Spring Plays

This past quarter I've been to three plays, The Caretaker, West Side Story, and Memphis! Overall I have enjoyed every single one of these performances and they were put together incredibly well. Each show was definitely worth the ticket price, I received so much more than what I payed for. Not only did I have the privilege to witness each show, I sat alongside my fellow Humanities Scholars and enjoyed experiencing these new adventures with them.

The first show that I saw was West Side Story, where the music was great, the acting moving, and the setting was done brilliantly. This was my first time seeing the musical live, so it was a monumental experience for me. I thought that the portrayal of each character in the play to characters in Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet were done so with integrity and elegance. Overall this event was an amazing one, and that Humanities Scholars should go to more events like this not only to watch a play and to fulfill a requirement, but to also experience the lush culture that Columbus and it's satellite neighborhoods have to offer.

Next, I went with a few of my fellow 1st-years to go see The Caretaker, which was an excellent play that was being performed by the Tony award winning recipient, Jonathan Pryce. Pryce's performance was amazing and he was accompanied by two other great actors, Alan Cox and Alex Hassell. The play is set in London, and during the entire duration of the play, the stage has only one setting, a cluttered room that is home to Aston, a nicely dressed man whom takes in Pryce's character, Davies, who is a homeless man. While Davies is allowed to stay at Aston's home as he is away, Aston's younger brother, Mick (played by Hassell), shows up and taunts and beats Davies. As the play moves along, and the laughter is continuous in the theater, the climatic part of the play happens when Aston gets into an argument with Davies, and eventually tells him about his long-term mental illnesses. The laughter from that point on was minimal. The falling action of the play ensues as Davies fights like a caged animal, desperately trying to play one brother against the other, transitioning the play from a biting comedy bleeds into a bleak study of human loneliness and need that leads to mystery, but it is more powerful for these ambiguities.

Finally, I went to see the musical Memphis, which was my favorite of the two that I've seen this year. The music was incredible, the storyline was remarkable and the actors were undeniably talented. It was very interesting to see the plot unfold as it was very intriguing. Overall this musical was one of my favorites of all-time. During most of the performances, I would find myself bobbing my head and rhythmically tapping my feet to the music. I would have goosebumps appear copious times on my arms from the talented singers. This was one of my favorite Humanities Scholars events, at the top of my list with the Chicago trip, 1st year retreat, The Caretaker, and meeting my fellow scholars.

For those of you who went to the plays/performances, share your thoughts!!