The Tea Post 9

The theater is so delightful I wish it was more popular.

San Diego has a beautiful theater. I have visited Ashland, and the Shakspearian theater to see plays for my birthday, but The Old Globe theater was just as much a treat. I hope to see more plays here.

Balboa Park itself is full of gorgeous architecture and landscaping as well as art museums. If anyone asks me what they should do in San Diego, I will be recommending the theater.

One thing I did notice was the demographics to see this play were overwhelmingly senior. New York is much more engaged in the arts, and Broadway is very mixed. But for some reason, financial, or otherwise, younger generations like mine don’t often see plays unless it is related to pop culture. Perhaps it is a financial burden for most younger people, I know that is a reason why I see so few plays. But in either case, there is a magic about live performance that I hope never dies. There is a demand for imagination, and art in resourcefulness—the use of objects and tricks of lighting—that movies don’t need and can’t capture as effectively.

Dial M for Murder

I loved this play enough that I had to gush about it somewhere!

Dial M for Murder is a phenomenal, witty, rewrite. After I saw it I had to go home and find the old Hitchcock version starring Grace Kelly. The movie was adapted from an original play by Fredrick Knott who then also wrote the film’s adaptation.

This new play draws from both and I believe was modernized beautifully. It was tenser, funnier, and kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next. The original play hinged on trying to keep an affair secret, and that affair later turned a jury against the victim. All the characters are made a little sharper. The Male love interest is turned into a female author, who ultimately helps to solve the murder. The Female Lead is written as less passive, and more suspicious and engaged in saving herself.

The story is tightened, and everyone involved is related to the business of writing murder mystery fiction as attempted murder and ensuing manslaughter occur. This adds an engaging and humorous meta to the experience.

Forbidden love, affairs, blackmail, framing for murder, and a flare of Sherlock Homes detecting were brilliantly played out by the actors.

If you can’t see the play, the film is a fascinating treat in itself.

Below are some pictures of the theater. I hope theater continues to thrive, it is such a unique experience.