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.