I saw Impressionism on Broadway last night with my friend Toni. It has all the makings of a fabulous new dramatic sensation: big stars (Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen), cool technical staging and a multi-layered plot.
Makings are not enough, of course. It got panned harshlyby the critics. The NY Post and NY Times both hated it. Apparently, so many people were walking out at intermission, that they had to cut the play in half, eliminate the break and keep it to 90 minutes. We saw this shorter version.
Toni thought it was weak. She was bored, didn't get it and thought the plot plodding.
I liked it. I know that it was stupid to portray seemingly intelligentManhattan dwellers as confused wanderers, bereft of sense. I know that Allen's character is a lousy businessperson. (I had to smile later when Toni, a professional and uber-talented salesperson, ranted on about how offended she was. No one could ever keep a gallery in business if she tried to sell the way this woman sells.)
But, I loved that you had to wait until the whole thing was over before understanding the characters. Just like a great novel, they weaved a story over time, didn't hit you over the head with it.
I loved the love story. I loved the charm and easy banter. I loved the good advice and well composed secondary characters. I especially thought the use of Impressionist paintings to serve as metaphor of the lovers' struggle to overcome their pain and engage fully in the world. The technology was cool - they projected the paintings on a series of screens positioned at the front of the stage. One, full size, served as background, and four others were "picture sized." The screens also diffused the actors behind them, giving a magical appearance and showing how art imitates life, and life imitates art and the beauty of art is the memory -- or impression -- we assign to it.
The story is ambitious. No shortage of big questions here. What is love? Can love last? Is life real or impression? Can we forgive our parents? Do small habits give us joy or prevent us from experiencing other opportunities? When we give away what we love, does that multiply our joy?
I can see the critics' point. The story drags a bit, get a little preachy and the action is slow paced. Toni felt that Irons and Allen were underutilized. I felt that they were demonstrating their fine abilities - it's harder to keep the story going if you have limited props and movement. We were invited into their personal, troubled worlds. Where what you don't say is often more poignant than what you do say. Life is often twisted and troubling. And so great actors make it look easy.
Toni's advice: skip it.
My recommendation, see if if you can (especially with a discount ticket, which are now readily available thanks to the critics). And open yourself up to seeing the love story, despite the distractions.
And yes, we did laugh on the subway home as I defended the play and my enjoyment... "Did we see the same show just now?" She's a good friend and let me wax on, even though she was having none of it.
Let me know what you think!
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