A Morsel of Marigny Theatre

I’ve really got to find a time other than really-really late to compose these blogs. But since I made breakfast for dinner (french toast, bacon, grapes, and juice if you were curious) my body thinks it’s time to start the day and my brain is buzzing like an angry hoard of bees. Or any other buzzing-type creature. Maybe dragonflies? They are less likely to sting you.

Little Murders @ The Marigny Theatre, New Orleans

www.cripplecreekplayers.org

My roommate was cast in a play with the Cripple Creek Theatre Company, and as a good friend and lover of theatre, I was obliged (happily, of course) to check it out. Cripple Creek is a company who is set out to produce “dramatic works of cultural, historical, and political relevance in order to provoke the general public into social action”. Brave and valiant goals as a theatre company. I was in the library today and came across a book called All Theatre is Revolutionary Theatre. I didn’t pick it up (as I have a stack of seven plus books high I am already reading) but it reminded me of Cripple Creek’s mission. A mission of action inciting action. And Little Murders by Jules Feiffer is a good fit. I appreciate a theatre company, or any group/business for that matter, that really decides on a clear vision and attempts to articulate and manifest that. When I start a theatre company, a strong and honest mission statement will be top priority. Anyhoo, the play. Well. I would say it’s farcical and over-the-top in the writing. The situations are a little outrageous and the world Feiffer paints is violent and quick-paced. But, and this is my aesthetic taste, it seems the actors layered weird upon weird. Over-the-top acting on top of an over-the-top script. It made the play ring confusing, and the parts that contained clarity rang false. All plot aside, I would say the play is about change. The difficulty and violence of change. One character exhausted by the amount of unsolved murders in a small amount of time declares: “I need some logical explanation.” Another cries: “I don’t understand anything anymore”. The little murders of this show are those of bullets bursting through vital organs but also the little murders we commit against our true selves, against the institution, against society. The play was certainly relevant. I like that when I ask my favorite questions: why this play? why here? why now? that I have very clear answers from this theatre company. Why this play? It speaks to an audience who live in a very uncertain time when government and business seems blurred and where our institutions aren’t always left standing in difficult times. Why here? Why now? New Orleans is a violent place. Read any of the crime statistics. Our local politicians are a farce in their perceived (and sometimes actual) corruption. Cripple Creek chose very wisely with their audience in their mission in mind.

The play itself…I was neutral. I was confused about the world, the landscape of the play and the falseness of the broad-strokes acting didn’t catch my attention and keep it there. There was too much movement and quick speaking. Not enough stillness and silence. You can’t keep the audience on a 60 mph roller coaster for two hours. Someone is going to throw up. The actress playing Patsy Newquist was incredible, though. This girl knew exactly what she was doing. It was still a bit pushed, but there was pure commitment and clean execution; I was willing to swallow it with a silver spoon and ask for seconds.

At the end of the day, my biggest question mark remains: “what were they trying to say”? I am all for painting the canvas blue and letting the people who view it have a reaction they can define for themselves, but I also believe an artist has to have a clear viewpoint on what they want to accomplish. The audience then digests it, and can choose to agree with or contradict or question or rave at what they’ve experienced. I left the theatre confused. Was the play rooting for these little murders? Was the play saying that we all in some twisted way kill on a daily basis? Was it a cautionary tale against taking down an institution if you are not prepared to actually live without it? I’m not sure. The play made no statement with which I could grapple. Just a blur of loud noises, gestures, and gunshots.

Cripple Creek has a strong mission and showed me the power in really understanding an artistic point of view and an audience. I think they missed the boat a little once this play got on its feet. Lost in translation, if you will. I have no doubt however at the power this strong vision will have in the plays to come.