10.08.2007
Are You a Good Girl?
I went to see a fabulous play on Saturday night: "Good Girls Don't" by Ellen Chorley (read the description in my recent Culture post). Not only was the story compelling and the acting excellent, but the staging added so much to the play that it was more than just another character (something that a good location for a play or film really ought to be anyway)... it was almost like adding a fifth dimension.
Mob Hit Productions likes to incorporate new media into their stage productions and they do it quite well. In the past, I've seen them use video screens to establish locations or use pre-recorded video for images that can't easily be portrayed in conventional theatre. Well, this play went even further than I've seen before. There were three screens: a central screen for the uses I just mentioned, plus two additional screens serving as the computer monitors for the two teenage girl characters. Those two screens projected real time images from computer laptops on the stage as the actresses "chatted online" during the play. It was a very cool experience. Not only did it add visual interest, but it gave me the feeling that I was inside a film or something. Hard to explain... you just need to experience it.
I also found the structure of the play itself quite intriguing. It made interesting use of repetition. There were a couple of monologues that were recited more than once but by different characters in different contexts. You might think that it would get boring but, on the contrary, the most powerful monologue of the evening was the last one in the play, one that we'd heard two versions of already. But Emma Claire Miller delivered it with a heartfelt emotion that provided a dramatic contrast to the stark, calculating main character of Kimi. For me, it was that monologue that punctuated just how cold and rational (in a psychotic way) Kimi really was. And of course I'm not going to give away the ending, but I will say it was the perfect ending to satisfy me.
In addition to the play, they were also featuring artwork by Aimee Qiu. Her work is quite stunning... looking at her prints certainly made the intermission fly by. All in all, I highly recommend that you check out this production.
P.S. I also took the Editing Workshop with Deco Dawson this weekend at the CSIF, as well as attending his welcome reception. I'll be posting about the workshop on my film blog in the next few days.
Mob Hit Productions likes to incorporate new media into their stage productions and they do it quite well. In the past, I've seen them use video screens to establish locations or use pre-recorded video for images that can't easily be portrayed in conventional theatre. Well, this play went even further than I've seen before. There were three screens: a central screen for the uses I just mentioned, plus two additional screens serving as the computer monitors for the two teenage girl characters. Those two screens projected real time images from computer laptops on the stage as the actresses "chatted online" during the play. It was a very cool experience. Not only did it add visual interest, but it gave me the feeling that I was inside a film or something. Hard to explain... you just need to experience it.
I also found the structure of the play itself quite intriguing. It made interesting use of repetition. There were a couple of monologues that were recited more than once but by different characters in different contexts. You might think that it would get boring but, on the contrary, the most powerful monologue of the evening was the last one in the play, one that we'd heard two versions of already. But Emma Claire Miller delivered it with a heartfelt emotion that provided a dramatic contrast to the stark, calculating main character of Kimi. For me, it was that monologue that punctuated just how cold and rational (in a psychotic way) Kimi really was. And of course I'm not going to give away the ending, but I will say it was the perfect ending to satisfy me.
In addition to the play, they were also featuring artwork by Aimee Qiu. Her work is quite stunning... looking at her prints certainly made the intermission fly by. All in all, I highly recommend that you check out this production.
P.S. I also took the Editing Workshop with Deco Dawson this weekend at the CSIF, as well as attending his welcome reception. I'll be posting about the workshop on my film blog in the next few days.
Labels: art and photography, film, theatre
9.30.2007
Into Every Life a Little Culture Should Fall
So if you are looking to avoid a fallow mind and the resulting follies, here are some things to check out...
Deco Dawson
Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers' Artist in Residence
October 5, 7:00 pm: Reception for Deco at the CSIF Sofa Cinema.
October 6 & 7, 1:00 pm: Editing Workshop... The workshop will look at the differences between editing digitally and using old school methods. Space is limited.
October 11, 7:00 pm: The Last Moment, a Deco Dawson film premiere at the Plaza Theatre... "The Last Moment is currently on a tour of festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Atlantic Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival and Montreal's Nouveau Cinema festival and CSIF's presentation is its first stop in Alberta! The Last Moment will be presented along with a selection of Dawson's short films, followed by a Q&A."
October 12, 7:00 pm: A Director's Eye lecture by Deco Dawson about his cinematic influences including the Surrealists, Film Noir, Dogme 95, late era Hitchcock, French New Wave and recent filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino.
"Killer of Sheep"
Film screening by the Calgary Cinematheque Society
October 10, 7:00 pm at the Plaza Cinema
"Killer of Sheep examines the black Los Angeles ghetto of Watts in the mid-1970s through the eyes of Stan, a sensitive dreamer who is growing detached and numb from the psychic toll of working at a slaughterhouse... The Library of Congress has declared it a national treasure as one of the first fifty on the National Film Registry and the National Society of Film Critics selected it as one of the "100 Essential Films" of all time. However, due to the expense of the music rights, the film was never shown theatrically or made available on video. It has only been seen on poor quality 16mm prints at few and far between museum and festival showings. Now, thirty years after its debut, the new 35mm print of Killer of Sheep, brilliantly restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive, is ready for its long-awaited international release."
