Lost Lake
Lost Lake
TheGingerBreadMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/7/12
sonsoftheprophet2
Swing Joined: 9/26/14
#2Lost Lake
Posted: 10/22/14 at 11:05am
I was there last night. Such a torture. But good news for people who have insomnia.
Basically the plot is very thin, and there is no character development. The actors just do whatever they can, which is not much. I was truly amazed by MTC's decision to produce this play.
Just because the writer and director all have big names, and the quality of the play does NOT matter anymore?
The only good thing is the beautiful set and 90 minutes no intermission.
#2Lost Lake
Posted: 10/22/14 at 11:51amI'm seeing it Sunday night.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
HBBrock
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/11/07
#5Lost Lake
Posted: 10/27/14 at 9:07am
If the entire play were as good as the searing, beautifully written final scene, it would be a worthwhile evening at the theatre. Unfortunately, it's not. The first 75 minutes of this ninety minute, intermissionless play vacillate between movie of the week and failed sitcom pilot. There's little compelling about the two characters or the situations in which they find themselves.
Then, in the last fifteen minutes, it comes alive. It's a glimmer of the play that could have been, with superb acting from the two actors and the perfect tone. It's not enough to justify what came before, though.
Tracie Thoms is good. John Hawkes is great. They both deserve a better vehicle.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#6Lost Lake
Posted: 10/27/14 at 6:44pm
I liked it! I saw it Saturday. It's actually grown on me. I find myself thinking about it a lot. I can't really say it had a whole lot of depth, unless I'm missing something, but it's gotten me thinking about the connections we make in our lives. John Hawkes is one of my favorite actors and he was truly fantastic. It was such a naturalistic play. I guess I was expecting a bit more ambiguity... I guess I'm basing that on Doubt. I'm not a person that needs much plot. I found it an interesting character study. I'd recommend it.
Updated On: 10/27/14 at 06:44 PM
broadwaybelter
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/26/04
#7Lost Lake
Posted: 10/27/14 at 6:59pm
I saw it this past weekend, too. I was very disappointed. It held my attention, but there was no real conflict to speak of. I especially did not care for the very bland Tracie Thoms. John Hawkes was better, and was working very hard to create a substantial dynamic, but the play worked against him.
I am surprised to read that some felt the ending was engaging. I was more intrigued with the beginng, and felt the end fell flat.
stevenycguy
Broadway Star Joined: 12/7/05
#8Lost Lake
Posted: 10/31/14 at 12:08am
I also really liked it - it's a 2-character 95 minute play told via a series of vignettes. A lady rents a cottage house with her 2 kids (and one neighborhood kid) for a one-week vacation. She thinks it will be a relaxing vacation, but she soon learns the cottage house has tons of things wrong with it: the house phone won't work, the shutters need fixing, there's no hot water, etc etc. The guy who she rented the cottage from seems to keep dropping by over and over, and he apologizes profusely and offers to refund part of her money. We hear about the 2 characters' hopes and dreams, what is wrong in their lives, and their fears.
Without giving too much away, it reminded me a bit of The Breakfast Club and also The Gift of the Magi. A very heartwarming, funny and engaging work. The last sentence (at the very end of the play) said by the woman is quite touching, and it will certainly stay with you far after the play is over. And of course, since this is MTC Stage I, the set design is again nothing short of phenomenal. The audience was heartily laughing along throughout the performance. Give it a chance - I think many of you will highly enjoy it. (This is the same playwright who wrote the award-winning Proof.)
Updated On: 10/31/14 at 12:08 AM
No Leg Room
Swing Joined: 12/5/11
#10Lost Lake with some SPOILERS
Posted: 11/2/14 at 11:19am
It was a lovely play. I don't understand some of these comments. It reminded you of "The Breakfast Club"???????????????????? It's a play about two characters. It's a study of these two characters. And yes, there is a plot and things happen. The acting is SUPERB.
Now I am going to go against my own critique. When I saw it yesterday there was a talkback that I stayed for. SPOILER AHEAD
The character John Hawkes plays tried to commit suicide towards the second part of the play. It isn't shown on the stage, they just talk about it. One of the audience members asked Mr. Hawkes what made his character choose to try to commit suicide. His answer was "I am still working on it". TOTALLY unacceptable. I have taught acting for many years. I don't pretend to be Stella Adler but lots of acting is answering questions about your character, EVEN IF the audience doesn't know these answers. He SHOULD HAVE had a very specific answer to her question. His character is very unstable and not very healthy mentally. He is OFTEN alone with the Tracie Thoms character. There are a FEW moments when you can see is frightened by him, but they are few. I asked if she was more scared than what the script let us see. Again.. NO ANSWER. She referred to the two times her characters SAYS she is frightened.
So although the acting is truly wonderful, as a director myself, I was very disappointed by what I heard and I wondered how Daniel Sullivan works as a director.
But it was a very interesting piece of theatre. Mr Hawkes has the makings of a GREAT stage actor. I look forward to seeing more of him on stage.
LarryD2
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/1/14
#11Lost Lake with some SPOILERS
Posted: 11/2/14 at 11:30am^ this post has to be the theatre equivalent of Monday-morning quarterbacking. I'm sure YOU would do a much better job than the Tony winning, highly respected director they did hire.
followspot
Broadway Star Joined: 12/27/11
#12Lost Lake with some SPOILERS
Posted: 11/2/14 at 11:38am
"Tracy... Hold Mama's waffles."
Updated On: 11/2/14 at 11:38 AM
#13Lost Lake with some SPOILERS
Posted: 11/2/14 at 11:48amLet me add one more thing.... it has one of the BEST SCENE CHANGES I've ever seen in a play before!
sonsoftheprophet2
Swing Joined: 9/26/14
