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Chat about Plays
This is fun. I have a notification that says, "Amber and amber commented on the thread: Plays."Have you two met? :)
Amber-with-the-view from message 101 - thanks for the link. Reading those comments really cheered me up.
I don't think so Portia. I live in TN so I don't know where the other amber is from. I think the third amber that joined up is from Italy though. weird we have so many ambers in this group besides TN me.
Jean- I thought about pointing out that I'd found us some back up on not liking that book, but then I figure why ruin the surprise. ;)Portia- :D Very clever. I'm in another with two Beths in the top posters so I get a lot of Beth and Beth notifications.
Is anybody planning to watch the RSC production of Richard II tomorrow? I believe it's being streamed live to cinemas abroad as well as in the UK. I quite fancied it, especially with David Tennant in the lead role, but I've decided not to go as I have a lot to pay out over the next week or so :(
Thanks for letting me know about this Pink. I think it's playing on Dec 14 in the US. I'm glad as I have plans tomorrow .
Pink wrote: "Is anybody planning to watch the RSC production of Richard II tomorrow? I believe it's being streamed live to cinemas abroad as well as in the UK. I quite fancied it, especially with David Tennant ..."Missed that one, but I bet it was good.
Just began reading Dario Fo's Abducting Diana. I am halfway through. An interesting play on Media and its power....The performance would have been really hilarious.
Pink, I saw it on Wednesday. A wonderful production, and Richard II is now up there as one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. I loved how Shakespeare constantly jumped between making the reader/audience sympathetic for Richard II and Bollingbrooke (late Henry IV). Really interesting play, and David Tennant was amazing in it!
Ahhh Holly, now I really wish I'd have gone! I know they're doing re-showings if this in some areas, but not in my town unfortunately
I'm sorry! You wanted people's opinions though :3Has anyone watched the National Theatre 50th Anniversary show? I'm about half way through it and I love how they've got all the old greats back to do scenes from famous shows! It's really interesting so far, and they've had some really good actors on.
That's okay Holly, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I haven't seen anything about the national theatre, what are you watching it on?
We recorded it. It was on BBC1 or 2. So it might still be on iPlayer!
Ah ok, I'll have a look for it, thanks :)
Finished reading the play, Abducting Diana by Dario Fo. Hilarious and satirical. Media studies students will love it.
I saw a play I absolutely hated called Appropriate. I also went to a reading of a play still being worked on called Comparables that was pretty darn good.
I finally saw a play I truly liked Good Thing. It reminded me of the Lucy Thurber plays I loved most.
Wow, amber - you must live near an active theater district! I am about to read another Moliere play, The School for Husbands.
We are about a month away from the beginning of winter, when our next group play discussion would begin. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for which play we should read? I will post this elsewhere as well.
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To be suggested.
@ Leslie, Last time it was a comedy and so I suggest that we choose a tragedy.
I saw a reading of Dividing the Estate. Not the most PC of plays but pretty good and a lot of it was shockingly accurate to now considering it was written almost 30 years ago.
Leslie wrote: "Wow, amber - you must live near an active theater district! I am about to read another Moliere play, The School for Husbands.
We are about a month away from the beginning of wint..."
Funny I thought you knew were I live.
As for what to read next.
Maybe some Anton Chekhov?
The Pillowman was a hit in one of my other groups.
Some plays that got a high rating from me and might be available in other countries then the US Topdog/Underdog or True West.
Dhanaraj wrote: "@ Leslie, Last time it was a comedy and so I suggest that we choose a tragedy."That is probably a good suggestion.
Over in the Oscar Wilde thread someone has suggested a Tom Stoppard play or actually just selecting a playwright rather than a specific play. Any thoughts about that?
@Laura - I saw that as a film, which I found fascinating. I can remember seeing some of the Watergate hearings as a teenager, but at that age I wasn't very interested.
@amber - I might have known your location at some point but my memory is terrible! Chekhov is a good suggestion & can fit with Dhanaraj's idea of a tragedy...
I'd quite like to select a playwright, rather than individual play for our next read. By the way I just got back from watching a screening of the Frankenstein play and thought it was brilliant. Johnny Lee Miller as the creature was amazing and I'm finding it hard to imagine how they were played the other way around with Benedict Cumberbatch as the creature. It's made me remember what a good book this is!
Leslie wrote: "Dhanaraj wrote: "@ Leslie, Last time it was a comedy and so I suggest that we choose a tragedy."That is probably a good suggestion.
Over in the Oscar Wilde thread someone has suggested a Tom S..."
I may well be misremembering. :)
I don't really have a strong opinion about one play or one playwright. On one hand everyone talking about the same play is nice. On the other hand one playwright might make it easier for people to take part since finding a certain playwright is easier then finding a certain play.
