From Shirlington to New York
Mar. 18th, 2023 09:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fauxkloreI went to New York last weekend. But, first, I did some local theatre going.
Selling Kabul: I went to see this play at Signature Theatre on Thursday night (March 9th) before my New York trip.
The play involves a young man named Taroon, who is in hiding because he was a translator for the Americans in Afghanistan. The American soldier he worked with is supposed to be helping him get a visa to go to the U.S., but other people are skeptical that this will happen. In the meantime, the Taliban is looking for him. His sister, Afiya, and her husband, Jawid, are hiding him in their home, but they have a nosy neighbor, Leyla. And Jawid works for the Taliban - admittedly, as a tailor, but still. Things come to a head when Taroon’s wife gives birth to a son - but that is also not as simple as it seems. Overall, there is a lot of fear and violence in the plot. The tension is palpable. That makes the play absorbing, but disturbing. I thought it was a good play, but the intensity makes me hesitant to recommend it to anyone whose tastes I don’t know well.
New York - Travel: I stayed overnight in Shirlington to make things more convenient for my trip the next morning. The 9:20 a.m. northeast regional was surprisingly empty, at least in the quiet car. That’s good to know, because I often take afternoon trains and those tend to be packed on Fridays. I stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Manhattan / Central Park. This is on West 58th Street, which seemed convenient for several things I was doing, but, frankly, it was a bit too far west (between 10th and 11th). Which is probably why it was cheaper than some of the other places I have stayed before. Putting Central Park in the name is particularly egregious given the location, which decidedly does not overlook the park. Overall, it just wasn’t as good as the Fairfield Inn by Moynihan Train Hall, which has firmer mattresses, a quieter HVAC system, and a more diverse breakfast buffet. It was adequate, but I probably won’t stay there again.
By the way, I took the Acela home on Monday, because the price difference was small enough to make it worth the minimal time savings. That was considerably more crowded , but there is assigned seating. I discovered that it would be an ideal place for industrial espionage. The guy sitting next to me spent much of the trip talking on the phone about bank issues relating to some merger his company is involved in. And there were at least two other people having business-related conversations they should not have been having in public. Back when I traveled a lot on business, I read murder mysteries on planes for a good reason.
Pictures From Home: When I go to New York, I go to the theatre. (Admittedly, even when I stay home, I go to the theatre.) My first choice for Friday night was Some Like It Hot but there weren’t tickets available at a price I was willing to pay, so I chose Pictures From Home instead. The big draw for this is supposed to be Nathan Lane, but I am not actually all that keen on him. (For the primary reason, see Sarah Silverman’s essay on Jewface. That’s a subject to discuss another time, however.) Anyway, it does also star Danny Burstein, who I do like, so I figured I’d give it a try. This play is based on a book by Larry Sultan (played by Burstein), who spent 10 years photographing and interviewing his parents. Nathan Lane plays his father and Zoe Wanamaker, his mother. Overall, I thought the play was pretty boring. There were some funny bits, but most of the play consisted of the father screaming at his son. If I wanted to watch old Jewish people arguing, I have my own family, who are far more colorful.
I did better the rest of the weekend. But I will be kind and put Saturday and Sunday in separate entries.
Selling Kabul: I went to see this play at Signature Theatre on Thursday night (March 9th) before my New York trip.
The play involves a young man named Taroon, who is in hiding because he was a translator for the Americans in Afghanistan. The American soldier he worked with is supposed to be helping him get a visa to go to the U.S., but other people are skeptical that this will happen. In the meantime, the Taliban is looking for him. His sister, Afiya, and her husband, Jawid, are hiding him in their home, but they have a nosy neighbor, Leyla. And Jawid works for the Taliban - admittedly, as a tailor, but still. Things come to a head when Taroon’s wife gives birth to a son - but that is also not as simple as it seems. Overall, there is a lot of fear and violence in the plot. The tension is palpable. That makes the play absorbing, but disturbing. I thought it was a good play, but the intensity makes me hesitant to recommend it to anyone whose tastes I don’t know well.
New York - Travel: I stayed overnight in Shirlington to make things more convenient for my trip the next morning. The 9:20 a.m. northeast regional was surprisingly empty, at least in the quiet car. That’s good to know, because I often take afternoon trains and those tend to be packed on Fridays. I stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Manhattan / Central Park. This is on West 58th Street, which seemed convenient for several things I was doing, but, frankly, it was a bit too far west (between 10th and 11th). Which is probably why it was cheaper than some of the other places I have stayed before. Putting Central Park in the name is particularly egregious given the location, which decidedly does not overlook the park. Overall, it just wasn’t as good as the Fairfield Inn by Moynihan Train Hall, which has firmer mattresses, a quieter HVAC system, and a more diverse breakfast buffet. It was adequate, but I probably won’t stay there again.
By the way, I took the Acela home on Monday, because the price difference was small enough to make it worth the minimal time savings. That was considerably more crowded , but there is assigned seating. I discovered that it would be an ideal place for industrial espionage. The guy sitting next to me spent much of the trip talking on the phone about bank issues relating to some merger his company is involved in. And there were at least two other people having business-related conversations they should not have been having in public. Back when I traveled a lot on business, I read murder mysteries on planes for a good reason.
Pictures From Home: When I go to New York, I go to the theatre. (Admittedly, even when I stay home, I go to the theatre.) My first choice for Friday night was Some Like It Hot but there weren’t tickets available at a price I was willing to pay, so I chose Pictures From Home instead. The big draw for this is supposed to be Nathan Lane, but I am not actually all that keen on him. (For the primary reason, see Sarah Silverman’s essay on Jewface. That’s a subject to discuss another time, however.) Anyway, it does also star Danny Burstein, who I do like, so I figured I’d give it a try. This play is based on a book by Larry Sultan (played by Burstein), who spent 10 years photographing and interviewing his parents. Nathan Lane plays his father and Zoe Wanamaker, his mother. Overall, I thought the play was pretty boring. There were some funny bits, but most of the play consisted of the father screaming at his son. If I wanted to watch old Jewish people arguing, I have my own family, who are far more colorful.
I did better the rest of the weekend. But I will be kind and put Saturday and Sunday in separate entries.
