VANYA: Takeaways

Speaking of a regular “takeaway practice”, here’s a personal example re: VANYA…

One of the greatest plays I’ve ever seen is…a film?

Wait a second..Isn’t the whole point of theatre that you’re seeing something live and experiencing this “aliveness” with other people.

Yes.

But, the size of the venue matters greatly.

If you see a play from the back of the house, especially in a big theatre, it’s vastly different than seeing the exact same production from the first few rows. It’s two completely different shows. Two completely different experiences. For one thing, you miss all the nuances of what the actors are doing and feeling.

Which is why I love and make intimate theatre. (Grotowski said no more than 30 seats. Our Vs. space was 28.)

Or…

You can go see a National Theatre Live broadcast. Yes, they do live productions. But they also film them, and do so with craft and attention to detail. The result is what I experienced seeing VANYA on screen at the UCLA James Bridges Theater.

I was completely immersed in and mesmerized by the production. Andrew Scott was incredible. A one person tour de force. I loved how he gave each character a signature gesture that was consistent throughout. This allowed him to seamlessly transition back and forth among each character (a total of eight I believe) and for the audience to never get lost. The direction was tight and playwright Simon Stephens wrote an excellent, modern adaptation of Chekhov’s masterpiece. I also loved the nondescript, rehearsal room-like set. It fit perfectly with this being a one person show.

Afterwards, my friend Michael and I both said it was one of the best things we’ve ever seen. I told him and some other friends in attendance that unless I had the ability to see VANYA live and sit in the first few rows, I’d much prefer seeing it this way. I’m inspired to seek out more NT Live broadcasts.

P.S. – Seeing VANYA in a packed house (as opposed to streaming it in my house) also contributed greatly to my takeaway of it. Going through the emotional roller-coaster of the play, live with other invested audience members, provided the best of both worlds (theatre and film).