Aleck, thank you for your very interesting observations. Based on my first visit to the show a few weeks ago, I'm not surprised to hear that Mary Testa's performance was more disciplined before.
I also agree with you that Patrick Vaill's performance sticks out. It feels very lived-in and real, while other parts of the show felt very artificial, with flat line readings (not just at the trial) and lack of connection with the others on stage. In particular, the first scene between Curly and Laurey has no oomph to it at all. I did not get the sense that either character had an actual interest in the other character as a person, which may be part of the idea, but the inconsistency contributed to a general feeling I had that the production was very muddled.
Now that some time has gone by since I saw it, I appreciate the production more, but I don't like the lack of cohesion. |
