La Bête

My friend Michael Marie took me to see La Bête. I really didn't know what to expect but I'll tell you, I really, REALLY liked it. OK, let's go. First off I have to say Mark Rylance was amazing. Did I say 'amazing'? Good, 'cause that's exactly what he was. The show is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. 45 minutes of which, was Mr. Rylance's entrance monologue. It was phenomenal. He'll win awards. But enough about performance. The really interesting aspect of this is the actual story and how it's told. The show is a commentary on today's tastes and education levels as illustrated through plays. Highbrow, lowbrow, genius or not. Although the story takes place in a generic historical past it was written in 1991. It begs the questions "for a play to sell out, does it have to be a sell out?" This is the theme of the entire show. I really, really thought this show was excellent on several levels, including the script. Which, was entirely written in rhyming couplets - THE ENTIRE SHOW. If you really, really like theater - this is a must see, if only for the monologue. Loved it!