Before going to the theater, I read the play’s synopsis and thought it would be kind of a romance, after all, it is a reunion of a couple that hadn’t seen each other for 15 years. At the end of 95 minutes, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. The intensity is so high on stage that it’s impossible not to get involved with the story.
Indeed, Blackbird talks about a reunion between Ray (Jeff Daniels) and Una (Michelle Williams). Just looking at the age difference between the actors is already possible to see that the relationship they had 15 years before must have not been one of the healthiest.
The suspicions become reality right in the beginning of the play, when we see Ray, completely out of control, pulling Una’s arm and into a meeting room in the place where he works. She saw him in a picture in a magazine and decided to look for him. He stutters, constantly trying to leave the door ajar, afraid of what his co-workers might think; he starts to sweat and cannot stand still. She, by the same token, tries to talk about worldly matters while taking her coat off and complaining about the place, but is also possible to see the anxiety in her voice and her tics.
Without spoiling the story, I’ll just say that Ray left deep marks in Una and for 15 years she could not forget him.
The cast is composed only by Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams, which makes it an extremely intense play, since the two are always on stage, with strong and nervous dialogues. Credit is due to director Joe Mantello, who managed to create an environment in which the audience is completely drawn into the story; he also managed to get spectacular performances from the cast.
If you are in New York and really like theater, this play is for you. But be prepared to get out of there dazed and thinking “how do they manage to repeat this eight times a week …”.
Finally, as usual, I waited for the cast after the play. Here are some pictures!
Official website: http://blackbirdbroadway.com
Where: Belasco Theatre – 111 West 44th Street
Closes: June 11, 2016
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