Dancing at Lughnasa

Tonight I went to see the current show at SLOLT, the one whose excellent set is preventing us from rehearsing Annie Get Your Gun in our ultimate performance space. It’s Dancing at Lughnasa, directed by Anet Carlin, and, with full appreciation and admiration for Anet’s work and that of the actors, this was my second experience of this play by Brian Friel, and I simply do not care much for the piece. It was hard for me to engage, and I’m not entirely sure of all the reasons. One, two, and three may have to do with my total preoccupation with AGYG these days (about as different a play as you could have, to follow Lughnasa). But reasons four, five, and six have everything to do with the play itself. This Irish domestic drama has an arc, but it is subtle, and it requires a level of attention that is not easily attained. It has humor, but not enough (to my sensibility). It is in turns serious and light, but it's not always clear which is meant. In addition, I felt that there was too much narration (the stage equivalent of the movie voiceover, a device that shortcuts to the goal of a play). Add to that a highly stylized delivery with the erratic Irish accents, and I never could find a foothold. However, the set (as I’ve said), staging, character development, and relationships were impressive, and Anet’s directorial gifts were evident in the show. She obviously has a great ear, good economy of movement, and a fine sense of humor. And she has clearly and lovingly attended to the script. I preferred some performances to others, but all eight actors were invested, present, and consistent. It was very good to see how much everyone seemed to care about the show. All in all, this was an evening in which there was much to applaud except, unfortunately, the script itself.