As a big fan of Annie Baker & Sam Gold, I think I set my expectations WAY TOO high for this play, thats not to say I didn't like it. There were a lot of things I enjoyed, the performances are fantastic, the set is incredible and as a movie enthusiast it had a lot to say that I agreed with. At the same time while the play is extremely well written although the last 5 or so minutes left a bad taste in my mouth the play is 20 minutes to long and this is due to excruciatingly long dialogue pauses and transitions which apparently are written into the actual script, I would be very interested to go back again later in the run and see what changes have been made. I really would advise people to wait til after opening night to see this as i very strongly believe they will cut a good chunk of it before opening.
Well, I'm glad I was "warned" about the length of THE FLICK, it allowed me to just sit back and "know what I was in for" - and because of that I absolutely loved this play. when the house was opened, the house manager announce that the running time was three hours - and she was right, but I could have sat for another hour at least. Not sure if LIFE AND TIMES got me in the mood for long shows, but I was totally enthralled. I, for one, hope they dodn;t cut a minute of it.
Heads up regarding seating. Sitting in the front row I would consider obstructed view. (The set is AMAZING, btw.)
I should preface this by saying I am a huge Annie Baker fan and absolutely loved Circle Mirror Transformation, Aliens, and her Vanya at the Soho Rep. I would follow her anywhere.
But this isn't her best. It's got a great setting, three quirky losers for characters, and some of her trademark terrific dialogue, but it is just so, SO bloated at its three-hour length that she's made it all but intolerable for much of the audience, several dozen of whom fled at intermission.
During a talkback with Baker and Sam Gold today, the very first audience member to be called on begged them to cut the first act. They responded that other folks had told them not to take away one single minute of the production and seemed to be saying that it was good for theatergoers to feel the endless tedium of the characters, who are ushers endlessly sweeping up in a movie theater.
Yes, they are both terrifically talented; but sorry, guys, it is not desirable to lose that much of your audience at the half. And if this happened more often with your plays, you would be hard-pressed to find a theater to perform them in or people to come watch. Maybe it's because I'm a journalist and have come to value and appreciate the editing process, but I am especially irritated when talented playwrights adapt this kind of attitude. Theater, like what I do, is a shared experience...and while it may not be necessary to pander to the masses, it's wise to at least act like the people you're sharing it with matter.
I actually enjoyed it quite a bit and am glad I saw it. A lot of funny jokes, a realistic storyline involving the workers at the movie theater (romantic relationships, why they are working there, how they get their lunch money, etc). There were walkouts at intermission, but there were more people giving it a standing ovation than there were walkouts. The 3 hours 5 minutes actually goes by fairly quickly, and I *much* appreciate the fact they have an early 7pm/7:30pm curtain for many nights. The point of the lengthy running time is to really "feel" the characters in "real time" and I think it works well. It could probably be trimmed by 10 to 15 minutes, but not by that much more without losing the feeling that you're really getting to know everyone on the stage. A minor quibble: the bright light from the movie projector could be toned down a bit, since I had to close my eyes whenever it came on (during scene changes). If anyone is on the fence about seeing it, I'd definitely recommend it, but go at a day/time that you have a leisurely 3 hours to take it all in.
Saw this last night and absolutely LOVED it! As a matter of fact, it was one of my favorite overall productions of the 2012-2013 season. I see a ton of shows.
GREAT book by Annie Baker, great set, great lighting, great ensemble cast....It was just over 3 hours and I didn't feel it at all.
GO GO GO. A very good production (as usual) by Playwrights Horizons.
***Many shows are already sold out or close to it, so don't wait on buying tickets.***
Last night, there were some walkouts at intermission (it's not for everyone by any means - especially a subscriber crowd)...but most of the people that were there gave it a genuine standing ovation and really enjoyed it. Some lines were absolutely HYSTERICAL.
I am feeling a little guilty for coming down on Baker so hard in my post...however, I do feel there's a lovely little play somewhere inside that three hours, which makes it all the more frustrating! Glad that some of you enjoyed every moment, though.
I loved Annie Bakers 2 plays that I has seen and went in to THE FLICKS thinking I would love this. I even brought 2 friends to see her work. We all wanted to leave at intermission and did. It seemed like a decent production was buried under some of the worst pacing and longest pauses I ever experienced in a play. The first act was 1 hr. 45 mins. And could easily have been cut by a half hr. I hope they go to work on this because it's a snooze as is.
Saw this tonight. There's a great 2-hour play in here, but it's padded with a bunch of pretentious MFA "meaningful" silence. The monotony of the lives of these characters would've been just as apparent with a production even 30 minutes shorter. Tonight's 7:30 show was out at 10:50.
I didn't dislike the play at all, I actually really loved parts of it. I just wish someone would've stood up to Annie Baker and Sam Gold and told them they have to cut it.
Saw this Friday night and thought it was extraordinary, one of the most fully realized pieces of theater I’ve seen in a while. Not once did I feel a jot of tedium, and every moment compelled. I also saw no pretension in the pacing/unfolding of the real-time action, as the play is specifically concerned with observation, and the way its stretches of silence juxtapose with the interpersonal drama is cohesive and very affecting.
I’d estimate there were 10-15 walkouts at intermission, and given what I had read on here beforehand, I tried to pay attention to the audience’s general mood. From what I could see, among the majority who remained, it seemed to be one of thorough engagement, and there was certainly consistent laughter. I also don’t think anyone needed to take some kind of stand against Gold and Baker to cut or alter the material because I’m pretty sure what’s onstage is exactly what they’re going for. Whether people like it or not, their stylistic choices are not arbitrary. Indeed, they are intrinsic to the fabric of the material, and significant alterations would require rethinking the entire play and their approach to it… in a way that, in my opinion, would make little sense and would make for a much less effective evening.
It would be like doing NOISES OFF with a symbolic set design and no regard for the traditions of farce. Whatever different or unusual things you may mine by taking that tack will never equal what you get out of it by taking the more sensible approach.
I saw this last night and while I neither loved nor loathed it, I found there to be much to admire, but much to improve on or fix as well.
Annie Baker is an incredibly talented author, but I must admit I wasn't as taken with THE ALIENS as many others were, even though I loved CIRCLE MIRROR. THE FLICK falls somewhere in the middle, closer to the realm of ALIENS. Firstly, in my opinion, this play has no business being three hours and fifteen minutes long. There is just no reason for it. This is certainly going to be a divisive show, but I just don't see the reasoning or rationale for its excessive length.
Shows like THE FLICK, with its long pauses, lengthy scene changes, etc just don't do it for me generally speaking. So I have to admit that upfront. But there will be people who fall head over heels with the show, and I completely respect that. This is definitely a show that is fully up to that audience member's personal taste. The style of writing is very subjective.
There isn't much of a plot to speak of, and there are only four characters (one is barely a supporting character). The acting is very good, the set is just as great as everyone else has said, and the direction is admirable but very slow. If they would cut a few scenes that don't really have much of a "point" to them (and there are a bunch) as well as cutting a few of the long pauses, this could easily be two hours and forty-five minutes, tops. But those meandering scenes and long pauses are clearly what the writer and director are going for. Like I said, there is obviously going to be a strong divide over this show, but I wasn't crazy for it. I'm glad I saw it though, as I am always up for seeing new, different, and challenging theater. And THE FLICK is certainly all of those things, although for me, it didn't really accomplish any of them in a fully successful way.
Sorry if this is jumbled, but this was a hard one to wrap my thoughts around.
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Posted: 2/17/13 at 12:41am