STORY STUDY - CRITERION WEEK - 599. “Vanya on 42nd Street”
As someone who enjoys watching theater, one of the most unique and satisfying experiences (if you yourself worked on the show) is watching a raw performance of a play or musical. No costumes, very little props; just watching the actors rehearse the piece.
Directed by Louis Malle, Vanya on 42nd Street is about a cast of actors performing the play Uncle Vanya, written by Anton Chekov and adapted by David Mamet. Uncle Vanya is a family drama where the family of an elderly professor gets a rude awakening when he decides to sell the estate for his and his new wife, not thinking about his children. They perform the play in the then-abandoned New Amsterdam Theatre. And… that’s really it.
There is no B-plot about the actors’ lives that co-relates to the plot of Uncle Vanya or anything like that. Think of the film like a documentary, and they are shooting a group of actors informally performing a play. This means no costumes, bare-minimum props; they don’t even get to perform on the stage due to it being in disrepair. Instead, they perform where the orchestra is.
Essentially, the purpose of them putting on the play was to understand more about Chekov through workshopping. The film is meant to capture one of these performances.
The idea itself sounds like something of a behind-the-scenes video of a show that they would play during a live, filmed performance when it hits commercial time. Maybe it does, but regardless, the fact that this moment in theater history happened, and they allowed it to be captured for a wider public to see. Typically, these performances were invited guests only.
So how is the acting? Well, since they are all professional actors, I’d say they do a good job, despite the fact that the opportunity to act in it is voluntary.
I came across the film when I was in my David Mamet phase. His name popped up in the Criterion Collection’s website. I thought it was an interesting premise: it's like a documentary, but it isn't.
While Uncle Vanya is a play that is not for me, I’m glad to witness a group of well-known actors volunteering their time to perform and workshop a classic play for absolutely no monetary reasons. I really wish that they would allow more films like this. Not necessarily from this same group, but with everyone else in the theater and acting community.
Vanya on 42nd Street is a deep dive into the theatre process; one I believe to be very informative to the community and a fascinating subject matter to witness for those outside of it.
Ring the chimes, and check it out.
