Monday, January 29, 2018

Going to the theatre: What a shock!

So, I didn’t mention this and I was deciding how to explain this but I recently went to the theatre. Since my last time I went, I saw the comedy musical, Young Frankenstein performed at my old community college. Personally, I enjoyed the performance greatly especially since I did love Mel Brooks’ parody films and original content. But let’s talk about Bled for the Household Truth, an independent play by Ruth Fowler.

But before I do, I want to say the first part of this article will be review and the second, a cultural analysis into with the play reminds me of.

Bled for the Household Truth focuses on the lives of an American businessman, possibly stockbroker, and the girl he decides to let rent his apartment together. Seems pretty good right? Well, there’s a catch. The rent is cheap but she has to be comfortable in wearing her underwear. So that’s how our girl Penelope (Pen for short [played by Alexandra Hellquist]) and Keith the stockbroker, (played by Ben Burdick), come together and make such an odd couple.

Now the play itself focuses on their relationship with Pen, wild and excited trying to make a name for herself, and Ben, a socially conscious guy who wants to connect with women but goes about entirely the wrong way and can't stand women even touching him. Around the end of Act 1 and the beginning of Act 2 (This is a 2 Act play), both characters reveal their pasts as Pen's difficulty with her drug-abusing father and having to keep her family up and Ben's issue with seeing himself as inferior due to his mother's treatment of him at a young age, pulls a heart string for the two of them but sadly, their actions lead them down to their downfalls.

Also, two other characters are seen in this play. Billy, performed by Nathaniel Meek and Monica, done by Rachel Brunner, are both present with Billy being seen throughout as Pen's on and off again boyfriend and Monica as Pen's friend and close confidant. However, Monica is the only one who isn't seen until the near end of the play. But with Billy, he usually wants Pen to get laid with him throughout the play uncaring for her personal self-being. Monica appears near the end to help become ... well, more or less a stock character of a supporting friend and a poor underdeveloped foil character.

In the end, Pen suffers a drug overdose and unfortunately her fate is left ambiguous to the audience with Keith finally able to shatter his consciousness of touching women only too late.

Ok. Sounds like a simple modern tragedy in the vein of Death of a Salesman and other modern tragedies? Well yes, but the play has a great flaw. It uses shock material to either A) Keep the audience in suspense of what happens next or B) Disgusts the audience to demand a refund. I went with A because I saw the whole thing. That and I had to give Alexandra back her headphones because she was the one who got me into watching the play. But yes, you will see shocking scenes that are including a rape scene, suggestive blow jobs, some nakedness (not full but still there), masturbation, voyeurism and other things that make the play overall uncomfortable, which no doubt that's where they're going with this play. Unfortunately, it overbears the plots rather than actually helps the plot go along since there are multiple scenes like this and every scene break the audience can see Pen undress and sometimes Keith too adding more to the lessening comfort factor of this play. It's over-daunting and I'm sure that most of you reading this might not give it a chance.

For the actors, they have done their job well. They worked and acted the best from their script given and doing much to make the characters believable but sadly the blocking and play refuse to make us sympathetic due to actions these characters do, with Pen keeping Billy around though it's obvious he's a bad influence, Keith for his perverted sexual tensions with trying to be with a woman though saying his intentions are pure, Billy for his egotistical personality and refusal to treat Pen more than just a sex object, and Monica, ... well, she's another problem altogether. Monica is just a stock character that doesn't get any development time and feels more rushed. If Act 1 allows Monica to have a scene with a girls night with Monica while Keith is gone on a trip, this would give more time for us to sympathize and develop a relationship with her.

And I know I spoiled the play but that has a good reason because, I ask you guys not to see this due to the subject material and to well, your personal taste in wanting to experience live theatre for the first time. It's not good for a first experience.

But now it's time for a culture shock. But basically, you already know. This is the state of modern theater. Shock value with no respect anymore to characterization, plot, and other important elements. Also, the play doesn't really tell it's message. (I wasn't even sure other than the issue about we aren't communicating yet the play has communication along all four characters.) The message is gone and is replaced with shock value. It's a depressing regurgitation of the Postmodern Ideal of Subjective art. In fact, last night I asked this question as part of an icebreaker game and so I mentioned that narrative is important to art, even so in the stationary arts (painting (all types), and sculpture) but a cacophony of "Art is anything you want" generally pervaded the area. It's not surprising anymore but we all know that most people don't want to go to a postmodern art gallery. Even at the theater, many seats were empty and yet the theater itself still stands for the donations.

So to any person who loves the arts or just wants to appreciate a good art experience, whether learned or new, young or old, from all experiences, (excluding criminal of course) and let's look at art with a common sense lens. Call out bad art because that's what it is. And also, may I suggest instead if you are in LA right now, to see Disney's Aladdin at the Pantages. It'll be a much more fulfilling time for you.

No comments:

Post a Comment