Last weekend, Thingamajig Theatre Company unveiled its highly anticipated production of “Master Class” to a sold-out house, and the reaction was nothing short of electric.
Lee Blessing once said that good theater “makes you sit forward in your seat.”
On Friday and Saturday nights, audiences in Pagosa did exactly that.
“Master Class,” Terrence McNally’s Tony Award–winning play, dives headlong into the tempestuous world of Maria Callas — the legendary soprano whose genius was matched only by her ferocity. In this production, Laura Moore inhabits Callas with a performance that manages to be both imperious and heartbreakingly vulnerable, surrounded by a supporting ensemble that rises, sometimes literally trembling, to meet her exacting standards.
The play is structured as a fictional seminar given by Callas late in her career, with students alternately cowed, inspired and demolished under her gaze. Yet beneath the bravado, audiences glimpse a woman haunted by her past, her loves and the sacrifices demanded by art at its highest level.
If opening weekend’s response is any indication, Thingamajig has a hit on its hands.
“It was like being in the room with Callas herself — unpredictable, funny, devastating,” said one patron, still buzzing in the lobby afterward.
Another added, “I’ve seen a lot of theater in New York and Denver, and I wasn’t expecting to be this blown away in Pagosa. Truly world-class.”
The production continues its limited run Oct. 10, 11, 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. Given the sold-out crowds opening night, advance reservations are strongly recommended.
For tickets and more information, visit pagosacenter.org.