"Good Girls Don't"
A play by Mob Hit Productions
October 5, 6, 9, 11, 12 & 13 at 8:00 pm at the Arrata Opera Centre
"Good Girls Don't follows the story of Kimi, a 15 year old Japanese girl who is obsessed with famous poisoner and serial killer Graham Young. Striving to exceed Young's body count and scientific discoveries, Kimi sits alone in front of her computer for months spreading her doctrine halfway around the world while her mother dies in the next room. In another hemisphere, 16 year old Christine Brewer is struggling to flourish under the foreboding shadow of her alcoholic mother. Alone, isolated, and seeking guidance, Christine turns to an internet chat room for friendship. What she finds is a game of lies, manipulation, and murder that will make you lurch with every twist and turn of Ellen Chorley's script."
One of my favourite Calgary actresses, Emma Claire Miller, is featured in this play. That's enough of a reason for me to go... even if it didn't sound wonderfully dark and twisted!
So now go out there and get yourself a little culture (and I don't mean the yogurt kind)!
7.23.2007
If Music Be the Food of Love...
Well, I didn't make it to Grease, the Singalong because my friend that I was supposed to go with got sick and apparently all of my other friends are too wimpy to go to a midnight movie! Are we really that old, people? Thankfully, it will be playing again on August 24, so all is not lost.
But I did make it to a production of "Twelfth Night" by The Shakespeare Company that was wonderfully fun. Emma Claire Miller, who has starred in two of my as-yet-unfinished short films (Coda & No Time Like the Present), was cast as Olivia and she was the most fun, most forward Olivia that I have ever seen. Stuart James who played Sir Toby and Janos Zeller who played Malvolio were also standouts for me, but the entire cast was delightful. And the scene where Malvolio discovers the letter that was planted for him was so well done that it had me rolling on the floor with laughter. The Calgary run of the show is finished, but it's playing in Canmore from July 25-29 and there's a matinee in Banff on August 5. Then it tours to British Columbia for a few days. For ticket and scheduling information, check out their website.
And if you miss this production, allow me to recommend the film version of "Twelfth Night
" with Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Kingsley and Imogen Stubbs. It's one of the best non-Branagh Shakespearean film adaptations that I've ever seen.
But I did make it to a production of "Twelfth Night" by The Shakespeare Company that was wonderfully fun. Emma Claire Miller, who has starred in two of my as-yet-unfinished short films (Coda & No Time Like the Present), was cast as Olivia and she was the most fun, most forward Olivia that I have ever seen. Stuart James who played Sir Toby and Janos Zeller who played Malvolio were also standouts for me, but the entire cast was delightful. And the scene where Malvolio discovers the letter that was planted for him was so well done that it had me rolling on the floor with laughter. The Calgary run of the show is finished, but it's playing in Canmore from July 25-29 and there's a matinee in Banff on August 5. Then it tours to British Columbia for a few days. For ticket and scheduling information, check out their website.
And if you miss this production, allow me to recommend the film version of "Twelfth Night
" with Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Kingsley and Imogen Stubbs. It's one of the best non-Branagh Shakespearean film adaptations that I've ever seen.3.27.2007
Number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9
I've lived in Calgary for almost seven years now, and it's only in the past year that I've really managed to find the artsy people that I want to hang out with. I'll admit that much of that is my own fault. I arrived with the attitude that Calgarians expect from Torontonians: what little redneck, culturally-bereft backwater have I just landed in? Not too endearing an attitude, I'll admit. But I only seemed to be meeting people who worked directly in the oil and gas industry or indirectly for the oil and gas industry. And my parents were hippie actors. No common ground. I did try. Really. But I felt like I was selling my soul.
Then last year, I joined the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers and started taking a bunch of courses there—meeting people who had not only heard of my favourite movies, but actually liked them—and my one musician friend married a really cool actress with really cool creative friends and all of a sudden I have artsy people back in my life. Yay!
This whole process could have happened a lot sooner if The Whole 9 had been around when I first moved here. The Whole 9 is an online community to connect creative and artistic people for networking and dating (there's even a place for your portfolio). I may not be needing it for friendship or dating at the moment, but I'll definitely be exploring the networking potential!
P.S. Couldn't resist the Beatles reference in the title, especially since 9 is one of my favourite numbers. My fave favourite number is actually 108... long story... short answer: I'm weird, remember?
