The Drowsy Chaperone

I think another musical that uses a similar technique, which might be easier to understand and help with understanding The Drowsy Chaperone, is Into the Woods.  When we see the Narrator in Into the Woods we can easily compare him to the Man in The Drowsy Chaperone.  Both characters offer what appears to be commentary on a show they are not a part of.  In reality they are both characters of these musicals and not outsiders. 
The Man’s first lines are “I hate theatre.”  He goes on to explain what about modern theatre he despises in comparison to those composed in the 1920s.  The Man thoroughly primes us to appreciate whatever follows, which turns out to be one of those intricately and improbably plotted tales of love in crisis involving a wide range of characters including gangsters, show people, millionaires and servants. The cast members are bright and eager and energetic, but with a couple of exceptions they don't quite grasp what it is they're sending up.  Appropriately for an age in which self-consciousness has become as essential and expected as the element of human communication these notions are seemingly questioned in this musical.  They seem to be challenging the notion of ‘fluff’ versus strong dramatic themes. 

Show and Tell #3 - The Roaring Girl

The Roaring Girl is another example of collaborative drama from the English Renaissance era.  Here Thomas Middleton and Thomas Decker base their title character on a living person.  This is one of the first accounts extant of a theatrical depiction of a living person.  The character Moll Cutpurse is based off Mary Frith a woman notorious for dressing like a man, brawling, and theft.  There is also documented evidence that Mary Frith attended a performance of The Roaring Girl, sat on the edge of the stage, and interacted with the actors and audience.  This play was written in 1611 and first performed at the Fortune Theatre.
            In The Roaring Girl a nobleman, Sebastian, wishes to marry a woman Mary Fitzallard.  His father disapproves of the marriage due to Mary’s dowry.  Sebastian attempts to place Mary in a better view with his father by pretending to be infatuated with Moll.  His father however hires Trapdoor to pin Moll in the act of a capitol crime and thus ruin Moll.  Moll of course is not corrupted by these actions and helps the lovers unite by the end of the play.
            One of the biggest notions of this play is gender and identity.  Moll is a woman who takes up the clothing and actions of a man.  She adopts male attire deliberately and publicly.  There is an androgyny in her apparel where masculine and feminine attributes signify her nature.  The play itself devotes a considerable attention to the clothes she wears.  When she first enters the text notes that Moll wears a frieze jacket, a man’s coat, and a black safeguard, a woman’s outer shirt.  Later a tailor approaches her to discuss the clothes that she has ordered, specifically a new pair of breeches.  When Sir Alexander fears that his son wishes to marry Moll he states “I have brought up my son to marry a Dutch slop and a French doublet: a codpiece daughter.”  The visual semiotics that worked as stable codes delineating masculinity from femininity in other plays are purposefully crossed here. 
            Moll does not merely bend the rules governing apparel on the early modern stage; but she breaks them entirely.  She breaks them so thoroughly that she is defined by her deviancy.  Before she appears on the stage Moll is described as the exception to the rules governing the visual presentation of masculinity and femininity.  However all of the other characters in the play cling firmly to the visual codes governing gender that maintained in early modern drama.  Only Moll presents an exception and in doing so she fails to change the rules.  Moll is an exception to the society’s rules governing women’s behavior and dress but not a fundamental threat too the sex-gender system or the visual codes of the stage.  Although she is desired by men Moll has no sexual interest in them and refuses to ever marry.  Moll’s character strengthens the rules of the English Renaissance Era while being a deviant for the ways herself.

On the Verge

I think images that are more personal for each character instead of the obvious umbrellas and eggbeaters would make for a fun design.  For example letters and a tiara could symbolize Fanny, while Chick-lits and a camera could symbolize Alex.  Mary’s images could possibly be a honeycomb and her essays.  In addition typical hiking gear may also be incorporated since these three women are on a journey.  Objects such as rope, a compass, and a map could be intermingled with the personal items.  The central focus images should be the three journals with the ladies names on each.  The journal moments reveal private information of the characters and end each scene.  Since their position in the play is so essential it seems appropriate that they should be central to the poster. 

Personally I believe that Mr. Coffee is the spirit of Grover.  He tells Fanny that he had only met Grover once on the day he committed suicide.  He knows a great deal of personal information about Grover, which logically would not have been gleaned in one day.  It appears that Mr. Coffee knew Grover on a more personal level yet he relates that he only met Grover once on the day he died.  So it seems reasonable to assume that he is Grover’s spirit to have met him once on the day he died and to also know the abundance of personal information about Grover that he reveals.