I don't know if the group.is looking for classic or contemporary. If contemporary is in...I would be ok with Stoppard...and might suggest Arthur Miller or David Mamet.
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I can't say I remeber the watergate in "real time". Of course I've ssen the film with Redford and Hoffman but this is unother side of the story. I liked it.
Scott wrote: "I don't know if the group.is looking for classic or contemporary. If contemporary is in...I would be ok with Stoppard...and might suggest Arthur Miller or David Mamet."Scott - really the only requirement is that the play is readily available. I tend to be a classics reader but that is just my personal tastes...
Here is the 2014 schedule of plays for group reads:(subject to change if necessary)
Winter (21 Dec '13 - 20 March '14) - Tom Stoppard;
I will be reading Arcadia and possibly one or two others (such as Travesties or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead)
Spring (20 March - 21 June) - Medea by Euripides;
I will be reading several other plays from ancient Greece including some comedies by Aristophanes (such as Clouds,Frogs, The Birds) and rereading Sophocles' trilogy on Oedipus if anyone prefers to not read Medea
Summer (21 June - 22 Sept) - Loot by Joe Orton
Fall (22 Sept - 21 Dec '14) - The Imaginary Invalid by Molière
Winter (21 Dec '14 - 20 March '15) -- Anna Christie by Eugene O'Neill
That look really exciting and diverse Leslie :) I'm looking forward to it now.Hope to join in with Tom Stoppard somehow. I know there is a BBC dramatisation of "Arcadia" because I remember it going on to 2 cassettes as it was so long! But it may be tricky to track down in an accessible print format, so I may read a different one such as Jumpers which I remember seeing in the West End when it was first premiered - loved it - and reading shortly afterwards. :)
Jean wrote: "That look really exciting and diverse Leslie :) I'm looking forward to it now.Hope to join in with Tom Stoppard somehow. I know there is a BBC dramatisation of "Arcadia" because I remember it go..."
I tried to alternate between classics and more modern plays, and between tragedy and comedy -- it was hard to balance. And I didn't include Shakespeare, as it seemed to me he was the classic playwright people were most likely to read without any added encouragement (plus there was no room!)...
The Sunset Limited by Cormac McCarthy was absolutely excellent! It was recently done in the US on HBO, but the book is as good as the dramatization.
Terri wrote: "The Sunset Limited by Cormac McCarthy was absolutely excellent! It was recently done in the US on HBO, but the book is as good as the dramatization."Was that set in Louisiana? I have a vague memory of that title...
It's actually set in New York and is a 2 actor drama.
Terri wrote: "It's actually set in New York and is a 2 actor drama."I must be thinking of something else. Oh, I just searched & here is the one I was referring to - a Robicheaux mystery Sunset Limited. You can see the source of my confusion :)
Jenny wrote: "Great selection Leslie!":) Working on it reminded me to read my Shakespeare play for December.
In honor of our current Theme, I chose The Winter's Tale. I liked it quite a bit, but I am a sucker for the happy ending! I found this play relatively easy to read (which isn't always the case with Shakespeare!).
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(subject to change if necessary)
Winter (21 Dec '13 - 20 March '14) - Tom Stoppard;
I will be reading Arcadia and po..."
Really nice schedule Leslie!
I'll have to look for Stoppard works, but I hope to find something...
Leslie wrote: "Spring (20 March - 21 June) - Medea by Euripides;I will be reading several other plays from ancient Greece including some comedies by Aristophanes (such as Clouds,Frogs, The Birds) and rereading Sophocles' trilogy on Oedipus if anyone prefers to not read Medea...."
These are the ones that interest me Leslie and might give me the push to read some more ancient classics!
Pink wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Spring (20 March - 21 June) - Medea by Euripides;I will be reading several other plays from ancient Greece including some comedies by Aristophanes (such as Clouds,Frogs, The Birds) ..."
Great! :)
I just finished my first Stoppard play for our seasonal group read, Arcadia. Very easy to read, although probably better seen performed (as is true with most plays!).
There is a BBC radio dramatisation, which I remember being quite well done. The last time it was broadcast was in 2007; unfortunately it doesn't seem to be on CD. I'll keep an eye out though in case it's on again within this quarter :) Here's the cast list.
Oh I am a big fan of the BBC dramatizations! Shame it isn't available.
I've just started listening to the a radio adaptation of Mary Stuart by Friedrich von Schiller that I have recorded.
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I've never actually listened to a play before. I'll have to try it one of these days. They have some on playaways at my library.
LauraT wrote: "You are one of the voices there Jenny? How I'd like to have my german better to hear it!!!"Oh no no! I meant: recorded it from the radio to listen to it later!! ;)
@amber: I really like it!
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Leslie the Vipers thread just when up on October 26th. It's just below poetry on the home page.