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@Marina My little sister just came back from a tour of Europe that included seven days in Edinburgh. She couldn't stop talking about how gorgeous Edinburgh is. I doubt however she saw the Fringe Festival.
These days I associate Edinburgh with Muriel Spark only.
Bette, she's right, Edinburgh really is wonderful!
Has anyone seen or read Wit? I have tickets for the play and am concerned that it may be too emotional for me. I know that its about a woman who died of ovarian cancer. I just finished successful treatment for breast cancer and am still a little sensitive.
Katy wrote: "Has anyone seen or read Wit? I have tickets for the play and am concerned that it may be too emotional for me. I know that its about a woman who died of ovarian cancer. I just finishe..."Sorry, don't know it, Katy. Are you sitting somewhere that you can leave easily if you find it difficult?
Good advice Gill.Katy - Your reactions may surprise you with this sort of thing. Yes I too get very affected when something is close to my experience, but if it is a sensitive and well-written play, even if it is tragic, then I find it life-affirming in that I feel so lucky to be a survivor. The only thing I ever avoided initially was horror, and still feel that those who enjoy this most perhaps have not had anything really bad happen in their experience. (I could be wrong - it's just a feeling.)
Perhaps you need to watch something by yourself, maybe on a DVD to see where your emotions are at just now?
Please just ignore me though, if I'm speaking out of turn.
Katy wrote: "Has anyone seen or read Wit? I have tickets for the play and am concerned that it may be too emotional for me. I know that its about a woman who died of ovarian cancer. I just finishe..."Sorry, I don't know anything about it. Maybe there are some reviews, either online or in the local paper that might give you a better feeling about it?
Mod
I haven't seen or read it myself Katy, though a friend told me it was bit grueling. She also said it was a magnificent play though.
The play was definitely filmed with Emma Thompson as the lead - not a bad idea of Jean's maybe to watch some of it on DVD to get an idea of how it affects you?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wit_(...
I read Wit a couple of years ago. It was truly well written. So many times, I saw my Mom and her strength. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I would love to see it performed on stage. I'm sure I'd cry.
Katy, I stood beside my Mom in her battle and this play touched me for itself and for the memories it brought back to the surface of the struggle and the strength that Cancer patients have. You may find this play difficult. It is, though, in its sad way, also uplifting. It's a play where one's experiences may play a role.
On Saturday, I went to see Hamlet - a live screening (National Theatre Live) starring Benedict Cumberbatch. I have to say, it was very good. I knew the basic story, but had never studied it, nor seen it performed, and I was amazed at how accessible it was - and also how many quotes I recognised. I can't praise National Theatre Live enough for the live screenings, we have seen quite a few now and they have all been brilliant. It really is the next best thing to seeing a live performance and for many of us, who don't live very near London, it brings the theatre to a much wider audience.
Shirley wrote: "On Saturday, I went to see Hamlet - a live screening (National Theatre Live) starring Benedict Cumberbatch. I have to say, it was very good. I knew the basic story, but had never studied it, nor se..."That is great Shirley. I'm not sure I understand what a live screening is -- are you seeing a broadcast of a live performance?
Leslie wrote: "Shirley wrote: "On Saturday, I went to see Hamlet - a live screening (National Theatre Live) starring Benedict Cumberbatch. I have to say, it was very good. I knew the basic story, but had never st..."Yes, that's right, Leslie. It was so good!
I love those too :) They're from all over the world, Leslie, not just London. I saw one from Moscow a few months ago. Plays operas, ballets etc. Sometimes they have commentary from the auditorium first, and some in the interval too.
Presently reading a play by Paul Claudel - L'annonce faite à Marie. It is bit spiritual. But can also be read by everyone. I am liking it. Might complete reading tomorrow. Will let you know of my impressions.
I am slowly making my way through the ancient Greek plays (at least the most famous ones). I just read one by Euripides, Orestes. My review is here:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
@Leslie I take my hat off to you!
B the BookAddict wrote: "@Leslie I take my hat off to you!"I'm happy to receive your salute Bette but am puzzled about why you are giving it to me...
I listened to a hilarious play today by Nell Benjamin called The Explorers Club. It was set in an English explorers' club in 1879 and opens with one of the members shocking the others by proposing a female explorer for membership. The members are all supposedly devoted to science but most of them are terrible scientists! I would love to see this on the stage...
I saw it on stage a few months ago, Leslie. It was very funny with a lot of visual humor.
