Subject:
I attended the Thursday evening performance of Rosmersholm. The experience actually turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Having previously read the text, and with the knowledge that the play would last over two and a half hours, I went in with low expectations for the evening. However, it turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable, although lengthy, evening.
The cast did a wonderful job of holding my attention in a long, and at times very confusing, play. The character of Rebecca West, played by Christine Cunningham, was especially interesting to me. Ms. West was portrayed in a cold, calculating, way that I did not pick up on in the text. This attitude when contrasted against the gentle naivety of John Rosmer, played by Micah McCoy, provided an interesting perspective of how two people could start out so different from one another and yet still end up in the same place by the end of the play. The entire play was a very serious affair and could have been too much for the audience. However, Ulrick Brendel, played by Jon Glenn, provided a sense of levity and humor that kept the play from crossing the fine line between intense and depressing.
The show was also a success technically. The set was impressive for a college production and the lighting effects were well timed to accentuate the mood of the play with being something to focus on. The one aspect that was slightly distracting was the music. It was often played for such a length of time that I found myself wondering if, and when, it would turn off instead of listening to the actors.
All in all, it was an enjoyable staging of a play that is hard to understand and slightly boring on the page.
posted by Dan @ 11:32 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I like the line about going in with low expectations having already read the play. I think you had interesting insight into the characters. I found what you had to say about John and Rebecca’s characters to be quite interesting. The idea that Rebecca came off as cold and calculating was an interesting observation. I thought of her as certainly manipulative, but it seems to me that she is motivated by her love of John and, to me, this prevented her from being “cold” or darker in her desires. She seems to be a character that does questionable things in the name of love, but at the same time, seems nervous or unsure about her actions. Maybe, maybe not. I liked your contrast of her in that light John in his naiveté. Great analysis.
I think it’s interesting that you described Rebecca as ‘cold and calculating’, traits you did not pick up on when reading the play. I also did not realize how truly conniving Rebecca West was until I saw the play performed. Because I knew what was going to happen in the play, I was careful to watch for dark elements in Rebecca early on, and I definitely saw them. She was always busy; she watched everything closely and seemed to underhandedly control Rosmer from the beginning. However, when I read the play, I had not noticed anything dark in her character, and I was taken aback when it was revealed that she was not a sweet young woman.
I completely agree with your opinion about the success of the cast in Rosmersholm, espectially that of the character Ulrik Brendel, played by Jon Glenn. His character was not only entertaining but also extremely effective because when the play reaches its highest point of intensity by delving into very serious and true to life themes, his character could introduce an important comedic element to the production that would alleviate the emotional tension between the audience and the characters on stage. Dan, I read one of the comments you posted on the production of Rosmersholm and the efficiency of the set design. I thought you were onto a great idea that's loaded with metaphorical promise and meaning in the attempt to recreate the bridge within the set design.
I really enjoyed your meditation concerning Rosmersholm. Your paragraph about the acting was so true. Your assessment of Micah McCoy is brilliant. He stared out the play as a new radical, pitting himself against his friend Mr. Kroll. Eventually he joins Kroll, but as soon as it happens, it’s gone again. Do you think that the characters being so unpredictable helped to add to the drama of the play? I also agree with your thoughts of the music. I didn’t understand the need for it in some of the places it was used, however, the production was still an A+!
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