Machinal- Page 2

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/21/13 at 6:09am

I thought it was an effective production, well conceived, directed, and desgned. The rotating set was very impressive. Roundabout certainly goes all out in that department.

The play itself has problems, especially in the beginning with its staccato, stylized dialogue which at times prompted unwanted laughs. The office scene was particularly trying in that regard, as were some of the stream-of- consciousness outbursts by the lead character. Yet the play successfully conveyed the alienation and desperation of a person suffocated by life and unable to connect to the world around her. The play grows steadily in power as it goes on, and provides moments of compelling drama. It also has a haunting, poetic quality as the protagonist seeks out the natural world for some sort of emotional connection. I thought that Rebecca Hall conveyed the character's psychological torment very well, and Morgan Spector was excellent in the play's best scene. The director's smooth and steady hand and perspicacious attention to detail were both commendable.

All in all, I'd say it's worth seeing.



Updated On: 12/22/13 at 06:09 AM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 12/21/13 at 7:46am

I would see it again simply to look at Morgan Spector in that tank top and those boxers... Yowza.

Yknow, my friend and I started to wonder if it was sound effects. But a lot of it sounded like dropped items and you could usually see a stage crew person or flashlight immediately before or after the noise. If it's deliberate, it isn't clear and it suffocating.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 12/21/13 at 9:40am

After Eight loved it and everyone else hated it. Count me out on this one.

[Tom-497]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 12:31am

I just got back from the third preview. If Rebecca Hall's performance had been more to my taste, I would have enjoyed the production. As it was, I thought she single-handedly sank the show. Her readings during the "stream of consciousness" sections were horrible -- she basically just hyperventilated. And even during the more naturalistic scenes, she seldom sounded even remotely like the lower class working girl she was playing (her use of the word "ain't" was especially unconvincing).

In addition, Hall didn't strike me as physically right for the role. There is a moment toward the end when someone says of her character, "How little she looks." But, in fact, she looked as tall as, if not taller than, nearly everyone on the stage -- nothing about her seemed "little," even though they tried to compensate by throwing in a bit of stage business that had her leaning down to scratch her ankle.

Most of the rest of the cast came off better. Michael Cumptsy in particular managed to get some legitimate laughs (as opposed to derisive smirks) from the repetitive nature of his dialogue.

Many in the audience clearly did not like the show. One person snored loudly and others giggled and whispered about his snoring. Still others coughed or yawned incessantly, crumpled Playbills, etc. And one person near me said, "Why are they even putting this on the stage?"

Incidentally, regarding someone's question about degrees of undress -- Hall, like Morgan Spector, appears in fairly conservative, not especially revealing white underwear.

And regarding bumping and banging noises -- they happened at this performance, too, and did not seem at all like they were an intentional part of the show. At one point I could actually see a stagehand with one of those little red "laser" type lights; and at another point, I could see someone placing a prop lamp at the side of a set even as the scene was being played out on that same set.

[15minutecall]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 2:42am

Thanks After Eight. You get dissed if you damn something, dissed when you hate it. You take personal swipes all the time at other people so I can understand that you bring some of this on yourself, but still I'd hope you'd get a pass when you simply report your take on a piece.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 5:32am

this was such a frustrating theatre experience

There are so many good ideas here but they are so poorly executed and all the technical issues just kill it man.

I couldn't believe all the backstage noise I heard but then again who thought up that set design? the number of things being moved on and off were crazy(seriously an entire BAR? which i heard the glasses being collected the entire next scene), and seriously could they really not have done the curtains in a way that I didnt see stagehands and their flashlights the entire show.

I at least give credit to Roundabout for trying something different but **** what a disappointing mess, maybe they can pull it together before it opens, who knows. Still the last scene managed to get me.

[Pammylicious]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 7:11pm

It was a very odd production.

Can someone please explain what the black couple was about. They were in several scenes and I just didn't understand the point of them.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/27/13 at 10:36am

I saw it last night and enjoyed it quite a bit. There was some offstage noise, but hardly to a degree that was seriously distracting.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 12/27/13 at 11:07am

"^ id be shocked if she was [in any state of undress] the play was written in the 20s..."

Perhaps you've never heard of Mae West, Isadora Duncan, Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill, Gypsy Rose Lee, Hedy Lamarr, Louise Brooks "or [Reno Sweeney] undressed you like, nobody will oppose"

...not to mention that when the play was written has nothing to do with the degree to which a 2013 production might expose flesh.

Updated On: 12/27/13 at 11:07 AM

[stevenycguy]

Posted: 12/27/13 at 11:50am

I would strongly recommend this production. It has a very eerie psychological vibe to it the entire time. It's told from the point of view of the wife (how she views being on a subway car, how she feels during her marriage ceremony, etc). We learn what her home life is like, why she chooses to get married, what her marriage life is like, and then we keep hearing the phrase "I will not submit any longer." There's a very entertaining scene in a speakeasy bar, where at one of the tables there's an older more flamboyant gentleman who's trying to pick up a younger guy who appears new to the scene. And of course there are other characters at the speakeasy bar. The courtroom scene is very watchable (like a courtroom TV drama), as is the final chilling scene, where there was a gasp from the audience at the very end.

