Monday, October 29, 2007

When I say OFF OFF OFF Broadway, I mean it.


I knew Hairspray and Legally Blond wouldn't work for us. Needless to say, our first theater pick in NY was an off off off Broadway play, i.e. the furthest thing from all the pizazz, thrill and extravaganza packed into a typical Broadway show. Now, since the Mint Theater offers seating for 96 (no standing room) it is supposed to be by definition off-off Broadway, precisely because of its having fewer than 100 seats. However, an artistic director who has the guts to produce and stage the totally unheard-of five-act, 3 hour long ONLY play written by Leo Tolstoy... he truly deserves 3 offs. With the play's oppressing and disturbing beauty, with the company's mission to "bring new vitality to worthy but neglected plays", with a theater space so small that from the last row you could stretch your arm and congratulate actors with a hand-shake, with the building anonymous entrance -including the chicano doorman reading comics-, the Power of Darkness was an unforgettable remarkable experience. For those who happen to be in town: the production has extended its limited engagement for an additional week of performances, until November 4.

2 comments:

Giovanni Stoto said...

mmmmmmhhhhhhhh, let's c...

"Written in 1886. The play was long-banned in Russia. The central character is a peasant, Nikita, who seduces and abandons a young girl Marinka; then the lovely Anisija murders her own husband to marry Nikita. He impregnates his new stepdaughter, then, under his wife's influence, murders the baby. On the day of his stepdaughter's marriage, he surrenders himself and confesses to the police."

Ve la siete cercata, scusa...!!! :-)

Silvia said...

diciamo che era ancora meglio di The Science of Sleep!! :)