Then last year, I joined the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers and started taking a bunch of courses there—meeting people who had not only heard of my favourite movies, but actually liked them—and my one musician friend married a really cool actress with really cool creative friends and all of a sudden I have artsy people back in my life. Yay!
This whole process could have happened a lot sooner if The Whole 9 had been around when I first moved here. The Whole 9 is an online community to connect creative and artistic people for networking and dating (there's even a place for your portfolio). I may not be needing it for friendship or dating at the moment, but I'll definitely be exploring the networking potential!
P.S. Couldn't resist the Beatles reference in the title, especially since 9 is one of my favourite numbers. My fave favourite number is actually 108... long story... short answer: I'm weird, remember?
Labels: art and photography, cool sites, dating, film, music, theatre
2.23.2007
This Is For You
This post is actually for a play called "This is for You, Anna: A Spectacle of Revenge"... but the first part of the title makes me think of the movie "Dead Again" when the creepy young Frankie saying "THIS is for you!" just before he stabs one of the other characters with a pair of scissors. But I'm digressing before I even begin...This is for You, Anna: A Spectacle of Revenge
Tag line: When a child is taken away, what can be taken in return?
The play is being directed by one of the actresses who was in my workshop film last summer and who was also in one of the films for the workshop that I'm in right now: Elizabeth Kirkland. (This girl's going places, so keep your eyes open.) I believe it's her directorial debut, so I'm really interested to see the results. And the play itself sounds fascinating. Check out the description.
It runs from February 28 to March 10. For more information, head over to the Downstage Performance Society website.
Labels: film, pop culture, theatre
1.27.2007
And All That Jazz
My friend and I went to see a production of Chicago this afternoon, presented by the Front Row Centre Players. I've always loved the play. I saw it for the first time when I was a kid and one of my mother's acting students used to work the box office at the Royal Alex Theatre in Toronto. We used to hang around until everyone else was seated and then he would let us sit in the empty seats. That's where I saw Chicago and Sweet Charity, and others that I can't remember… I think it's the Bob Fosse shows that tended to stick in my head. And obviously I saw the movie and I thought they did a fabulous job with it (even if Renée Zellweger was distractingly skinny).
But back to today. I had seen the ads for this production of Chicago but hadn't been planning on going just because I'm so busy (and currently rather broke after buying my new couch). But then I got an email from Nikki—who played the female demon in my short film last summer—saying that she was the understudy for Velma and would be performing that role in the matinées. So I bought my tickets and off I went.
Already a huge fan of the script and the music, I was curious to see how it would be handled by a community theatre group. Overall, I think they did well. The singing, acting and musicianship were all very good. The choreography, however, was just so-so. Maybe it was that the dancers weren't up to anything more challenging, maybe it's because we were watching the understudies, but the choreography and dancing were definitely the weakest link. The energy, however, was great and the actors were obviously having loads of fun which makes up for a lot in community theatre, as far as I'm concerned. And I got to introduce a friend of mine to live theatre for the first time… so that was pretty cool, too.
And that's
Good, isn't it?
Grand, isn't it?
Great, isn't it?
Swell, isn't it?
Fun, isn't it?
But nothing stays
In fifty years or so
It's gonna change, you know
But, oh, it's heaven
Nowadays.
(listen to sample)
But back to today. I had seen the ads for this production of Chicago but hadn't been planning on going just because I'm so busy (and currently rather broke after buying my new couch). But then I got an email from Nikki—who played the female demon in my short film last summer—saying that she was the understudy for Velma and would be performing that role in the matinées. So I bought my tickets and off I went.
Already a huge fan of the script and the music, I was curious to see how it would be handled by a community theatre group. Overall, I think they did well. The singing, acting and musicianship were all very good. The choreography, however, was just so-so. Maybe it was that the dancers weren't up to anything more challenging, maybe it's because we were watching the understudies, but the choreography and dancing were definitely the weakest link. The energy, however, was great and the actors were obviously having loads of fun which makes up for a lot in community theatre, as far as I'm concerned. And I got to introduce a friend of mine to live theatre for the first time… so that was pretty cool, too.
And that's
Good, isn't it?
Grand, isn't it?
Great, isn't it?
Swell, isn't it?
Fun, isn't it?
But nothing stays
In fifty years or so
It's gonna change, you know
But, oh, it's heaven
Nowadays.
(listen to sample)
Labels: film, music, pop culture, theatre
8.17.2006
Note To Self...
Never schedule a casting session for one day after returning from a 10 day trip.
What was I thinking? Though the trip did provide me with a book from my mother that was helpful for the auditions, The Stanislavski System by Sonia Moore. The book has some nice simple warmup improvs that I used to ease people into the auditions while letting me get a sense of their basic acting skills. Hopefully I'll come to believe that book made up for the craziness of trying to schedule everything long-distance. Hopefully. (Mind you, I think the Calgary acting community thinks I'm a little nuts... I guess there aren't a lot of Method actors here. Awkward.)
