Nasal Itching

Yikes. Sexy title, huh? But there is this ridiculous itch in my right nasal passage and no rubbing, digging, or nose-blowing will alleviate the annoyance.

Erm.

I saw The Eagle Has Landed: Audio Diaries of an Unlikely Traveler at Touchstone this weekend. It left me asking questions-- which, to some, is an indication of a successful play. Ehh I guess that depends on what the questions are. I wanted to know:

"Is Marvin completely satisfied with his life now that his journey has provided an appropriate closure for him?"
"What happened to the characters he met on his journey? Are they satisfied?"
"Did Julie eventually invest in a slip? Or perhaps some pants? Just proper sitting etiquette would suffice."

Throughout the entire play, I felt this weird feeling in my stomach. I can't quite define it. It wasn't a physical sickness, but more so an energy. I felt as if I was a part of the play and that everything that was happening to Marvin or Julie or Jonathan or the fat Texan, was also happening to me (I know, this sounds kind of naive and ridiculous). Maybe it's because we sat in the second row, and Touchstone theatre isn't exactly Royal Albert Hall-- but the intimacy and the proximity of the actors made me feel anxious and uncertain and excited and restless, all at the same time. It was an interesting feeling, but I'm not sure I could stand 2 and a half hours of that. Luckily the play had no intermission and ended just in time (I thought i might need to race to the ladies room for a little barf fest). ewww gross.

Anyway, I stayed for the talk back and really gained some insight into the world of Marvin and acting altogether. I liked what one of the actors said: "This show's kind of like baking a loaf of bread. After every batch of performances, it gets set aside for a while and grows and morphs into something a little bit different." I don't think forcing a change in performance is healthy, but leaving room for new things to bud and grow over time is an effective way to keep yourself and the audience engaged.

Moral of the story: Aside from the occasional "subtle" comment about the back of my chair interfering with the lower extremities of the crotchety old man behind me, the performance was enjoyable. And, afterwards, we were able to have a pint with the actors. Bonus. (Did you know Bridgeworks has a "Cheers"-like pub that's separated from the restaurant? The food's shit, but that little old bartender in suspenders and towel draped over his shoulder is worth it.)

-Katie