More catching up to do.

So, even though I'd been hoping beyond hope that I'd get into the Royal Court Theatre's Young Writers Programme, I was rejected, which was quite a downer. I'm really quite proud of the play I submitted, Empire State, and assumed that most of the work submitted for consideration would be more cursorily written, I suppose, than I should have. Still, I know the piece has its weaknesses, and part of the rejection letter was a notification that I'd be receiving a critique in the coming months, so I'm excited about that. From reading parts of The Royal Court Theatre Inside Out, an in-depth account of the theatre's history from the founding of its resident troupe, the English Stage Company, through last season, I've most enjoyed reading the readers' comments on various scripts submitted to the Royal Court over the years. Oftentimes the most successful plays received the most negative comments off the bat. It's all so arbitrary.

Still, I'm not letting the rejection get me down. I'm a newbie, and I'm sure there are many, many more years of rejection ahead of me. Instead, I've come up with a new idea for a play, one that's more ambitious in its scope, including more characters and more significant themes. The challenge of the piece will be the research that it will require, so I think I'll use this winter break to familiarize myself with the material and begin sketching things out.

It's been a while

So, it's been a while since I posted here with my lovely insights into popular culture, theatre, film, etc., but I have reason to begin again. I've just spent a very lovely semester in London and am returning soon for a second. Though I won't go into detail on the shows I've seen in London (except for brief notes), I'll list them below just as an update for those who miss my bragging about how much I've seen:

1. Take Flight at Menier Chocolate Factory - A noble attempt at musicalizing the stories of the Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhart that didn't quite get off the ground. Noted London theatre actress was in the audience, however, and she agreed.

2. All About My Mother at the Old Vic - A serviceable-to-good adaptation of Pedro Almodovar's movie of the same name, Todo sobre mi madre. And Diana Rigg stole the show with her closing monologue, lifted by playwright Samuel Adamson from Lorca's Blood Wedding.

3. In Celebration at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End - Let's just say Orlando Bloom on stage is underwhelming. Though the play, by David Storey, was excellent.

4. Chatroom/Citizenship at the Cottesloe Theatre at the National Theatre - A very youth-oriented double bill of plays by Enda Walsh and Mark Ravenhill respectively that succeeded in not pandering to its younger audience and managed to tackle current issues.

5. Venus as a Boy at the Soho Theatre - A very intimate production of a one-man play about a gypsy transvestite prostitute. 

6. Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End - Same as on Broadway, only Queen Victoria makes an appearance. Talk about a show with annoying child actors.

7. Parade at the Donmar Warehouse - Jason Robert Brown's large-scale Broadway debut was definitely in top form at the Donmar, in a far more intimate production that highlighted the relationship between Lucille and Leo Frank, the central characters in this musical retelling of the story of the Leo Frank Case in Atlanta.

8. A Disappearing Number at the Barbican Theatre - Complicite, the experimental theatre company headed by actor and director Simon McBurney, managed to create an engaging theatrical experience that spanned continents and stemmed from a love of math.

9. The Emperor Jones at the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre - An impressive performance from Paterson Joseph in the title role made this dated play into a must-see production.

10. The Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents at the Gate Theatre - This is one of the most memorable of the productions I saw this semester, mostly for its deft use of extremely limited space and for its tackling of some difficult issues, including mental retardation and abortion.

11. Dealer's Choice at Menier Chocolate Factory - Patrick Marber (Closer) is one of my favorite playwrights, and this sharp play about the dynamics within a family and within a poker game, was right on the money. Particularly notable was Samuel Barnett, of The History Boys fame, who provided ample eye candy.

12. Rhinoceros at the Royal Court Theatre - A very funny revival of Ionesco's classic absurdist play.

13. Rough Crossings at the Lyric Hammersmith - An awful, awful play about the abolition of the slave trade in England. A topic so rich deserves a much less cliche, poorly acted, and poorly directed production than this one, full of triteness and obviousness. Its use of music was its best feature.

