On the Waterfront

When I first saw that "On the Waterfront" was going to be adapted into a play, I groaned. Then the reviews came out, and I talked to somebody who said it was good, and so I decided I saw it. Then I saw it, and I groaned. I must say I'm not digging this whole "Let's turn movies into plays" thing sweeping London (Rain Man, On the Waterfront, Calendar Girls, not to mention Priscilla and Sister Act), but I thought I'd give it a chance...

What can I say? The movie was adapted into something very theatrical, I will say. However, it seemed more like a giant SNL skit rather than the powerful, moving film that it was based on. All the main characters seemed like such one dimensional caricatures. Terry Malloy struck me as a mix between Sean Penn as Harvey Milk and John Travolta in Grease. I literally laughed out loud at some of his ridiculous deliveries and incessant rocking. Edie did the overdramatic damsel in distress very well, but that's basically all she did. And Johnny Friendly gave us a master class on how to yell all your lines with absolutely no emotion. I thought the priest was okay though. However, if you do consider the play as kind of this caricatured, slightly comedic, and super cheesy version of the film then I guess it was okay. But I don't think that's what they were going for.

The set is basically a giant raked stage with a silhouette of the Statue of Liberty with a hook in the background and a bunch of chairs and some pretty impressive use of light. Everything is pantomimed, and sometimes it works and sometimes it's just silly. The rest of the ensemble cast was probably the best thing about the show, as they morphed from crowds to thugs, and even to pigeons. Stephen Berkoff thus managed to make the play very theatrical, but I just didn't think it worked, and I haven't seen the movie in like 15 years. The first half just seemed like rushed, abbreviated versions of scenes, where the actors just recited their lines at a back-and-forth pace that didn't allow for any emotion. However, when it got to the second act with the really famous scenes and lines, they really dragged those puppies out to death. The play really didn't need to be as long as it did, and didn't need an intermission. It had some interesting points and some decent theatrical elements , but if you're looking for some gravitas, go rent the movie.