Skip to main content

REVIEW: Elephant's Graveyard | Balagan Theatre | Seattle, WA


"It was September and there was a town... there was a circus... there was a railroad... and there was an elephant... Mary."

This is the opening line of "Elephant's Graveyard", the current selection on display at the aptly named Balagan Theatre ["balagan" is Hebrew for "problem" "trouble" or even "Chaos"]. This Theatre, while entertaining, strives to make you think about humanity, humanity's place in the universe, and your place in humanity.

Sol, Koko, Ruslan and I went to see the show this past Saturday, expecting to be entertained. It was, after all, a show about a town, a railroad, a circus and an elephant, right? Yes. And no.

It starts off introducing you to the characters in the show, and they come across as all being very likable. These could be your neighbors, your friends, your family - even yourselves. The show is a solid piece, 75 minutes, no intermission. There is no clear break between the likable characters from the beginning, and the ugly mess some of them become at the end; their portrayals are very real and very raw. You get to know Mary the Elephant through the stories of the circus folk; you only get to meet Mary directly at the end of the show.

You can feel the show building to a climax, the confrontation between the townies and the circus folk coming on with the rhythym of iron wheels on steel rails. Like a locomotive bearing down on you, riveted to the spot unable to move out of the way; when it hits you, you realize it's not yet finished. You wish for a better outcome, but you know it isn't to be - yet you keep hoping.

Perhaps that is why this type of cautionary tale needs to be told; in the hope that one day, things of this nature will not happen. [Spoiler warning: following this link will affect how you see the show - watch the show first, THEN read about it.]

This show is darkly comic; it will make you laugh, but it also made many in the audience cry through frustration, sorrow and not a few through anger and hatred. Like the complicated stories of peoples' lives, this show will tangle your emotions into a twisted skein you will be untangling the whole rest of the evening - I suggest walking to the show and walking home afterwards in the company of somebody you can talk with.

I highly recommend everybody see this show.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On Shithole Countries: Why do we need Haiti to be our nigger?

So last week, our Witless Leader referred to Haiti (and El Salvador, as well as African nations collectively) as “ shithole countries ”, and while the language itself is reprehensible, I don’t think that should be our focus. Rather we need to examine our need to label countries as “shitholes”, and what that says about us, collectively. It’s racism, plain and simple. Not the racism of individual people who hold racist notions, or subscribe to racist ideologies, but Endemic Institutional Racism. Of course there is an interest in labeling Haiti as a “shithole countr[y]” - because Haiti is the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean, the second republic in the Americas, and the only nation in the world established as a result of a successful slave revolt. If it’s a “shithole”, a failed State, then it just “proves” that Black and Brown people simply can’t govern themselves. We in the “civilized” West have made an example of Haiti 🇭🇹 . Why? ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Oprah Winfrey is not the Messiah you are looking for.

Oprah Winfrey is not our Messiah. She cannot solve the problems of America. No one is. No one person can. Nor should we want them to. Oprah doesn't have perfect judgement. Remember, she supported and promoted the likes of Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, Jenny McCarthy, and other charlatans who prey upon/pander to the less well-educated members of our society. Not everyone who is good at what they do, and effective where they are, would translate to a good President. Oprah  would be much more effective doing what she does best - rallying public opinion to a cause and getting more people involved in the process. I love  Elizabeth Warren  - or rather, I love Senator  Elizabeth Warren . In the Senate. Stirring shit up, calling out bullshit, protecting and serving her constituency. I would hate to see her hands (and mouth) tied up in the Presidency, where she would have to walk both sides and make compromises to get actual work done. I love  Kshama Sawant . Having a Soc...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Make Dandelion Wine - wikiHow

How to Make Dandelion Wine - wikiHow Interesting article. Totally random how I came across it - as most things in my life tend to be (did you catch the name of the blog?) and I've decided to do it. As my boyfriend says, the more random, the more unique, the more likely I am to do it. He's not entirely wrong in this guess-timate of my nature. Probably not wrong at all... ...so who's up for collecting dandelions with me?
2 comments
Read more