What was I thinking? Though the trip did provide me with a book from my mother that was helpful for the auditions, The Stanislavski System by Sonia Moore. The book has some nice simple warmup improvs that I used to ease people into the auditions while letting me get a sense of their basic acting skills. Hopefully I'll come to believe that book made up for the craziness of trying to schedule everything long-distance. Hopefully. (Mind you, I think the Calgary acting community thinks I'm a little nuts... I guess there aren't a lot of Method actors here. Awkward.)
Labels: theatre
8.03.2005
Pop Culture
This category groups film, theatre, television, literature and the like:
Battlestar Galactica Webisodes (11.15.2006)
Generic Update Post (11.08.2006)
A New Crew In Town (10.15.2006)
Great Tempest (9.09.2006) ~ Rock Star: Supernova
Crazy Videos (9.03.2006)
Filming! (8.28.2006)
The Ultimate in Geekiness (8.21.2006)
Note To Self... (8.17.2006)
Separated at Birth? (7.19.2006)
The Gears & The Levers (7.02.2006)
Poseidon (5.15.2006)
Spoof Trailers (4.30.2006)
What I Learned Today... (11.21.2005)
More From The Onion (11.16.2005)
The Onion: News in Brief (11.10.2005)
Cellar Door (9.26.2005)
It Ain't Pretty: Rock Star Wrap Up (9.21.2005)
INXS Mis-Fortune (9.20.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Sweet Suzie McNeil (9.15.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Two Words (9.14.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
I Searched Afar The Land (9.07.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Top 5 (9.06.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star Ramblings (9.05.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Such Sweet Sorrow (8.31.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Suzie McNeil is a Goddess (8.31.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Jump the Shark (8.30.2005)
Party & Prejudice (8.29.2005)
Colour Me Stunned (8.25.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Just a Bad Dream? (8.24.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
You Know You've Watched Too Much HGTV When... (8.21.2005)
Family Guy's Freakin' Blog (8.19.2005)
Top Three Good, Bottom Three Baaad!! (8.18.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
MiG Joins the Game (8.17.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star Volleyball (8.10.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Just Jordis (8.05.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Asimov and The Bard (8.02.2005)
Why, Robot? (8.01.2005)
Ty TV (7.26.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Irreverent Graffiti (7.23.2005)
The Final Frontier (7.20.2005)
The Language of Metaphor — cross-referenced under Language, but the Star Trek: TNG foundation of this post firmly plants it in Pop Culture, as well. (7.17.2005)
Plan 9 From Outer Space (7.16.2005)
Which Witch is Which? (7.12.2005)
Five Women (6.23.2005)
Simpsons for the Blind (6.05.2005)
Separated at Birth (5.22.2005)
Weirdgrrl Recommends (4.18.2005)
Wondrous Strange Things (4.05.2005)
Relax, Relate, Communicate (3.26.2005)
Loonatics (3.16.2005)
Create a Character (3.14.2005)
Superman is a Dick (3.07.2005)
Tunes on TV (3.04.2005)
Is SpongeBob Gay?! (2.04.2005)
Calvin and Hobbes' Gory Snowmen (1.25.2005)
Recommended Daily Dose of TV (1.24.2005)
Welcome to Hollywood, Dawg (1.18.2005)
The Bush Show (1.13.2005)
My Idée Fixe (aka MI5) (1.08.2005)
Lightning Sand (12.14.2004)
A Daily Dose of The Daily Show (12.03.2004)
NaNoFiMo & Sexy Cops (12.01.2004)
Agent Orange (11.19.2004)
Here Be Dragons (11.19.2004)
Pop Culture Stuff (11.13.2004)
I Drink, Therefore I Am (11.10.2004)
A Piece of the Pi (10.17.2004)
Random Snippets (10.13.2004)
Time is on My Mind (10.09.2004)
Mansfield Park Rant (10.07.2004)
Dark. Darkest. Darko. (10.02.2004)
In the Wee Small Hours (9.26.2004)
Film Fest (9.24.2004)
Peculiar Dreams (8.27.2004)
Battlestar Galactica Webisodes (11.15.2006)
Generic Update Post (11.08.2006)
A New Crew In Town (10.15.2006)
Great Tempest (9.09.2006) ~ Rock Star: Supernova
Crazy Videos (9.03.2006)
Filming! (8.28.2006)
The Ultimate in Geekiness (8.21.2006)
Note To Self... (8.17.2006)
Separated at Birth? (7.19.2006)
The Gears & The Levers (7.02.2006)
Poseidon (5.15.2006)
Spoof Trailers (4.30.2006)
What I Learned Today... (11.21.2005)
More From The Onion (11.16.2005)
The Onion: News in Brief (11.10.2005)
Cellar Door (9.26.2005)
It Ain't Pretty: Rock Star Wrap Up (9.21.2005)
INXS Mis-Fortune (9.20.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Sweet Suzie McNeil (9.15.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Two Words (9.14.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
