A week of Plays.

I have seen several plays in the last week.  Here is a run down.

"Holy Rosenbergs" by Ryan Craig; Story of a Jewish family in London.  A son died fighting in the Gaza Strip.  A daughter is working on a U.N. report on human rights violations in the Palestine/Israel conflict.  Another son is trying to deal with failing to measure up to expectations.  A father is trying to get the family business back on its feet.  A mother trying to keep it all together.  An excellent production.  I was told some of the actors are world class, but I do not recognize them.  I was an engaging story, well written script with real characters with strengths and flaws.  The set was a dining room in a very intimate theatre.

"And I and Silence" was in a theatre above a wine/tea/coffee shop; very small, 50 seats.  The story is of two women, one white one black, who meet in prison in the USA then live and work together after they are released.  It is a sad tale.  It bounces back and forth from their meeting and forming a friendship to after their release 7 years later.  It was played by two sets of actors.  The production was not as polished as other plays I've seen here.  One of the actors had an affected almost caricatured voice.  The others were very believable.

"As You Like It" by Shakespeare.  A delightful show at the New Globe.  The players are a traveling company of eight.  They had great energy and it looked as though they have worked together for a long time, and those relationships helped them in the play.  The performance gave me ideas of how the plays were performed originally; in the same space, the same time of day, minimal set, sound, and lighting.  I was moved as much by the story, a comedy, as by the actors working so well.

"Hamlet" by Shakespeare.  "Gaaaaa..." is what I wrote in my notebook.  Very tedious.  The actor who played Hamlet did everything I have been training not to do.  He just said the words, very very fast, with nothing behind them.  He did not relate to other actors.  He had his monologues planned out.  At times involuntarily vocalized my disbelief at his changes in mood.  If I ever act like that, please put me out of my misery.  The other actors were passable.  Palonious I did not understand.  Horatio and Claudius were good.

"Proof" by David Auburn.  I saw it in Greenwich (That's the Greenwich as in "Greenwich Mean Time") at Greenwich Playhouse which is above a pub.  It was a small theatre, 80 seats.  There were great characters all around and it is a great story.  I had a couple classmates play the last scene, so it was nice to see the entirety.  The actor that played the sister at one time I though had a great sense and physicality of a hangover, but then she did the same stuff the next scene, so not so good.  A fun time, I am going to see another play there next week.  I had a thought during the play, since I am versed in Mathematics and Science.  Will my various experiences help me in acting as far as just the knowledge goes?

I am still hitting the play circuit hard, more to come.