Something you may not know about me is, I am a sucker for puppets. I love them! I am captivated by seeing them and I love to play with them. If I go in a store and there is a display of puppets, my son and husband get as far away from me as possible because I will have one on each hand and we will be having a three way conversation. (I am not a ventriloquist, but I will be doing different voices for each character.) I own a few, including a marionette from Italy, which I adore!
I knew that when I went to see War Horse on stage I would again be captivated by the puppets, so I made a point of seeing the movie a few weeks ago. The movie was beautiful and I spent most of it crying. What I wanted was to know the story so that I could concentrate on the puppetry.
For weeks I was excited and couldn’t wait for last Friday night. And let me say, I was not disappointed! The play was, of course, very different from the movie. Each had things about them I loved and were unique to their particular medium. But the large puppets (if you can even call them that!) were breathtaking, not only in design, but execution. To see even the smallest nuances of an ear shaking off an annoying fly all the way to the large movements of rearing up and falling to their death, the “horses” were enthralling to watch.
As I have told you before, the five old women who sit behind us need to stay home. I know, I know- I should be thankful they are buying tickets, that is what keeps such amazing shows coming to Birmingham. But at intermission, as the lights came up, I heard one of the women say, “I don’t get it.” Another responded “Me either! What is all of the fuss about? I can’t understand them most of the time. What is this about?” The first woman then asked if it was over or just intermission. Another of the group said the program did not say if it was 1, 2 or 3 acts, but she had read somewhere that the whole thing lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes. The first woman checked her watch, did the math and sighed, “Another hour and a half of this! I wish I was home in bed right now!” To which I turned to Tim and said, “I wish she were, too!” I guess these five women are my half time entertainment at each play, and I DO go to the theatre to be entertained!! But really!!!!
I personally thought the time flew by and I was thrilled with what I saw. I am glad I had seen the movie because I did lose myself in the artistry, effects, and concepts and I let the story get past me sometimes. I wish I could see it several times so I could get more in depth with each facet of the production. I would encourage anyone with even the slightest interest in theatre to go see War Horse. It was truly amazing!
