Chat about Plays

[Leslie]

Thanks Gill! Not many groups on GR have any discussion of drama, so it is nice to have ours a bit more evident :)

[amber]

Looking good Leslie! :)

[Jenny]

Hooray! We have a Drama section :) Looking good Leslie!

[Pink]

Thanks Leslie, the new folder looks great and very easy for everyone to find now:)

[Leslie]

:D

[Leslie]

BBC Radio 4 started doing one of my favorite plays, Cyrano de Bergerac by Rostand, on Monday (if interested, you can listen HERE), I decided this evening to revisit the Jose Ferrer film version and realized something: my tastes are predictable. Cyrano is so similar to d'Artagnan (even living in the same time period and coming from Gascony!)!! Cyrano is more intellectual being a poet and playwright but their pride and ability with the sword is the same.

I learned 2 new facts about this play today: it is loosely based on a real person and it introduced the word panache into the English language.

[Greg]

Cyrano de Bergerac is an absolutely wonderful play Leslie! Thanks for the links and info! :)

A few weeks ago I went to see Matilda the musical. It wasn't bad but definitely not my cup of tea. I love human comedy (along the lines of Molière), but I don't go much for slapstick comedy. It reminded me a bit of Peter and the Starcatcher, another play/musical that wasn't my cup of tea.

But two weeks ago I splurged and bought front row (extreme side but still close) seats to see the Deaf West performance of Spring Awakening a second time. Some sound issues toward the beginning but a brilliant reimagining of the show!

Just a few of the innovations:

By using combination of a deaf actor and hearing singer to play each of the main roles, they were able to portray internal conflict. So fascinating the interactions between the people playing the same character on stage .. really deepened some of the nuances.

Also most of the hearing singers were musicians as well so they carried their guitars or bases with them like troubadours. Instead of being ensconced to the back or side, they were part of the action. How powerful some of Moritz' numbers; it was as though the hearing singer/musician was playing through the deaf actor - like a direct musical assault, and the expressions they shared .. very powerful!

Another innovation - the young actress playing Ilse is fighting cancer in real life and is in the middle of chemotherapy. So at the point in the show where she reveals the truth to Moritz of what's happening at the artist colony and tells him that if he waited too long one day she'd be found on a trash heap, at that moment, she removes her wig. It was such an honest gesture, so incredibly touching! Rather than concealing anything, the show puts it all out there. I've never seen anyone do that in any productions of Spring Awakening before.

Well now I'll be poor for a while - Ron and I usually use our binoculars from the back row or even get limited view side seats; by paying cheap prices for tickets, we can see many more shows. But for this one, the extra money was worth it!

[Leslie]

Greg wrote: "A few weeks ago I went to see Matilda the musical. It wasn't bad but definitely not my cup of tea. I love human comedy (along the lines of Molière), but I don't go much for slapstick comedy. It reminded me a bit of Peter and the Starcatcher, another play/musical that wasn't my cup of tea..."

I read (well listened to) the book of Peter and the Starcatcher; I hadn't realized it had been turned into a musical. I guess with its link to Peter Pan, that isn't a surprise though!

I can like slapstick but it has to be well done and I have to be in the mood for it. For example, I love Woody Allen's Sleeper which has quite a bit of slapstick. I also like Buster Keaton & Harold Lloyd but I hate the Three Stooges and am lukewarm about Laurel and Hardy...

The Spring Awakening performance sounds very good -- I don't know if there is something like that in this area. Sitting in the front row can be amazing -- Dad & I got front row seats at the Chekhov play we saw. Luckily for my pocketbook, college theater is pretty inexpensive!

[Greg]

It's funny Leslie - occasionally I do like slapstick movies, but they have to be pretty good. Monty Python for instance is sometimes great fun (Life of Brian for instance), but I think I enjoy that because there's often soft social satire or political satire underneath. Like the weird musical skit from Life of Brian of a Catholic country where women are having so many babies that they're dropping them out as they wash dishes without breaking song. Monty Python never crosses the line to become mean though; there's enough silliness to soften it.

With plays or musicals, I tend to expect a little more because it's a production to see them - often an hour's drive each way, getting dressed up a bit (not much but a bit presentable). So I don't tend to feel too happy with them unless there's a little depth and poignancy to them. Comedies a la Molière are good, but neither Matilda the Musical nor Peter & the Starcatcher had much to them beyond silliness.

[dely]

Today I started by pure chance Dirty Hands by Jean-Paul Sartre.
I was on the beach without a book (have finished mine yesterday and brought it home) so I decided to pick up a book in the library of the beach. I've found this by Sartre, have read only a few pages but I'm liking it so far.

[Leslie]

I read Pericles by Shakespeare last night (and listened to the full cast Librivox recording while I read it). I am not sure what to think about it -- you can read my review

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Greg]

Never heard of that one Leslie!

[Leslie]

Greg wrote: "Never heard of that one Leslie!"

