Hip Obscurity...I Like It!

Dang cold. It is sucking time from me. I had to let the germs have their way with me, so I did not get moving from the apartment until the afternoon. I wanted to catch an Off-Off Broadway production of A Doll’s House, which is my favorite play of all time. Furthermore, it was my MFA thesis project. The company was called Hip Obscurity and it consists of a lot of young actors that have the mission of “producing theatre that explores issues of gender, sexuality and self-identity as a construct lived in the everyday.”

The production was okay. They used the Dover translation and the director also took a stab editing to his liking. I use stab because I was a bit horrified by the brutal carving of Ibsen’s words. For some reason, the director changes the word “miracle,” which is key to the time of Advent in which this Norse tale is set to the phrase, “something wonderful.” Also, he completed cut the last line of the first act which to many scholars is the cornerstone to Nora’s subsequent decisions.

The importance of recognizing the sexuality in this play cannot be stressed enough. Certainly, the sensibilities of the time in which it is set (last 1800’s) means establishing a conservative sense of proper decorum. This production had little balance sexually. Either Nora and Torvald were cold and disciplined (which I would contend are two words that are the antithesis of Nora) or they were so sexually aggressive that it almost appeared to be on the verge of rape. Neither of these choices worked for me.

A few things, as a director, that made me go hmmmm….

a.Do not underestimate the power of the sound design. We listened to everything from Frankie Valli to Cher, but the play was set in the 1950’s. Why does the sound design have birds chirping? I understand the stereotypical metaphor attached to this play, but birds in Norway in December? Also, they sounded a bit like mice in the walls.

b.Wear undergarments ladies – especially if you are setting it in the 1950’s. A slip is your friend.

c.Listen to the language. Just one of many, many, many examples: Nora to Torvald, “You have always been so kind to me.” The audience must at some point see Torvald as kind.

d. Why was Nora serving Christine Linde a drink? Huh? (too many weird exits and entrances to outline to even try to include). Understand why you are doing what you are doing. Phrases like “being in the moments” and “the moment before” are to performance what eggs and flour are to cake.

e.Casting is key. The strongest actor on stage was playing Christine. She should have been Nora. Also, the character of Krogstad should have been Torvald. By the way, they were most successful because they were listening and not acting.

With that ALL said, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the company; I certainly respect and celebrate their objective and enthusiasm. When I arrived at the small theatre, everyone from the director to the artistic director was there to welcome the audience. Because of their welcome, I so wanted this production to succeed, and even though the production values were lacking I think this company will find success. Why, because they cared about their audience and are passionate about their mission. Before I even sat down, I knew their names and they knew mine. Afterwards, the artistic director came to find me and talk about the show. I am hooked. I am invested in their art. If they continue in this vein, they cannot fail.

After, the show, I met Ms. Anne at the Drama Bookshop for a little reading time. They too had some young artist performing a new show in the basement once the store closed. Why not? I paid my $10 to see The Fallout. The premise of this short comedy is fun. “A family’s relationship is strained after the husband’s poor performance on the game show, Deal or No Deal. Scenes 1 and 3 were in a family therapy session. Scene 2 was their Deal or No Deal performance. It was obvious that the therapy sessions were being improved. Both were about double the length than they needed to be. Hopefully, they will figure that out. Some fresh performances and fun scene 2 made it worth my while.

I headed home to my Commerce Street apartment to try my friend Luce’s cold remedy of eating a lemon and drinking ginger tea.