Responses

http://lysdexic2130.blogspot.com/2013/04/glass-of-water-response.html?showComment=1365881526748#c4540273079066541555

http://lysdexic2130.blogspot.com/2013/04/noises-off-response.html?showComment=1365882043097#c1445061503269456436

http://frequentingplays.blogspot.com/2013/04/burying-child.html?showComment=1365885418121

http://korn2130.blogspot.com/2013/04/water-by-spoonful.html?showComment=1365887142919#c4163189956657544498

http://korn2130.blogspot.com/2013/04/detroit.html?showComment=1365887948831#c3500459633718040306

http://frequentingplays.blogspot.com/2013/04/detroiting.html?showComment=1365888567322

Detroit

It appears to me that Lisa D’Amour may have given her play a specific setting with the title being Detroit, but she aimed for her play to be able to inhibit any city.  This theory is not a new idea to literature dramatic or otherwise.  This concept immediately reminded me of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.  The name of Hugo’s main character Jean ValJean is roughly translated to mean ‘any John.’  Hugo wrote his story to compel, what researchers believe was his life goal, his insistence of the inherent good and people and forgiveness even of criminals.  His point was that goodness and sorrow could happen to anyone so D’Amour’s perception of this story happening in any city and not just Detroit is very relatable.  D’Amour’s story also reminds me sharply of Scott F. Fitzgerald’s common theme of the destruction of the ‘American Dream.’  The ‘American Dream’ is frequently referred to the ideal that people, Americans, can achieve social progress and monetary comfort through personal hard work.  Although Fitzgerald’s most known work is his novel The Great Gatsby I see a more direct collation to his shorty story “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz.”  The language of D’Amour’s characters reflects those in Fitzgerald’s short story.  Even amongst the destruction of their ‘American Dream’ the characters do not seem to grasp the reality of their situation in the aftermath of the demolition of the dream and it is an outside character that struggles to help them realize the severity of their situation.  For this reason perhaps D’Amour’s reasoning for picking Detroit as her title bears meaning as it is one of the few modern examples today if the destruction of the ‘American Dream.’  The riots of Detroit began in 1967 and utterly paralyzed the city as an example of success in terms of the ‘American Dream.’  D’Amour’s story and setting note "not necessarily Detroit," reminds us that although this destruction of the 'American Dream' happened in Detroit it could happen to any city and the circumstances of these characters could happen to any person. 

Noises Off

A motif of Noises Off is the concept of order.  The characters in this play are constantly attempting to restore order to the gradual demise of their play “Nothing On.”  The characters’ attempts prove futile as the play deteriorates throughout the production process.  The cast members desperately try to maintain composure and resort to sabotaging their fellow actors resulting in a terrifying descent into hilarious chaos.  In each act, the actors’ relationships have gotten a little more complicated and their performances a little more belligerent. 
A ‘tag line’ for this play could be “There’s some perfectly rational explanation for all this.”  The characters’ attempts to restore order where there is seemingly none and just discord and escalating chaos embodies this quote from Roger.  The characters either attempt to restore the lost order or pursue antics and other personal problems.  Either way there is an explanation for all the incidents and shenanigans that occur and the build up of the destruction of the play in Act III. 

Buried Child

The way I understand Realism is that it is a truthful treatment of ordinary people involved in ordinary dilemmas of life.  In my encounters with realism I have seen a general focus on the middle class and not the lives of the poor and socially outcast.  Therefore I do not believe that Buried Child is not an example or realism.  The preface to Buried Child in the Norton Anthology of Drama explains that Shepard was exposed to Theatre of the Absurd through Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.  Although this except states that Shepard claims he did not understand the play I believe that this greatly influenced his writing and Buried Child.  My understanding of Theatre of the Absurd as defined by Martin Esslin is a combination of Existentialism, “the only significant action and individual can take is to accept responsibility for his or her own deeds,” and avant-garde dramatic form.  The plots tend to move in circular form.  Ending in the same structure they began.  This can be seen in Buried Child where Vince mirrors Dodge.  Although I am not convinced that Buried Child is an example of Theatre of the Absurd I do believe that it has been strongly influenced by this theatrical approach.

