"Master Class" at Theatre in the Park is great
Todd Morman
tmorman at nc.rr.com
Fri Aug 21 18:34:51 EDT 2009
Hey, just thought I'd pass it along, since Saturday's the last night, but I
saw the TIP production of Terrence McNally's "Master Class" last night and
it was just wonderful. It's about Maria Callas, and is set in the format of
a master class (basically a rambling public crit of student performances),
with the audience as students/spectators. I had no idea until just before
the show that Callas had been having an abusive affair with Ari Onassis, who
forced her to have an abortion before dumping her for Jackie O. That's about
all the backstory you need.
The first thing I noticed was the writing; it's a beautifully written,
multi-layered play that mixes past & present, spoken word & voice, hilarious
jabs and aching pain in near-perfect balance. Second, I was completely
captivated by the actress playing Callas (also the director, who was also
the one putting up fliers on Hillsborough Street a couple of weeks back [DIY
rules]). She was fantastic - complex, funny, emotional but controlled and
always on-point; it was simply a ton of fun to watch her (she also played
Hamlet's mom so well in that Temple Theater production in Sanford I raved
about at the start of the year). The third best thing is the vocal
performances by the actors playing the students, especially the two women
(I'd enjoy opera a helluva lot more if I could get the kind of running
annotation McNally sets up in this play between the impatient Callas and the
singing students).
Seriously, I don't think I've had a more enjoyable music/theater experience
this year (Lambchop is a tie), so if you have tomorrow free before you go to
the Lump benefit dance, here's one recommendation you swing by "Master
Class" at Theatre in the Park. If it helps, McNally was also the guy behind
the controversial Jesus-as-gay-Texas-teen "Corpus Christi" a few years back.
http://www.theatreinthepark.com/
todd I tried to get to John Howie/Dale Watson after but was just too damn
old morman
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