5/1/2010
When I signed up for this trip, I found out we had to read two plays before leaving for the Twin Cities. The first was Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and the second was Hwang's M. Butterfly. I was beyond excited to read this play. I had always heard so much about it and wanted to know what all the fuss was about.
So, I started reading the play and had the hardest time figuring out Act I Fun and Games. The cast consists of an older married couple who cannot seem to get along to save their lives and a younger couple who appears perfect. The dialogue was ridiculously hard to follow initially, but it was a fast read so I pressed on. As I got into the second act, Walpurgisnacht, I realized just how strange this play was. The older couple, Martha and George, keep verbally attacking eachother and later their guests. It doesn't matter what is said, there is a constant banter. I don't want to give anything away, but in the third act, The Exorcism, the play comes to a very intense climax. By the end, I had fallen in love with this incredibly off-the-wall show.
Once I had read the show, I was beyond excited to see it. Very rarely do I get the chance to read a script and then watch the show. I kept worrying that I was getting my hopes up too high, but, thankfully, that wasn't the case. We saw the show at The Jungle Theatre and the cast was phenomenal. In my opinion, all of the characters were spot on for the most part. They were such a strong cast. The set wasn't what I had expected, but it was very good as well. It helped to draw me into their world, while keeping me a safe distance away from the crazy amount of tension that mounted in every act.
This is a show that I would encourage anyone to go see if they ever get a chance. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? has been, by far, my favorite show on this trip.
Posted at 11:09 PM by Kathleen Patrick