Has anybody ever used Goldstar.com? It is a website with deeply discounted theater tickets. We used it a couple of weeks ago to see A Christmas Carol and I just bought another ticket for the play Disgraced at the Alliance Theater. It seems to be a great place to save money and try out some venues that I have not been in before.
Mod
Oh yes Katy, very, very frequently! :) I love to see theater and am not wealthy; so I find it a great resource. You usually have to sit in non-optimal seats, but I can usually get 50% off my seats on that site! Pretty much the first time I see any show, I'll do somethimg like Goldstar. Then, only if I really, really love it, I'll go again in closer seats.
There used to be another service in Los Angeles where you paid a monthly free and you could see an unlimited amount of plays for free at participating theaters - pretty much all the small & medium sized theaters downtown whenever the shows weren't selling out. All the theaters got a cut of the very reasonable monthly fee, and it helped them get the word out and fill up the house on newer or smaller shows. I saw some astoundingly good theater under that program, and it introduced me to all sorts of quality theaters I didn't know, which I've followed ever since. I guess that was part of the point. It was the best thing in the world for us!! We were seeing two plays a weekend for a year, and I was in heaven! Too bad that stopped being available.
I haven't but sounds like something I should check out. Greg, I love the idea of that monthly membership - great way to find those small theaters :)
While I have been enjoying our Irish theme, it occurred to me that February is Black History month in the U.S. At least, it always was when I was younger so I assume that it still is! In any case, I have some audiobook plays which would be good reads for this -- John Ball's In the Heat of the Night, Stick Fly, Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting, and a few others.Anyone else have ideas for this theme? Or recommendations?
I think that I will listen to this play based on the life of Zora Neale Hurston -- Jump at the Sun which is a full cast recording by L.A. TheaterWorks.
Mod
Wow, this looks amazing Leslie! I wonder if my library has it.
I forgot to come back and report! Here is a link to my review (spoiler-free) of Jump at the Sun:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I found the section about the Harlem Renaissance specially interesting.
I listened to another audiobook play, this time a recording of a live performance of a play based on John Ball's novel In the Heat of the Night. I've never read the book but I have seen the film (more than once as I have a bit of a crush on Sidney Poitier!). This play had some small differences from the film but all minor points. I was uncertain how well I would like a recording of a live performance as opposed to a studio recording of an audiobook. What I found was that this L.A. Theatre Works production was very well done. Except for a few times when there was audience noise (clapping or laughing), I couldn't tell that it wasn't a studio recording in terms of sound quality.
I didn't feel I was missing anything not seeing it, but that might be because I already had mental images from the film to work with.
None of that stuff is in my review -- maybe it should be?
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I am listening to Penthesilea: A Tragic Drama by Heinrich von Kleist at the moment. I usually really like Kleist, but I am having a bit of a hard time with this one as it's a very old-school recording, in which somehow the general instruction to the actors seems to have been to shout out every second sentence or in fact every third word of a sentence. Has anybody ever seen this performed? And how commonly read is Kleist in English speaking countries (or anywhere else)?
Mod
I haven't heard of Kleist myself, and I do go to a lot of plays. That makes me think his work isn't performed too often in America, though perhaps his work is performed more on the East coast of the US?
Is he a playwright you recommend Jenny? If so which play would you recommend I read to start with?
I have not heard of Kleist either Jenny. So my guess is that he isn't performed here in the U.S. very often.
In my last "Black History Month" excursion, I listened to the play Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting by Ed Schmidt which Audible gave away last Feb.Review: Sound recording of a live performance of the play. I wish that I had been able to see the performance! On a spring day in 1947, Mr. Rickey, the powerful General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, summons heavyweight champion Joe Louis, tap star Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and actor Paul Robeson to his hotel room in Manhattan. Rickey wants their support when he taps Jackie Robinson to be the Major League's first black ballplayer. But a power struggle ensues when the eloquent Robeson raises questions about Rickey's motivations to integrate white baseball.
I'm currently reading 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare ( which I recommend ). I'm finding it fascinating the way it puts Shakespeare's plays into the context of the time. For example Henry V was written and first performed at a time when the English were about to go to war in Ireland . It's really interesting how many aspects of the play are affected by this.
I guess it is the medieval equivalent of Hollywood's war films in the late 1930s!
Gill wrote: "I'm currently reading 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare ( which I recommend ). I'm finding it fascinating the way it puts Shakespeare's plays into the context of the tim..."Time to move that book up on my TBR. Thanks for the info, Gill.
