The Pillowman in Russia and The Barber of Seville in…Italy?

After giving myself a few days to tend to my wounds and heal (and I am much improved), it is high time to write about the shows I saw: The Pillowman at MXAT, and the opera The Barber of Seville at the Stanislavsky Music Theatre. The former was on the night of my fall, and was quite appropriate to watch on St. Patrick’s Day given its Irish playwright, Martin McDonagh. Our third show directed by Sebrennikov, I think we finally were able to grasp his aesthetic. However, what really stood out to me with this pretty heavy play was the acting. The actors astounded me with their work. This may have been more noticeable because it was the first production we’ve seen that falls into the category of realism (albeit with some un-realistic moments). Leaving this show, I was more in awe of Russian actors and their training than with almost any show I’ve seen in the U.S.

The following night was a bit of a let down though. The music and singing were good, but the design and staging were…not. Even though I stereotype operas as being grandiose and spectacular, I’m aware that they do not have to be. But I do think it’s important to have a reason for changing the setting/time period. It’s also helpful to include a sense of movement in the design elements if the staging is going to be static. Opera is difficult to stage (so I am told) because the performers need to be able to sing in a comfortable position. This impedes more dynamic staging or incorporating more movement. However, I think that interesting set, costume, and lighting designs can remedy this problem.

The production began outside…in the snow. Snowing in Italy? There are two things wrong with this. First, last I checked it rarely snows in Italy. Second, shouldn’t The Barber of Seville be set in Spain? I’m pretty sure that’s where Seville is. Since I’ve been there and all. And while I realize that the opera is in Italian, that’s not really the justification I was looking for.

How, you might ask, did I know it was supposed to be in Italy? Why, the stereotypes and clichés, of course. This included random performers eating bowls of spaghetti. The set and costumes themselves didn’t really clue me into the new place, but they did confuse me about the period. I was never really sure if it was supposed to be in the 1940s or 1960s, but the colors were drab enough that it didn’t really matter. The set itself was drab too: a large clunky piece of stucco wall that kept extending as the show progressed. However, it somehow never really managed to indicate whether we were in or outdoors. I say this because there were living room sofas in what looked to be a courtyard patio. And did I mention that the snow from the first scene kept slipping off the railings from the balconies?

There were also extraneous people who literally just sat around onstage and did nothing. I could go into more detail, but just writing about this production is making me cranky. So instead I think I’ll go ice my face. We all know that will cheer me up.