Last night I went with a group of friends for dinner and to see “Hell Meets Henry Halfway” at the Woolly Mammoth. We all had a most enjoyable time, although the play was pretty negative. What could you expect, though, from a play based on a 1930s novel written by a Polish exile that was about declining monarchies and social depravity, etc? What relieved the bleakness of the outlook was the slapstick playfulness of the acting and staging. It was also a pleasure just to see beautiful technique, and acting was wonderful.
As the recession deepens, I have been trying to go to see more theater and dance, to support local theaters and restaurants that I care to have still in my world. It would be easy to settle into a mindset of anti-consumption at this time. Better I think, even if we are trying to shift the consumer orientation of our society, to become ever more mindful in our consumption, being especially mindful of those around us are struggling from the sudden shift. The right action, I think, for those who cannot help but recognize problems, or suffering, or even absurdity, is not only to seek change, but also to see the playfulness in everything to keep the spirit vital and to be able to accept the change that might not be realized despite our best efforts and intentions.
