Listen. Watch. Be observant. Don’t judge. See a play, enjoy it. Pick it apart later.
I’d never seen a horror play before until “Horror Academy” by Darren Callahan last Sunday. I drive my friends crazy because after a show, I don’t always like to talk about it. I want the impetus of the work to sink in and affect me. I want to extend the suspension of disbelief a bit, ride the emotional rollercoaster the writer set up in the piece.
But later that night, in my journal, or the following day walking along the lake, I pick apart the work. How can you be violent but not gross in describing a criminal act? How do you create the element of surprise? How do you walk the wire between terror and camp? I found myself asking these questions last weekend.
When was the last time you really thought about a work of art and analyzed how it did and didn’t function properly?
Gotta say I feel the same way, and my theatre friends find it somewhat disconcerting. After seeing a show that they are performing in, or have directed or designed, I will usually have very little feedback for them until at least the next day.
I find this a good thing, as one of the reasons I attend theatre (or go to the movies) is to escape into the world the artists create and just enjoy the ride. At the end of the ride, I can usually say “that was fun” or “that was disappointing” but usually I can’t put into words right away the reason why.
Enjoy the ride!