I hadn't either Greg. In fact, it wasn't even in my Project Gutenberg edition of Shakespeare's "Complete Works"! I ran across this when I was browsing the Librivox drama section. When I found the text wasn't in my "Complete Works", I decided to spend the 99¢ for a more complete "Complete Works" (and one that has a table of contents). :)

[amber]

Saw The Vagina Monologues for the first time last night. Now I know it's Eve Ensler's fault that women think their vulvas are their vaginas.

[Greg]

LOL amber. :) I haven't seen that show yet - did you enjoy it overall?

[Leslie]

amber wrote: "Saw The Vagina Monologues for the first time last night. Now I know it's Eve Ensler's fault that women think their vulvas are their vaginas."

LOL!

[Leslie]

With the Goodreads challenge daily telling me I am "behind" by a growing number of books, I have decided to read some more plays this month in an attempt to catch up ;)

Having had mixed feelings about Pericles, I thought I would try another Shakespeare (and try out my new edition of his "Complete Works"). I think I chose poorly as I didn't enjoy King John. I think I might like a performance or even a modern English "translation" since there was plenty of action.

[Gill]

Is King John performed often, Leslie? I don't think I've ever seen it.

[Leslie]

Gill wrote: "Is King John performed often, Leslie? I don't think I've ever seen it."

I wouldn't guess so -- Shakespeare is not performed as often as it used to be in general (at least in this area). My comment was more of a feeling about the play when I was thinking it over than a practical suggestion...

[Greg]

I see a lot of Shakespeare plays put on over here, but unfortunately almost always the same six or seven plays. :(

[LauraT]

I’m listening to George Bernard Shaw The Doctor's Dilemma: A Tragedy at the moment. I like his style, and his humor.
It’s a pity you don’t understand Italian, but there’s a rather famous Italian song of the ‘70s “Dotti, medici e sapienti” by Edoardo Bennato https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lftx4... describing a group of doctors at the foot of a patient’s bed, and the first act reminds me of this.
A “literary” note: the whole LP by Bennato where this particular song is in, was inspired by one of the most famous novel of Italian literature: Pinocchio. There are sone really beautiful songs. His second album was inspired by Peter Pan. I still think they’re both great works, the novels AND the songs!!!

[Phair]

One of my favorite plays is The Scarecrow, Or, the Glass of Truth; A Tragedy of the Ludicrous by Percy MacKaye written in the early 1900s. I love the play's basis in New England folklore and the way it skewers the pretentiousness of the local "gentry". I first saw it on PBS (?) as a filmed stage production starring Gene Wilder and Blythe Danner. That production is available on DVD on the Kultur label and the play is out there in public domain copies or in most libraries in the Best Plays of the Early American Theatre collection (Gassner).

[amber]

Greg wrote: "LOL amber. :) I haven't seen that show yet - did you enjoy it overall?"

I thought it was okay. If I take it lightly, I can see it would be a fun night out, (I'm not a drinker, but it would probably be more entertaining a few drinks in) an almost all female room, (there was one man there) an amusing script, and of course the repeated use of words you rarely hear (well at the time it was written anyway) I can see the draw. Plus on Broadway hearing famous women doing the 20 different kinds on orgasms monologue was undoubtedly funny.
If I take it as seriously as I think I'm supposed to, then I have a lot of issues with it, many of the same ones I had with I am an Emotional Creature which I read a year or two ago. If you're interested click spoiler. :)
(view spoiler)[ Issue 1; Ensler seems far too impressed with herself, as though she is the only person to ever talk to women about their bodies.
Issue 2; she has a very bad habit of framing rape as something that happens to women in other counties.
Issue 3; She only includes women in other countries as victims of violence, they don't have lives or feelings outside of being tragic figures.
Issue 4; she doesn't use the correct words. When you are writing to make a political point the words you use are very important, and Ensler doesn't do that. As a doctor/columnist whose name I can't remember right now said, people would never use the words penis and testicles interchangeably.
Issue 5; I'm never very comfortable with stories where the only gay women included are also the only victims of childhood rape included as well. It always worries me that it will lead to a lesbianism as a way of avoiding men message. (hide spoiler)]

[Pink]

amber, I think you give great reasons for liking this on a lighter level and especially for finding problems with it on a deeper level. I think I'd feel the same way.

[Leslie]

Phair wrote: "One of my favorite plays is The Scarecrow, Or, the Glass of Truth; A Tragedy of the Ludicrous by Percy MacKaye written in the early 1900s. I love the play's basis in New England fol..."

Sounds like something I would enjoy. I will add it to my ever-expanding TBR :)

[Greg]

Pink wrote: "amber, I think you give great reasons for liking this on a lighter level and especially for finding problems with it on a deeper level. I think I'd feel the same way."

I 100% agree! I haven't seen it amber, but your arguments strike me as very persuasive.

[amber]

Thank you Pink & Greg!

Tonight I went a reading of an adaptation of the book Upstate for the stage. It was really good.

