Tara’s not allowed to read this blog post until after she sees the show. I don’t think she reads this blog anyway, but people who know her do, so don’t tell her.
Impact’s ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore is fucking brilliant. You should buy tickets right now and go see it as soon as you can. It was written 400 years ago by John Ford, but it’s filled with more sex, violence, and taboos than a Tarantino film. A.C.T. will be doing it in June, but that production will be more expensive, less intimate, and not as good. Go see this one.
I am now about to vent my rage at the intermission placement. Please remember, in spite of this, the show is brilliant and a must see.
Live theater is not a movie. At a movie you can get up and leave if you need to use the bathroom, stretch your legs, or otherwise need to give your butt a rest. You cannot do this in live theater without making a scene and disturbing the actors. That is why I have big problems with any show that makes you sit significantly more than hour without a break. As with anything there are exceptions, but as a rule if I have to sit longer than that without an intermission I feel mistreated and otherwise disrespected by the production.
You may remember from my review of Figaro that I complained about its 1 hour and 40 minute first half. That was at Berkeley Rep where the seats are at least comfortable. ‘Tis Pity’s intermission comes at 1 hour and 30 minutes, and that’s on uncomfortable seats in the heat of the basement of La Val’s. I’m sorry you CANNOT DO THAT. Period. End of Story. The damage caused to the overall enjoyment of the show by the sheer physical torture of sitting in La Val’s that long far outweighs any artistic benefit or reasoning behind such an intermission placement.
I spent the last half hour of the first half checking my watch and praying the intermission would come every time there was a blackout. I should have been paying attention to the brilliant show, but I was not. That’s a BIG problem.
Not only is the placement unfortunate from an endurance perspective, but the second half runs just 30 minutes, leaving the show feeling incredibly unbalanced. I counted 5 earlier opportunities to take the intermission, the first and most obvious being 65 minutes into the show.
I realize at this point it would be all but impossible to move the intermission, but I implore the director to do it. The imbalance should have been caught and corrected before the show opened, and now it’s probably tragically too late. I say tragically because the show is otherwise brilliant and the intermission placement is a needless blemish that frankly threatens to ruin the show.
Now, back to the brilliance… The performances are exceedingly strong (I’d list the strongest, but I’d just be copying the entire program). A handful of actors needed a scene or two to warm up, but then even they were wonderful. The action is tense, the effects shocking, and climax not to be missed.
YOU MUST GO SEE IT, just use the bathroom before it starts, bring your own seat cushion, and be prepared for a long first act.
I want to talk about those people who don't like having intermissions at all. I've had an ongoing debate with them, and if I ever meet another one I will kick their ass. Having no intermission for show over 75 minutes is INHUMANE in any theater anywhere.
ReplyDeleteAlan, due to your posting, I've now warned my friends and family to use the restroom before the show. Some are senior citizens, and incontinence is a way of life. Others are big drinkers, and their bladders can only hold so much. One friend has told me that he'll be bringing a piss jar. That's one way around the problem.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious, where are the five places you'd have placed the intermission?
The only one I remember in detail was the place 65 minutes into the show. It was after a long scene where the nephew is rebuffed as a suitor and proclaims his love for someone else, and then the brother and sister run off stage into the audience holding hands. It's upbeat, which I can see the director not liking, but it's a peak in the energy. Most of the cast was just on stage. The stage is hot. Cut it there. The audience breaks energized and wanting more. And choosing an upbeat moment sets the audience up for a great emotional shift through the tragic events of the second half.
ReplyDeleteAnother place for a break is when the pregnancy is found out. It's a shock (of sorts), and leaves an audience in anticipation. But, then you would open Act 2 with the scene between Florio and The Friar. Not the strongest of scenes to start out with. And I'm in it!
ReplyDeleteWe could hash this out and never come to an agreement. The thing that usually irritates me is long scene changes.
In any case, I'm just the hired help, and can do nothing about the length of the show or the acts. Best help I can give is say my lines in a brisk clip, pick up my cues, and not dawdle in my entrances and exits.