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RE: RAT The Sassies!!!!
Going out on a limb (for the fun of it)
Of the Millennium
Obviously Shakespeare is the most important playwright of the past 1000
years. I agree that Henry IV 1 and 2 are the best he wrote. Prince Hal's
dilemma is much more interesting than Hamlets to me. Everyone grows up but
doesn't want to. Hamlet's tragic flaw is procrastination. If Shakespeare
wasn't such a good poet that play would be unreadable and as it is it's damn
near unwatchable. The Henriad on the other hand is plain full throttle fun.
Most important of the century.
In terms of influence of the theater world and society in general its hard
to beat Godot. Especially when you have to wade through piles of weak
imitations even now. I would like to suggest a couple of radical options.
A Chorus Line: Ensemble, serious, post modern musical. Expanded the idea of
what a broadway musical could be about. Created a new model of how a show
might get created and get to Broadway. Interesting structure. Great songs.
Unforgetable characters. Saw it when I was 13. "What I Did For Love" still
resonates. Still funny.
True West: Tiny theater that started in a church basement brings a show to
broadway. Got my interest.
Death of a Salesman: ...oh I don't know. Blah blah blah good play blah blah
blah critique of the American Dream blah blah blah
Of the 90s
The Fatty Arbuckle Spookhouse Revue (by Chris Jeffries) at Annex Theater in
1992 - at Sacred Fools 1997(very first production): 50 years from now this
will be seen as the most important play of the 20th Century.
http://www.sacredfools.org/reviewsmain2.htm#fattyreview
> -----Original Message-----
> From: DgSWEET@aol.com [SMTP:DgSWEET@aol.com]
> Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2000 11:01 AM
> To: rat-list@whirl-i-gig.com
> Subject: Re: RAT The Sassies!!!!
>
> In a message dated 01/13/2000 12:34:40 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> NOMADMONAD@aol.com writes:
>
> << The Cherry Orchard. 1904. Okay. Chekhov was at the cusp of the
> century,
> even though he's usually classified as a 19th century playwright. So
> what
> makes you believe Cherry Orchard is more important than Vanya or Sea Gull
> or
> Three Sisters? And if I had to vote for a 19th century playwright who in
>
> some seminal way led theater into and through the 20th, I would go with
> Ibsen
> or Strindberg. Ibsen's last work When We Dead Awaken is an excellent
> play
> on
> which to study that century to turn. The Dream Play by Strinberg
> connects
> with Freud and much more of the new century's obsessions.
>
> +++ You're welcome to go with Ibsen and Strindberg. I find attending them
>
> too often a duty. I find Chekhov a continual pleasure. And if you were
> to
> poll contemporary playwrights, I have little doubt that you would find
> that
> most would name Chekhov as a primary influence. (There was an article on
> this subject somewhere recently called, I believe, "And, Of Course,
> Chekhov,"
> in which a batch of very dissimilar playwrights all citec Chekhov as their
>
> inspiration.) Ibsen certainly was important in opening the stage to new
> subjects, but his stuff plays almost as dated as much of what he wrote to
> destroy -- including some of the worst and most heavy-handed exposition
> written by a major writer. Strindberg? OK, gang, how many of you have
> actually seen or read DANCE OF DEATH? Thank you. Now, how many of you
> have
> seen CHERRY ORCHARD. I thought so. My theory -- it's hard to be
> influenced
> by a work if you haven't read it or seen it.
>
> <<HENRY IV, pys 1&2. ??? What's here that no one else has seen?
>
> +++ No one else? You mean, like Orson Welles and Ralph Richardson?
> HAMLET
> may be the most profound investigation of an individual's psychology, but
> the
> HENRY IVs are not only psychologically profound, they are politically
> sophisticated and paint a portrait of the upper and nether levels in
> society
> and how they interact. To my mind, much more complex, richer stuff. And
> I
> would vote for Falstaff as the great Shakespearean character. Shakespeare
>
> seems to have been pretty fond of him: second only to Margaret, he appears
> in
> more plays by Shakespeare than any other character (HENRY IV, pts 1&2,
> MERRY
> WIVES) and is shadow hangs over a fourth (HENRY V).
>
> <<< Lear, Macbeth, Tempest all seem better contenders.
>
> +++ To you, to you. Frankly, I prefer RICHARD II, KING JOHN and WINTER'S
> TALE to these. My opinion.
>
> <<<< As for your 90's nomination "too soon to tell." Who wrote that
> and
> where
> was it produced? I never heard of it.
>
> +++ Oh, a joke. Yes, amusing.
>
> <<< You will need to elaborate on your nominations otherwise the Committee
>
> will
> sentence you and your opinions into the dustbin.
>
> ++++ Ouch, ouch. Though, ya know, I think I've done enough creditable
> work
> to be able to talk my way out of most dustbins.
>
> ----------------------------------
> Jeffrey Sweet
> Resident Playwright, Victory Gardens Theatre
> Faculty, Actors Studio at the New School
> Council, the Dramatists Guild of America
> http://members.aol.com/DgSWEET/index.html