Midterm Study Guide -- Fiction

This afternoon, before the papers come in, I'd like to start the midterm study guide for fiction.  The pictures above are of Mel's Drive-In in Hollywood
http://www.melsdrive-in.com/hoursandlocations/hollywood.html
and a street scene in LA.  Southern California is known for its car culture (isn't The Fast and the Furious set there?), and people are able to drive antique cars more often because the roads don't need to be salted as they do here. 

Hmmm....on review day I'll have to dig up a YouTube of various antique cars on display in Southern California!

However, let's start with the folktales from Monday the 18th.

The first is the Brothers' Grimm's "Godfather Death."

http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm044.html

Next is the Wishram story, "Coyote and Eagle Visit the Land of the Dead."

http://www.native-languages.org/wishramstory.htm

The Navajo shadow puppet show "Coyote and Horned Toad" follows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjUlyarH9F0

In addition, here is Wikipedia's outline of the characteristics of oral culture:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orality#Theory_of_the_characteristics_of_oral_culture

Take a look at the book review of Fr. Walter J. Ong's Orality and Literacy below:
http://worldlit2.multiply.com/journal/item/51/Orality_Literacy_._._._Cross-Posting_from_EN_201_Blog
How does orality shape the folktales we've read?  How does it shape the stories that Troy tells in Fences--and his approach to life?  (Feel free to compare it to Rose's or Cory's.)

-- Here are some of my EN 202 entries on the Brothers Grimm and their work. 
http://worldlit2.multiply.com/journal/item/146/The_Brothers_Grimm_From_Enchanted_Forests_to_the_Modern_World
http://worldlit2.multiply.com/journal/item/147

For the outline of Joseph Campbell's monomyth (hero's journey), see this link:

http://orias.berkeley.edu/hero/JourneyStages.pdf

It goes without saying that Dagoberto Gilb's "Love in L.A." and Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" will be on the midterm.  Terms on plot (including foreshadowing, flashback, and false closure) and character (including protagonist, antagonist, and anti-hero) will be on the midterm as well.  Below is a picture of Shakespeare's Falstaff, who exemplifies the anti-hero.  He is the bearded man with the big belly...the man who is talking!

Here is a montage of scenes from "Smooth Talk," the movie that Chris mentioned in class today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co9bfNOlSRQ

The trailer is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXvmkCVbrBk&feature=related



The following stories will be on the midterm:  Sandra Cisneros' "The House on Mango Street," Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," and Lynda Barry's "Today's Demon: Magic."  We will also cover point of view (first-person, third-person limited & objective & omniscient) and theme as a way to compare/contrast works from different genres.  In addition, there may be a question or two on the definition of literature and inclusion of various genres (graphic fiction, autobiography & life writing, film, music).  With the last in mind, here are links to the videos from American Graffiti:

Here is the link to the trailer. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Jo1gH89VM

For the beginning of the movie, see this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzfm2fKYARU


To listen to Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and read the song's lyrics, go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziQx0cXV4nY

Here are some more sites where you may find Lynda Barry's work:

http://www.marlysmagazine.com/

http://www.comixology.com/articles/10/All-the-Comics-4-Lynda-Barry

http://comicscomicsmag.com/2011/02/lynda-barry.html

Vice Magazine also has an interesting interview with her.

The last stories on the midterm will be Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl" and Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants." 

I may also ask you about the following prose poems:

Russell Edson's "Sleep"
http://webdelsol.com/tpp/tpp5/tpp5_edson.html

Naomi Shihab Nye's "Hammer and Nail"
http://webdelsol.com/tpp/tpp5/tpp5_edson.html

Below are the definitions that we looked at:

Midterm Study Guide -- Drama

It really is amazing how many companies have done Death of a Salesman.  The picture above is from Thunder River Theater Company's 2007 production.  I wonder if MC will ever do this play.

Here is the company's picture of Biff's encounter with his father and his mistress.


