Keep Calm and Carry On: The Diary of Foodie and Gourmet

Last Tuesday, I watched the Young Vic's modern production of "A Streetcar Named Desire", by acclaimed American playwright Tennessee Williams. I've never seen a staged version of this classic play, so I was really excited to see this NT Live performance. Like many American students, I read "A Streetcar Named Desire" in high school, specifically in 11th grade English class, which focused on American literature. Although it has been nearly eight years since I read this play and I don't remember every detail about it, I do remember enjoying it. "A Streetcar Named Desire," for some reason has always stayed with me and fascinates me to this day.  For those who are not familiar with the plot of "A Streetcar Named Desire," here is a super brief overview of the play, courtesy imdb.com: Disturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law while her reality crumbles around her...

This September marks the new season of NT Live performances. For those who may not recall, NT Live is this amazing organization that screens British theater performances across the globe via cinemas. I am an avid NT Live fan and try to buy tickets, whenever I can. In past posts, I have written about “Frankenstein”, “ Coriolanus ”, “King Lear”, and “War Horse” --- all seen at NYU’s very own Skirball auditorium. I am delighted to report that in the coming months, I will have more NT Live performances to talk about! This season, I have purchased tickets to: “Medea”, “A Streetcar Named Desire”, “Frankenstein” (again), and “Treasure Island.” I recently just received an email about a new addition to the NT Live line up and am contemplating purchasing tickets. For the first time ever, NT Live will be broadcasting a Broadway play, in this case, "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. Stay tuned for those posts!

Monday (9/8/14) marked the opening of the 2014~2015 NT Live season and NT Live certainly kicked things off with a bang. That evening, my mother and I watched a modern production of the infamous Greek tragedy, “ Medea .” Words cannot truly convey how phenomenal this production of “Medea” was and I was left speechless. Here’s a bit of background on the play (taken from Wikipedia): Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, based upon the myth of Jason and Medea and first produced in 431 BC. The plot centers on the barbarian protagonist and she finds her position in the Greek world threatened and the revenge she takes against her husband Jason, who has betrayed her for another woman. For those who may not know or recall, the Jason that I speak of is the Jason who sought out the Golden Fleece. Going into this production, I knew that it was a revenge play, but nothing could prepare me for what I was about to witness. William Congreve was really spot on wh...

So, before the semester got too crazy, I thought I would indulge myself with an evening of culture. I really enjoy the theater and I love Shakespeare, so when I learned that the National Theater Live was screening Coriolanus , I jumped at the opportunity to see this production! For those who may not be familiar, NT Live is a great organization that screens British plays, via cinemas, all over the world. It is an amazing and wonderful system and I am so thankful that it exists! Moreover, since screening venues are limited, I am super lucky that NYU's Skirball Theater is a designated venue for NT Live events! The first NT Live I saw at NYU Skirball was Danny Boyle's critically acclaimed adaptation of Frankenstein , starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller. This visually astounding and groundbreaking stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's haunting tale is unique in many ways, but it's most distinguishing feature was probably the nightly alternating of the le...