musings about the actor and the characters he brings to life
Well, 12 weeks were gone with the wind and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? has now closed. And, as if we need another reason to celebrate Damian’s work, I would love to take the closing of The Goat as a unique opportunity to celebrate 12 weeks of Damian Lewis on stage. Please enjoy our Fan Fun Goat Party from previews to media appearances to jam sessions to stage door experiences!
Well, honestly, I did not think I would make this post. But I am making it, and you know what, it is writing itself! 😀
JaniaJania wrote about our London trip earlier here but then I did another one in May with Lewisto who had given me a London trip for my birthday back in January. We planned it as a week long immersion in London’s history, culture and food. We also planned to see The Goat and do the stage door for a quick hi to Damian; however, we did not think he would have time for a chat and so there would be no need to blog about this trip.
I WAS WRONG 😀
Some of you may know Gozde whose wonderful fan story we published a few months ago here. We met thanks to Damian on Twitter two years ago, clicked immediately, met in London, and stayed in touch since then. So I let her know that I would be in London and we made plans to meet for drinks. I am now leaving it to her to share the story that made this post possible! Continue reading “Chatty, Chattier, Chattiest: “The Goat” Stage Door with Damian Lewis”
A play is as good as its writing and acting. This is precisely what makes Albee and Lewis’ “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?” a rare jewel. Yes, it is Edward Albee who wrote it, but it is Damian Lewis who owns it on stage.
Albee’s The Goat is one of the finest plays I have ever read or seen. I would be extremely lucky if I read a better one in my life time — minimalist and impeccable writing, full of punches back to back to the reader’s paradigm of morality. Continue reading “Damian Lewis Owns Edward Albee’s The Goat on Stage”
“Her breath… her breath was… so sweet, warm, and…” – Martin
As much as I believe in live theater as the best art form ever, I also know, alas, due to geographical, financial and time constraints, only a limited number of people have access to a particular play staged at a particular place. Thus, I imagine, recording and streaming the plays for fans all over the world would certainly make theatre a more democratic art form and help young generations fall in love with it, too. National Theatre Live, a project initiated by the Royal National Theatre in London, broadcasts, via satellite, live performances of their productions to movie theaters and art centers around the world. I hope, with technology at hand, this becomes common practice sooner than later.
Now, having made my desperate statement about theater, I feel extremely lucky to have seen The Goat, a brilliantly written play turned into an acting feast in the hands of the ridiculously talented quartet of Damian Lewis, Sophie Okonedo, Jason Hughes and Archie Madekwe. JaniaJania has already written a fantastic review of the play here and, with a little help from my memory and the pictures I have been able to find online, I will now try my best to “stream” The Goat for you with a bit of commentary on the side. Hope you enjoy it. Continue reading “How I Have Fallen For “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?”: A Review”
Theater is unique from books or film because it’s necessarily a communal experience. Actors are in the same space as the audience. The story is fleshed out “live”, with no possibility of rewinding or re-reading. We see their breath, we can nearly see their hearts beating up there on stage and they can hear us too, our laughter, our gasps, and, eventually, hopefully, our applause. All of this combines to make theater an experience like no other.
Like our consumption of most art forms, our venture into the theater is, for the most part, about finding some escape, some entertainment, and, at its most sublime, some window into the human condition. Lots of folks really don’t want art to do more than that, don’t demand any more from it or from themselves when consuming it. Edward Albee’s The Goat, or Who is Sylvia, alas, does do more. It’s a window into the human condition alright, but not necessarily one that is very pleasant to see or comfortable to have to think about. It’s a tough play, mostly because you feel pulled, in directions you never would’ve imagined being pulled. The central conceit is a marriage falling apart due to an affair. Not your run-of-the-mill infidelity story, though, as the “other woman” happens to be a goat. Continue reading “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? – A review”