sssSo finally, at the end of Act I, Albin learns the truth about the dinner with Anne's parents. He stumbles onto Georges and Jean-Michel taking away some of his wardrobe during a costume change, and then Georges has to explain.
There's a hundred ways to play a scene like this. Given how long they've held us in suspense, you might think this will be just the two of face to face. But no, we already had the chance at that when they were walking along the boardwalk, and Georges couldn't do it.
The question the creative team seemed to have was this: What's the most dramatic way for Albin to find out? And what they came up with is really brilliant--he learns the news while he's dressing, out of view of us. So at first all we get is Georges' entirely heartbroken explanation.
Then, Albin hurries out--but not to respond. He's got the show to do. Another delaying/suspense tactic on the creative team's part, but much heightened now because Albin knows the truth, and so it seems clearly something big is going to happen.
And he goes on stage and begins the number we saw the Cagelles do at the top of the show, "We Are What We Are." But he turns it into this personal plaintive cry directed at us, because we are the audience he's supposed performing for. The setting really proves to be everything: it both builds the suspense and then crafts the moment to maximum effect. There's truly no more powerful choice than to put Albin alone and exposed on a stage having to sing to us.
Stepping back, this moment represents the fruit of all the work the creative team have put in to make these gay men's life acceptable. And again, I think a big part of what allows for that to happen is that the creators have really taken their time both introducing them to us and also allowing the pain of what Jean-Michel is asking to really settle in. The longer Albin goes without knowing, the worse we feel for him.
But it also just begs the question, in our own scripts, are we asking ourselves What is the best setting for this moment? What is the most unexpected place to locate each scene, the most challenging to our characters, the most evocative? So often I'm so consumed with the story itself, I don't even think about these things. But they clearly can make a big difference.