14. The Ugly One at the Royal Court Theatre - A play about plastic surgery featuring a bare bones set and a very good cast. During the performance I saw, a woman in the audience passed out, causing the play to be halted and resumed.

15. Awake and Sing! at the Almeida Theatre - Stockard Channing excellently portrayed the matriarch in this Clifford Odets play. It's not the best play and the Brooklyn accents weren't the best either, but the Almeida Theatre provided the right space for this warm family drama.

16. Rafta, Rafta... at the Lyttleton Theatre at the National Theatre - This one played like an Indian-themed episode of a sitcom. Very funny, but without enough substance to sustain my interest fully.

17. Macbeth at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End - A totally rethought version of this all too familiar Shakespeare play. Directed by Rupert Goold, who also helmed the awful play Rough Crossings, Patrick Stewart and his lady Macbeth, Goold's wife Kate Fleetwood, were amazing. The action was given a Soviet resetting and featured interesting audio-visual touches.

18. Water at the Lyric Hammersmith - Created by the group Filter, this play, which played up the baring of theatrical processes, fell flat without a cohesive story. This one confirmed for me how silly plays can turn out as a product of group authorship. 

19. All About My Mother at the Old Vic (repeat visit)

20. Joe Guy at the Soho Theatre - A smart play by Roy Williams that tackles black issues similar to those tackled by August Wilson, doing so in a way that expands past the limitations of a "race play."

21. Desperately Seeking Susan at the Novello Theatre in the West End - Oh God. Blondie music in a show. You can imagine how bad this one was. I left at intermission. Thankfully the ticket was free. The only fun thing was that the store Love Saves the Day in the East Village was featured prominently, and I lived across the street from that store last year.

22. Andromaque at the Theatre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris - One of the best theatrical experiences of my life. Directed by Declan Donnelan and performed by his Cheek by Jowl theatre company, the fact that the play, by Racine, was performed in French barely hindered my understanding of the emotional complexities of the drama. The actors nailed it, the designers nailed it.

23. La Catatrice Chauve/La Lecon at the Theatre de la Huchette in Paris - This has played in Paris for 50+ years, and it shows its age. It's a double bill of Ionesco plays, The Bald Soprano and The Lesson. The acting was hammy, but still it was interesting to see.

24. The Arsonists at the Royal Court Theatre - A revival of a play by Max Frisch that tackles issues surrounding World War II in an allegorical way. 

25. King Lear by the RSC at the New London Theatre - Ian McKellen starred in this production of King Lear directed by Trevor Nunn. The nude scene was overhyped, the production was excellent, but the play doesn't really do much for me. It lacks focus and feature on too many characters.

26. War Horse at the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre - Life-size horse puppets were the highlight of this production, the holiday show at the National Theatre (following productions like Coram Boy and His Dark Materials in previous years). The show managed, against all odds, to make us feel for animal characters in a way we rarely feel about humans.

27. Cloud Nine at the Almeida Theatre - A classic Caryl Churchill play directed by Thea Sharrock, who directed the recent London revival of Equus, which is transferring in the fall to Broadway. A very funny, witty production that nailed the spirit of the play.

28. Women of Troy at the Lyttelton Theatre at the National Theatre - Katie Mitchell is a weird director. A warehouse setting for Euripides? It was a fun idea, but the reworking of the text was slight and there wasn't enough to tide me over even for 80-90 minutes. It was interesting to watch but needed additional thought behind it.

29. Glengarry Glen Ross at the Apollo Theatre in the West End - Jonathan Pryce was great in this revival of David Mamet's play about real estate men. 

30. Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End - I liked this one a lot less than I expected. The scenographic elements all came together quite well, but the lyrics could have been stronger, and the show overall could have been more focused.

31. The Brothers Size at the Young Vic Theatre - A play by young American playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, a spring 2007 graduate of Yale Drama, that draws on Yoruba myth. A slight play but an impressive debut.

