Kimiko's report

Many thanks for sharing this, K.

I saw Macbeth on Friday of the closing week. Thursday was the travel day from LA to NY. Friday, I left my hotel at 6:00am arriving at Central Park at 6:30am, There were two lines at the box office, one for the regular people and the othe for seniors. I got my ticket at 1:00pm without any problems. There were many people for both lines who were turned down. Some of the senior citizens who were in the line were so knowledgeable. I didn't have to explain about JE. One person even said that it would have been so nice if JE's mother played the mother in The Philadelphia Story. I didn't even think about it. Another who already saw the play before said that the show was wonderful and she didn't understand some negative comments. She said the play was interrupted several times because of the rain and JE's pretty dresses were wet. Leiv thanked the audience saying that he would never forget those who stayed until the end sharing the plastic rain covers.

I enjoyed the play very much. I saw Macbeth in London (the Barbican) several years ago, and in San Diego (the Old Globe) last year. Lady M. in London looked like a nun in gray costume, and the one in San Diego looked ordinary. Neither one made much impression on me. JE' Lady M. was very impressive, and I think I would have felt the same way even if I were not such a crazy JE fan. I saw Kaufman's Gross Indecency in LA and also Laramie Project in San Diego both a few years ago. I knew he was a capable director. With this director and JE and Leiv performing, Macbeth should be a first rate play, and I thought it was. But, I'm neither a theater authority nor Shakespeare purist; I'm only JE purist.

The curtain call went only once abruptly. If at the curtain calls in The Philadelphia Story Kevin Spacy made it clear that JE was the star of the play, JE made it clear Leiv was the star applauding him after her own bow. The amazing moment for me arrived when Macbeth was told that Lady M was dead. Leiv was alone on the stage sitting in the chair. His eyes welled with tears. I could see it from my front seat. His eyes glittered like diamond. And, do you know what I felt at that monent? Instead of "What an actor Leav is!" I felt "What a wonderful actress JE is making her leading man cry in his role!" I thought he might choke in his next dialogue of, "Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow---" He didn't. It was such a brief special theatrical moment for me as an audience. My disappontment was that Leiv didn't give any speech at the end. I guess he had nothing special to thank for as everything went without hitch: no rain, no interruption, no technical mishap and a full house.

I hurried to the Gate 1 stage door. JE came out, but two not-so-youg-looking guys greeted her hugging her and escorted her quickly into the crowd arm in arm. I recognized her because of her cropped hair. Others didn't recognize her because of her hair. Nobody Asked for her autograph, and I didn't dare. She was wearing a pale blue cotton blouse with matching mid-calf pants. Casual looking attire. Macbeth was worth the trip from LA, but I couldn't help feeling that this park evnt was for New Yorkers.

Kimiko