2 - Hostage Song

Tonight, I saw a show called Hostage Song, a Horse Trade production, which is playing at the Kraine Theater on E. 4th St. until next Saturday. The Kraine Theater (which conveniently has a bar on the second floor, or more accurately, the KGB bar located on the second floor has a building which happens to have a theatre in it), much like the Zipper Factory Theater or the Interart Theatre Annex on the west side, is a quintessential New York off-off-Broadway venue. There are seats, or at least some sort of cushiony surfaces with backrests that could pass as seats when not being used as carving boards or steamer trunks, squeezed into every corner of the room, which is oblong with somewhat obtuse walls painted black. These theatres look like rooms taken straight from a Dr. Seuss book, which makes them absolutely wonderful, and I love them for it. They are fabulously kitschy, cozy, and provide the perfect atmosphere for an off-off-Broadway production. If only those walls could talk, I am sure they would have some terrific stories to tell.

I heard about Hostage Song from my friend Abe, who happens to have a role in the show (and does a fantastic job if I may say so). The website presents the show like this, "Bound and blindfolded in a war-torn country, two hostages take refuge in music, memory and each other in this new indie-rock musical." There were times when you could relate with the characters, moments of laughter, and moments when the imagery and emotions were so intense that the audience was completely motionless. I really enjoyed the show (and so did my bag of sweaty gym clothes which was my company for the evening), but since I am not a critic per se, you can read the New York Times review here. Thank you to the actors, band, and production crew for putting on a super show. Cheers.

100 in 6 budget so far: $36