36 Views, 3m/3w
In this acclaimed play, Naomi Iizuka has created a carefully textured exploration of the meaning of truth-not just in the art world, but in personal relationships as well. At its heart is an art dealer and an art historian who discover what they think is an ancient manuscript-a priceless Japanese pillow book. As they try to learn whether it's authentic, their search becomes an erotic game of greed, love, and mental hide-and-seek.
Labels: BIPOC cast, BIPOC Playwright, contemporary, drama
posted by Larisa at 2:29 PM
6 Comments:
I liked the play. It was very different from anything we have done/read in a long time. M Butterfly is obviously the closest. The story was very intriguing and moved along nicely. Although there were many scene changes, it can be done on a sparse set. But the real sticking point for me was the 36 paintings all displayed on stage. At the end, they all turn into one big painting. I don't know how to do that in the round.
I liked this play but I had trouble getting invested in the plot. I didn't feel the stakes of the potential fraud happening, and in the end there are no real consequences for any of the risk-taking. I also didn't feel much chemistry between either of the main love interest pairs. That being said, I thought the unique combination of Eastern and Western staging was interesting, and play overall stood out for its uniqueness. It's always great to have another POC playwright and a diverse cast of characters.
From Howard: I read 36 Views and couldn't get into it. I had no interest in the characters and had a hard time imagining how we would produce it with the art requirements. No for me.
I thought this was an interesting script. It would feel very different staged, as I feel the Kabuki style and the recreating the "ancient" poetry is hard to grasp just reading it. There is a possibility of interesting design. We are working on getting a grant to update some more light fixtures and may have the possibibility of making customized color projections really cheaply - the entire stage could become the artwork, which is an exciting idea to visualize. That being said, there may be issues with licensing this now that I have had a chance to do some more research on it. I have some feelers out, but it may no longer be available to produce. Other shows would be safer bets from a logistical standpoint.
I love this play. I think it is hitting a diversity box that we haven't been focused on as of late and as a designer I think it creates some challenges and would be visually appealing to take on.
While I was very much intrigued by the approach to telling the story I, too, had difficulty getting invested in the story.
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