Comments on: Mark Rhea on Directing The Hostage

By: Paula Y. Bickham

Paula Y. Bickham — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:34:34 +0000

I saw “The Hostage” last weekend, and it really wasn’t my cup of tea, but there were some funny parts to it. The “Pat” character was an overbearing chatterbox and could be annoying at times (but I guess that’s what that character was supposed to be at times). I read the play a long time ago and recalled that the cheeky “Meg” character had some pretty good one liners, but Miss Herren, who played that role had such a soft voice I could hardly hear her, while I could hear the other players. It was long, but that piece at the end, “The Auld Triangle” I must say, was absolutely beautiful - an interesting piece. And another thing, if Innocenti insists on wearing flowing frocks he must learn to sashay in it like a lady (I could NOT resist that!).

I don’t remember the Church Street Theater being that stuffy, and I’ve been there on a number of occasions (for Keegan shows), but this particular day (Sunday) it was stuffy. The audience was comprised of a good mixture of an older lot, as well as young, and they had a really good foot stomping, hand clapping, singing good time. Me? “The Auld Triangle”. That’s my memory. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong with this title. I’d like to know if it is correct.

By: Michael Freiband

Michael Freiband — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:04:12 +0000

Sorry I tend to overlook mistakes when typing things into messages and sometimes that is not good. My last sentence was supposed to read “did NOT click well”…For example, I do not believe that Ireland in the late 50s (and beyond that for many years) would be very tolerant of poster carrying “queers.” That among many other things seemed to portray an “Ireland of yore” which I did not find…well maybe I was visiting the wrong places!! I had a marvelous time in Ireland (back in my youth) and had some memorable times chatting with local folk in a few pubs.

Finally if you sit in the top rows of the Church Street theatre in times of warmer outside weather, the temps and stuffiness could be a distraction to anyhow and smelling cigaratte smoke, even up there, was certainly distracting.

By: Joel Markowitz

Joel Markowitz — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:18:46 +0000

I didn’t give it a blanket recommendation. I raved about the ensemble. Even though I am extremely allergic to smoke, and there was allot of it in this production, the cramped seating and stuffy air only heightened the feeling that you were cramped into that stage/brothel with the actors. I will say, the production was too long, but it’s nice to see an ensemle work so well together.

By: Michael Freiband

Michael Freiband — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 04:55:17 +0000

Joel, I personally would not give this production a sweeping “blanket” recommendation. The audience tonight was mostly a younger group who seemed to really enjoy it. However, I did not. Also, unfortunately, I did not remember how much the Church Street theatre’s cramped seating and VERY stuffy air can be a distraction, particularly in a long play.
Finally my memory of a lengthy trip I took through Ireland in the 60s simply did click well with what I saw or heard on the stage…