I am not a theater goer by any means and I hadn’t heard of Sweet bird of youth before this. I have not even been at a play since my teens. That’s what made this event even more exciting.
The first key of being able to enjoy a play is, to get over the initial awkwardness of feeling like you are listening in on someone’s private conversation. When one of the actors started screaming out of anger I actually jumped back because it felt like it was targeted at me. When you get over that it is like seeing a movie but with a lot more intensity and engagement.
Sweet bird of youth is a drama in three acts by Tennessee Williams but in this version it is interpreted in two acts. The play is about an ageing movie star fleeing from bad publicity with her kept lover Chance Wayne. They travel to Chance’s home town to try to reunite with his teenage sweetheart but things have changed. Sweet bird of youth has a heavy emphasis on philosophy especially the philosophy that time is our common enemy. It is quite a heavy subject but presented in a way that’s not hard to digest.
The cast was a mix of young professionals and amateurs and it worked surprisingly well. The only nitpick I have was that some actors had heavy accents that made it hard to understand at times. But as far as acting goes it was top notch. I felt engaged all throughout and the emotions of the actors really came through to me.
The music was composed by the director Annalisa Rossi’s husband Claudio Rosati and having original music really made a difference. The soundscapes created made the stage feel alive. The piano music helped emphasize the emotional turmoil of the actors.
This was my first experience of theater since I was a teen and what a comeback it was. Thanks to this event I will make sure to visit the theater a lot more frequently. Malmö Amatörteaterforum and Malmö Improvisatorium are two organizations to keep an eye on if you enjoy theater. I never thought I would say anything like this but I really look forward to whatever production is next and you should too!
