| I went to Slave Play at a Wednesday matinee. The house was packed (I had a TDF seat and was second row center orchestra) and at the start, rolled with the play. But as noted, the piece is somewhat attenuated, and treads a certain amount of water to sustain its smart conceit and reach its shocking ending. I was with an audience predisposed to go on the wild ride, to appreciate the provocative nature of the piece, and to be pushed into an uncomfortable place. it wasn't a conservative group with hands folded across their chests. But as we pored onto Eighth Avenue, still talking about what we'd seen, many felt the play was overextended, and just couldn't sustain, at least not in the iteration we viewed. I don't recall anyone voicing outrage over the content. We went to Slave Play to be challenged, shaken, moved, even upset. The more prevalent response; a feeling that the craft wasn't up to the ideas conveyed. The company of actors gave unstintingly, but the piece felt locked in a SNL skit format, unable to build enough momentum to get across the finish line. |
