A Day of Family Drama, Protesting and Kinky Fun

Our day in NYC was a blast, like usual, although the protests in Times Square made it a bit more difficult this time! We started off the day with a tour of the Lincoln Center, where we got to see theater that War Horse is performing in. The most exciting part of the tour for me was when we got to see the "Jewel Box" theater where the dance productions are performed, and also where Black Swan was filmed.

Our first show of the day was Other Desert Cities, which was about the struggle a family has when their daughter decides to write a book about her dead brother. The show was captivating, and it definitely sucked the audience into the family's drama. It did seem to drag on at some points, but the ending was a shocking twist that I definitely didn't see coming. Since Other Desert Cities was moved from its original home, the Lincoln Center theater (to make room for War Horse), the set wasn't altered at all and was still in a circular shape. It didn't matter too much, but sometimes the actors' backs would be facing the audience because of the layout of the set. My only complaint was that it was tough to be sympathetic for Brooke or any of the other family members, especially once the truth about her brother is revealed. Nevertheless it was a great show, and I'm glad we had the opportunity to see it.

After Other Desert Cities we had a great deal of free time, so we all headed over to Junior's and stuffed ourselves full of great food. Afterwards, we decided to check out some stores in Times Square, but little did we know that it would be no easy feat! Many of the sidewalks were lined with metal barricades, making it nearly impossible to even cross the street. We stood outside and took videos and pictures while people (and... zombies?!) chanted and paraded around with signs. After we'd had enough of the action, we headed over to the Samuel J. Friedman theater for the final performance of the day, Venus in Fur.

Venus in Fur is a play full of "kinky fun," and is about a director looking for the perfect actress for his play, and the seemingly klutzy young actress that comes to audition for the part. While there was some "technical difficulty" in the beginning of the show that resulted in a temporary delay, but this was quickly forgiven by the audience once the play got into full swing. Both actors were phenomenal, switching between the "script" the director has written and their own characters, it's constantly a surprise of what will happen next, especially at the end. The fun wasn't as "kinky" as the show described, but it switched between funny and serious flawlessly.

Both shows of the day were extraordinary, thanks to their shocking and unpredictable endings, and I'm glad to have seen both shows. We had a wonderful (although hectic) day in NYC, and I can't wait to see what our next trip will bring!