It was one of the very first plays I saw. I think the first was The Christmas Carol, also with my grandparents. After they retired, they started ushering at Alberta Theatre Projects, so occasionally I'd get to go. We went a lot more to ATP's cushion story time, which I haven't thought about in years. It was a lunch time, mid week thing (I think) and you and your adult were to bring a cushion to sit on and people would tell stories. It was in the 2nd storey lobby and while I don't remember any of the stories, I still remember the thrill of lying there in the sunlight on a pillow that smelled like my grandmother's perfume and being captivated.
In university, John and I started going to plays together. At the Pumphouse, a local theatre house with dozens of companies show at, student tickets were often only $10, so it was cheaper than a movie and often much more fun. We get out less now, as we have more obligations and less free time, in some ways. Or at least, our free time is now limited to evenings and weekends, and is not flexible. But we still see at least 6 plays a year, especially as we have some friends in amateur theatre groups. However, they are mostly amateur, run and acted in by people who do it for love.
Then we saw Vertigo's Arsenic and Old Lace last night with my parents. It was delightful! The acting was, um, different I guess. Obviously the production values were much higher, and the budget wasn't shoe string. With the amateur shows I've seen, I'd say 70% of the acting is great, 10% is sub standard (how cold that sounds, I know) and 20% is over the top camp bad. (Im talking to you, Sherlock.) This was great across the board, and they became their roles. I don't know how to describe it. I'm sure Alida would know. While you never really stop forgetting you are at a play, you get so wound up in it that it's impossible to care.
However. The seats? Sucked. Badly. I am still in pain, seriously. Our tickets were for the middle of the back row, which should have been fine, but some cheap evil genius decided that our row got 4 inches less of leg space, and had completely vertical seat backs, not slightly tilted like all the others. So unbelievably uncomfortable. You could only sit facing totally forwards with your knees splayed because even me of the short legs found them smashed against the seat back if I kept them together. Also? I couldn't see over the head of the woman in front of me. It was really bad, and I'm afraid that the 4 of us will never go back if they can't promise us tickets in a different row. I mean, for $40 a ticket, I want to not be in pain afterwards, you know? My mom's knee hurt so badly she could barely walk up the stairs of the parkade. Nice job, architects.
So in conclusion: great play, see it or the old Cary Grant movie if you ever get the chance, and just say NO NO NO to row R of Vertigo's new theatre space.
posted by Morgan @ 10:26 a.m.
3 Comments:
I got ATP's season's tickets for preview night a few years ago, and it was the best deal--I think that (including PlayRites) I got 10 shows or something like that, and it only ended up costing me around $90. The nice thing about it was that it gave me a "standing date" with myself and made sure that I found time to see theatre in the middle of classes and other busyness.
Happy belated birthday and anniversary!
I miss reading you. I was thinking of you today while I was walking to class and thinking 'damn, it's cold' and then 'no it's not. Fuck, I've become a hot weather person who starts to shiver if the temp drops below 60. Morgan would probably be in shorts right now.'
And didn't you just enjoy that little foray into my brain?
PS... by Sherlock, did you mean the show that went up last January at Pumphouse? I can't remember the company that did it right now... I saw that, though, and it was... yeah, pretty awful. One of my friends from school was in it, but thankfully, she was the nurse, and didn't have any scenes with the abysmal Sherlock.
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