New York Theatre

After a hugely successful debut with Othello last February, director Arin Arbus returns to Theater for a New Audience with another Shakespearian offering in the form of Measure for Measure, Shakespeare’s quintessential problem play. The story of a society dealing with extremism, puritanical religious views clashing with the reality of a sexually explicit society, the plot should pose little problem for contemporary audiences. However, we often have trouble coming to terms with the theme of chastity on which the story so desperately hinges. Despite powerful staging and strong performances from the cast, Arbus’ production fails to clear that common hurdle and, at times, the production doesn’t ring true.
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Peering out the window of a train from London to Stratford Upon Avon, Adam Marple, a young American director, admires the passing English countryside and puzzles at the ‘festival culture’ so important to the traditions of British theatre. “It’s strange”, he says, speaking in a typically slow, drawn out manner, his usual thoughtful tone bringing the conversation to the brink of a full stop. “These cities like Stratford are packed pull of theatre-goers for, say, one month of the year, and then what? What happens to the city when everyone leaves?”

I guess it’s left there, devoid of the things that give it an identity, waiting for the next round of artists to come and give it life again. The trouble is that this reality could just as adequately apply to Marple’s life. As a theatre director emerging from Columbia’s Master of Fine Arts program, he is consumed by what he considers to be his vocation- making theatre necessary. Theatre is not simply his job, nor his art. It’s his life and his foremost priority. Marple’s dedication to his craft can start to seem a little strange if one looks closely and it is clear that theatre is the most vital component of the director’s existence, taking precedence over food (he didn’t eat for three days while working on Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard), water and human relationships. Without it, he is a little like an off-season Stratford- a man without a self.
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Candice Breitz’ work, while definitely not purely novelty, has always been refreshing for its pure entertainment value. So often in contemporary American culture, artists strive to be artistic, to say something powerful through abstract means. Breitz has never fallen prey to this form of existential expression that requires a phD in literary criticism to decipher. She has always been an artist in and of her times, using digital technologies to make social comment on the celebrity hype cycle that pervades pop culture, and addressing issues to which even the average Joe B.A. can relate.
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1. Are you a feminist?
I am feminist, neo-feminist, post-feminist and alter-feminist.

2. Do you consider your work to be a feminist project?
My work cannot be resumed to that but, of course, it explores that question. When you work with the body, and with your own body, you combine the intimate and the social; feminist struggles have made it abundantly clear that the body is political, and this awareness has become a major historical issue.
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On Thursday, I went out for dinner at Lips, a drag club on Bank Street. In search of a fun night out, I found the place on the internet. Their website describes the club/restaurant as ‘the ultimate in drag dining’, ‘with a special party every night’.  As I was attending on a Thursday night I was able to catch their nine o’clock dinner show, ‘Dining with the Diva’s’, described as a ‘non-stop celebrity extravaganza’ featuring performances by Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand, Madonna, Dolly Parton, Cher and many more. Coming from a conservative, mainly Protestant town on Northern Ireland’s infamous North Antrim Bible belt, I was prepared to be shocked by the events of the evening and I wasn’t disappointed. In retrospect, I can now recognise that my shock lay in my misconception that drag queen is just another word for a female impersonator; according to Julian Fleisher this is a common mistake.
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