COMMENTS

SHOW AND TELL http://victoria2130.blogspot.com/2013/11/show-and-tell-frankie-and-johnny-in.html?showComment=1386454429265#c7561961131379881356

TOP DOG/UNDERDOG http://paulina2130.blogspot.com/2013/12/topdog-underdog.html?showComment=1386454759312#c805245245439643465

NEXT TO NORMAL http://andreagracethtr2130.blogspot.com/2013/12/next-to-normal.html?showComment=1386455188876#c1980674042784384417

TIS PITY http://crayonxasxsnail.blogspot.com/2013/11/tis-pity-shes-whore.html?showComment=1386455515040#c2822687637484129336

WATER BY THE SPOONFUL http://paulina2130.blogspot.com/2013/12/water-by-spoonful.html?showComment=1386455906825#c7405267673681187152

HOUSE OF TRIALS http://haileysonnier.blogspot.com/2013/11/house-of-trials-post.html?showComment=1386456079813#c1933325356013982913

Show and Tell: The America Play

           Well, Suzan-Lori Parks doesn't fail to confuse with her OBIE and Best New American Play award-winning play, The America Play.  You only thought Top Dog/Under Dog was weird...I am not entirely sure what Parks was trying to say with this play, but because of its avant garde nature, perhaps its take-away meaning is unique to the audience member. In this story, parks creates a somewhat disconnected dreamlike state where characters come to find themselves in their setting without explanation.
           Again, we have the image of a black man impersonating Abraham Lincoln for money, only this time he is in a "Great Hole of History", a theme park of sorts. He was previously a grave digger, who worked with his wife, Lucy, who keeps secrets for the dead, and their son, Brazil, a skilled "weeper". He goes by the name "The Founding Father" and has run away from his family to become said impersonator. He dies at the end of act I, so act II consists of Lucy and Brazil's search for his body by listening to random noises through a special horn. Lo and behold, they find him alive, but still feel the need to bury him. The play ends with Brazil attempting to climb a ladder out of the hole while The Founding Father refuses to be buried.

WHAT ON EARTH?

Next to Normal

I loved how Horby's element of progression worked in this musical. A specific moment that demonstrates this is in the recurrence of the song "I Am The One". In the beginning of the play when Gabe is revealed to the audience as a figment of Diana's imagination, he appears to comfort her saying that he is the one, her one true son. The song is again used as a tool for comfort towards the end of act II after Diana leaves Dan. He and Gabe sing the song. At its end, Dan addresses his son for the first time in the play, calling him Gabriel.

I love when songs reoccur in musicals, especially when they are used in a different light or are somewhat turned on their head. In this play, "I Am The One" is a demonstration of Gabe's love for his family. It is initially used in competition with opposition of his father and sister who do not see him. In the end, it is the confirmation that he is theirs. He is watching over them. This song is his cry to be remembered.

Top Dog Under Dog

We spoke about this briefly in class, but in the game 3 card monte the dealer is always at the advantage. He controls the fate of the player; whether he wins or loses. I found this to mirror the historical event of Lincoln's assassiation because John Wilkes Booth did control the fate of Lincoln when he shot and killed him. We speculated that perhaps Booth had the advantage over Link the whole time and was just letting him win. In the script there is also a moment when Booth is showing Link how to die properly so that he won't lose his job to a wax dummy. I think this is another show of Booth's control over him.

Tis Pity She's a Whore

For the advertisemet poster I propose a new angle for the production. Since you have chosen to highlight Florio's relationship with his daughter, Annabella, I want to explore his commentary on the action from the very beginning of the play. One of his first lines in reference to Annabella is:

"I would not have her marry for wealth, but love"

These words, of course, do not ring true when her love interest is revealed later on. I like how this shows a conflict with his wish for his daughter and her immoral romance. I also find that taking the quote from Florio shows a dynamic beyond the star crossed lovers; one of the conflicted and dishonored father.

I think red is an obvious choice of color to convey love, and blood in both the sense of gore and bloodshed and blood that relates family members. From Giovanni to Annabella to Florio. I think this angle will be more interesting and compelling than going from a cliche romance angle.

House of Trials

After reading House of Trials, I made a few observations of things that may be standard of a Spanish Comedia. One would be the type of dialogue. It is written in verse, the characters primarily using almost sing-songy poetry to communicate with one another (majorly obnoxious). There is also frequent use of asides or a breaking of  the fourth wall. I don't particularly like plays that do this, so I'm not sure how many comedias I will be reading after this...

The play was lengthy. I remember learning in a previous class that 3 acts are standard for these plays. I didn't thing the acts in House of Trials could stand alone with their own stories as much as the standard Well Made Play's where each act followed its own arch. I thought that this play needed the whole story to take form.

