Six Degrees of Separation

I went to the Old Vic Theatre to see Six Degrees of Separation. The plot revolves around a young con artist who pretends to be the son of Sidney Poitier as he dupes an affluent couple in New York City. The character himself also happens to be gay but that really isn’t a major element to the character. It is just a part of him. This play is not a social critique nor is it one for understanding of the gay community. It just happens to have a character that is gay and is a con artist.

The set was pretty minimal. It involved a painting on both sides hanging from a wire. Red partitions which could be pulled backwards and a couch in the center of the stage which could revolve around. The floor was all red.

The performers were all really good. This was just a one act play at 90 minutes but it flowed beautifully. Ninety minutes is still a long time and if there is a dull moment it’s noticeable. With this play there was never a dull moment. There was drama and comedy mixed easily. One unfortunate character, he ends up killing himself, leaves the stage into the shadows. We know by this action what his fate is going to be. Passing into the shadows of death. Powerful stuff.

The main idea of the play, the theme is that we are all interconnected by six people. So, in theory, I am at the most six people away from everybody else. The idea is that we are all linked. In this play, the con artist character acts as a linchpin for all the other people. He connects a young couple from Utah to the wealthy art collector to the art collector’s children to another student at MIT to the police officer and even the doorman.

It was a good show and it was a wonderful way to end the evening. Afterwards I headed back to my hotel. I stopped off at a nearby pub and had a pint of ale and a bottle of Budweiser Budvar. Both were glorious.