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The Nest
Renowned playwright Theresa Rebeck once again did an outstanding job in her latest play ‘The Nest’ shown at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The cast of the play was aptly chosen, and they embodied their characters perfectly. The props for the play also give the audience an authentic feel, starting from the intricately designed bar that is the centre of the action in the play. The cast also dressed appropriately for their parts when they get to ‘The Nest’ after a day at work, ready to exchange opinions on a wide variety of topics. Rebeck managed to tackle many important issues in society without making the play sound like a debate. I would rate ‘The Nest’ as one of the best playas I have watched in a long time.
The first thing that captured my attention was the revolving stage that helped the audience see the play from all angles. I had never seen such a stage, and for many members of the audience, it was also quite captivating. The bar itself was also quite a piece of work. It was intricately designed, and it was clear that a lot of time and work went into it. This was as it should be because it was the focal point of the story. Nick wanted to sell the bar and the mirror behind the bar, which is what caught the attention of the appraiser in the first place. The liquor bottles also add authenticity to the bar; it shows that the customers come to ‘The Nest’ for a drink and also conversations. The customers of the bar have been regulars for a long time; hence, they knew each other very well.
The cast of the play was terrific to say in the very least. Barry, Margo and Patrick were the most frequent customers of the bar for years. Played by Brian Coats, Carly Street and Brian Dykstra respectively, the characters keep the audience entertained. For me, Coats was the most entertaining actor of all, mainly due to his relatable humour. He gave the aura that he has seen it all and therefore he is qualified to air his thoughts and opinions to all the bar-goers such as the couple on their first date. Business at ‘The Nest’ was fast-waning with people preferring other hip and more advertised bars, but the few cast members stayed loyal to the bar and got together to discuss different topics in life.
The female characters in the play also gave me many points to reflect on. For example, Lila kept explaining that ‘The Nest’ was her property because it had been in her family for years, yet her husband was trying to sell it. Other topics discussed by the women include men’s anger and their lack of affection, the glass ceiling set for women in their careers, the tendency of men to pander to women’s beauty and also the way men lectured women. Given that the playwright is a woman, the play gave her the chance to give the female perspective on such issues. For female members of the audience, many of them could be able to relate to the topics, or at least understand where the women were coming from.
In conclusion, ‘The Nest’ is one of my favourite plays of all time. What might have been disconcerting for me was the adult content, but the play is only limited to adult audiences. Rebeck managed to execute a well thought-out script and keep audiences wholly engrossed from the first to the last. The cast took to their roles almost effortlessly and watching the play felt like a real-life event rather than a theatrical production.