COMMENTS

http://icesk8prosue2130.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-glass-of-water.html?showComment=1383753672542#c6729316292999578623 GLASS OF WATER

http://jenniferdownes.blogspot.com/2013/11/lillian-herman-childrens-hour.html?showComment=1383750984439#c1408440786017224396 CHILDREN”S HOUR

http://paulina2130.blogspot.com/2013/10/love-valour-compassion.html?showComment=1383754972264#c7698089743445063278 LOVE VALOUR COMP

http://silencewillfallwhenthequestionisasked.blogspot.com/2013/11/eurydice.html?showComment=1383757665656#c4963194362880781206 EURIDICE

http://stephanies-script-speculations.blogspot.com/2013/11/show-and-tell-2-mud-by-maria-irene.html?showComment=1383774760482#c1205213051562460755 COMMENT

Show and Tell II

       Little Happy Secrets

By Melissa Leilani Larson

     
         Melissa Leilani Larson is the author of many renowned plays and films. She studied at BYU and attended grad school at Iowa Playwrights Workshop. Her devotion to her work is reflected in multiple awards and recognition and her appeal to Mormon audiences makes her writing even more multi-faceted and unique.

         Winner of the 2009 Association for Mormon Letters Drama Award, Larson's play, Little Happy Secrets shows a new perspective on a relationship drama. Though the play is about a girl's homosexual attraction to her best friend, this is not the new side of theatre to which I refer. The girls are Mormon, and their story addresses ideals and behaviors practiced by members of this often misunderstood faith, specifically when faced with the topic of homosexuality.

        Larson's protagonist is Claire, a student at BYU. She is conservative politically, religiously, and socially and is conflicted by her affection for her best friend Brennan who in contrast is liberal, outgoing, and rebellious. Brennan eventually begins dating and becomes engaged to a very clean-cut boy named Carter. Claire dislikes Carter, knowing that he is not right for her friend, aside from her own affection for Brennan. Larson's story is that of a love triangle like any other. Gender aside, it is about the monkey wrench that "feelings" throw into friendships only in this case it is weighed down by religious faith.

        The first dramaturgical choice that I found value in was Larson having Claire narrate the story. This makes for a very stylized production. In some moments the characters freeze and the audience gains an intimate moment with Claire's perspective on her life as a sister, third wheel, lover, and friend. It also puts a more human perspective on the Mormon faith. Claire is devout in her beliefs and therefore in conflict over how to channel the way she feels love for her friend and her God.

        And the second choice I love... is a SPOILER! But I've got to give Larson props for the monumental plot twist at the end. On Brennan's wedding day she sends Claire a letter that simply says "Stop me." Even though Claire is too late, it creates a hope that that acknowledges Brennan's respect for Claire's speculation that the marriage to Carter was a bad idea. On some level, their friendship has survived.

Eurydice

"Orpheus was a great musician. Eurydice was his wife."

For the sake of being poetic, but vague. I like this quote. It is very "movie poster"; really telling that this is the story of a relationship. It doesn't sound terribly happy, but gives nothing away. It is also a safe bet for the director. She can go in almost any direction, but this quote will remain relevant.

"One day it would not stop raining."

This quote comes from Eurydice's father when he is describing the day he named Eurydice. He says the letters in her name fell to him like raindrops. I think it excellently foreshadows the whole plot. Rain has a doom and gloom connotation in art, and I feel that it would depict the one on top of the other tragedies that happen throughout the plot. I also like that it was said by her father, bringing in the father/daughter element in the plot aside from the love story. I think it would be really cool if in the poster, the letters of Eurydice's name were raining down onto the three stones.

Love! Valour! Compassion!

Certainly the nature of the dialogue in this play, the bounce around order of events, and the juxtaposition of both makes for a double take when reading the play for understanding. It is clearly not a cause and effect scene for scene structure that you get in Glass of Water or The Children's Hour. Another separating element in this play would be its separation from society. The lake house functions as a safe haven or getaway from the rest of the world (America specifically). This makes the capital T truth something separate from a societal norm. I'm not quite sure what it would be, however. Friendship? companionship? art?

The Children's Hour

The Children's Hour somewhat follows the Well Made Play structure. Arguably, the part that deters from this would be Martha's untimely suicide at the end. In our eyes both women are innocent and therefore should have a more logical resolution; perhaps one where they are recognized as innocent a hair sooner, and Martha and Karen resolve to a friendship. But I don't know that Martha's death was illogical. Even if Hellman made a taboo of her time into an example of a negative rumor, I think that the audience is made to feel sorry for Martha, and to see her as a human rather than a troubled lesbian. I think that this may be a logical resolution to a play where women are not only oppressed with a lie, but made to feel like criminals for their supposed sexuality. This play absolutely could still be performed today. I think that now it has more dimensions. There is a message about lying, societal views, and the conflict of friendship torn by affection. And, hey, we can't be too sensitive. If it makes someone mad, it sounds like good theatre to me.

Glass of Water

Glass of Water for the most part follows the structure of a Well Made Play. And while I tried to see another moment, I only sensed one clearly..

Towards the end of the play, Bolingbroke and the Duchess kiss and then slap each other. I just found this odd and discontinuous with the tempo of the play. The scene seemed to function in the place of an obligatory scene. Instead of an expected encounter between the two, there is an awkward conflicted one? This play lost me a little with this task. I'm going to go read some other blogs and hopefully get more out of commenting.

