Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Articles on Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Read ONE of these articles on Joe Turner's Come and Gone and be prepared to summarize the author's arguments in class on Thursday. For those of you using computers off-campus, you may need to use a work station on campus (e.g. in the library) to access the articles.

Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Subject: Juba Down Now
August Wilson’s play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is a remarkable blend of various aspects of African American culture. Influenced by the blues, jazz, and a long-standing oral tradition Wilson has created a well-rounded representation of life among “down and out” black Americans. Music is an essential medium in preserving their history and it seems to touch almost every aspect of Wilson’s vision.
Music is plays a significant role throughout the play. The Juba is not only a collection of rhythms, but it also serves to as a unifying force within the boardinghouse community. As the dominant male in the household, Seth initiates the Juba by waking up Bynum. All the members of the table are eager to participate in this joyous raucous. August Wilson made a very wise choice by including only vague stage directions concerning the Juba. He has created an instant bonding experience, not only for the characters within the play, but the actors as well. Each cast that performs Wilson’s play will create something unique and individual with their Juba. Wilson has challenged the players to shape this crucial scene with their own creativity. The results of this creative license are a blend of personal experiences that contribute to the truth Wilson is trying to convey. The Juba creates harmony and community spirit that is then broken by Herald Loomis.
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is soulful and dissatisfied just like any good blues song should be except it is not a musical composition. Each character is shaped by the stories they tell, which come in almost song-like bits of narrative. These little confessionals reveal a great deal of information in a short amount of time much like a song would. But music itself remains Wilson’s most effective tool in creating a sense of unity and discontent.

Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Subject: Storytellers

While reading chapter 3 and Joe Turner's Come and Gone, I began to realize how easy it was to get lost in the performances. The play was entirely made up of multiple storylines told by different characters, which were all brought together for our viewing in this kitchen. It was easy to get lost in the stories because I felt like I was just someone sitting in the corner of the kitchen. I began to feel like I knew this place all too well. I felt as though I had just eaten biscuits or yams with the characters in the play. I felt as though I was a part of their everyday lives, just a silent partner in the experience.

I commonly visit my grandparents and find our situations to be very similar to those in this play. Though the stories are different in context and content, we spend our time discussing the well being of our family members or friends that we have known for many years. We may spend 95% of our time just sitting at the kitchen table talking about our lives. We spend a bulk of the time taking turns in telling our stories. It may be me talking about my last week in school, or them talking about there first house together over 50 years ago, but we tell them in story form as though we are trying to entertain the other. The same situation happened over and over in this play. I quickly forgot I was reading about characters and easily fell into the storytelling, just as I do at my grandparent's house.

The play really used the storytelling style to bring you into the character's situations. Historically, during this time period, stories were used to pass history from one generation to another. I wonder if this play was written that way to fit the time period. I think you also have to ask yourself about the meaning behind the play. It really depicted the struggles that blacks had during this time, after slavery had "ended," but also the struggles that many races are still having today. The discrimination in this country did not end with the end of slavery, the civil rights movement, and maybe has even increased with 9-11. A different race, but similar issues. Meaning can be expressed in many different ways. Plays can really be used to open the eyes of people to certain historical occurrences.

The way the play was performed made it very easy to get sucked into the character's lives and feel their hardships.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Suggestions: Meditation #4

Subject: Possible Meditations on Joe Turner's Come and Gone, by August Wilson

Wondering what to write about? Consider the following questions as possible starting places for your fourth meditation. (Choose one - don't try to answer all of them.)

How are stories and story-telling used in Joe Turner's Come and Gone? In what ways are storytellers within the play performing theatrically for the other characters? What are the effects of storytelling, as seen in the play?

Wilson draws on several artistic forms in his writing, including the blues, oral history, jazz, and the paintings and collages of Romare Bearden. How do you see these forms at work within the play, in terms of how the play is written (and how it might be staged)?

The textbook provides insight into what various productions have added to the play through the process of staging it. What does the playwright provide this process? What demands do Wilson's words place on theatre artists, and what gifts or opportunities do those words provide?

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Physiognomy of a Chick Flick: Shakespeare in Love

Subject: Physiognomy of a Chick Flick: Shakespeare in Love
Posted by Sarah White

I've often heard that the purpose of fiction is to explore characters, emotions and perspectives that are outside of the normal rhythms of our lives. By viewing a fictional film, we broaden our horizons and experience fantastic situations vicariously. In order for a film to fulfill its enlightening role, it should present some sort of topic for exploration.

