Music-Hall
Friday, 1/9/09
The outside of the theater:
In the evening we went to the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord – an old little theater situated in the northern part of Paris – to see our first play, Music-Hall, by Jean-Luc Lagarce. Before the show started we had some drinks from the bar, as is customary; I ordered a hot chocolate. The play is about a female cabaret entertainer and her two male background dancers who are all thinking aloud about their many past performances and subtly questioning the seeming pointlessness of it all. When I read the play beforehand, I believed it to be a serious, philosophical text, and I didn’t see much that was funny in it. The performance we attended, however, emphasized the humor in Music-Hall, and reduced the philosophical side (which of course disappointed Professor Turk). I was happily surprised that I actually understood everything the actors said. Reading the book prior to seeing the play was a great suggestion! The actress, Fanny Ardant, sometimes over-dramatized her role, but in general the actors were very impressive. The theater, which was cozy despite looking in dire need of restoration, was a perfect setting for this particular play.
A.G.
Inside the theater:
