Moliere's Misanthrope

Recently I went to go see a play that heavily incorporated new media.  It was a version of Moliere’s “Misanthrope” at the New York Theatre Workshop.  The stage was very modern, only consisting of a low, wide grey table, and a low grey bench. The stage itself was gray, with black, one way windows surrounding the sides. On the back wall there were three flat screens positioned vertically next to each other. What was interesting about the play is that there was a live feed of the performance on these screens. It added a new dimension to their performance. And sometimes they would play video clips of the characters that were in contrast to the performance, and one time they showed a second-life character. There were times when the stage would be empty, and the actors would be acting backstage in the dressing room. The play then broke the wall of the cage surrounding them, and ventured into the audience, then even into the street where a cameraman followed them.

I thought it was really interesting how this play reinvented this classic script. The use of the cameras and flat screens did not feel forced. I think that Marshall McLuhan would have appreciated it because it involved so many different mediums, which to him would have given a strong message. I appreciated how it created new layers to a theater production. I will admit that I have not been to many successful theater shows recently, but this one helped me appreciate them again.