I Searched Afar The Land (9.07.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Top 5 (9.06.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star Ramblings (9.05.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Such Sweet Sorrow (8.31.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Suzie McNeil is a Goddess (8.31.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Jump the Shark (8.30.2005)
Party & Prejudice (8.29.2005)
Colour Me Stunned (8.25.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Just a Bad Dream? (8.24.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
You Know You've Watched Too Much HGTV When... (8.21.2005)
Family Guy's Freakin' Blog (8.19.2005)
Top Three Good, Bottom Three Baaad!! (8.18.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
MiG Joins the Game (8.17.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star Volleyball (8.10.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Just Jordis (8.05.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Asimov and The Bard (8.02.2005)
Why, Robot? (8.01.2005)
Ty TV (7.26.2005) ~ Rock Star: INXS
Irreverent Graffiti (7.23.2005)
The Final Frontier (7.20.2005)
The Language of Metaphor — cross-referenced under Language, but the Star Trek: TNG foundation of this post firmly plants it in Pop Culture, as well. (7.17.2005)
Plan 9 From Outer Space (7.16.2005)
Which Witch is Which? (7.12.2005)
Five Women (6.23.2005)
Simpsons for the Blind (6.05.2005)
Separated at Birth (5.22.2005)
Weirdgrrl Recommends (4.18.2005)
Wondrous Strange Things (4.05.2005)
Relax, Relate, Communicate (3.26.2005)
Loonatics (3.16.2005)
Create a Character (3.14.2005)
Superman is a Dick (3.07.2005)
Tunes on TV (3.04.2005)
Is SpongeBob Gay?! (2.04.2005)
Calvin and Hobbes' Gory Snowmen (1.25.2005)
Recommended Daily Dose of TV (1.24.2005)
Welcome to Hollywood, Dawg (1.18.2005)
The Bush Show (1.13.2005)
My Idée Fixe (aka MI5) (1.08.2005)
Lightning Sand (12.14.2004)
A Daily Dose of The Daily Show (12.03.2004)
NaNoFiMo & Sexy Cops (12.01.2004)
Agent Orange (11.19.2004)
Here Be Dragons (11.19.2004)
Pop Culture Stuff (11.13.2004)
I Drink, Therefore I Am (11.10.2004)
A Piece of the Pi (10.17.2004)
Random Snippets (10.13.2004)
Time is on My Mind (10.09.2004)
Mansfield Park Rant (10.07.2004)
Dark. Darkest. Darko. (10.02.2004)
In the Wee Small Hours (9.26.2004)
Film Fest (9.24.2004)
Peculiar Dreams (8.27.2004)
Labels: books and literature, film, pop culture, theatre, tv
8.02.2005
Asimov and The Bard
Having just mentioned Asimov and Shakespeare in the same breath, well... same post (Why, Robot?), I thought it would be interesting to see what Asimov had to say about the play, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, in his book Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare.
He starts by saying, "Of Shakespeare's early comedies, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, written about 1594, is perhaps the most forgettable. It is so weak, in fact, that some critics think it may have been written as early as 1590 or else the version we now have is a mangled copy of the real play." Ouch. Harsh.
I'm actually rather fond of this play, but I'm perfectly willing to admit that it could just be because it was my first Shakespearean acting role (the part of Julia, when I was in grade six). And I completely understand why the problematic ending is a magnet for criticism.
If you're not familiar with the play, the problems in a nutshell are that some characters (particularly Proteus) do some pretty heinous things to the ones they're supposed to love, but everybody forgives everyone else instantly and we're supposed to believe it's happy endings all around.
To go into slightly more detail: The play opens with best friends Proteus and Valentine (the two gentlemen of the title) and Proteus is in love with Julia who actually loves him back. Valentine goes to another city on his own and falls in love with Silvia, who also loves him back but whose father doesn't approve. Proteus ends up meeting up with Valentine. The minute he meets Silvia he forgets about his Julia and cares not about the love between Silvia and Valentine. He ends up being responsible for having his friend Valentine banished. Meanwhile, Julia has dressed up as a man, "Sebastian," to follow her true love. Upon her arrival, she discovers that Proteus is now in love with someone else. Through a series of events that I won't go into, Silvia is captured by outlaws and rescued by Proteus. Now we enter the beginning of the problematic end, at which point I'll hand the prose over to Asimov...
