This 1981 play, set in fictional Ballybeg as was Dancing at Lughnasa, is one of Brian Friel's best, but this static production (co-produced by the McCarter Theatre with the Manhattan Theatre Club) isn't nearly as dynamic as it needs to be to engage us emotionally. I left appreciating Friel's detailed, flavorful language (and responding to the message about the destructiveness of imperialism) more as a piece of literature than as a piece of stagework. It's early in previews; there is the distinct possibility that the ensemble will catch fire by the time the show opens, but at this point the production doesn't have a lot of heat.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Translations
This 1981 play, set in fictional Ballybeg as was Dancing at Lughnasa, is one of Brian Friel's best, but this static production (co-produced by the McCarter Theatre with the Manhattan Theatre Club) isn't nearly as dynamic as it needs to be to engage us emotionally. I left appreciating Friel's detailed, flavorful language (and responding to the message about the destructiveness of imperialism) more as a piece of literature than as a piece of stagework. It's early in previews; there is the distinct possibility that the ensemble will catch fire by the time the show opens, but at this point the production doesn't have a lot of heat.
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