the nashville theatre lost and found

no reviews here, just attitude

"A theatre director reflects on the reason for his craft, and discovers the precious possibility of failure." ~William Henderson

What you will find in this blog is the truth. At least my version of it. Everyone has an opinion; here is mine. If I liked a show, I will tell you. If I didn't like a show, I will tell you. But please keep this one thing in mind as you read: this blog is NOT ABOUT REVIEWS.

I, like “Rednose” who commented on my very first post, do not want to merely review a show. Shows are "reviewed" to stroke an actor's fragile ego, to vent a grudge against a theatre company, to giggle about people we know when they do something funny on stage, to generate an income for the theatre, or hell, to pay a critic. But theatre isn't about all that. It is about moving people; that’s why I review for free. I watch shows because they are enchanting and transcendental and lovely, but it is still most often in a theatrical space where I am flooded with the beauty of language and ideas. It is here where I am most often challenged as an audience member and as a person. I recently saw Pull-Tight’s Enchanted April. Honestly, I didn’t want to see it. I’ve seen this chick flick of plays one trillion times, but a girlfriend of mine just “had to go.” And this show has closed so I cannot review it in order to convince you to go. But I can use it as an example of emotional transportation. Two things transported me in this show: wisteria and Sara Youngblood-Ochoa.

I wondered why the director, J.K. Gregg, made the choice of leaving a staunchly British set with nothing on the walls; the actors often pointed to non-existent pictures and imaginary props. At first, I was confused and slightly distracted. Then, when the set opened up and the characters were transported to Italy, the contrast took my breath away. Vines climbed the walls, marble fountains, paintings, plants, and patio chairs filled the stage. There were flowers and colours and peaceful landscapes. It honestly reminded me of the trip I did take down to Italy with some girlfriends in university; all of a sudden I was eating gelato at our little villa in Capri. I swear it was the same patio. Then I knew Gregg’s blank and boring initial set choice was significantly well-calculated. Maybe she reflected on the reason for her craft, discovered the precious possibility of failure, but said to hell with it. Good thing, if so; because it worked. ;-)

Trudy's Truth in Theatre Moment:

These are those times when theatre transports a person, even when it isn’t top notch theatre. I’m sure not everyone in the audience shared my memories of Italy, but I am sure they were transported somewhere. With a simple change of set, directing our senses away from blank walls to climbing vines of wisteria, we could see the contrast of that which we are and what we know we could be, but have not dared become – yet. The acting was fine; I wasn’t bored, though there were clearly weak links in the cast. However, I smiled every time Ms. Ochoa was on stage, because the delivery of her character was the portal with which an entire audience was transported. She and wisteria were not the reasons I left with a smile on my face; I didn’t want to go back to Italy and escape from life. I wanted to live it, in its essence, right here. Thanks, Ms. Ochoa, for, as Winston Churchill said it, reminding me that attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.