I chose "Corpus Christi" written by Terrence McNally. It is a dramatized story about Jesus and the Apostles as gay men; it is a reclamation of the story of Christ's life for gay men, but in modern-day Texas.
It was written in 1997 and first staged in NY in 1998.On the opening night of the play, there were separate demonstrations that took place on either side of the outside of the theater.There were protesters pretending to to be declaring McNally's play was a lie and that homosexuality is a sin on one side, and the on the other side, there was a "silent march" organized by People for the American Way. They carried placards that contained quotes from different well-known people on the importance of freedom of expression. Hundred of officers from the NYPD and reporters gathered around the outdoor cast. All the audience members were forced to passed through a metal detector as a precautionary measure.
(http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/theatre_journal/summary/v051/51.2pr_mcnally.html)
It all starts when Mary is in labor with Joshua in a Corpus Christi motel. McNally does a great job at showing Joseph's sexual frustration when acknowledging Mary's virginity. I thought that was funny. As Joshua grows up, he knows that he is not the same as his schoolmates but there was no real answer for this phenomenon. His prom date ends up catching him kissing Judas. After the kiss happens, the lights fade and when the lights come back up, chilling and smoking cigarettes as if they had sex. Well it was supposed to show that they did, in fact, have sex. Joshua later married together two of his disciples and this is what pissed the audience off. The content was very controversial for them. McNally really wanted to show the hypocrisy of the Church's feelings toward the gay, but she also shows that there is love present at the same time.
P.S.
i found this cool staging of the play too. very physical thtr :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOF52wNiwd8
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Children's Hour
I think the center of this story is the spoiled child. This is relateable to today b/c this issue still occurs. Also, I do not think that the world is completely aware of the fact that homophobic attitudes contribute to suicides. They under-think the idea and move on w/ their lives. This type of play should be shown today so people would be more aware of these situations and lack street smarts. We have to help this cause.
Eurydice
My first quote is "We are a chorus of stones."
When I think of stones, I think of things being firm but them being a chorus softens up the idea for me. It is interesting. It creates an illusion in our minds about what this could be in our imagination.
My second quote is "NO ONE KNOCKS AT THE DOOR OF THE DEAD!"
Tis stands out so much. It is as if the dead does not want to be disturbed b/c if they are, you will regret what you just started. Morally, it is portrayed as wrong. The dead shall be respected, simply.
When I think of stones, I think of things being firm but them being a chorus softens up the idea for me. It is interesting. It creates an illusion in our minds about what this could be in our imagination.
My second quote is "NO ONE KNOCKS AT THE DOOR OF THE DEAD!"
Tis stands out so much. It is as if the dead does not want to be disturbed b/c if they are, you will regret what you just started. Morally, it is portrayed as wrong. The dead shall be respected, simply.
Love! Valour! Compassion!
The culture's view of capital-T Truth is pretty clear for this play. I think the characters valued their freedom and experiences throughout each scene. They were always striving for more, feared less than what they deserved, or not being happy with what they already have and not realizing real value. This play is different b/c it's more relatable b/c of the time it was written and b/c we deal w/ lots of these issues today in this world.
Comments
http://crayonxasxsnail.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-glass-of-water.html?showComment=1383777011229#c8832991921845713095
http://crayonxasxsnail.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-childrens-hour.html?showComment=1383777201208#c1930120966804418408
http://crayonxasxsnail.blogspot.com/2013/10/love-valour-compassion.html?showComment=1383777390800#c3744477893786430717
http://jenniferdownes.blogspot.com/2013/11/eugene-scribe-glass-of-water_6.html?showComment=1383777586347#c1328851658843058792
http://jenniferdownes.blogspot.com/2013/11/terrance-mcnally-love-valour-compassion.html?showComment=1383778830979#c3369625305191626313
http://crayonxasxsnail.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-childrens-hour.html?showComment=1383777201208#c1930120966804418408
http://crayonxasxsnail.blogspot.com/2013/10/love-valour-compassion.html?showComment=1383777390800#c3744477893786430717
http://jenniferdownes.blogspot.com/2013/11/eugene-scribe-glass-of-water_6.html?showComment=1383777586347#c1328851658843058792
http://jenniferdownes.blogspot.com/2013/11/terrance-mcnally-love-valour-compassion.html?showComment=1383778830979#c3369625305191626313
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Show & Tell
I chose to read "He Said and She Said." It was written by Alice Gerstenberg in 1922. I did a search on Youtube to see if anyone produced it, & I found that it was very recently, by Send Amateur Dramatic Society. That was just six months ago. (CITE)
"He Said and She Said" was basically about the element of gossip. The characters consisted of 3 females and a male: Diana Chesbrough, a society girl, Enid Haldeman, her friend, Felix Haldeman, her husband, and Mrs. Cyrus Packard. their friend. It all began when Mrs. Packard went over to visit Enid. She immediately began to tell Enid about gossip that she has heard but before saying exactly what she meant, she was beating around the bush a whole lot and trying to let Enid finish Mrs. Packard's sentences so it is if Mrs. Packard never said the gossip on her own but rather allowed Enid to create the thoughts of Diana being in love with her husband on her own. Mrs. Packard said it was why she didn't get married to one of the boys before the boys had went to off war. Felix had said previously, to Enid, that Diana was a peach and Mrs. Packard led Enid to believe the foolish rumor. Diana then arrived as Enid exited and Mrs. Packard began to speak to Diana about the rumor, and that Enid believed it to be true. Diana then spoke to Felix about this making it clear that neither one of them had feelings were one another and that Diana would never do such a thing to Enid to ruin their lifelong friendship. To clear things up, Diana told Mrs. Packard that she was in love Aubrey Laurence, who had went off to war, and that were married. After Mrs. Packard left, Enid questioned Diana in excitement as to why she hadn't said anything, and Diana said it wasn't true...yet. Diana did in fact love Aubrey but they were planning on getting married soon via proxy. Enid worried that Mrs. Packard would spread news that wasn't true but Diana simply replied "What will people say? In any case, exactly what they choose!"
