Clever, Thoughtful, Well Performed Play with Stimulating, Challenging Social Issues

One often hears about the big Broadway shows but little about the cleverly written thoughtful plays that appeal to the mind. "When We Were Young and Unafraid" (by Sarah Treem) , is one of those rare breed of great drama that challenges the intellect and soul - in a contemplative, gentle manner. It played this past summer in New York City. 

I saw this play July 23, 2014, at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Full house. I had learned of it from a recent review of two feminist plays in the Sunday NYTimes. The play was tremendously well done and written, with a nice balance of drama,tragedy and comic relief (in the form of lines). It is set in 1972 in a bed and breakfast on an island off the coast of Seattle. There were many social issues including wife abuse, abortion, coming of age through teenage years, gender inequality in college admission, and the imbalance of power between the sexes in many relationships. The playwright, Sarah Treem, did a fantastic job. She has written and produced the HBO series "In Treatment", HBO series "How to Make it in America" and (the only one of these 3 that I've seen) the Netflix series "House of Cards" (which I have to say is a favourite of mine). The lead actor was Cherry Jones, who provided a wonderful performance as a nurse who had lost her accreditation on account of performing abortions and is now on an island off Seattle running a b&b, but also a safe haven for abused wives. She also gives them the benefit of her knowledge as to how they can break out of the cycle of their abusive relationships. Some do, others end up back in it, and some end up dead. In any event, she's won 2 Tonys and an Emmy - the quality of her acting was most apparent. Some of the audience really knew her - some applause when she first appeared on stage. I don't think I've seen any of her previous work. The teenage "daughter" was Morgan Saylor. She superbly acted the passion of a Grade 12 teenager, who was struggling with boys, sex, and applying to Yale. At intermission I was reading her bio and realized that I've seen her work in the Showtime series 'Homeland'. She was Brodie's daughter. What quality in this play and cast! Who would have thought that there was this sort of gem tucked away in the depths of NYC. I expect there's a lot of that; you just have to seek it out through the layers of stuff/busyness/commercialism/crap that appeals to the general masses.

Two zingers from the play: Both were said by Hannah, the feminista (revolutionary feminist) of the characters:

"Lesbians are the only true feminists."

and later

"We'll never be equal with men if we keep sleeping with them."

Wonderful performance; most worth seeing!

Amazing Post Modern Performance Art - Fuerza Bruta, Wayra, New York City

Last night's (July 27, 2014; New York City) performance of Fuerza Bruta: Wayra was over the top fantastic.  It was in a small theatre at Union Square.  It lasted 1.5 hours, and you were standing the whole time - there were no seats.  It was an entertaining performance of loud, rave like music, with high energy, fast paced movement by the performers, accompanied by fantastic lighting and theatrical fog.  It felt like art - abstract expressionism.  The music resonated in my heart - literally vibrating in my chest cavity.  The performance spaces moved at times into the audience space, and there was a crew to move the audience around out of the way - no problems with this.   The title translates to "brute force" and it was - power of the throbbing music, intensity of the multi-coloured lighting, high speed wind machines, energy of the performers.  It was sensory overload - in a good way.  Like what I would imagine feeling if in a vortex.

At times members of the audience were invited to take part.  At the end of one overhead scene the performers descended to the audience floor and selected a consenting person to be secured into them, and then hoisted up above the audience to the plastic sheet that separated the space overhead the audience from the ceiling and that upper area where the performers were performing.  

The NY Times had described this performance some months ago and I was intrigued by it and got the tickets. I was hooked.  A few weeks ago NYT published their review and basically said this was not theatre and gave it a poor review.  But clearly not the reviewers cup of tea.  I was not disappointed to enjoy it by letting my feelings go, not necessarily look for meaning, and just enjoy what washed over my senses.  The crowd was mostly 20s, but a few from each age group.

At one point a  transparent bubble inflated covering the entire audience, and the performers moved on the top of this surface.  

In another scene, in the middle of the audience (we were moved back out of the way) there was a foil coloured, two sided, circular surface which was perpendicular to the ground.  It had handles on it that the performers could climb around as it was spun three dimensionally.  There was a performer on each side of the surface.  They were each trying to desperately connect with the other - calling out - but all to no avail as they were in separate worlds.

In another scene there is a transparent plastic sheet unfurled over the heads of the audience, and then supported by air pressure, and the performers move around above you by walking on this sheet.  At the very end there is dancing in the audience, and those in the centre have the rain machine turned on them.  There were actually a lot of people who enjoyed the feeling of getting soaked as they let go of their feelings to the beat of the feral music.  

A number of scenes had a treadmill moved into the middle of the audience, mostly with one character running on it.  No matter what he had to deal with - being shot, having to run through a wall, etc he kept moving on.  A fitting allegory for life (minus the shooting part)!  

I really enjoyed the extended scene when they had a pool about 25 feet above the entire audience space, clear bottom and filled it with some water.  The performers moved around it like water nymphs.  It felt very ethereal.  The initial positions looked embryonic. The performer appeared to be looking down, as if through a portal, at our mortal life below.  See the photos below - keep in mind that this is all in a temporary pool suspended a short ways above the audience's heads.

One scene on the treadmill had the guy blasting through a wall of white boxes each containing styrofoam and small paper pieces.  As he passed through the wall, the boxes exploded and the wind machines blew bits of styrofoam and paper all over the crowd.  the music continued. the platform with the treadmill eased away and the performance continued at one end of the audience space.  The performers were hitting each other over their heads with squares, which shattered spraying the same styrofoam and small paper pieces, to be blown by the wind.  Then they came into the crowd and were dancing with the audience, which had mostly become a pulsing throng.  One performer came near and she danced with me.  The beat intensified; our dancing matched the tempo. We were jumping as if doing some primal, tribal ritual.  She motioned me to take off my glasses.  Then she smashed one of the white squares over my heard.  There was styrofoam and small pieces of paper everywhere.  I opened my arms inviting her to hug. She sprang, with the intensity of going to jump through me, up into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist.  It was like embracing a sphere of throbing energy.  And then with the flow of the music she glided through the crowd and back onto the stage as quickly as she had appeared.  I want to live this way all the time - energized, sensory feelings exploding!  Alas we live in a collection of moments which are mostly planned - but should remember to take advantage of serendipity - whatever opportunities come our way, however fleeting, as they are of the moment, not to be repeated, but often pleasurable - that of which great memories are made.

At most times it felt dream like - a suspension of reality, but with a stream of consciousness - and also an allegory of life. A full-on, multi-sensory, completely immersive experience. It truly was a feast for the senses - sight, sound, touch.  I highly recommend seeing this if you ever get the opportunity.

Flights and Wheelchairs

@AirCanada #unitedairlines Thank you.  A big shoutout to the gate agent for UA 6269 from Calgary departing at 1534 on April 12, 2014.  I have recently been traveling with a leg injury so he moved my seating across the aisle to a seat that had a vacant seat beside it, so that I'd have more room.  Very much appreciated.

As part of this recovery I had previously booked flights with Air Canada  - Air Canada Vacations from Winnipeg to Cancun return (March 30 and April 6) and now this trip on Air Canada from Winnipeg (AC 8333 departing Winnipeg April 12 at 11:45 and then the above code share with United) to San Francisco.  I had phoned in and explained my situation and they added to my file to have a wheelchair available at all points.  They were available and the staff pushing them were very helpful.  This service has been exceptional and needless to say, very helpful.