In a romance, this topic is usually the relationship between two people. The foundation of any relationship is always the personalities of the people in it; their quirks and ideas shape its direction and intensity. So ideally, the fictional lovers are multifaceted, and the audience learns about and appreciates their depth as the tale evolves.

In the case of Shakespeare in Love, however, William and Viola are stereotyped and one-dimensional, making their relationship tedious and flat (not to mention horizontal). We learn nothing about the personal motivations of either Shakespeare or Viola; all we know is that they're both starry-eyed idealists. Neither are we given any justification for their bizarre attraction to each other; they meet once and are in love, with no transitional ground. Really, this is very similar to Romeo and Juliet: the characters clap eyes on each other and are "in love" for reasons incomprehensible to human understanding. Shakespeare in Love fails miserably as a film, since it provides no depthor perspective as a topic for exploration.

Shakepeare in Love

Subject: Shakepseare in Love

It is easy to see why Shakespeare in Love is related to part one of our text. Chapter one and two both talk about how important theatre is, not just as a performance art, but to society as well. In chapter one, they describe how different performers create their roles. Not only did they talk about professional performers, but discussed the performance of children to adapt to the overwhelming word around them. I believe this is shown very clearly with the character of Will Shakespeare in the movie. We all know what an influence William Shakespeare is on theatre now, but this movie depicts him as a youth just as we are now. It was easy for me to relate Will to a college student of today’s times. The performance given by him in the movie resembles that of a college student trying to find his place, or his performance in the world. We all put on a certain performance when we decide what costume to wear in the morning, or how we decide to act in various situations, and Will created this same feeling of confusion in the movie.

Chapter two describes the importance of theatre in society. The chapter starts with the death of two people simply because of their performance in theatre. It may be hard for us to think that a simple play can make such an impact to warrant death to two human beings, but even now, theatre can make a significant difference in the world. Some obvious examples are plays such as Rent and Angels in American which give a great insight into the epidemic of A.I.D.S. The plays may seem like simple dramas, but they help bring to light very important issues in the world. Theatre is a form of entertainment, but I would argue that that may be the smallest part of theatre. Theatre is a form of communication to the public about real issues that the playwright, performers directors, or anyone involved wish to express. Think about the plays you have seen in the past, and ask yourself if they were merely for entertainment value. Suburbia definitely had an “eye opening” aspect to it. I recently attended the play musical, Wicked, which I believe to have great meaning other than just entertainment. Shakespeare in Love helps to amplify this point with Gwyneth Paltrow’s character, Viola De Lesseps. During this time in theatre it was not considered okay to have a female actor. The movie helps to show that theatre can have a great affect on changing the way society looks at things. Though this may not be a historic movie, there was a point where this change had to occur. If theatre hadn’t taken this leap, at one point or another, would Anna Deavere Smith or Frances McDormand be where they are now?

Reaction to SubUrbia

Subject: SubUrbia

I’d like to look at the character Bee-Bee from the play, SubUrbia. This production hit a bit close to home for me, and Kelsie Tregilgas’ performance is the reason why. It was not because her performance mirrored my life, rather the life of my younger sister. I think it will help to describe what I thought the play was trying to get across, and although I am sure that I may be incorrect in my analysis, it will help explain my critic of Bee-Bee. I attended the Thursday’s production of the play.

I think it would be easy to say the play is an amplification of the lives of a couple of misfits, or a play that was written to open your eyes about “kids these days,” but I think it is more than that. I think the play offers a story about young adults that have made very minor decisions that have led to insurmountable changes in their lives. I think it is the little decisions in life, or those that seem very insignificant, that put these characters in their current situations. I don’t want to analyze every character, but it was easy to see that Jeff might have been in a situation that he could’ve easily moved on from, if he had made some better decisions in life. This is shown over and over again with every character in the play. Every character from Sooze to Norman has made certain decisions to bring them to this point, and when the play concludes there will be even greater decisions to make for each of the characters.