The only minor quibble I had was there was still VERY loud pounding and pounding throughout the hotel room scene (after the speakeasy scene); it was so loud you wanted to shout "stop with all that racket!"

(Minor spoiler) To the poster who mentioned the black couple - I think you mean one of the couples who were shown during the speakeasy bar scene? From what I gathered, it appeared they were heading out after the speakeasy so that the wife could get an abortion.

A real winner from Roundabout; excellent cast and the 1 hour 41 minutes raced by from start to finish. I think this is my 2nd favorite show at the American Airlines Theater (my all-time favorite being "Twelve Angry Men.")

Updated On: 12/27/13 at 11:50 AM

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 12/29/13 at 6:54pm

Impressive physical production. Excrutiating to sit through. The only thing this play should ever be remembered for is Clark Gable's Broadway debut.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 12/31/13 at 12:33pm

Saw it last night, and I really enjoyed. The only time that I heard any backstage noise was right after the bar scene, but as soon as the music started it was drowned out. I loved Rebecca Hall's performance, and a lot of the staging reminded me of the things I loved about the 2nd Season of American Horror Story. I would recommend it.

[cknick]

Posted: 12/31/13 at 2:37pm

Lavieboheme3090, that's really interesting about AHS. I loved that season as well and am seeing Machinal Saturday afternoon. Looking forward to it even more now!

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 1/1/14 at 11:31am

How the hell do you pronounce the title of this show?

[Kad]

Posted: 1/1/14 at 11:46am

Roundabout's party line is mah-shin-AWL.

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 1/1/14 at 11:48am

I was rather enjoying calling it Mack-eye-nal, but that will work.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 1/1/14 at 3:57pm

There seems to be no set standard for how to pronounce the title. My undergrad did it the year before I started and everyone in the department was pronouncing it MA-kee-nal (with the accent placed on the first syllable), with the "ch" making the hard K sound. I've also heard it pronounced with the "ch" making the softer "sh" sound that Kad mentions is the way it is being pronounced on Roundabout's party line, and then several variations on both of those in terms of where the accent is placed.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 1/1/14 at 11:14pm

I saw it tonight and was rather into it. I grew up doing this type of theater, so to me, this is my kind of thing. It's nice to see a big, professional production of such a weird and interesting play.

I didn't mind Hall. I think she fit the role nicely, I just wish her character had had some sort of driving force, and maybe that's a fault of the script/direction. I wanted to see that burning behind her eyes that causes her to do that act. But it just wasn't really there.

I loved how it was staged. And the lighting was really cool.

I'd recommend it only because you won't see anything like it on Broadway. It's not a modern play where everyone is rich and drinking and sitting around and telling secrets.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/2/14 at 12:06pm

When I was first introduced to the play in undergrad, my professor pronounced it MA-kin-awl.

I have heard it pronounced, rightly and wrongly, in many different variations.

[MorningGlow2]

Posted: 1/15/14 at 10:39pm

Surprised to see no one has written about this production since early in the New Year.

Went to see the show tonight and highly enjoyed it. I was not familiar with the story or its actual events that the play is based on, but was immediately sucked in to it.

I found Hall's performance to be enjoyable, though I can understand why some might feel a little...underwhelmed? by it. The rest of the cast is strong too and the rather large number of company cast members I felt helped create a feeling of isolation for Hall's character.

The set has its pros and cons with its whole 'modular' concept, but overall I felt the creative team did a fantastic job in creating an atmosphere, especially with it's use of sound effects and lights. The scene settings in the background were indeed a little distracting at the first (it quiets down considerably after the first hour), but I was also sitting house right near the front which didn't help.

In terms of seating, I would recommend sitting near the back of orchestra, close to the center as much as possible, to fully enjoy what the show has to give. The stage is raised up enough that sitting near the front will strain your neck and sitting at the extreme sides will end in 'partial view' for some scenes (though the main dialogue always takes place center stage).

You could be all critical and say the production could have been better for such strong a script, but hey, I really enjoyed it!

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/15/14 at 11:01pm

At my undergraduate university it was pronounced Mah-khee-Nahll. The "khee" was a little glottal, like a traditional Jew would pronounce the start of "Chanukah."

[VotePeron]

Posted: 1/15/14 at 11:50pm

I really liked the acting and the production parts of the show, and some parts of the script. Other times, I was truly bored and didn't get "sucked" in. The opening sequence of the subway was very notable to me for some reason...it really sets up the show and made me excited.
I sat in the mezzanine and have good hearing, but I struggled to hear some of the lines. Has anyone else had this problem?

[ozone81]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 1:40am

Has anyone gone to the stage door for this show? I am a big Rebecca Hall fan and would like to meet her but have read that the American Airlines Theatre can be a tough show to see people after the show.

[craig238]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 2:00am

Saw her after todays 2pm show - very friendly. She came out on 43rd street. Meet some other people waiting for her who said they waited there last night but she went thru the front entrance so looks like it is a 50-50 shot.

As far as the play goes, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz !!

[ozone81]

Posted: 1/16/14 at 2:11am

Thanks. I have 5 spots open for a Broadway trip in Feb/March and 6 shows I am deciding between. Would be bummed if I didn't meet her and the show was a bore.