Show and Tell #2

The Maids Tragedy is an Jacobean English Renaissance play.  It is an example of collaborative drama writing, which was common for the era.  Both Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher are credited as the playwrights and most likely composed this play around 1610.  It premiered at the Blackfriars Theatre, an in-door private theatre; it also received commission for performances at court.  This play was written for a more middle and upper class audience target.
In The Maids Tragedy a noblemen Amintor is engaged to woman Aspatia; however the King, labeled simply as the King, demands that Amintor marry Evadne instead so as to raise her status to the court life so that he may continue his affair with her.  Evadne refuses to consummate her marriage with Amintor due to her loyalty to the King.  Melantius, Evadne’s brother and Amintor’s friend, is disgusted by Evadne’s behaviors and plots to kill the King.  Aspatia, who disappeared after scene 2 in Act 1 reappears in Act 5 scene 3 disguised as her ‘brother,’ she challenges Amintor to a duel in which Amintor kills her and the two reconcile.  Evadne then enters after stabbing the King and attempts to salvage her marriage with Amintor.  He refuses her and she kills herself, and so then Amintor takes his own life.  Melantius attempts to take his life as well but he is stopped and so he vows to starve himself to death in prison.  The King’s brother Lysippus becomes the new king and the monarchy and order are restored to the world of the play.
The ideas of absolute monarchy and gender roles are two of the major themes found in this play.  In this play the King portrays the idea of absolute monarchy and divine right.  Lysippus identifies this theme in scene 1 Act 1 with his remark “the breath of kings is like the breath of gods” (1148).  The characters of this play do not question the authority of the King.  For example when Aminor learns that Evadne has a lover he threatens to challenge the person to a duel, but once he learns that her lover is the King he immediately resigns to his judgement and says, “what frail man dares lift hand against him?  Let the gods speak to him when they please; till when, let us suffer and wait” (1166).  The idea of absolute monarchy and divine right is prevalent throughout the play and reinforced by Amnitor’s words and actions.  The other main idea of gender reversal is seen predominantly in Evadne and Amintor.  For this ear women were thought and supposed to uphold the ideals of honor, loyalty, and fidelity.  Amintor reflects these feminine qualities more than Evadne.  Aminotr is the character who is chaste and obedient in contrast to Evadne.  Evadne aspires for power and is aware of her sexual power.  She is an honest character in how she views and upholds her own honor code.  Evadne goes through a crisis of conscience that would usually be associated for men, such as Hamlet.  She contradicts the silent, chaste, and obedient status of women.  She pushes her femininity aside in favor of violence and changes her status and declares, “I am a tiger; I am anything that knows not pity” (1201).  This play attempts to aspire chivalric ideals with absolute monarchy and divine right but in doing so corrupts the ideal of gender in characters.

The Glass of Water

If I had to pick a protagonist for The Glass of Water I would choose Bolingbroke.  He is the pursuer of the action of the play.  Bolingbroke strives for opposition of the Duchess and these conflicts appear to be the main driving force for the play.  These two figures constantly strive for the upper hand of their quarrels.  Bolingbroke seeming strives for the good of the English people as a whole and the Duchess seemingly for her own selfish intentions.  These actions signify Bolingbroke as one of the more important characters of this play, and between him and the Duchess Bolingbroke appears to have more characteristics of a protagonist in effects of driving the plot of the play.  Bolingbroke pushes the action in his pursuit of revealing the wicked intentions of the Duchess and attempts to help England attain peace with France through the admittance of the Marquis to the Queen’s court.  Bolingbroke attempts to sneak the Marquis into the Queen’s audience through Marsham and later Abigail.  The Duchess thwarts both of his attempts; however Bolingbroke is successful in forcing the Duchess to admit Abigail into the Queen’s court through blackmail through her secret infatuation and constant promotion of Marsham.  Bolingbroke is able to use this weakness in the Duchess to fulfill his goals of attaining an audience with the Queen for the Marquis.  Both Bolingbroke and the Duchess strive for control of the Queen and both make successful strikes against each other through the Queen.  The Duchess controls the Queen through pure fear while Bolingbroke controls her through her emotions for Marsham.  Bolingbroke is the force that resolves obstacles for other characters such as manipulating situations so that Abigail and Marsham’s troubled love is reconciled at the end, he removes the Duchess’s malicious power from the Queen’s court, he secures signed papers from the Queen to ensure peace between England and France, and it seems that he has found a new ensign for the Queen to dote on in place of Marsham.  Bolingbroke’s immense time on stage and influential actions are a powerful force that credit him as the protagonist of Eugene Scribe’s The Glass of Water.

