I just received this review of Harold Pinter's Old Times at the Shakespeare Theatre from my friend Eric H:
Old Times is a major deviation from the standard fare offered by the Shakespeare Theatre Company. The STC normally mixes Shakespeare’s work about fifty-fifty with other significant plays. Some of those are relatively modern in relation to Romeo & Juliet, but when compared to Old Times, they all fall into the same category of conventional story telling.
Old Times is filled with ambiguity. The program notes focus on the malleability of memory. But even the story line is malleable and ambiguous. Facts change from moment to moment, creating a dynamic feeling like a face being slowly unveiled. Quickly you find that even the themes of the play seem to be changing. At first it feels like a comedy based in marital dynamics. But it quickly turns into a competition of sorts; possibly romantic, or maybe for dominance. In the end it could be seen as a struggle for survival. After all, if we aren’t the sum of our memories, what are we?
The loose story line is about a couple being visited by the wife’s old friend. Reminiscences are shared, frequently competing and contradicting with one another. Hints about the nature of their prior relationships surface. A little cryptic symbolism, a la the 1970’s, adds to the surreal affect.
If you are open to unconventional things, this is an excellent play. It will make you think about things that are usually avoided by our current, short-attention-span culture. If you aren’t philosophically minded, you’ve probably already stopped reading this.