And here is the study guide itself.  The midterm will cover both Death of a Salesman (play, DVD, and videos) and Fences (play and videos).  Remember that the term drama applies to the play script, not the performance and that the term theater refers to the "apparatus" of performance: director, actors, set designers & builders, costume designers, sound & lights, and audience.  Have I forgotten anyone? 

Also each production has a central idea.  After all, in 2011, Fences means something different than it did back in the 1980s.  The presence of the playwright may affect the production.  Location is also important even within the US!


Here is a link to the entry with links to various scenes from Death of a Salesman:

http://worldlit2.multiply.com/journal/item/200

However, we have not watched all of these scenes in class.  We will focus on the ones we have looked at (Charles S. Dutton's, Brian Dennehy's, Lee J. Cobb's).  I will have to show a bit of the Oberlin version when we review for the midterm.

You might like to look at these links about Arthur Miller (1915-2005).  Nayani found the first link: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june99/miller_2-10.html  
Here is a link to my entry on Miller:
http://worldlit2.multiply.com/journal/item/202

Below is the link to the entry on Fences:

http://worldlit2.multiply.com/journal/item/205

For some historical background, see this link:

http://worldlit2.multiply.com/journal/item/206

The picture below is from a 2010 production of Fences at the University of North Carolina's PlayMakers Repertory Company.


Here is a picture of August Wilson (1945-2005) in front of a restaurant near the Boston University Theater where the Huntington Theater Company performs. 



We will also cover the following background information.

First, here is a link to the outline of Erikson's developmental theory.  The last four stages will be especially important:

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/erikson.htm

By the way, Erikson's wife and collaborator Joan Erikson later stated that there was a ninth stage for those who lived past 80.  Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.  adds:

In Erikson's last book on the subject, The Life Cycle Completed, his wife, Joan M. Erikson, added a "ninth stage" that applied to people who had become very old (as they had).  In the book, she wrote:  "Old age in one's eighties and nineties brings with it new demands, reevaluations, and daily difficulties" (The Life Cycle Completed, p. 105).  According to Joan Erikson, in the ninth stage, the despair of stage eight is magnified by the experience of one's deteriorating body and mind, which results in a lowering of self-esteem and confidence. "To face down despair with faith and appropriate humility," she wrote, "is perhaps the wisest course" (The Life Cycle Completed, p. 106).


Carol Gilligan's theory of development is outlined here:

http://www.stolaf.edu/people/huff/classes/handbook/Gilligan.html

How might her theory apply to characters like Linda, Rose, Connie, or the mother in "Everyday Use"?

We talked a little about Lawrence Kohlberg's theory.  I'm including this link since Gilligan developed in response to his.  (She had been one of his grad students.)

http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm

Moreover, his theory works so well with our plays!



I am also including links to the interview with Justin Emeka and Avery Brooks on their production of Death of a Salesman at Oberlin College.  Above is a picture of Brooks as Othello.  This production was at DC's own Shakespeare Theater.

We watched only parts 1 and 2, but I encourage you to watch all of this interview.  When we review for the midterm, we may watch part 4 and possibly part 5.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC4UUhUZRX8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPQjCznRE1c&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgIwdSpi6o4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ttJhC9iE4M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNzESuJqU40&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unNtE-o5oNw&feature=related

See the link below for more information about the genre of tragedy:

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/trag_vsn.html

OTOH, could Fences be a history play?  (Shakespeare wrote tragedies and histories as well as comedies and romances.)  Being a 20th century American, August Wilson would necessarily have a different approach to who could be a subject of a history play than Shakespeare would have as an Englishman of the late 16th and early 17th century.

I also hope to show some videos that are relevant to Fences.

Watch this entry for more. 

Below is a picture of Erik and Joan Erikson.  In addition to being his collaborator and muse, she was an artist who integrated art into occupational therapy for his psychiatric patients. 

