Good yarn but no sweater?

This review, written by Charles Isherwood, was published in the New York Times on Monday, February 11. The link for this review is below:

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/theater/reviews/11oroo.html?ref=theater

Right from the first line, the reader already knows where the critic, Charles Isherwood, stands in his review of the play “Oroonoko,” which opened in the Duke Theater in New York this past weekend. In his words, this show is a “disappointment onstage.” He sets up the background of the play by giving the reader some information about the writing and directing (which is helpful because it gives context to a not-so-well-known piece), acclaiming the talent that this piece possess only to counter this collaboration of work as a “strangely bland if superficially exotic work of theater.”

His words are descriptive, sharp, and precise and this makes for a good read as the images he evokes are clear to the reader. For example, in “Oroonoko’s” ability to address the significant matters such as psychological intricacies, depth, and the narrative, Isherwood states that the play “is about on the level of the higher-grade children’s theater.” The image is sentimental (as who can’t love a child’s production?) but clear – this play is not for those seeking intellectual stimulation.

Overall, this is a good example of a theater review, based on the criteria given in “Writing the Performance Review.” Isherwood makes this review approachable with his images, tone, and word choice. Isherwood does not completely pan the show as he calls it “good yarn” as the different technical aspects are there – sets, costumes, lighting, acting, etc. However, while these elements are necessary to even make a show, the final product does not measure up to the quality of these components. It is “good yarn” but the quality of the sweater depends on the individual’s taste and this is said for the whole of “Oroonoko.”

(On a side note, this play is an adaptation of a short novel by Aphra Behn and interestingly, Isherwood mentions that as one of the first Englishwomen to earn lasting fame as a writer, “she was celebrated for her pioneering spirit by no less than Virginia Woolf.” This reference just caught my eye because Woolf is in the title of the play we are seeing on Thursday. Some more research might be done to see why Behn was celebrated by Woolf and why this is of significance.)