If you are a fan of excess in a play then Giant is surely for you. That title might ring a bell, if you’ve read the book, by Edna Ferber, or perhaps seen the movie, directed by George Stevens. The play is set Texas, spanning a number of years, but starting in the 1920s. Jorden “Bick” Brendon falls in love with Leslie, who comes from a sheltered life in Virginia. Leslie, has to learn to adjust to life at a cattle ranch and to deal with the Texas matriarchy. Problems arise, such as Bick’s sister’s disapproval of Leslie, racism, and the change of farmland to oil wells. While it’s fun to watch people in western outfits run around and proclaim their love for the land, the highlight of the play was the orchestra. The music and lyrics by Michael John Lachiusa are very impressive. The orchestra is set up so it floats above the stage in plain view of the audience. The play uses many screens and different types of lighting to make the musicians sometimes disappear and become the endless Texas sky.

Giant is around three hours long, which to me was a clear mistake. But whenever I got bored I could always look to the orchestra. Seeing people playing instruments makes the songs more interesting. The audience gets to connect with the musicians as well as with the actors and actresses. Even though the set and the orchestra are wonderful, the play itself tended to get a little slow. With a play so long the story has to be extremely interesting and the actors charismatic. The director (Micheal Greif) throws more and more characters into the mix. The sheer amount of people that walked across the stage got confusing and also seemed really unnecessary. Still the overall message was heard. Don’t allow tradition to blind you to the new ways of the future.

Giant is being performed at the Public Theater until December 16, 2012.

Image source: New York Times