Modern Family (2009-20)

Modern Family has been on for eleven years, and in many ways it represents a past era of television. Modern Family was arguably the last great network sitcom amidst the takeover of cable and streaming (and maybe the last great mockumentary after slew of hits like The Office and Parks and Recreation while the gene was in vogue), 24 episodes of sustained excellence per season, a big ensemble cast, and multiple star-making turns. We've watched the child actors grow up. New Lily and Joe grew on me as time went on, assigned funny one-liners. The earlier seasons have become iconic in syndication. There were some less funny bits in the later seasons, but I always appreciated its Shakespearean sense of comedy, relying on miscommunication and mistaken identity. The writers balanced comedy and emotion nicely.

Modern Family came at a time when Obama was newly elected president. And in the intervening years, Obgerfell v. Hodges legalized gay marriage across the country. Mitch and Cam had their own wedding in the show. What Will and Grace did for our society's acceptance of gay men, Modern Family has done for a gay couple. It normalized a non-traditional, wholly modern, and newly socially acceptable family. And several seasons in, Trump became president. And progress was not only halted but our society regressed. Modern Family never really reckoned with that new reality. Rather than recognizing this as a fault, it actually provided some reprieve from the infuriating reality that we live in. TV had the power to change the way people think in the days when we had network shows that everyone was familiar with. In the golden age of television when there is simply so much quality programming, I'm afraid these impactful cultural touchstones get lost in the inundation.

The Tempest (The Public Theater) (2015)

Shakespeare in the Park is one of New York's most treasured traditions.  Every summer, The Public Theater stages two free star-studded productions at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, a peaceful amphitheater amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.  The Belvedere Castle provides a majestic backdrop to the stage.  I won the virtual lottery this year, so I didn't have to wait in line early in the morning like last year when I saw Much Ado About Nothing, which in itself is a whole experience. Shakespeare is difficult; there is no doubt about that.  To a speaker of modern English, it is sometimes difficult to follow all of the dialogue in the play, especially in the scenes involving the shipwrecked crew.  But that is not to detract from the excellent acting and staging, which gives the audience plenty to go on. 

The first thing I noticed when I took my seat was the set.  It was quite minimal, with an ocean backdrop and a black spiral staircase to a second level.  It was nowhere near as impressive as the Italian estate created for last year's production.  The Tempest, taking place on a magical island, lends itself to an imaginative set, and so the audience is made to use its imagination.  What it lacks in scenery it makes up for with atmosphere.  A percussionist in the corner of the stage played a variety of instruments throughout the play creating an air of mysticism, a storm of sound, and a rhythm to which the actors recited their lines.  For me, the percussionist really brought the whole production together.  And of course, in an open-air theater, we are exposed to the elements.  As forecasted, and in accordance with my bad luck, it rained lightly for about ten minutes.  But the show went on.  I got a little wet, but it was nothing to complain about.  In fact, it enhanced the atmosphere of the play, for I genuinely felt like I was in the tempest.

Finally, I have to address the actors.  Sam Waterston is a Shakespeare in the Park veteran, returning to the role of Prospero after 41 years.  He has a commanding authority over Shakespeare's prose and it is a joy to watch him perform.  Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays the jester Trinculo.  Just as he has proven in Modern Family, he has great comedic timing.  Caliban and Ariel are two counterweights in the play, one a barbarous creature, the other a graceful spirit.  Both actors are superb in these roles (also helped along by the percussionist).