Steppenwolf Theatre’s Kafka on the Shore
I was scared going into Kafka on the Shore at the Steppenwolf Theatre two weeks ago. I had read a handful of reviews, both professional and personal, that were very mixed about the production. From these write-ups, I knew it wasn’t going to be a standard theater-going experience.
I knew it was going to be dreamlike and surreal and influenced by the subconscious. “Oh boy,” I thought, “pretentious art can go wrong very quickly.”
As it turned out, I loved the play. It definitely helped that I knew not to look too hard for conclusions or tidy endings. The human brain will do that just naturally so I let mine run on neutral and tried to focus the rest of me on each moment. I tried to take in what was on stage in front of me at every moment.
Those moments are great. The cast really impressed me with their abilities. If you see the play, you’ll see how many monologues, often disconnected ones, each actor has to present and make them compelling. There are enough posing and stylistic stances to put a cast of A Chorus Line to shame.
Yet all night long, every cue was hit and all the timings were spotless.
I was surprised that my least favorite aspects of the show were the self-referential winks. In the first half, the play couldn’t help but laugh at itself. There were lines about how tiresome post-modern theater productions were and other lines of that nature. Coming so early, it felt as if Frank Galati had to pre-apologize for what was to come. He was already hedging the experience. (To be fair, I have no idea if any of this is in the original Murakami novel.)
I resented that. I felt that if he was going to create this experience, especially one that I thought came off so successfully, then do it. Don’t apologize for it.
As I said, this reaction of mine surprised me because usually, I’m all about the meta.
I haven’t said anything about the plot because I don’t think the plot is going to be a deciding factor on whether or not you’ll go see a production of this play in the future. It’s an experience of the mind, of moods, and of moments.
After the play was over, Steppenwolf offered a post-show discussion. I didn’t want to discuss it. I was still nicely wrapped up in the world created by the play. I was still fuzzy from the fanciful elements. So we stood in the lobby for a bit and then walked out into the cold.
I don’t think anyone is going to be able to predict whether or not another person is going to enjoy this play. But if you like theater and are not afraid of non-linear art, I would say to go and give it a chance.