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Groundswell

Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston at The Lyric Stage Company

January 1-January 30, 2010

Avg. Event Rating (4.7 Stars):
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The lives of three disappointed men intersect with volatile consequences in a hotel in a sleepy South African port town, when Thami, the gardener and caretaker, and Johan, the odd-job man and former police officer, conspire to pressure the hotel’s lone guest to invest in their diamond mining scheme. The three men find themselves in a power struggle fueled by greed and entitlement. This “cross between David Mamet and Athol Fugard” (The New York Times) is a psychological thriller about desperation and hope, and the glittering promises of the postapartheid society. “A more eloquent argument for justice than any statistic or photograph.” -Variety

By Ian Bruce
Directed by Daniel Gidron
New England Premiere

• At-a-
  Glance

  • Venue Info

    The Lyric Stage Company

    140 Clarendon Street
    Boston, MA 02116

    Full map and directions

  • Admission Info

    Tickets: Varies: $25-$50 Student Rush $10 with a valid ID, 30 minutes before performance.

    Info Phone: 617-585-5678

    Email

    Buy Tickets

  • Dates & Times

    Dates:
    January 1-January 30, 2010

    Times:
    Wednesdays and Thursdays: 7:30pm
    Fridays: 8:00pm
    Saturdays: 3:00pm and 8:00pm
    Sundays: 3:00pm
    Wednesday Matinees: January 6th and 27th at 2:00pm

  • Accessibility Info

    Currently, no accessibility information is available for this event.

  • Video & Image Gallery

    Currently, additional images/videos have not been submitted for this event.

  • Member Reviews

    Add review/comment

    • Event Name: Groundswell
      "Brilliant"
      Review posted by: TLewis from Boston, MA, Feb 03, 2010
      

      Groundswell was marvelously written and brilliantly acted. Very powerful story. A reminder of what an amazing theater scene Boston has to offer and what inspiring local talent we have available.

      Groundswell was marvelously written and brilliantly acted. Very powerful story. A reminder of what an amazing theater scene Boston has to offer and what inspiring local talent we have available.

    • Event Name: Groundswell
      "Loved It!"
      Review posted by: Randi from Boston, MA, Feb 01, 2010
      

      Very moving; spoke about race relations in a new way. Fantastic screenplay and acting. My only negative comment would be about the South African accents--which I didn't hear as quite authentic.

      Very moving; spoke about race relations in a new way. Fantastic screenplay and acting. My only negative comment would be about the South African accents--which I didn't hear as quite authentic.

    • Event Name: Groundswell
      "An unexpected jewel"
      Review posted by: Aaron Wyatt from Boston, MA, Feb 01, 2010
      

      I'm not a stage performance aficionado, but I like nice things, and this was a ticket stub I'm proud to hang on my wall. The Lyric Stage is a very intimate way to see a play, and this took me by... Expand

      I'm not a stage performance aficionado, but I like nice things, and this was a ticket stub I'm proud to hang on my wall. The Lyric Stage is a very intimate way to see a play, and this took me by surprise for the first 20 minutes of Groundswell. The actors are so close to you, and the set is practically integrated with the audience. But the performance ended up so engaging, that I was lost in the story until we stood up to applaud. Its not a pick-me-up tale or comedic, or heartwarming at all. But trust me, that's okay. Groundswell was artful and entertaining and thought provoking all the same. The most impressive piece of Groundswell as performed at the Lyric Stage was the amazing character and relationship development that took place for and between each of the three characters. Each felt flat and predictable when the lights came up for the first time, but when they go down for the last time, I was in awe of home complex the story had become. Very well done. Collapse

    • Event Name: Groundswell
      "Fine Actors, not quite Fugard/Mamet"
      Comment posted by: theatrical devotee from Brookline, MA, Jan 19, 2010
      

      The play has been compared to Fugard/Mamet, but although it is a competent, insightful treatment of the South African situation, it does not present it with the subtleness or elegance of Fugard's... Expand

      The play has been compared to Fugard/Mamet, but although it is a competent, insightful treatment of the South African situation, it does not present it with the subtleness or elegance of Fugard's creations. The characters, while interesting and compelling in their way, remain 'types' or symbols rather than flesh and blood individuals with all the implied contradictions and nuances. You pretty much know what is going to happen from the start. However, the acting was compelling and the play is worth seeing. It also made me appreciate all the more the genius of Fugard, and even of Mamet, whom I do not generally admire or enjoy. Collapse

• Media
  Gallery

  • All Media Gallery

    Currently, additional images/videos have not been submitted for this event.

