For the life of me, I could not understand why anyone would send out such an illegible, out of focus, confounding flyer! The words were all written on top of each other, and it was quite hard to read, or even pick out the time it started.
After seeing the play last night, I can now understand completely. Whether intentional or not, the flyer was the perfect metaphor for the play itself.
It was out of focus, non-linear, and confounding. And you could not tell the time frame of its story. Here is a quote from a review in the church newsletter: "Others have noted the combination of farce, burlesque, and satire that adorn 'a vast symbolic play about all of humanity."
The play is set in Excelsior, New Jersey during the ice age; during the time of the biblical flood, during WWII, and at the time of creation?? The rational and logical mind of the 21st century longs for some kind of chronological theme. Sadly, that does not exist in this play.
At the very least, it was humorous. It was a commentary on human existence. It was about good and evil, war and peace, pathos, folly, family, solutions, survival, and the desire to start again. The overarching theme: humanity continues to exist by the skin of our teeth.
The three main characters had two and a half hours worth of lines to remember. That was very impressive. Of course, one might say, if they flubbed their lines, probably no one would know the difference anyway. The absurdity of the lines of this play does make me wonder exactly what Thornton Wilder might have been into during this time frame of his life!#?
What a unique and unusual piece of work. Thanks to Thornton Wilder, and to the Trope Troupe for a most entertaining evening.
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