Broadway... "is perfect in a whorish way"

I'm not a theatre person and this AJ program is very full of play connoisseurs. I have always found plays to be cheesy and over-pomped. Actually when comparing plays to musicals, I'd rather see a musical because if you're going to up the over-dramatized cheese factor, why no go all out? Jazz handssssss.

I probably prefer musicals because I'm totally incapable of acting. Musicals at least involve song and dance which are SO much easier to remember than straight-up lines and blocking and emotional interacting with fellow players. I've been in three productions in all of my life: middle school versions of “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Once Upon a Mattress,” and “Guys and Dolls,” all of which were fabulous and surprisingly enjoyable. But I didn't live and breathe theatre the way the main roles did. Half the time I wished I was in the pit with fellow band members busting out some twirly upper octave runs with my best friend and our beginner Gemeinhardts.

But the play that I saw today reminded me that good theatre isn't over-dramatic and can be really enlightening. Today's highlight was only announced to us yesterday: we saw the play Seminar at the John Golden Theatre. Who was the star of the show? Alan Rickman. Oh yes, Professor Snape. His character was kind of a jackass of a fiction writer and teacher who eventually helps his students in his own twisted way. He was a perfect character for Rickman to play. There was one moment when he chuckled in his "Alan-Rickman-voice-y" kind of way and the audience just exploded. The man only needs to make some kind of noise and the audience immediately swoons. I enjoyed the play a lot more than I thought I would. It was about writing and how that humanizes (or dehumanizes) a writer. A good choice by our program leaders.

...I guess... theatre is okay... sometimes.