The reason I related to Bee-Bee so much is because my sister, Rebekka, is living a similar lifestyle. I imagine that Bee-Bee is someone meant for greater things in life. I imagine that she has made poor decisions in life that leads her to her ultimate death in the play. Though there is not an explanation for every character’s past, Kelsie performed her character in such a way that I felt like I had known where she came from. I picture her making some of the same decisions that my sister had made during her earlier years in life. My sister made certain decisions in life that may have seemed simple or minute at the moment, but that helped get direct her life to where she is today. Bee-Bee, I believe, may have made these very same decisions. My sister chose to have sex at a very early age of thirteen, and in the play when Bee-Bee and Buff go off into the woods; I very easily pictured my sister in the same situation. My sister then decided that smoking was a good decision. Rebekka has admitted she smokes because her friends did. This is something that I thought that neither I nor she would ever do. Our Dad has smoked since we were born and we have constantly debated with him on the decision to quit. Either way, this was probably a somewhat simple decision for her to make. It may even seem like no big deal to you or me, but I think it led to other decisions down the road. I think the same happened with Bee-Bee. I think smoking cigarettes led to the decision to try weed, and then led to the decision to try cocaine, and then speed, and then “ice.” Every small decision led to another small decision which placed my sister in rehab, the Air Force, and now in programs such as NA, Narcotics Anonymous. Though Rebekka hasn’t ended up dead behind a dumpster in some alley, there is a part of me that waits for that call every single day. Bee-Bee is a character that I very closely related to.
The entire cast surrounded around this same premise. I believe the play did a wonderful job of showing what small decisions can mean to someone’s overall life. Though I related best to Kelsie, I could easily see parts of myself in some of these characters. Though I have made decisions to stay away from drugs and alcohol, there are other small decisions in my life that I regret, but have gotten me to where I am now. Some small decisions have led to great things, where others have led to horrible consequences.

Definition of Theatre

Subject: Theatre Defined

I have always thought of theatre as a type of performance art. I think I would further define theatre as something live, or in person. Some examples of my definition would be plays, musicals, or operas. In my interviews of others, it seemed as though their definitions closely resembled mine. The question seems so obvious to most, that I would get weird looks when I first asked. Many people that I talked to had the same three examples of theatre as I did.
There were some variations on the definition. Many people left out the “live” portion of my definition. My future mother-in-law, for instance, considered movies and television forms of theatre as well. I think I would have to differ with her, as do I with many things. Though I enjoy movies more than most, I would have to consider movies and television as “theatrical” and not “theatre.” As I have already explained, I think theatre is something that is created and performed in a live setting. Though the preparation for plays, operas and musicals mirror those of movies and television, I think theatre offers something more involved. I think theatre offers a different sort of emotional connection. Though I have limited experience with my definition of theatre, each and every time I have attended a performance of theatre, it had much more feeling to it than any movie or television show I have watched. To be honest, I’m not sure if I have a clear explanation why, but the theatre brought out more emotion in me and the audience. I don’t want to imply that I don’t get emotional at a well written, acted and produced movie, but something about theatre offers a bit more. The term “theatrical” can be used in many different ways. I don’t think that term is associated with, what I think to be, theatre. When I think of the term “theatrical,” I can see my little sister as being theatrical, the live band I went a saw at a bar as being theatrical, the Friday night flick I enjoy with my fiancé, or even the magic shows on the streets of the West End in Dallas. Though all of these examples may seem “theatrical,” in my opinion they are not theatre.
We talked about theatre being “a way and a place of seeing.” I think the way is what I have already defined. The only way I can think to describe theatre as a “place of seeing,” is the actual act of seeing a performance. I don’t know if I want to just include the physical building of a theater, but the whole ordeal of going to the theatre. Going to the movies on a Friday night is much different than going to watch a performance at a theater. There is something special about having tickets to go attend a theatre. When attending, you dress a certain way, act in a certain manner, and appreciate certain aspects of the performance that is far greater than just taking your significant to a movie. The whole process of going to the theatre is much more emotional and involved than something that is merely theatrical.
Again, I do not have a great history of attending the theatre. I think in the history of my life I have attended three to four plays, a couple of musicals and zero operas. It is something that I have enjoyed and something that I am interested in, but rarely attend for some reason. The most recent form of theatre that I have attended would be the musical, Wicked.

Shakespeare in Love

Subject: Shakespeare in Love: Untouchable Old Will
John Maden’s Shakespeare in Love was a rather ambitious undertaking that played out quite predictably in my mind, but I suppose it has its moments. For instance, the take on “the show must go on” was genuinely amusing. And Geoffrey Rush truly shines as the hilarious Phillip Henslowe who walks that thin line between blind faith and sheer stupidity. Given his performance it is difficult to believe that the next year he would star in a gem like House on Haunted Hill. Oh how the mighty doth fall. Why Geoffrey, why? Perhaps Shakespeare in Love was not splendid enough to safeguard your career, which brings me to a few questions concerning the film. Is it possible to effectively fabricate a love story alongside Romeo and Juliet, the greatest romance of all time? Can anyone really touch Shakespeare and live to tell the tale? Perhaps, but I don’t think this film does.
I have never much cared for Gwynnie-bear and her celeb-status is somewhat of a hindrance to the film. Here’s a lovely little story about Shakespeare falling in love and all I can think about is how anyone allows Brad Pitt to fade out of their life and then goes on to name their baby “Apple.” Perhaps a little less infamous Viola would have complimented unfamiliar actor Joseph Fiennes’ charming Shakespeare. Colin Firth is an unconvincing villain and the jealousy never really bursts into the film. Though the story of Romeo and Juliet is timeless, this and the other supposedly inventive renditions are played out. Filmmakers must be taught that the story of Juliet and her Romeo stands alone and needs no explanation (especially from tainted 20th century hands). Shakespeare in Love is poor attempt at usurping some of Will’s magic. Perhaps if someone other than Marlowe had died the film might have had more impact.

