Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Renée Fleming and Ben Winshaw are superb in NORMA JEANE BAKER OF TROY, Anne Carson’s genre-straddling concoction

• By drediman
• April 13, 2019
• No Comments

Ben Winshaw in Anne Carson’s “Norma Jeane Baker of Troy” at the Griffin Theater at The Shed.

It’s hard to assess a piece like Anne Carson’s Norma Jeane Baker of Troy, which marks the first theatrical run at the 500-seat Griffin Theater at The Shed, the brand new performing arts complex in Hudson Yards. That’s because the work straddles genres – opera, experimental theater, spoken word – so genuinely that to restrict the recognition of its considerable, wide-reaching merits would be to do it a disservice. As its title suggests, Ms. Carson’s work is a meditation on the lives and legacies of Marylin Monroe and Helen of Troy, two mythic women who have cultivated the imaginations of generations.

Those looking for a traditional theatrical narrative with a proper beginning, middle, and end will undoubtedly be frustrated. Although Alex Eales’ dimly-lit, noir-inspired set design calls to mind the interior of a 1960s office building, don’t let its specificity fool you. The work travels time and space with aggressive frequency that it leaves the mind spinning. But for lovers of more abstract theatrical experiences, there are few shows currently playing in the city that approach the meticulous execution and rich layers of Norma Jeane Baker of Troy. The key to experiencing the show is to not overanalyze it. Simply enjoy Ms. Carson’s evocative poetry and follow it down the rabbit hole, particularly as paired with Paul Clark’s atmospheric, emotive score (a fascinating combination of both live and recorded music). Once you surrender to this unique concoction, it’s surprising how easily it goes down.

For this maiden theatrical production at the Shed, some big guns have been assembled. Experimental theater director Katie Mitchell is a known commodity across the pond in Britain, but not so much here. After having been intrigued by a number of her multi-media productions in London (particularly Waves, her ravishing stage adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s “The Waves”), it’s great to finally see her flexing her muscles in New York. Her cast couldn’t be more deluxe, which includes the enticing duo of handsome British actor Ben Winshaw and opera legend Renée Fleming. Both are superb here, giving fully committed, emotionally fearless performances that will stay with me.

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NORMA JEANE BAKER OF TROY
Off-Broadway, Performance
The Griffin Theater at the Shed
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through May 19