not the kind you grill

When you go to a show that you have friends in you so badly want them to be awesome so that when you see them afterwards you can honestly gush about the performance. I got to gush this past weekend. I saw Building a Boat at Charter and Streetcar Named Desire over at Keegan.

Building a Boat was a great acting piece. I thought all the performances were detailed and thoughtful. My good bud presented himself in a way I had never seen him onstage, which was refreshing and beautiful to watch. The play itself has the potential to be great, although I do not think it is there yet. I applaud Charter for its work in staging new works. In most cases I would much rather see new work, instead of a piece I already know. With the birth of a new piece has to come the birthing process, which is not always smooth. I have said it before, and will say it again, I am no writer. So it is unfortunate that while I can say I think the play needs either cutting or recrafting in certain areas, I am woefully ignorant as to how to do it. There were points in the piece where the rhythm and drive was strong, and others where it staggered a little. I am not sure if the piece needs less or more, but it needs a little more velocity to get it to what I feel could be a poignant piece of art. Still, I loved its overall themes and the commitment that the staging and the performers had. That in itself made it a good night of theatre.

It was a busy weekend, but I made it out to Streetcar all the same. I am so glad I did. There was a moment in between scenes where I actually felt the thought reverberate through my head "How did Williams know how to craft such amazing plot and characters?" I usually think of Streetcar as Blanche's show. How could you not? But I have to give it up to the Kowalski's. This was their show. They owned it from the get go. They were magnetic and honest and I never saw them falter in the momentum they created. Stanley was not just a simple brute, he was played with an intelligence that made his violent moments even scarier, and Stella was no simple, abused wife. She had inner strength and such clear devotion that I really came to understand her point of view. Like I said, I was happy to gush.

Hanging out after one of the shows this weekend, I was asked what was most important to me in a performance. The answer came out immediately "Stakes." I want to see what is at stake, in the writing , direction, and performance. I want everyone involved to know what is on the line and go after that moment passionately. I do so love when that happens.

Mirabile visu.