Tu parles français or predictions?

MUSIC HALL 

by Jean-Luc Lagarce

The French play MUSIC HALL by Diffractions Theater Company is about the inner life of a vagabond female artist (and her two show boys.) It was written in 1988 and has only been performed in France… until now.

Things I liked:

Subtitles: Thankfully I speak French, but it has been awhile. The ‘sous-titres’ were very easy to follow and weren’t too distracting. I found after a couple of minutes I could easily follow the show because the main actress is American and pronounced all the French lentement (slowly). 

Length: I appreciate that the show was kept to 90 minutes. 

Play’s topic matter: A struggling artist, who always feels mocked and ridiculed… Artists make themselves vulnerable on-stage (or through whatever medium) but it is a universal human emotion. 

Things I didn’t like:

Direct address: It was unclear if the actors were talking directly to the audience or some ‘figurative’ audience, because they never engaged us in conversation. Was the time period now or the 1920s? (Meta? Self aware?)

Structure: Maybe I’m realizing I don’t like absurdist theatre…The actor’s struggle is interesting for 10 minutes, but after while the ‘parfois’ and ‘au début’ got a bit redundant.

Hesitancy: In a small venue you like this, everything is visible. So when an actor does a motion halfway, the audience sees it... 

I’m glad I was able to engage in French culture. Heads up the show is only running this week. 

For more info and tickets visit www.diffractions.org

May 13-17, 2014 | 8pm

Location: Roy Arias Studio - Theater 2

300 W 43rd St, 4th floor

New York, NY 10036

These are my pretty confident Tony Predictions:

Best Musical Revival- Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Best Play Revival- Twelfth Night

Best Play- All the Way

Best New Musical- A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (I guess?…)

Best Actor Musical- Andy Karl in Rocky

Best Actress Musical- Jessie Mueller in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical 

Best Actor Play- Bryan Cranston in All the Way

Best Actress Play- … NO IDEA

Best Direction of Play- John Tiffany, Glass Menagerie

Best Choreography Musical- Steven Hoggett & Kelly Devine, Rocky