The Internationalist

Haven't seen the production, but it's a New York blogsphere play day. Check out Isaac's post here for Washburn Grand Central.

I can't talk about the play, which I haven't seen.

As for the responses I'm reading (from out here in "not having met Anne" country) it seems that there is a disconnect between the actual theatergoing audience and those that make theatre. What directors and writers respect and admire in Washburn may be something that just doesn't translate to the regular spectator.

That may be overstating.

Ms. Washburn's plays are, obviously, obscure and challenging. I was reading Apparition at St. Mark's Books the other day, out of curiosity, and while I didn't ingest it carefully standing in the bookstore, I didn't find much to hold onto in it. That isn't necessarily a flaw, it just means that work like that is inviting strong opinions for and against. I can't imagine Washburn doesn't know she'll lose half her audience's attention with this work... and it's a credit to her that she persists with her own aesthetic without compromise. That being said, it doesn't guarantee that she'll be embraced by a large audience.

It's a deal with the devil. If you push the audience, some will push back.

Maybe, in the long term, we need to seek to cultivate a new audience for the Vineyard. But that's a post for the future.