Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Theater Review: War Horse



Remarkable Work Brands a Hoofprint on Your Heart and Gallops Away With Your Soul
By Lauren Yarger
Every once in a while, we’re treated to a rare experience on the stage that transports us out of our theater seats and into the action and hearts of the story. Lincoln Center Theatre’s production the National Theatre of Great Britain’s hit War Horse is such a gift.

Amazing puppetry designed by Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones for Handspring Puppet Company, Celtic sounding music (Adrian Sutton), perfect set design (Rae Smith), skillful direction (Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris) and dynamic performances combine to create an unforgettable and moving experience. So engaging is the story adapted by Nick Stafford from Michael Morpurgo’s children’s book War Horse, that at intermission I wanted to cry out, “No, don’t stop!” and when it was all over, I wanted to go back and see the two-hour-and-45-minute production all over again.

The War Horse is “Joey,” a Hunter (part draft, part Thoroughbred), won at auction by Ted Narracott (Boris McGiver) who uses his mortgage money to outbid his hated brother, Arthur (T. Ryder Smith), who still enjoys taunting him, along with the rest of their 1912 Devon, England village, for being a coward and refusing to serve in the last war.

He brings the little foal home, but his wife, Rose (Alyssa Bresnahan) isn’t impressed. She’ll have to make things right with the bankers. Their son, Albert (Seth Numrich) is charged with the animal’s care and turning him into an adult horse that the family might be able to sell for a price to recoup some of the exorbitant amount paid for him.

Albert and Joey find soul mates in each other, however, and when the time comes to sell the beautiful, free-spirited horse, the boy can’t bear the thought of being parted from him. They “speak” to each other and Albert calls Joey with a special whistle. Arthur, however, sees another chance to do his brother harm. He bets him that Joey can’t be taught to plow a field in one week, putting up the horse’s original auction price as stakes. If Joey can’t plow, Arthur will win the horse for his own son, Billy (Matt Doyle). Ted accepts the bet.

Albert agrees to try to train the horse with one condition: if Joey plows, the horse will be his and they won’t have to sell him. Ted gives his word and Rose, ever supportive of her son, takes on the boy’s farm chores so he can work nonstop on the seemingly impossible mission. She’s the rock that keeps the family together and she passes love and a resilient spirit on to her son. He, in turn, passes these on to Joey. The terms of the agreement become moot, however, when England enters World War I and Ted sells Joey behind Albert’s back to the Army.

Lt. James Nicholls (Stephen Plunkett) loves the horse too and assures Albert he will care for him as they go off to France to front to fight the Kaiser. There they find that the Calvary is almost obsolete in the face of new inventions like the machine gun and barbed wire. During the years ahead, Joey touches the lives of a number of people on both sides of the war, seemingly sharing with them the love and spirit that Albert had given him. All the while, Albert searches through battle fields and war-torn villages in the hopes of finding the horse he loves.

The battle sequences are amazing, as are the movements of the horses, each controlled by three puppeteers who blend so seamlessly into the action that you’d swear there are live horses prancing on the stage. The foal puppet was so mesmerizing, in fact, that when it first appeared on stage I never even noticed a cast of more than 20 who had joined it on stage (there are 35 in the ensemble).

On one level, the story is a simple children’s tale, but on another it is much more. The relationship between Rose and Albert is endearing and messages about the ravages of war, the common desire of all mankind to live peacefully, and the question of just who the enemy really is all come into play.

War Horse is thoroughly engaging, very human, though it’s about a horse, and before it’s all done, there isn’t a dry eye in the house. Don’t walk, canter or even trot – break into full gallop to get tickets to this one.

War Horse plays at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 150 West 65th St., NYC. Tickets are available at 212-239-6200 or visit http://www.lct.org/showMain.htm?id=199.

Christians might also like to know:
• Language
• Lord’s name taken in vain

3 comments:

Michelle M. said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Michelle M. said...

How much language is in War Horse? I would like to see it, but too much swearing and the Lords name in vain ruins it. Are we talking 2-3 or 20? Thanks for your help!!

LaurenYarger said...

I don't keep a count, but it probably wasn't a big factor or I would have mentioned it in line with it being a show kids likely would attend. Probably just one or two to get the mention.

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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

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All material is copyright 2008- 2022 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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