Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the Berkeley Rep’s stage production of After the Quake. After the Quake is based on a collection of short stories by Japanese author and Gen X darling Haruki Murakami.

It’s a slightly surreal tale with much of the action taking place within the protagonist’s mind. For example, you’ll get to meet one of the principle characters: a frog simply named Frog. This surrealism doesn’t detract from the touching commentary on family, love and friendship.

I left the play perfectly pleased by these genuine reflections on the human condition which were complemented by the sensory experience of wonderful acting, music and set design. It was a great 90 minutes of theatre.

The one thing that struck me about my fellow bloggers and our discussion with the Assistant Director is how everyone else seems to love to dissect art. What did it all mean? What were the themes? Let’s discuss the symbolism. Perhaps I’m just an anti-intellectual when it comes to these things but I find that this deconstruction detracts from my overall enjoyment of the piece. Why is it when artists work together to achieve a wonderful harmony, we feel the need to rip it all apart? Thoughts anyone?

Thank you to all at the Berkeley Rep for inviting some of us bloggers to take it all in and thanks to Kevin for organizing.

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