"[Silvia] still refuses to listen to [Proteus'] protestations of love (which Valentine overhears, so that he learns the truth at last). The desperate Proteus threatens rape and then, finally, Valentine confronts his false friend. After Valentine's tongue-lashing, Proteus tearfully repents and at once Valentine forgives him. Valentine does more than that, in fact. He says:
"Most critics find it utterly beyond the bound of reason to suppose that Valentine should on an instant forgive an all-but-unforgivable falseness in his friend and then abandon his love to him as well — to say nothing of the insult offered Silvia in treating her as though she were a sack of wheat to be bartered. Some suspect a corrupt text, an ill-remembered denouement, a cut version.
"Any of these possibilities may be so for all we know, and yet it might also be argued that Shakespeare meant it exactly as it stands. There is some reason to suspect that Shakespeare may have had homosexual tendencies, but there are no outright homosexuals in his plays except for Patroclus in Troilus and Cressida, and that was enforced by the Greek tale. Nevertheless, there are a number of cases in the romances in which friendship between males is suspiciously close and in which the language used between them is suspiciously ardent. The case of Valentine and Proteus is one of them and it is just possible to argue that Shakespeare was trying to maintain that affection between males was a higher and stronger emotion than that between the opposite sexes.
"When Proteus gives up Silvia after being reproached by Valentine and then asks forgiveness, he is implicitly abandoning the lesser love (female) for the greater (male), and what can Valentine do but reciprocate and hand the lesser love back?
"Fortunately for heterosexual sensibilities, this does not happen. When Valentine makes his offer, "Sebastian" swoons. Her true identity is discovered and the repentant Proteus is thus reunited with his ever true Julia [who forgives him completely]."
An interesting interpretation of the play, dontcha think? I, for one, would be curious to see a production that explored that possibility. But then what of the women's reactions? Modern sensibilities insist on an explanation for their acceptance of the men's behaviour. I challenge future actresses of Julia and Silvia to seek a motivation that makes sense to them, and to have such craft as to make that motivation clear to the audience. So no longer will the audience have to leave saying, "she forgave him too easily."
He starts by saying, "Of Shakespeare's early comedies, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, written about 1594, is perhaps the most forgettable. It is so weak, in fact, that some critics think it may have been written as early as 1590 or else the version we now have is a mangled copy of the real play." Ouch. Harsh.
I'm actually rather fond of this play, but I'm perfectly willing to admit that it could just be because it was my first Shakespearean acting role (the part of Julia, when I was in grade six). And I completely understand why the problematic ending is a magnet for criticism.
If you're not familiar with the play, the problems in a nutshell are that some characters (particularly Proteus) do some pretty heinous things to the ones they're supposed to love, but everybody forgives everyone else instantly and we're supposed to believe it's happy endings all around.
To go into slightly more detail: The play opens with best friends Proteus and Valentine (the two gentlemen of the title) and Proteus is in love with Julia who actually loves him back. Valentine goes to another city on his own and falls in love with Silvia, who also loves him back but whose father doesn't approve. Proteus ends up meeting up with Valentine. The minute he meets Silvia he forgets about his Julia and cares not about the love between Silvia and Valentine. He ends up being responsible for having his friend Valentine banished. Meanwhile, Julia has dressed up as a man, "Sebastian," to follow her true love. Upon her arrival, she discovers that Proteus is now in love with someone else. Through a series of events that I won't go into, Silvia is captured by outlaws and rescued by Proteus. Now we enter the beginning of the problematic end, at which point I'll hand the prose over to Asimov...
"[Silvia] still refuses to listen to [Proteus'] protestations of love (which Valentine overhears, so that he learns the truth at last). The desperate Proteus threatens rape and then, finally, Valentine confronts his false friend. After Valentine's tongue-lashing, Proteus tearfully repents and at once Valentine forgives him. Valentine does more than that, in fact. He says:
...that my love may appear plain and free,
All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.
~ Act V, scene iv, lines 82-83
"Most critics find it utterly beyond the bound of reason to suppose that Valentine should on an instant forgive an all-but-unforgivable falseness in his friend and then abandon his love to him as well — to say nothing of the insult offered Silvia in treating her as though she were a sack of wheat to be bartered. Some suspect a corrupt text, an ill-remembered denouement, a cut version.
"Any of these possibilities may be so for all we know, and yet it might also be argued that Shakespeare meant it exactly as it stands. There is some reason to suspect that Shakespeare may have had homosexual tendencies, but there are no outright homosexuals in his plays except for Patroclus in Troilus and Cressida, and that was enforced by the Greek tale. Nevertheless, there are a number of cases in the romances in which friendship between males is suspiciously close and in which the language used between them is suspiciously ardent. The case of Valentine and Proteus is one of them and it is just possible to argue that Shakespeare was trying to maintain that affection between males was a higher and stronger emotion than that between the opposite sexes.
"When Proteus gives up Silvia after being reproached by Valentine and then asks forgiveness, he is implicitly abandoning the lesser love (female) for the greater (male), and what can Valentine do but reciprocate and hand the lesser love back?
