[Fredslist] The Norman Conquests

[BOB SCHIFFMANN]

Hi fellow Gothamites:

If you haven't yet read Ben Brantley's review of "The Norman  
Conquests" in today's NY Times, do, as soon as possible. We saw it,  
i.e all 3 plays, a couple of Saturdays ago and loved every  
minute,laughing to the point of tears many times. Now, understand, I  
am a devoted Alan Ayckbourn fan and have seen many of his 71 plays,  
but, not everyone agrees with me - that's why I want you to read  
Brantley's review. Ayckbourn is fascinated by human relations, time  
and space. A few seasons ago his plays "House" and "Garden" ran  
simultaneously at the two Manhattan Theater Club stages at the City  
Center. In these play, the same characters were either in the garden  
or inside the house and, since the time period of both plays is  
exactly the same, the actors raced back and forth to be in either  
place as the plays proceeded. We saw both on the same day. The Norman  
Conquests" is much the same - the same 6 people in 3 plays over the  
same weekend in the same house  and often at the same time. Here one  
takes place in the kitchen ("Table Manners"), another the garden  
(Round and Round the Garden") and the third in the living room  
("Living Together"). All are very funny, and each stands by itself -  
so you can see only one. (If you do, I recommend Table Manners because  
it's the one where the plot is most quickly realized.) But, like Ben  
Brantley, we saw all three the same day (you can also see all 3 on  
different days) and, as he says "Go to all three and you'll think you  
have Superman's X-ray eyes." There is also the luxury of it being the  
same Old Vic cast that did it in London. It is done in the round,  
which is how Ayckbourn wants his plays done, but nearly all I've seen  
were proscenium productions. I read that Ayckbourn wrote all three  
simultaneously - first scene one for all 3, then scene 2, etc. - in an  
astonishing 3 weeks! Go!!! You should be able to buy discount tix -  
theaters are in real trouble. We saw all 3 with TDF tix or $ 200.

Speaking of theaters in trouble, we saw "Lansky" on Wednesday - a one  
man show abut Meyer Lansky trying to become an Israeli citizen, but  
generally autobiographical - it was terrific but the theater was so  
empty that it will close Sunday - if you can manage to see it by then  
- go! You'll enjoy it, especially the occasional Yiddish and his  
pastrami sandwich.

We go to the theater a huge amount (about 30 times in a season) but I  
hesitate passing on my reviews - sometimes people don't agree with me.  
But, as Fred wrote to me after seeing a film that I recommended and  
his wife hated, "that's what makes horse racing"

Cheers,
Bob
R.F. Schiffmann Associates, Inc.
149 West 88 Street
New York NY 10024
phone: 212-362-7021
fax: 1-316-221-4707
microwaves at juno.com
www.microwaveinnovations.com





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