"The Vertical Hour"

I can barely contain the joy I feel in response to this evening of theatre!

Having read a number of David Hare plays in recent weeks and seen Stuff Happens with Emma at the Public Theatre over the summer, I am most certainly a convert to Hare's theatrical congregation. He loves to throw out ideas and quotes with spitfire ease and to challenge his characters on both a personal and a social level, which I love. Needless to say, having been a student of his works mostly on the level of reading them and not seeing them, I was more than elated to see The Vertical Hour -- not only a new Hare play but the first to ever premiere in America before Britain.

Though its reviews were mixed, there was no way I could miss this play. I'm taking a class on Tom Stoppard, Caryl Churchill, and David Hare next semester, for one. Not having seen his most recent work would be almost criminal (at least to me personally), especially since I'm going to see each part of The Coast of Utopia by Tom Stoppard, which clocks in at over 8 hours.

This afternoon, I went to attempt to acquire a ticket. I figured I would be unlucky, but standing room tickets were readily available in the afternoon for the evening show.

Arriving around 7:45, I was ready for a long evening of standing and taking in the relatively dense dialogue that Hare is known for. A few minutes before the curtain rose, I reached down to make sure my cell phone was off, and when I turned back up and around, a middle aged man asked me (of all the people in standing room) if I'd trade places with him and let him stand, because he gets restless at the theatre.

The first thing that came to my mind (as if it should matter to me, as I was consigned to stand otherwise) was,"Where is your seat?"

"The second row," he replied. So, at the last minute, I'm rushed down to the second row, filling in a seat that neighbors had piled coats upon (I almost thought for a minute I'd been had by a scalper -- it was too good to be true).

And the experience was fantastic! The play is excellent, a study on the relationship between an American ex-journalist, Nadia Blye (Julianne Moore), her boyfriend Philip (the excellent Brit Andrew Scott), and his father, Oliver, played by the wonderful Bill Nighy. The play focuses on their views on the Iraq war and Nadia's feelings about her time as a journalist overseas. While Julianne certainly seemed uncomfortable being on stage during some parts, giving more than a handful of relatively awkward line readings, when she really dug deeply into the material and let herself soak into her dialogue, she did a fine job. There were several times when I felt genuinely involved in the life of her character, and those moments more than compensated for the times I felt detached because of some strange acting choices. Andrew Scott was also a standout -- he was very charismatic and natural as her boyfriend, with a winning charm that gave the play a much-needed lift at moments.

The chemistry between the actors in general felt a bit underdeveloped, but I was able to let that go because of the excellent quality of the writing and the redeeming acting of Bill Nighy, who really stole the show. He has a lanky, laid back, comfortable way about him, and he has great ease with words. His delivery always feels like natural speech even in the way he mutters or stutters during certain lines. Overall, he owned the show.

The music used for scene changes was also excellent, including the use of Bob Dylan ("Just Like a Woman") and playing "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell as the curtain fell and as the audience exited.

Overall, it was a thrilling night of theatre. I was glad to know that Julianne had even attempted this piece (challenging for any actor) and that I had the chance to see it. It wouldn't be my top recommendation to a New York theatregoer, but neither would I discourage someone from going if the play picqued their interest. I think that sometimes critics can be so discouraging toward an attempt at acting for stage so as to scare screen actors and newcomers away. Julianne certainly seemed to be received well by the audience around me, and she deserves to be seen and to continue acting on the stage if she so desires. She hasn't been onstage in quite some time, and this was sort of her return to her roots. I'm sure she'll only improve if she continues to pursue acting for the stage. I know I'd be willing to see her again.

The thing that impressed me most about the technical elements, especially from the second row was the vast and beautiful set by Scott Pask. When the scene shifts from Nadia's office to Wales, the set opens up to reveal a huge open space with chairs and a picnic table and a huge, beautiful tree. I really felt overcome by the massive scrim of color that overtook almost my entire field of vision. It was a very simple design choice but it yielded a very beautiful set, and as the lights (by Brian MacDevitt) changed the setting from day to night, I was just enveloped by the sensation of the shift of moods and the coming on of the "vertical hour," when Nighy and Moore get to the heart of things. The design elements all came together beautifully.

All in all, Hare's script, Nighy's acting, and Scott Pask's sets were the winners of the evening. I recommend it to anyone who wants to see a great piece of writing put up formidably with a combination of star power and top-notch acting.

After the show, I decided I would wait (for the first time this year) at the stage door to try to get an autograph from Julianne and Bill Nighy. Shockingly, there were only about four or five other people waiting for them, and Julianne was one of the most absolutely gracious women I've ever met at any stage door. She borrowed my pen a couple of times and was just wonderfully patient about taking pictures and everything. I very rarely ask for a picture with an actor or actress, as they're almost always in a rush or mobbed with people, but this was just the opportune moment. The picture, as it turns out, came out very well:

Julianne and I

What a wonderful night! This theatre season will be hard to top.