So....on assignment for my CreComm course, myself, along with about 50 other students attended a play which goes by many names. Firstly, In The Chamber 2010: Last Men, but the two parts within that title were Last Man in Krakendorf and Last Man in Puntarenas. Both part 1 and 2 consisted of one man monologues, written and then performed by two men. Part 1 starred Gordon Tanner whom I recognized as an actor from Inertia, and I also recognized the director, Sarah Constible as his love interest from Inertia.
Now, granted, the performances were amazing. Both male actors did a fabulous job and are awesomely talented. The concept of both parts was essentially a male middle age crisis....a sort of nervous breakdown if you will.
In Part 1 a man named Doug Turner delivers a presentation to a video camera alone in a hotel room. He is equipped with a slide show and some old chinese food. He speaks to a man named Warren Buffett, complaining about subjects such as Human Factor Analysis and pigs being burned alive.
The man is visibly distraught and there is some hint that he might be in some trouble with the law. He curses and breaks down numerous times through out the performance. The actors' use of space was interesting as he seemed to fill the entire set with his massive presence. Quite comical it was to meet him after the show and see that he is exactly the same in "real-life".
Part 2 was much the same type of performance. This time the monologue took place in a nearly empty restaurant. A man delivers a birthday speech to his friends, an empty table, but the "friends" are represented by balloons tied to the tops of chairs. Quite funny I found that every time a friend was leaving the table it was shown by a balloon being carried off the stage.
This gentlemen is dealing with the death of his young son and the resulting failing of his marriage. Not quite as angry or high strung as the first man, but still difficult to watch. The mental breakdown he has is more of an emotional one, a realization that his life is essentially nearing it's end. Not life in a literal sense, but the important milestone events in his life.
However he too manages to touch on this Human Factor Analysis subject (one which, had I understood it, I could explain it now). He also makes several references to prostitutes and mentions that he was attracted to the female students he taught at Balmoral Hall High School.
As I previously stated, the performances were great. Sadly, I am unable to say that I "thoroughly" enjoyed it. To say that would be a lie. However, many of those in the theater did enjoy it, mostly, not surprisingly, middle aged men. There were numerous loud, boisterous laughs coming from the spectators, but my laughs were nowhere to be found.
I have come to the conclusion that it was simply, to be all PR like, not in my "demographic". The play wasn't made for me, wasn't made to entertain me and as a result didn't speak to me at all. The jokes were beyond my understanding and the concept was unrelatable.
A play centered around 20-something females would be more my "thing".
If you've read this far you need to get out more!
Christa
awesome interpretation!
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