August 4th Performance and Post Script of Godot

[galedreamer]

I attended Godot on August 4th, a Monday evening that included a post-script discussion with the actors.  I sat in the front row of the center section, but it’s such an intimate theatre, there is no bad seat.  While there was a handful of Randy fans present, it was a subscriber-rich audience.  That translates into many attendees being elderly and

Comments

[arrowthroughme]

Sounds like something I would have loved to see.
Thanks so much for this - I'm always excited reading people's thoughts on Randy's plays. It's all I have and at least I know he is employed, doing something somewhere. And it seems he doesn't do a bad job at it. I'm glad, I wish him the best and I would love to see him just once.

I love theatre plays, always have.

Nicki

[galedreamer]

Randy was/is magnificent. I tried to make that clear even though I said a few critical things.

[arrowthroughme]

You made it quite clear. I often sit here and think, damn, I'd love to see him now, he's older and I suppose has really matured on stage. On the show I often thought he was overdoing certain facial expressions and things, but nowadays I read good reviews and am so glad for him. He has always been my fave one.

Nicki

[shadownyc]

I'm looking forward to seeing this version of the play. Having read the play, I had mixed feelings about my ability to stay awake throughout, however it sounds like this is one of the most interesting interpretations ever performed.

I think I saw mentioned in a recent review that some of the elderly attendees (don't know which night) were offended by the interpretation.

Thank you for this great review.

[galedreamer]

You'll stay awake. Especially when Randy's on stage.

I'm not sure what there is to be offended about. The play's been Americanized. I think Becket would have approved.

Enjoy yourself! Squeeze the feline for me.

[metafascinating]

I loved reading your thoughts on the play. :) I was there the evening of the 2nd and also the 4th and it was really amazing how differently the audience responded on the two nights, On the 2nd it seemed like the audience was laughing from start to finish in all the right places, Randy got a thunderous applause after his monologue, there was a standing ovation at the end and then two curtain calls. I was so surprised on the 4th that it was such a different experience. I didn't notice anything that the actors did differently when comparing the two nights. I did see a couple of people sleeping--one elderly man (on the left of the stage) slept through the entire first act. Also the air conditioner wasn't working that night and it did start to feel claustrophobic in there at the end. Maybe that also effected audience response

[galedreamer]

Thanks for the nice comment. Opening night audiences definitely differ from the Monday night crowd, a night most theatres are dark. While Randy fans may have chosen Monday for the Q&A (and for me, lack of traffic on the Mass Pike), I do think the season subscribers tend to be quiet. Breathing favored over laughing

[metafascinating]

I had attended the Equus Q&A where Randy attended (though he uttered only one single syllable, "no")
Did he seem uncomfortable being at the Q&A? Do you remember the question?

And it looks like Stephen's enjoying Randy's fans way more than Randy, though of course, that wouldn't take much.
LOL! Truer words have never been spoken. :) I got a pic taken with Stephen and he said that he was laughing in it so he wanted to do one more. That was certainly a different experience. :) He was very at ease with the crowd and seemed like the life of the party type.

[galedreamer]

You forced me to check my own LJ archives for 2005. Turns out the word was not "no," but "fear." It was in response to why Randy wanted to play the part of Alan in Equus. For somewhat more detail, here was my original post:
http://galedreamer.livejournal.com/37899.html

[mmmorpheusq]

This play sounds incredibly intense. I've never read it, and frankly I find the imagery emotionally upsetting and even intimidating in some strange way.

But I would love to see ANY play that Randy performed in, because having seen him in AMADEUS, I recognize his amazing talent. I can't believe some Broadway producers and directors haven't snatched him up for important and challenging roles.

[galedreamer]

Intense is a good word for it. Even the humor maintained a level of intensity.

Selfishly, I'll take the Berkshires or NYC, since both are doable for me.

[qafaddiction]

Wow! Thanks for a great review, and for sharing your own experience with us. Your comments are like a work of art themselves; I loved this part:

I felt myself become agitated watching him. His discomfort becoming my own. Atkins’ portraying of Didi was so connected to his own internal struggle that my heart accelerated when he was on stage.

I've heard the same from many others who saw the play; that they didn't just "watch" the play, they "felt" it. I think it must have been an intense experience.

Too bad that Randy didn't speak as much as the others, but that interview he gave recently was amazing. I need to go read that again, and try to understand it! LOL

[galedreamer]

As my daughter would say, what an awesome comment! Thank you for it.

Randy may not have said much, but what he did say stole the show. Not to mention his dance. And yes, that interview was a keeper.