"Fortunately for heterosexual sensibilities, this does not happen. When Valentine makes his offer, "Sebastian" swoons. Her true identity is discovered and the repentant Proteus is thus reunited with his ever true Julia [who forgives him completely]."
An interesting interpretation of the play, dontcha think? I, for one, would be curious to see a production that explored that possibility. But then what of the women's reactions? Modern sensibilities insist on an explanation for their acceptance of the men's behaviour. I challenge future actresses of Julia and Silvia to seek a motivation that makes sense to them, and to have such craft as to make that motivation clear to the audience. So no longer will the audience have to leave saying, "she forgave him too easily."
Labels: books and literature, film, theatre
6.23.2005
Five Women
Went to the Pumphouse Theatre to see Five Women Wearing the Same Dress: "A raucous, raunchy comedic romp about life, love, men and marriage" written by Alan Ball (who also wrote American Beauty and created Six Feet Under).
Want a bit more description than the tag line provides?
My only complaint: both script and actors fell flat in the only scene with male-female interaction. The character of Tricia (already the weakest acting link in this performance) flirts with Tripp, the only man we see in the play (come to think of it, Tricia was not the weakest link after all). Unfortunately, it felt like the playwright didn't really care about this particular scene and the dialogue here was trite and cliché. Add that to the lack of chemistry between these two particular actors and I could have happily cut the entire scene out of the performance. Having said that, the rest of the play was enjoyable enough for me to be willing to recommend it in spite of that one tired scene.
It's on until Saturday, June 25. So if you're interested, head over to workshoptheatre.org for tickets.
P.S. So far in my life, I've managed to avoid the rite of passage known as the hideous bridesmaid dress. I've only been a bridesmaid once and I am soooo grateful that the bride had both good sense and good taste. And if you think I jest, see for yourself...
Me as a bridesmaid
P.P.S. The orange gloves were my idea... so if you hate them, don't blame the bride!
Want a bit more description than the tag line provides?
During a grand, Southern wedding reception, five bridesmaids seek refuge from the sterile ceremonies below by locking themselves in an upstairs bedroom. Now uninhibited by a need to act "lady-like," the women soon discover that in addition to an almost universal dislike for both the bride and the dresses she has made them wear, they each share a desire to break from the traditional molds of womanhood that society has tried to force them into. Secrets are shared, hopes and dreams revealed, and fears exposed, as each of the five struggle with the battle between social expectation and individual satisfaction, all while baring their thoughts on everything from relationships to sex to the naming patterns of make-up.Ella, my screenplay collaborator, is one of the actresses in the ensemble. And her "beauty pageant" speech is definitely one of the highlights of the play. The dialogue throughout the play is well written and highly entertaining. And while it will primarily appeal to a female audience for obvious, estrogen-laden reasons, the handful of men in attendance seemed to enjoy it... if their hearty guffaws were anything to judge by.
My only complaint: both script and actors fell flat in the only scene with male-female interaction. The character of Tricia (already the weakest acting link in this performance) flirts with Tripp, the only man we see in the play (come to think of it, Tricia was not the weakest link after all). Unfortunately, it felt like the playwright didn't really care about this particular scene and the dialogue here was trite and cliché. Add that to the lack of chemistry between these two particular actors and I could have happily cut the entire scene out of the performance. Having said that, the rest of the play was enjoyable enough for me to be willing to recommend it in spite of that one tired scene.
It's on until Saturday, June 25. So if you're interested, head over to workshoptheatre.org for tickets.
P.S. So far in my life, I've managed to avoid the rite of passage known as the hideous bridesmaid dress. I've only been a bridesmaid once and I am soooo grateful that the bride had both good sense and good taste. And if you think I jest, see for yourself...
Me as a bridesmaid
P.P.S. The orange gloves were my idea... so if you hate them, don't blame the bride!
Labels: theatre
3.26.2005
Relax, Relate, Communicate
I do not like thee, Dr Fell,
The reason why I cannot tell;
But this I know, and know full well,
I do not like thee, Dr Fell.
~ Tom Brown
I went to see "I Do Not Like Thee, Dr. Fell" at the Pumphouse Theatre on Thursday (an Irish play by Bernard Farrell put on by the Liffey Players). Going to community theatre can be a bit of a gamble, albeit with different risks from the experimental theatre that I saw my mother in so often as a kid. For example, community theatre can sometimes scream "amateur" while experimental theatre can sometimes be comprised simply of primal screams. But I digress...