Macbeth is also mentioned frequently for historical context, both with James I's obsession with witches and the Gunpowder Plot.
Portia wrote: "Gill wrote: "I'm currently reading 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare ( which I recommend ). I'm finding it fascinating the way it puts Shakespeare's plays into the conte..."I've also got 1606: William Shakespeare and the Year of Lear to read, Portia.
Wow, Gil, wanna come over to my place for lunch? The next time you are in the US, that is. We could go and see a show together :-)Are you following the Hogarth Shakespeare series? I've read Shylock Is My Name.
Mod
Greg wrote: "Went to see the musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder at the Ahmanson theater in LA last night. Not weighty of course but entertaining ... very well acted with some cleverly designed props..."I enjoy a well done farce.
Sounds a bit like Kind Hearts and Coronets, a great film from 1949 with Alec Guiness playing a bunch of different characters (the relatives that are getting killed off).
Mod
Yes Leslie! I read somewhere this musical was inspired by that movie, though I haven't yet seen the movie. I'll have to check it out!
Mod
If it tours near you, maybe go see it. I definitely thought it was well done! :)
I went to see a production of The Tempest in a small theatre in Brighton called The Emporium. I thought it would be a less traditional telling (the theatre has that sort of vibe) but it was actually very traditional and very good. I really enjoyed it!
I also went to see Wicked last weekend in London which was fantastic. I really want to see more musical theatre
I also went to see Wicked last weekend in London which was fantastic. I really want to see more musical theatre
Mod
Great Heather! It's so enjoyable seeing a good Shakespeare production!
And oddly, I've seen a lot of musical theater but not yet Wicked. That's not because I'm avoiding it though - I definitely want to see it! The problem is it keeps coming to theaters near me that are expensive and that have no deals. I keep hoping it'll come to one of the many theaters with some deals, but I might just have to spring for a higher price ticket someday because that just doesn't seem to be happening!
We went for my youngest sisters birthday to the Apollo where it is showing in London. It wasn't cheap but definitely worth seeing. I want to see Charlie and The Chocolate Factory next
Hello everyone...I enjoy theater very much and I have set to myself the goal to read more plays. So I would like your input: which plays do you consider a must-read?
I am an avid Shakespeare reader. Recently I read Chekhov's Seagull and I loved (cannot say the same about Uncle Vanya). Beckett, Strindberg and Ibsen are also among my favorites. Still have to venture in the world of German playwrights though...
Heather wrote: "I went to see a production of The Tempest in a small theatre in Brighton called The Emporium. I thought it would be a less traditional telling (the theatre has that sort of vibe) but it was actuall..."Sounds like both were good performances Heather. I haven't been to the theater much recently but I do like a good musical. I should check my local theaters' offerings more often.
Lidiana wrote: "Hello everyone...I enjoy theater very much and I have set to myself the goal to read more plays. So I would like your input: which plays do you consider a must-read?
I am an avid Shakespeare rea..."
This thread can provide many ideas but I would also suggest you try our seasonal focus play(s) as well. Our winter theme of Irish plays didn't have as much discussion of my favorites as I had anticipated but one "must read" play is Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. It doesn't look like you are much into comedies but that one is delightful.
Based on the authors you have listed as favorites, I think you might like Eugene O'Neill -- Long Day's Journey Into Night is terrific. It is one of the plays I plan to recommend for the summer theme (plays by Nobel Laureates).
Leslie wrote: "Lidiana wrote: "Hello everyone...I enjoy theater very much and I have set to myself the goal to read more plays. So I would like your input: which plays do you consider a must-read?
I am an avid..."
Thank you so much for your tips, Leslie... I have already read The Importance of Being Earnest, and it is an incredible play, for sure. You were right when you said I am not much into comedies, but the ones from Wilde I have read are amazing.
By O'Neill I have only read Mourning Becomes Electra, which is one of my all time favorites. I like Greek tragedies very much, so O'Neill's retelling of the Oresteia is something that fascinates me.
I'll check the seasonal focus plays, as you recommended, as well...
All About Books
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Stephen Karam (other topics)Joël Pommerat (other topics)
Eugene O'Neill (other topics)
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Arthur Miller (other topics)
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Jean, I agree with you, Edinburgh is an absolutely lovely city. I would love to explore Scotland further, but who knows when I'll have the time and money...