesthetic experience with hynoptic music and Justin Peck's excellent modern dance choreo. I probably didn't get the full intended experience out of this as I couldn't always understand the lyrics being sung, but there's a lot of talent on that stage and it's worth seeing for those who like dance pieces.

The company of Illinoise. Photo by Liz Lauren.

5/04/24: An Enemy of the People

What: The new Amy Herzog adaptation of Ibsen's play about a doctor who, in trying to warn his town the groundwater is contaminated, is isolated and ostracized by a town unwilling to contend with an expensive truth.

And? It was fine. Sam Gold didn't ruin it like he's been ruining Shakespeare lately, and I do love seeing shows in the intimate Circle in the Square theater, but I don't think this production will stick to my ribs for long.

Katie Broad, David Patrick Kelly, and Victoria Pedretti as Randine, Morten
Kiil, and Petra Stockmann. Photo by Emilio Madrid.

Weekly Margin 2024, W17: Macbeth (an undoing)

4/25/24: Macbeth (an undoing)

What: TFANA and Rose Theatre, London present Zinnie Harris's new adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy which reexamines Lady Macbeth's arc as well as the influence of the weird sisters. 

And? The production makes a strategic error by backloading all its most interesting choices to the second act (a friend of mine left at intermission). The first act is still mostly Macbeth, with a few additions that add flavor but not a lot of substance. And there's entirely too much air in it for the stakes to feel real. As act two develops, we start to see more of the Lady M lens with some inversion of the madness between her and her husband, but there remains a substantial muddiness in the rules of the play, so that some sudden fourth-wall breaks and story awareness feel unearned and ungrounded. I don't regret seeing it, but it's not a must-see.

Nicole Cooper as Lady Macbeth. Photo by Ellie Kurttz.

Weekly Margin 2024, W16: Titanique, Water for Elephants, Here There Are Blueberries

 4/16/24: Titanique

What: A jukebox musical parody of the Titanic film.

And? Very campy fun.

Michael Williams, Nicole Parker, and Lindsay Heather Pearce as Jack,
Celine Dion, and Rose. Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

4/17/24: Water for Elephants

What: The Broadway musical adaptation of Sara Gruen's Depression-era novel about a young man who hops on a circus train to escape family tragedy and, you know, there's an elephant. I don't know, this show's least interesting aspect is its story.

And? I kept trying to figure out, while watching the show, why it wasn't quite working for me. It has a lot of elements I like: inherently theatrical storytelling, a deep bench of talent with the supporting players and ensemble, some striking music and harmonies, and a design team working well in concert with each other. And a lot of the time, this all works. The aerial ballet for the dying horse is heartbreaking and beautiful and a perfect demonstration of what this show is at its best. Sara Gettelfinger's triumphant Broadway return as the aging dancer Barbara is everything perfect, as is Paul Alexander Nolan's seedy turn as the ringmaster (the way he makes every note look effortless should be criminal, as should be his ability to steal nearly every show he's in). It's also a treat to see and hear Wade McCollum (Ernest Shackleton himself!) onstage again. And then the ensemble, which includes a number of alum from the Canadian acrobatic collective The 7 Fingers (Les 7 Doigts de la Main), is a stunningly united company repeatedly drawing gasps and applause from the audience (the co-choreographer and circus designer is Shana Carroll, co-founding artistic director of The 7 Fingers).

Okay, that all sounds great, so what's my problem? The story is kind of eh. The main character, though competently performed by Grant Gustin and Gregg Edelman, is perhaps the least interesting thing onstage. The solo songs aren't nearly as enjoyable as the group numbers. The puppets, though fine, made me long for the craft of Handspring Puppet Company (the group behind the puppetry in War Horse and Life &Times of Michael K, where the puppets were fully infused with breath and life, and I cared). And with all the acrobatics and circus activity, director Jessica Stone hasn't done enough to focus my eye: I didn't always know where to look.

tl;dr: the show is less than the sum of its parts, but some of its parts are extraordinary

The cast of Water for Elephants. Photo by Matthew Murphy.