[Greg]

Hey all, I saw Girlfriend tonight at the Kirk Douglas Theater. It wasn't a musical, not really, more of a play with some music interspersed. Nothing life-changing, but entertaining for sure; I do recommend it for anyone in the Greater Los Angeles area!

One of the highlights was a really kick butt all girl rock band (great energy and exuberance!) on stage providing the music. Two male leads acted the roles (and sang in the musical parts) ... a light gay themed first-love, coming of age story set in 1993 Nebraska and interspersed with songs from Matthew Sweet's album of the same name, Girlfriend.

http://www.laweekly.com/event/girlfri...

[Gill]

That sounds great, Greg. I was also out last night. I saw Gypsy with Imelda Staunton starring. It was extremely good.

[Gill]

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014...

Here's a link to a review of Gypsy. The same production but I saw it in London at the Savoy(a strange theatre. You go in the entrance and then down 3 floors to get to the stalls!)

[Greg]

The show you saw looks good too Gill! I don't think I've seen 'Gypsy' before.

[Pink]

Gill wrote: "That sounds great, Greg. I was also out last night. I saw Gypsy with Imelda Staunton starring. It was extremely good."

Oh I've been wanting to see that one. I saw Imelda Staunton in Sweeney Todd with Michael Ball and she was absolutely outstanding. Gypsy isn't the sort of show I'd be interested in, if it wasn't for her, but all I've heard are good reviews.

[Leslie]

I was inspired today to revisit Molière's The Miser today as the main character was referenced by D'Artagnan in Louise de la Vallière. This is the first play of Molière's I ever encountered but for some reason I didn't reread it last year when I was on a bit of a Molière binge.

I enjoyed it but the translation in the free ebook editions by Charles Heron Wall, while easy to read, lacks some of the fun and wit. It is a prose translation and I missed the rhyming couplets that I associate with Molière.

[Dhanaraj]

@ Leslie: I have been wanting to read Moliere for sometime. I haven't done that yet. I really want to try him soon.

[Leslie]

Dhanaraj wrote: "@ Leslie: I have been wanting to read Moliere for sometime. I haven't done that yet. I really want to try him soon."

If you read him in English, try to get a Richard Wilbur translation -- Moliere: the Misanthrope & Tartuffe for example.

[Greg]

I'll.second that - I also thought the Wilbur translation of Tartuffe was fantastic!

[Dhanaraj]

Thanks Leslie and Greg.

[LauraT]

Leslie wrote: "I was inspired today to revisit Molière's The Miser today as the main character was referenced by D'Artagnan in Louise de la Vallière. This is the first play of Moliè..."

I've seen it at the theatre and found it exhilarating!

[Greg]

Went to see Bent at the Mark Taper Forum tonight. A very powerful and excellent production! Afterwards, they gave everyone a water-activated e-votive candle to float in the water surrounding the theater as a memorial to those who died in the camps. Quite moving. I highly recommend the production to anyone in the LA area that can get tickets.

[Tracy Marie]

Looks enchanting and humbling Greg. Glad you enjoyed it.

[LauraT]

Really great Greg. Thanks for sharing

[Greg]

Thanks Tracy and Laura - it was very moving!

[dely]

Really very touching!

[Greg]

It was dely!

They also projected a massive collage made up of pictures of people who had died in the camps toward the end.

[dely]

Greg wrote: "It was dely!

They also projected a massive collage made up of pictures of people who had died in the camps toward the end."

I think I would have needed a lot of handkerchiefs.
Last year there was a meeting in a library about homosexuals who died in the camps because no one knows about them. For them it was also harder because once out of the camp they however weren't accepted by society. This way they suffered even more because they couldn't talk about their hard experience in the camps like others have done.
As usual, I couldn't go to this meeting, don't remember why :/ It would have been very interesting and they would have presented books about this issue.

[Greg]

The library event sounds good dely - always so many interesting things going on, it's impossible to attend them all!

There was an exhibit of Frida Kahlo's and Diego Rivera's work at the museum here, and somehow I missed it. I was sad when I realized the dates had already passed. There was also an Arthur Miller play I just realized had already ended recently. I was bummed about that too!

[Gill]

Greg wrote: "The library event sounds good dely - always so many interesting things going on, it's impossible to attend them all!

There was an exhibit of Frida Kahlo's and Diego Rivera's work at the museum he..."

Ooh, I'd have loved the Kahlo Rivera exhibition, Greg. Sorry you missed it. Which Miller play was it!

[dely]

Greg wrote: "There was an exhibit of Frida Kahlo's and Diego Rivera's work at the museum he..."

Lol, there has been a Fida Kahlo exhibition also here (well, not in the city where I live, in Genoa that isn't far away) but I missed this too.

[Greg]

Gill, it was one I hadn't heard of before: The Price. I was curious and wanted to see it, but with my vacation/road trip, I just missed it.

[Gill]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/promotions...

I've just seen that there is a live streaming of Ubu Roi on this website, 7pm UK time today. As far as I can see, it's free to watch it.