Show and Tell Post #1

There are many great English Renaissance Dramatists that are commonly overlooked in comparison to Shakespeare.  One of these playwrights is Thomas Kyd.  One of Kyd’s most successful plays is The Spanish Tragedy written sometime in the late 1580s.  No details on the earliest performances of the play have survived; however, this play has been noted for its success and towering influence over English Renaissance Drama.  Mostly this derives from the content of the plot of which excitement, intrigue, betrayal, and above all violence pervade in The Spanish Tragedy.
            Much of The Spanish Tragedy’s   excitement and intrigue arises from the sense of mystery with which the play begins.  This is essential to the understanding of the tragedy and structure of the play.  Two choral figures, the ghost of Andrea and the spirit of Revenge, introduce the play and witness the action as an onstage audience.  Don Andrea has died of apparently battle wounds but it is discovered that he was murdered by Don Lorenzo, Bel-Imperia’s brother.  Bel-Imperia was the lover of Dan Andrea before he dies and through the action becomes the lover of Don Horatio, Don Andrea’s best friend.  Don Lorenzo goes on to murder Don Horatio as well.  The tragic movement of the play progresses by Don Andrea’s awakening understanding, growing frustration, and finally his satisfaction at the fates derived on the characters.  The deaths at the end of The Spanish Tragedy are genuinely savage.   The final act of the play is an absolute blood-bath.  The stage is littered with the corpses of nearly all the major characters as revenge takes its ominous toll.  The play ends as Don Andrea, able now to exact total revenge after being frustrated for the entirety of the play by the misdirection of justice he seeks.
            One element that Kyd uses consistently in The Spanish Tragedy is the incorporation of classical allusions and framework.  This is seem immediately as the play begins with Don Andrea’s monologue with references to the Greek and Roman.  These references allude to the artificially of language.  Kyd was convinced that the English language could be just as captivating as the classical and attempted to prove that it could be a powerful form of communication.  For example Kyd wrote verse for the high class and men while prose was written for commoners, women, and madness.  It should be noted that Kyd began producing plays before Shakespeare and many elements from The Spanish Tragedy are reproduced in Hamlet.  Kyd also is credited with introducing the idea of a ‘revenge tragedy.’  He uses execution and violence as an interest and appeal to the audience.  This allows the spectator to live vicariously through the characters and feel superior to those on stage.  Kyd used ideas adapted from Seneca by bringing the violence of closet dramas to the stage.  For example Don Horatio is hanged and stabbed to death in the presence of Bel-Imperia immediately after they have declared their passion for one another using the metaphors of war and Mars and Venus in amorous combat.

Trifles

I think that by loosing the costumes and set pieces that the audience would then not be privy to information that is given in the stage directions.  For example the attorney is meant to be much younger than the two women and this distinction can be a major influence on character development and the audience’s understanding of the characters and their motives.  Also as far as ‘focusing on the words’ certain moments in the play would probably seem very awkward without props such as the moment when the attorney tries to wipe his hands with the dirty towel or when the women are referencing the bread.  As for using a black white sheet for the quilt I believe that it would destroy the purpose of what the significance of the sewing quality means to the two women examining it.  While the words of the play are very important and should be taken in carefully by the actors and audience I believe that by eradicating such things as costumes and set pieces that much of the subtly of the scenery as seen by the women that is overlooked by the men would also be lost to the audience.

Overtones

The rules for this play as with any other are initially set by the author but car carried out by the director, actors, and designers.  Although Gerstenburg may tell the reader that Harriet and Margaret never see or tough Hetty or Maggie it is up to the director and actors to carry out this plan and to convey it to audience members.  For example when the stage directions read that “Maggie reaches claws out for the cake but her claws do not touch the cake,” and “Margaret with a graceful hand places a cake upon her plate.”  These directions could be very helpful for an audience to visually grasp the rules for the world of this play for Hetty and Maggie, versus Harriet and Margaret.  There are some aspects in the text that are questionable and would probably be better understood played out on the stage.  For example at times it is unclear, excluding the ending, as to whether Maggie and Hetty can hear each other.  There are moments when the stage directions have Hetty or Maggie addressing the other but there is no notion as to if the other can hear the speaker or response to the biting comments they make at each other.  Because these details are obscure it is then dependent upon the director and actors to solidify the rules of the world for this play and to convey them to the audience in a cohesive production.