What's Better - The Production or The Play?

What's Better - The Production or The Play?
By Natalia Tamzoke and Nidhi Saraiya
Theater Editor and Books Editor

Natalia's Blurbs

A View from the Bridge
The recent Broadway production of A View from the Bridge at the Cort Theater wiped the dust off of a classic Arthur Miller play. The set and costumes remained reminiscent of the 1950s without seeming too period, while a rotating floor made transitions from inside and outside the home flow with ease. Though Hollywood stars Scarlett Johansson (The Other Boleyn Girl, Lost in Translation) as Catherine and Liev Schreiber (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Taking Woodstock) as Eddie Carbone may have increased ticket sales, their performances were worth every penny. Director Gregory Mosher kept the staging simple to focus on the tension built in the script. In the end, the production managed to enhance the script.

Measure for Measure
Though the text is not necessarily Shakespeare's best, Measure for Measure, when done properly, can be an entertaining piece of theater. However, Theater for a New Audience's recent production seemed to forget that. The direction by Arin Arbus failed to bring anything new out of the play. Only the costume department aimed to modernize, though it struggled to mesh with the all-around low energy. While Jefferson Mays played a captivating Duke, the other actors floundered. Rocco Sisto's portrayal of the infatuated Angelo had no arcs and turned out flat, while Elisabeth Waterston's obvious method acting amputated her from the role of Isabella.

The Glass Menagerie
Roundabout Theater Company's current production of Glass Menagerie brings the text to life. Purists might stand against the altered locale of the piece, but most others will enjoy the other aspects of Tennessee Williams's masterful writing, in addition to the brilliant acting and direction. Director Gordon Edelstein chose to go with period costumes, yet the set simplicity of the set does not make the piece feel too dated. Judith Ivey plays Amanda Wingfield with vigor, instilling cruelty and desperation within the aging Southern belle. Patch Darragh , Keira Keely, and Michael Mosley equally do justice to their roles.

Nidhi's Blurbs

A View From The Bridge
Arthur Miller's style of tragedy harkens back to the days of ancient Greek theater. The main character Eddie Carbone is a true tragic hero. He and his wife Beatrice raised their niece Catherine as their own, but now that Catherine is an adult, Eddie struggles to let her go. His hubristic desire to keep Catherine all to himself is finally challenged when she falls in love with an Italian illegal immigrant. Ignoring Catherine's happiness, Eddie follows his selfish motives, and readers can only observe in horror as Eddie's actions lead to his final ruin. While A View may be one of Miller's best plays, the only way to feel those true tragic emotions of pity and fear is watch it performed live.

Measure for Measure
Shakespeare may be known for his comedies and tragedies, but this "problem play" deserves an equal amount of praise. Like many Shakespearean plays, Measure for Measure deals with troubled love. But what makes it special is the way the extremes of passion are expressed in the different characters. Claudio is the quintessential character who is punished unrightfully for love. Her sister Isabella, on the other hand, promises to stay chaste and become a nun. But the Duke of Vienna suffers from both extremes, vowing to destroy Claudio while secretly lusting for an unattainable woman. The complexity of romantic morality is evaluated from all angles, creating a solid plot with many twists.

The Glass Menagerie
While most of us associate Tennessee Williams with "Stella!" and A Streetcar Named Desire, maybe it's time we take notice of Williams' far more profound work, The Glass Menagerie. The play tells the story of the Wingfield family. Tom Wingfield longs to be free in the world, yet he is tethered by his responsibilities to his family, his widowed mother Amanda and his crippled sister Laura. Things finally seem to be looking up when the family meets a young man named Jim O'Connor. But as Williams shows us, our dreams and hopes for the future can be easily shattered as glass figurines.