Annnd.... we're open

Well, Lamb Lays With Lion Vs. Katie Mitchell's The Seagull is officially open, and not surprisingly, the reviews are mixed! We've had two write-ups, thus far. Lightsey Darst, writing for MnArtists, came to a rehearsal and wrote "I can't tell whether Lamb Lays with Lion vs. Katie Mitchell's The Seagull is a train wreck or a stroke of genius; I can't even tell where the performances stop or start." In a similar befuddled review, my friend and editor Jay Gabler wrote:

At first, I thought I really did like it. Then, I thought I didn't. Then, I did like it again—and finally, I realized that one of the things I like most about it is that what I thought changed so many times over the course of the show's hourlong running time. When you often write about theater, it's really refreshing when a piece is half-over and you still have no idea what you're going to say about it.

The reason I'm not surprised that both reviewers were so back and forth on their opinions of the piece is because the work itself is so different than the usual theatre fare, which I think is a compliment to Jeremey Cotterton, our director. What's interesting is that the "Lamb's" side isn't all that "avant garde", but the whole idea of the piece, to put the two sides against each other, is something so unusual and so ballsy that you have to give him credit just for that.

Does it work? Well, I have no idea. My friend Ben Kreilkamp asked me what I thought of the piece, and I honestly really can't say. I'm in the piece, and my job is to live the circumstances of my character as truthfully and as honestly as I can. I'm still figuring it out, honestly, even though we already opened. There are moments that I don't think I've nailed yet- particularly at the end of the first act. I also got some feedback that I was coming across as "bitter" when that was not my intention at all, so I'm working to make Masha more vulnerable while pursuing her objectives. As for how well the piece works, I have to rely on people who see the piece and can relay their experience. Ultimately, that's all any artist can do. You can never really know if something works or not if you are involved in the project. So come see it, and tell me what you think.