The House of Blue Leaves...
THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES is one of the finest productions the Theater in the Round has ever mounted. The play is a bit quirky, but the direction and the acting are at the peak of the profession.
Set in 1960s New York City at around the time that Pope Paul VI made his historic visit to the US, the story unfolds about a washed up songwriter and lounge performer who hopes for the day of his big breakthrough but mostly spends his time in the past. He is in love, but, unfortunately, still in a problematic marriage. His son is also a problem for him and it gradually develops that there is a connection to the Pope's visit and the inevitable conclusion of love being lost and tragically concluded with a dramatic end to it as a shower of blue leaves descends on the final scene.
There are a lot of good plays out there, but this one is great. One gets the distinct feel at the outset that you are not watching a play...instead, you are watching actual people play out the relationships that make for life on life's terms. One never gets the sense this is theater: It is always the way things actually are for these people. That is a remarkable achievement in any theater production and Ben Kutschied and his cast have made it all come alive.
Bravo!
RPW
Set in 1960s New York City at around the time that Pope Paul VI made his historic visit to the US, the story unfolds about a washed up songwriter and lounge performer who hopes for the day of his big breakthrough but mostly spends his time in the past. He is in love, but, unfortunately, still in a problematic marriage. His son is also a problem for him and it gradually develops that there is a connection to the Pope's visit and the inevitable conclusion of love being lost and tragically concluded with a dramatic end to it as a shower of blue leaves descends on the final scene.
There are a lot of good plays out there, but this one is great. One gets the distinct feel at the outset that you are not watching a play...instead, you are watching actual people play out the relationships that make for life on life's terms. One never gets the sense this is theater: It is always the way things actually are for these people. That is a remarkable achievement in any theater production and Ben Kutschied and his cast have made it all come alive.
Bravo!
RPW