Blue Window Critique

On the evening of October 26th in the small, humble lab theatre, my view of a typical play had changed. Written by Craig Lucas and produced by The Clarence Brown Theatre, Blue Window really demonstrated one of the rawest forms of human nature I’ve ever seen on stage. Despite the abstract nature of the plot (or lack of), it was still cohesive and enjoyable. Taking place in the 1980s, the one-act demonstrates some aspects of humanity that are timeless, relatable even in our modern time. In the production, what most helped the play seem clear was the setting and costuming. What stood out to me was, of course, the acting. Published in 1984, I suspect Blue Window was premiered also in 1984, making it a relatively modern piece in theatrical history

It was very minimalist but took up the entirety of the stage. While it was realistic, it did have some elements of being metaphorical, as shown in the split-up set. Each of the pieces of furniture standing by themselves with an isolated light over it gave the illusion of five different sets on one- especially when the actors came in. Another thing that was made clear once the actors came in was the time period because the set itself didn’t give much of an 80s impression. The furniture was very mixed: the couch was seeming to be from nowadays, the ottoman was from the 2000s, the desk and chair in the corner of the stage gave off a 50s or 60s vibe, and the lone armchair seemed to be from the 70s. The only two pieces that were distinctly 80s was the bar and the shelving. For the shelving, it could’ve been from an indistinct era, but the contents on it were what solidified the retro look to it, especially the telephone. There were many, many props to bring some flesh to the simple set. Alone, the furniture appeared to be their own rooms, but when set up together, it was a cohesive living space, as in the second scene. I think that this can be attributed to the pieces being in conjunction in terms of color scheme. Apart from each other, one doesn’t realize that they have a similar palette, but once put together, it was noticeable and almost a little mind-boggling as to how everything fit as one room. Then, in the final scene, everything was separated once again, just as it was in the first