Today, we saw Berkeley Rep's "Man in a Case" performance at the Roda Theatre.
Initially, I was excited to see Mikhail Baryshnikov in a dramatic production. Mr. Baryshnikov is a world-famous dancer, and I was excited to see what he could bring to these Chekhov stories.
The play was sold out and went on for 75 minutes (no intermission). It is an amalgamation of two stories: one about a man who inspires fear in others (shades of Stalin come to mind) and another about unrequited love.
The first story was slow and uninteresting. Theater is an opportunity for the writer to say something about life that deepens understanding of a particular topic. I learned nothing new in this first story of a man to be feared. I prefer more classical theatrical productions (i.e., Shakespeare's Hamlet - something with a straightforward plot and timeless dialogue).
The second story of unrequited love was more exciting but did not add much to my understanding of the topic. Although the story was interesting and told with delicacy, it was hard to feel anything for the character played by Baryshnikov.
I hoped to see more of Baryshnikov's dancing, as this is his stronger suit. He did a few small numbers, but not as many as I would have liked.
Overall, I found it hard to stay awake (at times) and was glad that I had drunk strong coffee beforehand.
Initially, I was excited to see Mikhail Baryshnikov in a dramatic production. Mr. Baryshnikov is a world-famous dancer, and I was excited to see what he could bring to these Chekhov stories.
The play was sold out and went on for 75 minutes (no intermission). It is an amalgamation of two stories: one about a man who inspires fear in others (shades of Stalin come to mind) and another about unrequited love.
The first story was slow and uninteresting. Theater is an opportunity for the writer to say something about life that deepens understanding of a particular topic. I learned nothing new in this first story of a man to be feared. I prefer more classical theatrical productions (i.e., Shakespeare's Hamlet - something with a straightforward plot and timeless dialogue).
The second story of unrequited love was more exciting but did not add much to my understanding of the topic. Although the story was interesting and told with delicacy, it was hard to feel anything for the character played by Baryshnikov.
I hoped to see more of Baryshnikov's dancing, as this is his stronger suit. He did a few small numbers, but not as many as I would have liked.
Overall, I found it hard to stay awake (at times) and was glad that I had drunk strong coffee beforehand.
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