Review: I went to the theater for the first time in 14 months. UCLA’s ‘Encounter’ is what I needed
"This gauntlet felt almost insurmountable for someone whose outside world has shrunk to the supermarket and the tennis court. But, summoning a little Hillary Clinton strength, I persisted."
Charles McNulty, theater critic of the Los Angeles Times, shares his experience with 600 Highwaymen's “A Thousand Ways,” presented by CAP UCLA.
"Transitions, as a wise psychotherapist would routinely remind me in my impetuous 30s, are necessary. Racing from one activity to the next is not only exhausting but also inefficient. Winding up requires winding down, whether it’s switching between parts of the day or phases of life.
These thoughts occurred to me as I did something Sunday for the first time in more than 14 months: I went to the theater. The occasion was “A Thousand Ways (Part Two): An Encounter,” the second offering in a trilogy by the experimental theater troupe 600 Highwaymen that is being presented by UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance.
The first installment, “A Phone Call,” took place in December by telephone. Two strangers were paired for a quasi-conversation, guided by the automated prompts of what sounded like Siri’s great-grandmother.
The COVID-19 pandemic was out of control in California, stress was at a boiling point, and I found answering personal questions at the command of some creaky technology deeply disturbing. Hadn’t Mark Zuckerberg already extracted enough out of me?
I wasn’t sure what to expect in “An Encounter,” except that I knew I had to put on pants and shoes, get in my car, pay UCLA’s exorbitant parking fee, walk from Parking Lot 5 to Royce Hall, secure my mask, speak to the check-in person and wait instructions. This gauntlet felt almost insurmountable for someone whose outside world has shrunk to the supermarket and the tennis court. But, summoning a little Hillary Clinton strength, I persisted."— Charles McNulty, May 4, 2021
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the Los Angeles Times website.
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