Theater Magic

Before coming on this trip, I could probably count on one hand the amount of plays I remember seeing in my lifetime. In these two weeks alone, we have probably seen over a dozen plays and each one entirely different from the other. As I watch all these plays, it is a wonder to watch the creation of such disparate worlds in such a confined space in the theater.

When we saw War Horse, I was astounded by how the puppeteers brought JOeeeey to life. Everything from the subtle flick of the tail to the horse’s neighs, and grunts were spot on. I would have never thought of myself fighting back my tears for a puppet at the end of the play.

 In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, I was completely floored by the acting when they “fast-forwarded” time. The music, along with the lights, combined with the way the actors contracted their bodies--it just made the scene feel completely surreal.

 The one scene I will never forget was when the rioter in Children of the Sun walked out onto the stage with the Molotov bomb. I was horrified when he threw it into the laboratory. Even though the explosion was quite dramatic, it worked. The image of the scientist sitting strapped to his chair as his whole world burns down before his eyes still lingers in my mind.

With only a week left, I am eager to go home but I am sad that we will only have time for only three to four more plays. The D.C. theater scene needs to get on London’s level!