I have this habit of reading Abu Dhabi World because first of all, it's free *hehe* and I'm able to get a scoop on what's happening -- like the latest 70% off sales in Abu Dhabi Mall, job postings and random celebrity updates or sightings in the UAE. The best one is is where they feature your pictures holding an Abu Dhabi World magazine on any of your travels and you get to have a prize :) I was supposed to do it when I went to Japan but my copy was all wrinkly so I'll just do it in South Korea later this year.
Anyway, on their events page, they have a feature on NYUAD's Arts Center's latest performance. What struck me was first of all, admission is F R E E (who refuses free entertainment btw??), second, it's Greek mythology and lastly : DENIS O'HARE.
So I was curious, I've been following NYU AD for quite sometime now because of their MBA program but I've been getting ads on facebook on their arts center as well. As soon as I saw the ad on AD World, I checked the site out (An Iliad) I googled Denis O'Hare up and lo and behold ~~ he's a Tony Award winner and he was on a multitude of movies like Charlie Wilson's War, Milk and Derailed! What to do, yalla I signed myself up and 2 other friends stat and told them to clear their Thursdays out so we can watch the show *evil grin* hehehehe
The only thing was NYUAD was in Saadiyat Island which is 21 minutes away from the city (see map below) so you really have to plan ahead for your transportation to and fro if you don't have your own.
And the performance didn't disappoint. Even if it was a one man show and in the generation of short attention spans, everybody (except for that random someone who still couldn't resist taking short clips grrr) was riveted for almost 2 hours. We felt as if we were actually there, in the battlefields of Troy with his spellbinding narrative - and that the war is not really over since it occurred time and time again, with the latest one happening in Aleppo, Syria.
As what the review on their page said:
To call this a one-man show is really an understatement, as the scale of this work is genuinely epic. There are moments in An Iliad that will make you shed a tear for humankind…An Iliad does a magnificent job of retelling this Greek epic, making it accessible and timeless to the uninitiated; it’s sweeping, sobering, it hits you in the solar plexus, and it puts into staggering perspective just how obsessed with war-mongering humans have always been and continue to be. – Cicely Binford, Australian Stage
Quickly took a snapshot pre-show then dutifully turned off my phone :) Most of the audience were either NYUAD faculty and student body so everybody was making beso with each other ~~ was tempted to do the same with those in front just so that we'll fit in hehehe
If the show's still on I would've pushed you to watch it next weekend but it was their final run - nevertheless, Noche Flamenco Antigona will be up on April 6th so be sure to sign up for it! I already have my tickets hehe #toomucheggzoited so be sure to get yours before they run out :)
See you there!
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