One dramaturgical choice I realized from Alice Gerstenberg is that she had all the women enter through the upstage center section of the stage and had Felix enter from downstage left. I think she wanted Felix to be set apart from the female cast to maybe men are not the center of this and it all occurred because of the women's gossip in the first place and even though he was slightly caught in the middle, he didn't let his self become part of the middle. He always remained on the outskirts and was trying to help out and be a good friend. Maybe he was simply an outlier of the situation; he started nor ended the rumor itself.
Another dramaturgical choice is that Mrs. Packard was a true definition of the phrase "Character is what you are when no one is watching." She always waited for the party to leave the room to discuss the rumor rather than just being upfront about the whole situation, so that way she builds tension between other and they should really be tense against Mrs. Packard, for she began the mess in the first place. As soon as she got around everyone, she immediately said she never ever said any of the rumors a day in her life when she led everyone to believe what she said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-8S6kMch_A
"He Said and She Said" was basically about the element of gossip. The characters consisted of 3 females and a male: Diana Chesbrough, a society girl, Enid Haldeman, her friend, Felix Haldeman, her husband, and Mrs. Cyrus Packard. their friend. It all began when Mrs. Packard went over to visit Enid. She immediately began to tell Enid about gossip that she has heard but before saying exactly what she meant, she was beating around the bush a whole lot and trying to let Enid finish Mrs. Packard's sentences so it is if Mrs. Packard never said the gossip on her own but rather allowed Enid to create the thoughts of Diana being in love with her husband on her own. Mrs. Packard said it was why she didn't get married to one of the boys before the boys had went to off war. Felix had said previously, to Enid, that Diana was a peach and Mrs. Packard led Enid to believe the foolish rumor. Diana then arrived as Enid exited and Mrs. Packard began to speak to Diana about the rumor, and that Enid believed it to be true. Diana then spoke to Felix about this making it clear that neither one of them had feelings were one another and that Diana would never do such a thing to Enid to ruin their lifelong friendship. To clear things up, Diana told Mrs. Packard that she was in love Aubrey Laurence, who had went off to war, and that were married. After Mrs. Packard left, Enid questioned Diana in excitement as to why she hadn't said anything, and Diana said it wasn't true...yet. Diana did in fact love Aubrey but they were planning on getting married soon via proxy. Enid worried that Mrs. Packard would spread news that wasn't true but Diana simply replied "What will people say? In any case, exactly what they choose!"
One dramaturgical choice I realized from Alice Gerstenberg is that she had all the women enter through the upstage center section of the stage and had Felix enter from downstage left. I think she wanted Felix to be set apart from the female cast to maybe men are not the center of this and it all occurred because of the women's gossip in the first place and even though he was slightly caught in the middle, he didn't let his self become part of the middle. He always remained on the outskirts and was trying to help out and be a good friend. Maybe he was simply an outlier of the situation; he started nor ended the rumor itself.
Another dramaturgical choice is that Mrs. Packard was a true definition of the phrase "Character is what you are when no one is watching." She always waited for the party to leave the room to discuss the rumor rather than just being upfront about the whole situation, so that way she builds tension between other and they should really be tense against Mrs. Packard, for she began the mess in the first place. As soon as she got around everyone, she immediately said she never ever said any of the rumors a day in her life when she led everyone to believe what she said.
Work Cited
Robin Horsley's YouTube Channelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-8S6kMch_A
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