Post #144812 by bigbrotiki on Sat, Mar 5, 2005 10:12 AM

Two things to share for future viewers that will help the reception of this masterwork:

I always thought it would be a play, but when I heard that Shag insisted there would be no dialogue (I was happily surprised) I should have anticipated that it is more of a musical. Yet there is not that much singing either (good), so the story is told by miming and mostly by incredible dance numbers, like in a Austin Powers movie where some cue lets the whole cast break into dance unexpectedly. As a kid that kind of stuff always made me cringe, but now I see it as wonderfully corny and love it.

Also, you should read the program before the play, to understand the characters, and the base of the story, but then forget about clinging too tightly to the storyline and let the goings-on unravel on their own.

In a Q&A after the performance Shag recalled that initially the narrative was too straight forward, and he worked with the director to purposely make it more ambiguous, so that just like in his paintings, the actual happenings would be up to each individual's interpretation.
This way the performance is as close as it can get to an animated Shag painting.

So if you feel you can't follow, don't try to hard. Allow the incredible sets, costumes, music and dancing provide the feast for the eyes that they are.

This forum seems like the perfect place to later discuss each individual's. interpretations.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki on 2005-03-05 11:27 ]