sarahgwfan

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:34:00 -0500

The Jackson play sounds fun, but having seen Harding, I can't think of anything MORE poignant. Don't take the play as historical biography. That would be pointless. It's about TODAY. The actors overblow their performances in Brechtian vein so that we never get caught up in caring or empathizing with characters, forcing us to think about real issues confronting America today: racism, sexism, rock star politics, media frenzy. Video images loop on a wall again and again like bytes of Jeremiah Wright and Sarah Palin on CNN. I have to side with the Washington Post critic on this one. Sure, the music is good, some performers are talented, and there's a heap of bizarre and/or wacky humor inherent within, but this one has a little more going for it. The weakness of Landless is that they are so often steeped in camp that if they achieve art, no one knows what to make of it.

DCist: Landless Does Presidential Parody With Harding

sarahgwfan