A Desert, Venus, and Protests?

Back in New York again and things are bustling as usual. City life goes on with or without you.

This time, we were in for a real treat. After warming up with a morning coffee, we were off on a tour around the Lincoln Center before lunch. We were led around the theaters. They were quiet: no one was around, and a theater feels so much different when empty. What surprised me the most was the amount of people that could be seated inside...while I was guessing only a few hundred, many seated at least a thousand. My favorite stop on the tour though was the New York City Ballet, also known as the jewel box theatre for its crafty, obviously jewel box-like design. A two-ton sculpture hung from the ceiling that looked like a studded brooch. The seats were plush red velvet and there were diamond-esque decorations throughout the theatre. It was absolutely beautiful.

After the tour, there was just enough time for lunch and a bit of relaxation before we had to catch our matinee show, Other Desert Cities. It's a play that focuses on a family of four (plus an interesting aunt) from California. It took place around Christmas time, and drama unfolds that's not quite fit for the holiday season. It was tense, political, with a few comedic reliefs. The first act had dragged a little here and there for me, but I still found myself actively paying attention to each of the five characters as they moved on and off the stage. The second act came back and gripped me. Every gesture, every word of the characters had a distinct purpose and that was great to see. By the second and emotional act I thought very much like I was in the family's shoes, feeling what they felt. Trip Wyeth (Thomas Sadoski) and Lyman Wyeth (Stacy Keach) were inspirational.

We got out of the play around 4:30 and skipped right across the street to Johnny's for an early dinner. We got seated right away, but there's no such thing as "beating the crowd" in New York. There's always a crowd! As we wandered back outside to find something to do until the 8pm show, the streets were especially crowded. We saw a few people walking around dressed as zombies and were quite surprised at that. People were loud, I heard drums in the distance, and save a wave of people far off to my right...the protests of Wall Street had come to Times Square. People joined the thrall of protesters by the minute, cardboard signs hailing above the hands of the masses. I lost interest after watching awhile.

8pm rolled around and it was time for Venus in Fur. This play had two actors and was a straight hour and a half long. I wasn't too sure what to think about it...I didn't even know what it was about. Soon I found out. With a (well timed) technical difficulty to start the show off, I still don't think it took away from the quality of the show. I thought it was hilarious, and at the same time it made you think a little. You never really know what the theme is, if there is one. Dominance, feminine power, mortal versus god. The plot twist in the last few minutes of the play left me ad my friends yelling "Oh my gosh!" But you'll have to watch the show yourself to see. Overall I thought that Nina Arianda and Hugh Dancy were brilliant and had great chemistry.

I could see both of these shows again, for sure.