Illness and understudies at Mary Rose, and everywhere!

The New York theater world reminds me of middle school sometimes. Everyone knows each other, secrets never stay secret for long, and when somebody's sick, everybody gets sick. It's really gross. This past week has been one of those times - it seems like every show I've heard about has had actors out, and understudies performing. At Translations, two understudies performed the final performances (one actor wasn't out so much from illness as he was from, uh, onstage violence?) At Coast of Utopia, Billy Crudup's understudy, Scott Parkinson, performed the marathon (!!), and blogged about his "dream-like" experience.

Meanwhile, I got a call from The Vineyard saying they had to cancel the performance of Mary Rose that I had tickets to because of a sick cast member, and when I went to my rescheduled performance, they still had the actor out. Someone from the Vineyard announced that since they don't have understudies, Noah Bean had graciously agreed to step in and play the role, script in hand. Noah did a really fantastic job in the face of adversity - his two scenes bookend the play, and are played in near-total darkness! With the help of a little book light attached to his script, he was relaxed and alive in the world of the play, and really cute to boot.


The non-book-carrying cast of Mary Rose is, in fact, perfection. Paige Howard is going to be a star (I know I have a redhead bias, but she really is amazing), and the cast surrounding her are a fabulous mix of some of New York's greatest non-famous theater actors. Michael Countryman is so delightful, as always. He just comes across as one of the most good-natured people onstage. And Ian Brennan again shines in a quirky character role - it's a matter of time until he's on the next Friends or what have you. The play a lovely sort of mix between ghost story and drawing room comedy, except not boring, which is what I always think of when someone says "drawing room comedy". Anyone who's into Peter Pan, or liked Finding Neverland, should DEFINITELY see Mary Rose.

Coast of Utopia: Voyage

Whew! Moxie was lucky enough to attend the opening night of the first installment of Lincoln Center's The Coast of Utopia trilogy, entitled Voyage. Being on standby for tickets encouraged lots of star-gazing, and Moxie thrilled at the sight of Martha Stewart, entourage-free, entering humbly through the downstairs door by the Mitzi Newhouse Theater. We're also pretty sure we saw Josh Hamilton (who appears only in one scene at the top of act two) wandering doe-eyed around the lobby during intermission. Unless he has an actual identical twin, he was in the lobby, looking a bit confused. Moxie also saw director Jack O'Brien being complimented up the wazoo... it went something like this:

Drooling theatergoer: Congratulations! You must be so happy.
O'Brien: I am!
Drooling theatergoer: You must be so proud!
O'Brien: I am!

Moxie thought the reviews were just a *little* over the top in their praise - it seems like Stoppard's play and O'Brien's staging have turned the whole theater community into drooling lapdogs. However, we must admit, the play is profoundly beautiful and intelligent, and O'Brien's direction makes it wholly approachable and free of the intellectual arrogance and self-congratulation that Moxie expected to see.

It strikes us that this is a play different than any other we can think of. Utopia spends about two thirds of the script discussing various philosophies of why we exist, what is reality, and what is that reality worth. These are discussed literally, between a couple people standing on the stage. It seems to us that most plays are a giant metaphor leading to a point of discussion about these philosophical questions, but to discuss them outright onstage is obvious and ill-fitting to the medium of theater, perhaps better suited for a docu-drama or essay. What's quietly mindblowing about the show is how effectively it wraps the audience into these philosphical debates, and makes us interested in what is essentially characters talking about something, rather than doing.


Of course, there's also plenty of character-based action, relationships to invest in, and all that meaty good stuff we go to theater to see. Moxie didn't love Billy Crudup in The Pillowman (though the show is one of our favorites), but he absolutely glows in this role, pouring all his frenetic energy into the awkwardness, social discomfort, and warm heartedness this character has in spades. Ethan Hawke's normally annoying qualities (bravado overdose, suspicious smell of arrogance lurking beneath the surface) are suited perfectly for the macho rock-star-esque Bakunin. Kelli Overbey and the other sisters are good, and Brien F. O'Byrne has just a dollop of a role in Voyage, whetting Moxie's appetite for the next two installments.

Voyage runs through March 10th at Lincoln Center Theater. Pictures by NY Times and TheaterMania.

Richard Easton collapses during Coast of Utopia performance

Acclaimed actor Richard Easton collapsed last night during a performance of The Coast of Utopia. According to the New York Times, Easton was in the middle of a scene with Ethan Hawke, and as he made his exit, he collapsed face-first.

As the action unfolded, Mr. Easton’s character was trying to persuade his son, played by Ethan Hawke, to take a job rather than continue his studies.

“You can’t go to Berlin!” he said, then made his exit. As he left the stage he staggered, then fell on his face, said Rosa Schneider, who was in the audience. Mr. Hawke and the other actor, Amy Irving, continued for a few seconds.

But then Mr. Hawke and several others gathered around Mr. Easton at the rear of the stage.

A minute later, Mr. Hawke addressed the audience: “Is there a doctor in the house?” he asked.

The audience was confused as to whether the whole thing was a part of the show, but when the loudspeaker announced a need for a doctor, about 20 people came to the stage to help.

The publicist for Lincoln Center said that Easton is conscious and in stable condition at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center and undergoing tests.