Entertainment Central Pittsburgh: Is it OK for a reviewer to recommend a play that he didn’t entirely understand? Because it moved him and amused him; because he is still thinking about it the day afterward? Plano (rhymes with “Drano”) by Will Arbery, at Quantum Theatre through April 24, is that kind of play. Tricky in structure, with lots of dots to connect, but high in impact even if you don’t catch ‘em all.
2 comments:
I went into this article in hopes of gaining insight on this fairly well advertised production, I feel as though I have been seeing it everywhere. I really hoped to see the production. The article solidified the fact that I do hope to see the production. However, I was more struck by this quote from the critic. "Is it OK for a reviewer to recommend a play that he didn’t entirely understand? Because it moved him and amused him; because he is still thinking about it the day afterward." I enjoyed this because it feels like it related heavily to our Conservatory Hour conversations this week, about how theatre doesn't always have to have a deeper meaning for audiences. Sometimes it can just be enjoyable. The class was pretty torn on this issue in regards to our production of Cinzano, seeing that some were searching for more metaphorical context in the show then others. I appreciate the critics candor, and believe it raises an interesting point.
I would love to see this show. Personally, I have not been able to see any theatre in Pittsburgh yet. At least, theatre that is outside of Carnegie Mellon University. One of my goals as a Pittsburgh resident, and artist in general, is to explore more local theatre. Growing up, I watched a fair amount of theatre, but a majority of it was mainstream. By mainstream, I mean national tours. Only in 10th grade did I start exploring smaller companies and venues in Los Angeles. I remember seeing a production of In Trousers that changed my entire perspective on the type of theatre I wanted to create. For a while, I thought Broadway was the highest standard of theatre you create. But now, after seeing that production, I understand that the quality and impact of a show do not depend on where you perform the production, but how you do it. Some Broadway shows are terrible. Some small theatre company's productions are incredible. I have been able to see some of Pittsburgh Opera's work, but nothing from Quantum yet. Hopefully this will change!
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