NEXTpittsburgh: Devotees of The Boss are not the only ones going down to The River this season. Fans of contemporary theater should flock to Aspinwall Riverfront Park to catch Quantum Theatre‘s latest site-specific production of a haunting work by Tony Award-winning English playwright, screenwriter and director Jez Butterworth.
3 comments:
I really hope that I am able to see the River at Quantum Theater with rehearsals starting and all. I think that it is safe to say that Quantum Theater does the most interesting and unique work in the city of Pittsburgh. My reasoning behind this is they are constantly doing fresh new work, and even when the play is older they are able to approach the text with new eyes. What makes them even more special is that they are not afraid to do the weird un-traditional stuff. Sometimes I feel like regional theater companies play it really safe, whereas Quantum Theater will literally jump in with out hesitation. I think the risk with this play is in the waterfront location. The reasoning behind this is that doing a play in the evening in an outdoor venue during can get quite cold temperature wise. That all being said, I hope that they have a great run and great weather.
It is always fun to hear about how theatre artists are reinventing all the things a stage can be. A big focus in several of my classes this year is the idea that the environment and the architecture of a space is a tool that should absolutely be used. We are learning that if the architecture is there, use it, and I think that it is really cool to hear about a production that has decided to do just that. I'm sure there are many benefits to being able to use a real space like the already existing river and woods. I'm sure as an audience member, it would bring you more into the world of the play and at the same time bring the world of the play closer to our reality. I hope I get the chance to see this production. I am interested in seeing for myself the affect that such a strong environment can have on a production and whether it adds to it or distracts.
Quantum is doing so many amazing things in the Pittsburgh theatre scene, in addition to Pittsburgh as a whole. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to see Peribañez, however I heard a lot of great things. I think it is so cool that not only did they do an outdoor show this year, they did two! I can only imagine what it must be like to plan financially for an outdoor show. There are so many variables and it feels like a risk for audiences and subscribers. The location that have chosen for The River feels so appropriate and that it will be able to enhance the story-telling greatly. I think it also raises an interesting question. What does it do theatrically for a story that has typically been told in a traditional theatrical venue and place it in a venue where it could have actually happened? Does that make it harder for a scenic designer?
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