Saturday, 28 May 2005

The Guthrie’s ‘She Loves Me’ From the Cheap Seats

On a whim this morning, Jen and I caught the Guthrie’s She Loves Me matinee performance. This isn’t the first time we’ve hit the Guthrie rush line, definitely won’t be the last. Getting decent seats (or seats at all) is always a gamble. Last time, excellent seats – front and center. This time, front and – way off to stage left. A10 & A11 to be specific. If you’re not familiar with the Guthrie’s layout, these 2 seats provide an excellent side-view of the performance.

With a clear view of the orchestra conductor on the monitor and next to the stage exit, I felt I was half backstage – watching the performance be built rather than just the final product. Watching the conductor’s cues to the orchestra music effecting the movements on stage – from these seats you could see everything. Yes, the magic of illusion was gone. Replaced by something far more interesting – the reality of how things work.

The coordination of all the performers was most impressive during the restaurant scene, though we didn’t have the most attractive vantage point, I felt apart of the action. Not something I’ve experienced from front and center seats, no matter how close.