• Member
  Reviews

  • Member Reviews

    Add review/comment

    • Event Name: Groundswell
      "Brilliant"
      Review posted by: TLewis from Boston, MA, Feb 03, 2010
      

      Groundswell was marvelously written and brilliantly acted. Very powerful story. A reminder of what an amazing theater scene Boston has to offer and what inspiring local talent we have available.

      Groundswell was marvelously written and brilliantly acted. Very powerful story. A reminder of what an amazing theater scene Boston has to offer and what inspiring local talent we have available.

    • Event Name: Groundswell
      "Loved It!"
      Review posted by: Randi from Boston, MA, Feb 01, 2010
      

      Very moving; spoke about race relations in a new way. Fantastic screenplay and acting. My only negative comment would be about the South African accents--which I didn't hear as quite authentic.

      Very moving; spoke about race relations in a new way. Fantastic screenplay and acting. My only negative comment would be about the South African accents--which I didn't hear as quite authentic.

    • Event Name: Groundswell
      "An unexpected jewel"
      Review posted by: Aaron Wyatt from Boston, MA, Feb 01, 2010
      

      I'm not a stage performance aficionado, but I like nice things, and this was a ticket stub I'm proud to hang on my wall. The Lyric Stage is a very intimate way to see a play, and this took me by... Expand

      I'm not a stage performance aficionado, but I like nice things, and this was a ticket stub I'm proud to hang on my wall. The Lyric Stage is a very intimate way to see a play, and this took me by surprise for the first 20 minutes of Groundswell. The actors are so close to you, and the set is practically integrated with the audience. But the performance ended up so engaging, that I was lost in the story until we stood up to applaud. Its not a pick-me-up tale or comedic, or heartwarming at all. But trust me, that's okay. Groundswell was artful and entertaining and thought provoking all the same. The most impressive piece of Groundswell as performed at the Lyric Stage was the amazing character and relationship development that took place for and between each of the three characters. Each felt flat and predictable when the lights came up for the first time, but when they go down for the last time, I was in awe of home complex the story had become. Very well done. Collapse

    • Event Name: Groundswell
      "Fine Actors, not quite Fugard/Mamet"
      Comment posted by: theatrical devotee from Brookline, MA, Jan 19, 2010
      

      The play has been compared to Fugard/Mamet, but although it is a competent, insightful treatment of the South African situation, it does not present it with the subtleness or elegance of Fugard's... Expand

      The play has been compared to Fugard/Mamet, but although it is a competent, insightful treatment of the South African situation, it does not present it with the subtleness or elegance of Fugard's creations. The characters, while interesting and compelling in their way, remain 'types' or symbols rather than flesh and blood individuals with all the implied contradictions and nuances. You pretty much know what is going to happen from the start. However, the acting was compelling and the play is worth seeing. It also made me appreciate all the more the genius of Fugard, and even of Mamet, whom I do not generally admire or enjoy. Collapse

• Media
  Reviews

  • Media Reviews

    • Event Name: Groundswell
      Article: "'Groundswell' simmers in a post-apartheid world"
      The Boston Globe - Jan 05, 2010
      By Don Aucoin

      "...the pace soon quickens and the tensions rise when a retired white businessman named Smith (Richard McElvain) arrives at the small hotel on South Africa’s west coast where Thami is employed as a caretaker and gardener and Johan sometimes work… Expand

      "...the pace soon quickens and the tensions rise when a retired white businessman named Smith (Richard McElvain) arrives at the small hotel on South Africa’s west coast where Thami is employed as a caretaker and gardener and Johan sometimes works as a handyman." Collapse