I suspect even soloist Elizabeth Blue was aware that her premiere did not go well tonight and I also suspect this was part of the reason she burst into tears during the curtain call. For one thing she had a photographer in the front row who was distracting everyone for a good part of the show and, when told to stop by a patron, seemed to fall asleep and continued to distract. Then there was the oppressive heat of the venue (and 4001 Berri / The Fringe really has to fix this) and then there was the play itself.
There is no doubt Blue is a savvy performer and has personality coming out of her ears (I immediately thought of the adorable awkwardness of 70s archetypes like Marlo Thomas and Mary Tyler Moore). But the story she tells for an hour is adamantly glued to the page. Moreover, it's a tale of a journey of self-discovery which might be sweet if it was lifted from that goddamn page but instead strikes one as just a little jejune.
Later in the run these problems may be solved. But for now...
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I am the photographer. I'd like let it be known that I was hired by the Artist to shoot her show. As you rightly mention, I stopped taking pictures the moment I was asked by a paying patron, with whom I had a rather pleasant conversation afterwards which was concluded by a cordial handshake. The Artist and I discussed the situation a bit later, and we agreed upon the fact that a live performance of such a quiet show and in such a small venue was not a suitable context for photographic work. As for your comment about my attitude when I stopped shooting, it's all a matter of perception - a wrong one, I might add. Cheers,
ReplyDeleteLouis Longpré, Fringe photographer