First of all, about the play itself. Set in Ireland in 1979, it's a black comedy that centres around a group therapy session involving six people. There is Suzy, the American group co-ordinator, whose remedy for any problem is to "relax, relate, communicate." And Roger, who has dedicated his life to attending group therapy sessions around the world and thus knows the lingo and the modus operandi. Peter, a builder, and his wife, Maureen, are there because Maureen is "highly strung" (according to Peter). Rita speaks of nothing but her twelve cats and her husband who died a few years previously ("savaged by dogs"). There's the mysterious Joe, the Dr. Fell of the title. Just why he's there is not initially obvious, but his presence and behaviour act as a catalyst, which turns the session into a roller coaster ride for the other participants. And then there's Paddy, the group attendant, an outsider looking in who views the participants as weirdos.
The first act of the Liffey Players production was a little slow, though I did enjoy getting to know the characters. After intermission, the second act rollicked along and I was ready for a great ending... which never really came. I tried to figure out why the ending fell flat. Did the playwright not know how to bring his lively ideas to a satisfactory conclusion? Did I miss something? Was it supposed to be open to interpretation? I do love things that are open to interpretation, but didn't feel the play had given me enough to interpret.
Illumination came afterwards when talking to the lovely and talented Ella May who played Suzy (introduced to me by the erudite, guitar playing lothario aka Brian). She felt that the problems in the therapy session were starting to seem too realistic, losing the fantastical quality apparent in the script. I tried to imagine the second act events unfolding in an increasingly surreal way (perhaps reminiscent of Christopher Durang's "The Actor's Nightmare") and suddenly the ending, with it's abrupt return to reality, fit perfectly. I think that sort of production might have left me wondering about the blurred distinctions between reality and fantasy, sanity and insanity. Now that would have been good fodder for interpretation.
All in all, though, I had fun watching "Dr. Fell" (except for the hideously uncomfortable seats at the Pumphouse... note to self: next time, bring your own cushion). Yes, it was amateur theatre, but in an endearing way (admittedly, the Irish accents may have gone a long way to adding to the charm). And yes, I would be interested in seeing a production of the play that highlighted the "black" in this black comedy. But at the end of the day I enjoyed myself, which is my main standard for community theatre. Right on, Roger.
The reason why I cannot tell;
But this I know, and know full well,
I do not like thee, Dr Fell.
~ Tom Brown
I went to see "I Do Not Like Thee, Dr. Fell" at the Pumphouse Theatre on Thursday (an Irish play by Bernard Farrell put on by the Liffey Players). Going to community theatre can be a bit of a gamble, albeit with different risks from the experimental theatre that I saw my mother in so often as a kid. For example, community theatre can sometimes scream "amateur" while experimental theatre can sometimes be comprised simply of primal screams. But I digress...
First of all, about the play itself. Set in Ireland in 1979, it's a black comedy that centres around a group therapy session involving six people. There is Suzy, the American group co-ordinator, whose remedy for any problem is to "relax, relate, communicate." And Roger, who has dedicated his life to attending group therapy sessions around the world and thus knows the lingo and the modus operandi. Peter, a builder, and his wife, Maureen, are there because Maureen is "highly strung" (according to Peter). Rita speaks of nothing but her twelve cats and her husband who died a few years previously ("savaged by dogs"). There's the mysterious Joe, the Dr. Fell of the title. Just why he's there is not initially obvious, but his presence and behaviour act as a catalyst, which turns the session into a roller coaster ride for the other participants. And then there's Paddy, the group attendant, an outsider looking in who views the participants as weirdos.
The first act of the Liffey Players production was a little slow, though I did enjoy getting to know the characters. After intermission, the second act rollicked along and I was ready for a great ending... which never really came. I tried to figure out why the ending fell flat. Did the playwright not know how to bring his lively ideas to a satisfactory conclusion? Did I miss something? Was it supposed to be open to interpretation? I do love things that are open to interpretation, but didn't feel the play had given me enough to interpret.
Illumination came afterwards when talking to the lovely and talented Ella May who played Suzy (introduced to me by the erudite, guitar playing lothario aka Brian). She felt that the problems in the therapy session were starting to seem too realistic, losing the fantastical quality apparent in the script. I tried to imagine the second act events unfolding in an increasingly surreal way (perhaps reminiscent of Christopher Durang's "The Actor's Nightmare") and suddenly the ending, with it's abrupt return to reality, fit perfectly. I think that sort of production might have left me wondering about the blurred distinctions between reality and fantasy, sanity and insanity. Now that would have been good fodder for interpretation.
All in all, though, I had fun watching "Dr. Fell" (except for the hideously uncomfortable seats at the Pumphouse... note to self: next time, bring your own cushion). Yes, it was amateur theatre, but in an endearing way (admittedly, the Irish accents may have gone a long way to adding to the charm). And yes, I would be interested in seeing a production of the play that highlighted the "black" in this black comedy. But at the end of the day I enjoyed myself, which is my main standard for community theatre. Right on, Roger.
Labels: theatre
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