The scenery and costumes were lush and era appropriate, some of the actors were truly wonderful in their roles, and the cast of the Agatha Christie novel was more or less successfully truncated to the tastes of modern audiences. The doctor and the Countess were combined in to one person (what a feminist), all the couples travelled alone, and the cook and baby nurse were smashed into a ridiculous Christian (how awful) missionary who wanted to help the sick and starving in Africa. And while it did nothing to pare down the cast, a great American tragedienne was transformed into a musical comedienne with a bad voice. All the elements of a modern American comedy were there in full force, and it was only the bones of the Christie novel that were on stage. Yes, Dame Agatha added elements of comic relief in her novels, but they were never comedies.
And why would Murder on the Orient Express not be a comedy? Well, first and foremost because it was developed around horrible crimes: kidnapping and child murder. In this production, you even see the kidnapping and fear of the young girl as she is hauled away into the night (of course that should lead to hijinks, right?) Next up the grieving parents both die tragically, the father by his own hand and the mother in childbirth. The household's maid also kills herself, a miserable foreign woman, alone in America who is subject to suspicion that she might be involved. In the book, the survivors act out of anger, grief, and heart wrenching sorrow. In their despair, they seek justice.
The "canon" of English literature provides many opportunities for comedy. However brilliantly executed, this was not a good idea. Murder, kidnapping and suicide are never a laughing matter. But the production did prove one thing, a cleverly conceived lie can be believed. One who was unfamiliar with the Christie novel might actually believe that she made light of human agonies, when Christie and her detectives never did that.
If you want comedies, Princetonians, they abound. Hamlet and Murder on the Orient Express are not comedies, no matter how much you yourselves, want to break Western Society. You got a glitzy, well acted production, ridiculing the grieving families, successful businessmen (Bouc can be considered successful) and a Christian missionary (inspired to be one out of an enduring sense of guilt that she was unable to save the child in her care). It "worked", but should it have done so?
Was it meant to be funny at all? Under different direction, Bouc could have been tamped down, our musical comedienne could have been played as a sad woman who turned to alcohol (she drank like a fish) to comfort herself, and the guilt-ridden baby nurse could have been NOT played for cheap laughs. If you must have a comedy, please rid yourself of the kidnapping scene. It hurt.
Sick of minimalism? Does minimalist clothing, furniture, food or freedoms get on your last nerve? Me too. I am a maximalist. I want more. I love collecting books, perfumes, household objects, plants and jewelry. Most of all I prize my Constitutional freedoms and choices. I do not want to be told what to do, what to read, what to eat or what to believe. I don't want to work hard and give it all away to fund someone else's idea of fairness.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
A Farewell to being locked in at McCarter
Cancelled our automatic renewal at the McCarter today. The subscription office acted stunned and asserted that my opinion on the season was wrong, and that the shitty production of Hamlet was superb. I told her that people walked out, and that Mr. Maximalist and I were far from alone, and I reminded her that there were plenty of empty seats to start with. Eventually she conceded that I had a right to my opinion (how fucking noble and gracious of her.)
Anyway, I do not go to the theater to have my culture insulted, or to be bombarded with political viewpoints. The recent productions of Shakespeare have been dreadful (I do not think Marc Anthony's death was hilarious and Hamlet's soliloquys deserve more than a speed reading)and the other plays have largely been manipulative.
I long for the days when they did beautiful productions of French comedies or Greek tragedies, or even thoughtful Shakespeare.
If you go to the theater on a constant basis, perhaps these offerings would be like a burst of spice or an appealing palate cleanser. We don't. So we will be carefully picking and choosing on what we spend our precious free time. A subscription to McCarter is just frustrating and annoying at this time.
Anyway, I do not go to the theater to have my culture insulted, or to be bombarded with political viewpoints. The recent productions of Shakespeare have been dreadful (I do not think Marc Anthony's death was hilarious and Hamlet's soliloquys deserve more than a speed reading)and the other plays have largely been manipulative.
I long for the days when they did beautiful productions of French comedies or Greek tragedies, or even thoughtful Shakespeare.
If you go to the theater on a constant basis, perhaps these offerings would be like a burst of spice or an appealing palate cleanser. We don't. So we will be carefully picking and choosing on what we spend our precious free time. A subscription to McCarter is just frustrating and annoying at this time.