Do you Believe? Lucas Hnath’s THE THIN PLACE
We lean in, unable to control our own desire to be persuaded, even as we know that this is a play, this is not true, this is just another gesture in a world full of them
We lean in, unable to control our own desire to be persuaded, even as we know that this is a play, this is not true, this is just another gesture in a world full of them
It’s less an interview and more a listening circle — if you are comfortable talking in front of a group, you’ll be just fine at it
If you can say one thing, and only one thing, about Harris’s body of work thus far, it’s that it certainly seems to incite conversation.
even if death is on everyone’s menu, lurking somewhere after dessert, this evening, we survived
I went in with this insane piece, this musical phantasmagoria island site-specific thing — and came out with my most, sort of, small quiet piece I’ve ever made that really relies upon, for the most part, humans behaving based on characteristics that we can perceive.
It’s not always clear what we’re looking at, but perhaps Henry is tearing down the house, family, and narrative form itself with hope alongside rage.
Their arguments, even when hate-filled, are lucidly formed and difficult to penetrate. There’s a weird thrill of uncomfortable relief when we find ourselves half-agreeing with them.
It’s the concept of being brave and having a safe space that is safe enough that you can feel brave — because it takes bravery to have those conversations that you know will be difficult, with people that might have a viewpoint that is different than yours, but in order to find common ground and to communicate with each other, those conversations must be had.
You feel, given the virtuosity and care demonstrated onstage, that you owe this much. You can carry all this. If you let it fall, it’ll break the spell. Don’t spill the water.
“I’ll just put my bias on the table.” What is the impact of the work? “Let’s turn over the rock and see what’s under there.” Terry says.
Donovan builds a tranquil place effortlessly, and then creates darkness within the negative (theatrical) space around it, using it as atmospheric pressure to hold the memory in place.
You can get close to truth but you can’t ever – in my opinion – I don’t think any story is ever true.