(no subject)
Sep. 16th, 2017 09:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
If you are currently in Boston, you have one week left to go see Or at the Chelsea Theater! As
aamcnamara put it on Twitter, "it is the Restoration queer bedroom farce spy writing-themed play of your dreams."
Or features three cast members, playing, respectively:
- former spy and ambitious playwright Aphra Behn
- Charles II of England and also Aphra Behn's ex-lover double agent William Scot
- Nell Gwyn, and also Aphra Behn's elderly and extremely cranky maid, and also in one memorably stamina-requiring and scene-stealing monologue Lady Mary Davenant, manager of the Duke's Company of theatrical players
Most of the play takes place in Aphra Behn's apartment, with cast members popping in and out of side rooms as Aphra Behn vainly attempts to keep all her love interests separate AND ALSO thwart a hypothetical plot on the king's life AND ALSO and most importantly finish writing the final act of her career-launching play by a deadline of 9 AM the next morning! Which nobody will let her do! Because they keep wanting to make out with her and/or tell her about plots on the king's life! It's all very frustrating!
The dialogue is delightful, the actors do a fantastic job rattling out natural-sounding rapid-fire iambic pentameter, I laughed aloud at the final plot twist, and the ending contains a solid dose of much-appreciated optimism; it's an extremely enjoyable experience and one I would strongly recommend.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Or features three cast members, playing, respectively:
- former spy and ambitious playwright Aphra Behn
- Charles II of England and also Aphra Behn's ex-lover double agent William Scot
- Nell Gwyn, and also Aphra Behn's elderly and extremely cranky maid, and also in one memorably stamina-requiring and scene-stealing monologue Lady Mary Davenant, manager of the Duke's Company of theatrical players
Most of the play takes place in Aphra Behn's apartment, with cast members popping in and out of side rooms as Aphra Behn vainly attempts to keep all her love interests separate AND ALSO thwart a hypothetical plot on the king's life AND ALSO and most importantly finish writing the final act of her career-launching play by a deadline of 9 AM the next morning! Which nobody will let her do! Because they keep wanting to make out with her and/or tell her about plots on the king's life! It's all very frustrating!
The dialogue is delightful, the actors do a fantastic job rattling out natural-sounding rapid-fire iambic pentameter, I laughed aloud at the final plot twist, and the ending contains a solid dose of much-appreciated optimism; it's an extremely enjoyable experience and one I would strongly recommend.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 03:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 01:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 06:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 01:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 07:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 01:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 12:03 pm (UTC)*emails a dozen friends about going to see it next weekend*
no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 01:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-18 11:33 pm (UTC)Only 18 tickets left! DON'T THINK, JUST GET ONE AND COME!Anyway, even if I end up going by myself, I am really looking forward to going, which is a gift to help me get through this particularly grueling work week.
Thank you again for the wonderful rec!
no subject
Date: 2017-09-24 06:01 pm (UTC)If it hadn't been the very last showing, I'd be very tempted to go see it a second time.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 12:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 01:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 12:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 01:24 pm (UTC)(I would believe they trimmed some of it to get it tighter -- is it always intermission-less, do you know, or is that a Chelsea Theater thing?)
no subject
Date: 2017-09-18 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-18 05:47 pm (UTC)It's honestly one of my favorite plays! I've seen it twice, once at a community college and another local theater, and it was amazing both times. I wish more people had seen it so I could nominate it for Yuletide next year.