I was really excited to see Perfect Crime. Allison and I had been searching for good plays to see this weekend, and this one seemed to be perfect: it’s the longest-running play ever in New York City and a murder mystery. I was looking forward to the show being creepy, crafty, and just plain intriguing. I didn’t exactly get what I hoped for. Now, I’m not going to say that the play was horrible, it just was nothing special to me. I thought the play had potential in the beginning. It opened in a dark and almost creepy apartment. Music started playing by itself and an Englishman answered the phone, telling someone named “Margaret” that she was late and the show had begun. Suddenly, a red-haired woman in a green dress popped out of the staircase entrance and shot the Englishman. Allison and I jumped at that part (especially Allison). I was really excited after the first scene and was hoping the rest of the play would be as thrilling as its opening. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The story seemed to get lost, I felt. There was one point in the show when I noticed I wasn’t paying attention at all. At the end, everything is all wrapped up. Still, as I exited the theater, I found myself asking, “That’s it?” Not to mention that there were things in the play that were a bit puzzling. It seemed I spent twenty-five dollars to be utterly confused. It wasn’t until I looked up the plot of Perfect Crime online that I began to understand and appreciate its story. There were other aspects of the play, however, that I did like from the start. I was impressed by the set, which consisted of a fully furnished, realistic-looking apartment. I also thought the acting was amazing. There were so many lines and cues to remember, I don’t know how all of them did it. I did read that the main woman in the show has been playing the same part since 1987, so I guess that’s partly an explanation. I also liked the music. It really did add a creepy element to the play. So, overall, I can’t say that Perfect Crime was one of my favorite plays, but I do respect. It was a bit of a disappointment, but I don’t regret going.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Perfect Crime review
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Allison, I like that you were tracking the moments when you found yourself "slipping out" of paying attention.
ReplyDeleteIt's a tricky thing, isn't it, when you see a show -- there are SO MANY elements that can add or detract from the overall experience...acting, of course, but those elements of set and lights and a thousand directorial choices that are ALSO part of our experience of a play. How do we, as writers, account for those things? Sometimes I think that playwriting is like an imaginary game of three-dimensional chess.