REVIEW: …a Seagull
Last night I was invited to watch the dress rehearsal of The Gonzo Group Theater’s latest production, …a Seagull, which is based on Anton Chekhov’s classic comedy ‘The Seagull‘. I am not familiar with Chekov’s version so I cannot comment in comparison. I was mostly interested in this play as it is advertised as being inspired by Arrested Development. Fans of Arrested Development will definitely pick up on this influence but I would not say that the play is similar to watching an episode of the popular show.
Director Jennifer Harrington is definitely pushing boundaries with this production – literally. It is a very different play in that the audience is set within the stage. The stage is a large area that’s segmented into rooms by walls created by the audience’s chairs. Watching a play from within it was definitely a neat perspective. Actors were typically in multiple rooms, going about as if it was real life. It was difficult to pay attention, however, when cast members are busy in all of the rooms. I felt the experience could be described as trying to find a plotline while at a house party. The piano playing, which was frequent throughout the play, was often too loud to really hear what was going on in other rooms and I felt like I had ADD because it was hard for me to concentrate what was going on because I felt compelled to pay attention to what everyone was doing, even if they were not in the main scene. I have an idea what the plot is, but there are definitely gaps in what I understood and there are even a few characters whose roles I could not name after seeing it.
…a Seagull runs through September 16th. Tickets are Anything-is-Something (pay what you can), with all proceeds going to the Friends of Mears Park and Wacouta Commons.