Monday, February 13, 2006

More Suggestions: Meditation #3

Subject: More Suggestions for Meditation #3

Shakespeare in Love is neither a true story nor does it pretend to be true. While the visual design of the film constructs authenticity through valid research, neither the dialogue nor the plot make much pretense to accuracy or historical veracity. On the other hand, like many experiences in the theatre, the film manages (for some) to present a story that feels true - or as if it should somehow be true. Within the film itself, the characters talk about whether poetry - specifically dramatic poetry, enacted on a stage - can describe truth, specifically about love. Is this accomplished? Does the story told by the tragedy Romeo and Juliet, or Shakespeare in Love, a comedy which very carefully parallels that tragedy's plot, manage to be true ... even if it is historically, or literally, false?

Likewise, Shakespeare in Love manages to capture many truths about theatre and the business of theatre despite the fact that, as history, it's a manufactured fantasy. What truths might these be?

To put this another way: our textbook, The Creative Spirit, demonstrates how societies use theatre and ritual as a means of reflecting on, celebrating, perpetuating, or questioning the myths that form the fabric of those societies. A myth is often described as a story that isn't real, used to explain the unexplainable. Another way to describe a myth is as a story whose truth is unimportant - whose veracity is irrelevant, because the story (which, like any and every play, makes no claim to be actually real) attempts to describe or explore something cannot be proven, seen, or demonstrated in reality. In these terms, what sort of myth does Shakespeare in Love provide, and how is it useful?

Consider connecting the film with the readings from the text. How is the mythmaking at work in this film different from (or the same as) the mythmaking and social reflection in play in theatre, as described by Arnold?

Consider other connections to the reading from the text. One highly significant question is the role of women in theatre. In Shakespeare's day, it was an unquestioned custom - not even a written law - that women should not appear on stage. What do you make of this, and how the film deals with this cultural convention? How does the history of women in theatre affect our reading of it, or its value?

Suggestions/Questions: Shakespeare in Love

Subject: Suggested Questions for Meditation #3 - Shakespeare in Love

Consider the following questions as possible subjects for this week's meditation. You are not required to address these questions - they are suggested topics only.

~ Consider the structure - not simply the content - of Shakespeare in Love and Samuel Beckett's short play, Catastrophe. How do these structures compare? What are the stylistic differences? What similarities can you discern?

~ Both Shakespeare in Love and Catastrophe depict the production of theatre - and the power of a theatrical moment. How do these depictions overlap, and how do they differ? What model of theatre does one or the other (or both) construct?

~ How would you characterize the experience of spectators in Shakespeare in Love? How many different sorts of spectator does the film depict and in what contexts? Can you relate to that audience's experience?

Friday, February 10, 2006

Link to The Shawl

Subject: The Shawl

To access the play we'll be reading for next THURSDAY, click on the title for this post, click here, or use the following http address:

http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/carts/
keverist/ClassFiles/Mamet%20-%20The%20Shawl.pdf

Note that you can make the title of your post a hyperlink. In the "create post" screen, just paste the hyperlink into the "link" box under the "title" box, and the title of your post becomes an active link to that address.

