War Horse

     Happy New Year fellow theater lovers! It's been a long time since I have written. The end of 2012 was a bit tough personally, but I'm looking ahead at what I hope to be a great 2013! The 2011 Tony award winner for best play, War Horse closed on Broadway this past weekend. It may surprise some, (though not if you really know me) that I only just saw this show three days before it closed.

     Having not seen the original Broadway cast, the following opinion is based on what I did see. The play recounts the drama of a riding horse named Joey as he journeys from a young foal on a farm to the battle fields of France. I should also say that I have never read the book, or seen the Spielberg film.

     Much talk has been made about the life sized horse puppets. This three actor operations are truly astounding feats of theatrical genius. Though each actor is visible the entire time they are making the horse puppets move, they are so good at what they do that they might as well be invisible. Each horse is given a personality which makes it very easy for the audience to  be drawn in to the character of each of these creatures and to care about them. The journey of these magnificent beasts is the journey of the play.

     I wish I could say the same for the human characters that the horses interact with. The play runs nearly two and a half hours long. In that span of time, the horse has several significant human relationships. The first and foremost is with the boy who raises him, Albert Narracott.

     When Joey gets sold off to the British Army as a cavalry horse, Albert lies about his age to join up so that  he can find Joey and bring him safely home. Through many dangers, toils, and snares, do Joey and Albert go (separately) before they are at last allowed to find each other again. Along the way they each make new friends and experience tragic loss.

    The story is actually really good. It's just not particularly well adapted to the stage. A lovely device of using a songstress and musicians on stage (weaving physically in and out of scenes, rather than seated) is genius and adds to the depth of the piece. Additionally, the set, costumes, lighting, and projection are all used  to wonderful effect.

    The script lags at times, and rather than focusing on the relationships between the characters that we recognize and care about, the story often shifts to new characters or characters we don't really need to see. Also, the search for Joey and eventual reuniting take too long and become tedious by the time it actually happens.

     That being said, this is a truly beautiful production and work of art in the highest sense. I wouldn't say that it was the best play of the season that it premiered in, but it was certainly the biggest risk, the most artistic production, and therefore worthy of the prize.

  I wont speak of the performances as the show has closed and if you see it on the road you're not likely to see the same actors. I will say that the entire play hinges on the relationship between Joey and Albert. If the actor playing Albert is not able to make you like him as much as you like the horse, you're in for a long evening.