Our Bar

I think at least half of the people I know in New York are theater people. One guy I know is a voice actor, another is some sort of whiz kid with the computer programs that control show lighting. I know dancers and singers, live performers and people who do film - when the can land jobs, that is. They're exhausting to hang around sometimes (you'd think actors would want to take a break from performing in their downtime, but you'd be wrong), but the upshot is that I get to see some pretty interesting shows.

Last night, for instance, I headed down to a two-story bar on the lower East Side for a performance called Our Bar. A friend of mine has been performing with them for a while and he suggested I come check them out. The premise is pretty interesting. The show takes place on the second floor. The audience sits at tables, or on bar stools and couches (or, if they're 20 minutes late because the guy they asked for directions when they got out of the subway pointed them in the opposite direction they should have gone and they walked the wrong way for 10 minutes without realizing it they stand anywhere they can find a space). The actors walk in between the tables, doing mini scenes all over the bar. When I arrived, a guy had just burst into the bar and ordered a drink to celebrate the fact that his cat had just had kittens. Then he faded into the corner and a trio of girls bitched about their waitressing jobs. Then their conversation quieted just in time for a guy to give his friend advice on picking up a girl. During the show, we were encouraged to order drinks from the bar or food from the kitchen, but the bartender w ordered from was an actress, and in between serving customers she'd play her role in the scenes that were unfolding with the actors. The waitress was also part of the show; I guess the real waitstaff got the night off. The dialogue was clever and the way the scenes blended together kept things interesting. And I loved being part of the performance space.

After the show, I got to meet a few of the actors. They seem like a pretty fun group. Even though they don't get paid for this, they were all really talented. New York has more talent than it knows what to do with. There are performances every month, and I'm looking forward to the next show. Now I know where the bar is, so maybe this time I'll get a seat.