Comments

OVERTONES http://theatre2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/overtones-response.html?showComment=1380064876719#c8447112037001438286

TRIFLES http://alyseiadarbyscriptanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/09/trifles.html?showComment=1380065562432#c5368157755528314337

NIGHT MOTHER http://wellhithereyou.blogspot.com/2013/09/night-mother.html?showComment=1380066006578#c7055196921787094170

JUDITH http://carolinehebert2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/hey-judith-dont-make-it-bad.html?showComment=1380066354493#c2203886521584353140

4000 MILES http://bturn2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/4000-miles.html?showComment=1380066593932#c7918057940118168086

Overtones

I feel that the inner selves do not necessarily have to communicate with one another. They are representative of the inner thoughts of these two women, who are unaware of each others motives, otherwise they might get tea over with and come to a quicker agreement. I think that they are a hilarious approach to getting inside the heads of these prim and proper characters, and unleashing the gritty honesty behind civil conversation. I think they are the heart of the story, and that a necessity of their existence is that they are not listening in to one another's thoughts.

4000 miles

        I chose the motif of: evasiveness. I feel that the characters are voluntarily shut off from each other and their own obstacles. This can be seen in comedic moments: when we learn about Micha's death and at the end of a dark, shadowy speech, Vera says she couldnt hear Leo the whole time. It can also be seen in Leo's outlook on his relationship, refusing to see the potential harm he caused his adoptive sister.
        It is apparent that the characters are intentionally avoiding things they don't want to deal with as a defense mechanism. This is an interesting concept to think of from an acting perspective as being evasive is a difficult thing to "act" (humor me, you know how we actors like tho think of plays). So I think the answers to the true depth of the characters is in why they are dodging subjects, and what they are rewarded from this. Which may be another motif entirely, but I can't think of a good one under said premise. Any thoughts?

Judith

Because Howard Barker chose a biblical story to base his play, I had to wonder about what his personal goal was with the story, on which I planned to draw a dramatic question. I initially thought as a biblical story there must be some focus on morality, but after a little research I found an interesting interview he had with a Robert David Jaffee, an Arts Journalist for JewishJournal.com. In the interview, Barker says that his tragedy does not take the form of most. It is not a question of morality. He simply used the known story in a theatrical context, focussing on the characters' humanity, not any variation of their representations of right and wrong. He went on to say that the play was also not a political statement.

"I am not a political playwright. A political play is about informing. I don't do that." - Barker 

 If the play's purpose is outside of religion, and social ideas, this puts all of the focus on the emotional decision of Judith to kill (not only kill, but violently decapitate) Holofemes. Barker added an element of conflicted emotioal attatchment in his retelling of the biblical story. I wanted to highlight this choice as well. That being said, I chose a dramatic question "Will Judith put her people before her feelings of connection with Holofemes." This raises a more passionate question, and focusses on the true heightened circumstances of the play. Judith is compromising her body and morals, and risking her life to take someone else's; all for the sake of her opressed people. What form will her passion take?

Source: http://www.jewishjournal.com/arts/article/judith_the_woman_warrior_who_brought_down_a_general_20061123

Night, Mother

I Think that the Major Dramatic Question of the play would have to be something more thought provoking than "Will Jesse Kill Herself?" Of course, from an audience's standpoint, it is what they are wondering. But, because Jesse does choose to take her life does not mean that the final conversation with her mother was for nothing. I think a more effective question would be "will Jesse and her mother reconnect?". Evidence in the text states that they have become strangers under the same roof. Jesse has grown complacent in her own skin, while her mother is living a controlling yet dependent mirage of a pleasent life. Their relationship has not been honest. I think that through this final conversation and even in Jesse's death, they have reached a genuine understanding of eachother, outside of the seemingly tragic circumstances.

A drawback of choosing such a question is the challenge it presents when trying to effectively communicate this question to an audience. This is not a goal of a MDQ, but I think that if the acting was presented with enough care to construct the guts of the relationship between Jesse and her mother, the audience wouldn't walk away feeling like they had seen such a tragedy. Wrather that they witnessed a reunion of two separated people.

Trifles

I think that it would certainly be possible to put on this production in a minimalist set/ prop design. The main idea of the story is that the men are unable to see evidence proving Minnie's guilt because they are in a kitchen (a woman's domain), filled with disheveled feminine rituals of cooking and quilting. The men deem the room unimportant based on its unfamiliarity and overlook "trifles" only the women could recognize. The underlying message is in the dialogue, specifically of the men. This is evident when they make comments about Minnie's poorly kept house, or how the kitchen had no abnormalities just "kitchen things". The women's insight to her life is based off of personal experiences; reflections of themselves they see in her dreary kitchen. If the acting is done with care, I think that this insight can be described through dialogue and mimed onstage while still delivering a clear message to the audience.

That being said, I would not want any part of this production! I think that the play would be lacking the original intentions of the playwright. Her vivid description in the first stage directions hint at the necessity of a detailed set, and I feel that staying true to her vision would better serve the live stage production.