KAE

Thursday, February 09, 2006

SubUrbia

Subject: Burger Manifesto
Sooze’s performance art piece was a subject of great trepidation for me. Touch myself on stage? Spread my legs in front of an audience? Why I would never…but I did. I was incredibly nervous about the whole spectacle. Sooze is a seasoned gal who uses and celebrates her body all in the name of art. I, on the other hand, am a sweet country bumpkin who was taught to keep my hands firmly behind my back. I am uncomfortable with my body and I pray it didn’t show, especially after working so hard to overcome it. I also found that each audience presented different challenges that altered my performance. My focus during the piece was usually on the back row center. Friday night was a little rough because the director’s twelve-year-old sister just happened to be sitting in my line of focus. It was difficult in the beginning but I suddenly found that my frustration was boosting my energy. I quickly dismissed the little girl in front of me and went on with the monologue. My parents came on Saturday, which presented an entirely different obstacle. Our small town has more churches than stop lights and my family is conservative to say the least. When I first began work on the play I informed them not to come. Yet after I recovered from the initial shock of it’s explicit content, it became something I was growing quite proud of. I told them to come if they wanted but to prepare themselves. On Saturday, I did not even attempt to look for my parent’s faces in the crowd. Later, to my horror, I discovered they were sitting in the front row. In the lobby after the show, the look on their faces was “classic,” a mixture of surprise and nausea. But I’d like to think there was a tinge of pride there too. They were stunned, but I think that was what Bogosian intented.
SubUrbia for most people points out the flaws of the American dream. It shows the daily antics of beautiful disillusioned youngsters who stumble so tragically when reality finally sets in. SubUrbia became something much more personal to me. It was my first college production and I learned a great deal from my older costars. But most importantly it helped me remember that my parents love me unconditionally. I am fairly certain that I will screw up sometime in the next three years and I can use this experience as a reminder that I need not be afraid. Unlike Sooze, I do not have to distance myself from those I love.

Theatre

Subject: What is Theatre?
Looking back on our discussion Tuesday it seems that most of my peers hold the view that theatre is all about playing pretend. This seems to conflict with my own perception of the art. I was insanely shy as a child and I can still be reserved in certain circumstances now. Since my middle school years theatre has always served me well as an outlet for self-expression. My classmates feel the thrill of acting somehow lies in posing as a completely different person. Yet, my experience suggests that it is one of those rare activities that allows my soul to sing. Stripped of personal restraints and the mask of daily life, I feel like my true self on stage. I am forced to project those natural resources that surge from my innermost part. Theatre is the expression and exposition of truth.
Many differences exist between theatre and theatrics. Perhaps the greatest difference between them is the intention behind each. Theatre is meant to entertain and educate, while theatrics have what my boyfriend referred to as the “flash and bang” effect. I giggled about the wording, but in fact it is really quite accurate. John Kerry’s response to the “wishy-washy” question in the town hall debate is the perfect example. He began in ridiculously polite manner by not even addressing the question. The purpose of this response was not to educate us, but to distract us from his inconsistencies. The theatrical is employed to conceal. Throughout history theatre has often had the opposite effect. The Crucible was written to expose the lies of McCarthyism not to provide a haven for them. The nature of theatre is to force humans to recognize the flaws and contradictions that exist in our society. It is an intensely critical art form that the masses can comprehend. However, they often don’t realize this when they get caught up in the idea of it all being pretend.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Announcement: V-Day

Subject: Vagina Monologues

As part of next week's V-day events, our annual production of The Vagina Monologues will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, February 14th and 15th. Because this event is a fundraiser, tickets are $5. Students in THEA 111 are not required to attend, although I strongly urge you to do so. Those students who missed SubUrbia can write about this production instead. Performances are in the Ida Green Theatre at 7:30.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Read Me: Content

When you fill out a post, you'll notice that the line "Subject:" pops up in the window automatically. Please provide some kind of heading to give readers a sense of what to expect from your comments. I'd also suggest indicating the date.

I ask that you restrict your remarks to discussions about the class content, rather than critiques of the discussion board itself, the meditation assignment, or the course's design. While I welcome any discussion of such material, I would prefer that it take place in a less public forum, where we can feel more comfortable about being completely candid.

Keep in mind with all of your posts that this blog is open for anyone to read, and should be considered a public space. Any reader is entitled to comment; only invited members (students enrolled in the course) are allowed to post entries.

Read Me - Spring 2006

Welcome to the blog-based on-line discussion area for THEA 111 (Introduction to Theatre Arts), taught at Austin College in the Spring of 2005. This blog is designed to address issues and ideas relating to the definition of theatre, its distinction from other theatrical forms, and the art of perceiving, interpreting, and responding to theatre and performance texts.

(a) maintain respect for all participants at all times; when you wish to argue, make your point substantively, and be sure that you have made every attempt to understand the original post to the best of your ability;

(b) stay on topic; any and all connections are welcome (and on many browsers, you can include these connections in the form of hyperlinks or images), so long as they ultimately connect to the subject or discussion at hand;

(c) if you are a student in the course, BE SURE to keep a BACKUP COPY of any and all posts that you make; I would suggest that you compose your remarks in a word processor and simply paste them into blogger, as this host cannot guarantee the safety of data posted to its site;

(d) cite absolutely any and all sources for quoted or paraphrased material.

Make sure you bring a copy of your comments to class, so you can use them if you need to for reference during discussion.

p.s.: For posts, 150 words is a minimum only. Use as many as you need to make your observations clear and complete.