32. A Christmas Carol at the Young Vic Theatre - A South African-flavored retelling of the classic tale featuring singing and gumboot dancing that were more impressive than the acting of the piece.

33. Dick Whittington and His Cat at the Hackney Empire - I needed to see a pantomime (or simply "panto") before leaving London for winter break, and this was a great choice, I think. Panto is a tradition pretty specific to England. Features include a "pantomime dame" in drag, a leading male character played by a young woman, a horse, and popular songs with reworked lyrics. 

34. The Seagull by the RSC at the New London Theatre - This production played in repertoire with Ian McKellen's Lear directed by Trevor Nunn and also features the same cast and director. Anton Chekhov's play is rich in character development and was more satisfying for me as an audience member overall.

35. Othello at the Donmar Warehouse - I waited five hours in the rain from 5:30 AM to 10:30 AM in order to get a day ticket for this production, which starred Ewan McGregor as Iago and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello. Both were outstanding. It was one of those productions with big stars that's actually well done, thanks to direction by Donmar artistic director Michael Grandage.

36. The Masque of the Red Death by Punchdrunk at Battersea Arts Centre - Rather than being a play, this one is more of a theatrical experience. Audience members don masks upon arrival and wander a totally redesigned arts center that looks more like a castle, featuring rooms that look like they fit in the Poe stories upon which the piece is based on. You can choose to follow whichever actors you please. An orgy scene, incest, secret doors, and an extremely impressive masked ball added to the devilishness.

Trip to New York

Since I've returned home, I've also been to New York for a few days to visit Christina and my ex-roommate (and one of my favorite people) Austin. It was a lovely few days. We went to the Union Square holiday market and to CB I Hate Perfume and Beacon's Closet in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We also went to see Juno, which is a great movie (more to come later).

August: Osage County

On Saturday, I went to see August: Osage County, a play by up-and-comer Tracy Letts (Bug off-Broadway) at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. It's a production that's transferred from the Steppenwolf in Chicago, and it's very good. The reviewers, who have ben a bit overenthusiastic, have hailed it one of the best new plays in recent memory, but I would hesitate to go that far. 

The troupe of actors from Steppenwolf who executed the piece were obviously very skilled, and the whole thing came together in the places in the script where the comedy was most finely honed. The play is about a family in the Midwest who gather at the family home after the patriarch of the family has gone missing. It's interesting yet typical material, and the play, which runs three hours and twenty minutes could have used some slight trimming. 

The play is being touted as one of the plays to beat for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama this year. Overall I think I'd still favor Christopher Shinn's Dying City, another of the major contenders, over this for the Pulitzer, simply because I think Dying City, while certainly less grandiose, provided a more satisfying, compact dramatic experience. If you can say it in 90 minutes, why draw it out to 200+?

Juno

I'd heard good things about this movie, and my heightened expectations were fulfilled. It had a nice indie/twee soundtrack and standout performances. Ellen Page as Juno was snarky and hilarious, and the comic timing of the actors matched the excellent writing. Also notable were Alison Janney as Juno's stepmother Bren and Michael Cera as Juno's beau Paulie Bleeker. Definitely worth seeing!

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Being a huge Sweeney Todd fan, I went into the Tim Burton-directed film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece with very high expectations, all of which were met.

When Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter were cast through nepotism, I cringed and expected the worst, but Depp is a more than qualified singer and Bonham Carter provides us with a crafty Mrs. Lovett, though she certainly is of "limited wind," in keeping with Sondheim's description of the character in his lyrics to "The Worst Pies in London."

Burton's dark, campy direction and the extreme violence of the film only added to the overall effect. Everything in the film is a bit too much: a bit too much smoke from the chimneys, a bit too many rats on the streets. Hopefully those who go to see the film will be prepared for the fact that the film is most definitely a musical and one that's heavy on music at that. It's most certainly a bleak masterpiece.