Links from 7/18 -- Civil Rights Era, Baseball, & the Century Cycle

Link

I thought that it would be easier just to share this old entry.  See the link above to go there.

What else was going on in 1957?


In 1957, nine high school students desegregated Central High School in Little Rock, AR.

EN 190 Links for Fences

Above is a picture of the 2010 Broadway cast of Fences.  You may notice Denzel Washington as Troy.

There is no movie version of Fences, but here are some trailers from various productions, and below is another still from 2010 with Washington as Troy and Viola Davis as Rose.

Here he discusses this role:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKsDRcuePnk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENi15Vcx19M

Ah, here is a collection of scenes from that version!

http://www.youtube.com/user/FencesBroadway

James Earl Jones was the original Troy:

Here Jones is with Mary Alice, the actor who played Rose.  Courtney B. Vance of Law and Order:CI played Cory.

Kenny Leon directed another version at Boston's Huntington Theater.  Pictures follow below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp8OhjIkRNs

In 2007, Portland (OR) Center Stage presented this version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1qov8jlkXQ&playnext=1&list=PLC22B5D78F82DC4C1

This version is a film rather than a play filmed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24dkF5jJLIM&feature=related

The last clip is a classroom version from Introduction to Theater at CUNY Baruch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnGf0Zc_4X8&feature=related

In 2008, Minnesota's Penumbra Theater staged Fences.  As you may have seen, Wilson worked with this company at one point.

Here are links to interviews with people who knew August Wilson, the author of Fences:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Nyi2szYFw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KcLTgiZ68Y&feature=related

Below are some reviews of various productions.

Charles McNulty reviews a 2010 production at LA's South Coast Repertory:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/01/theater-review-fences-at-south-coast-repertory.html


Frank Rich's review from 1987 is here:

http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9b0de7de1f3df934a15750c0a961948260

Ben Brantley reviews the recent Broadway revival starring Denzel Washington:

http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/theater/reviews/27fences.html

Toby Zinman makes some interesting points:

http://www.broadstreetreview.com/index.php/main/article/august_wilsons_fences_in_new_york

Thomas Garvey reviews the Huntington's production here:

http://hubreview.blogspot.com/2009/09/huntington-swings-for-august-wilsons.html

See Carolyn Clay's review for another perspective:

http://thephoenix.com/boston/arts/90186-black-beauty/

Versions of Fences

Link

At the link above, you will find links to trailers from various versions of Fences.  Over the weekend, I will edit that old entry for your consumption.

Recent Reviews of Death of a Salesman

A director may have a compelling central idea for his or her production, but what do audiences and reviewers make of the idea?

Here are some reviews of recent productions of Death of a Salesman.  We'll start with Frank Rich's review of the Broadway version starring Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid, and John Malkovich.  Note that at this time Malkovich was known for his work in the theater and that Hoffman was an unconventional choice to play Willy.

http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=950ce2d81e39f933a05750c0a962948260



Charles Isherwood reviews the Yale Rep version starring Charles S. Dutton:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/theater/reviews/05deat.html

John Lahr's review is here:

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/theatre/2009/05/25/090525crth_theatre_lahr

Blogger Tambay comments on these reviews:

http://www.shadowandact.com/?p=2778

Frank Rizzo's review is more positive:

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940176?refcatid=33&printerfriendly=true



See these links for reviews of the versions starring Brian Dennehy:

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/salesman.html

http://www.curtainup.com/salesman.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2005/may/17/theatre

http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?html_title=&tols_title=DEATH%20OF%20A%20SALESMAN%20%28PLAY%29&pdate=19990211&byline=By%20BEN%20BRANTLEY&id=1077011429728&scp=3&sq=death%20of%20a%20salesman%20dennehy&st=cse

Charles Isherwood's review is here:

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117490674?refCatId=33

For reviews of other productions, see these links:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/nov/18/theatre-arthur-miller-death-of-salesman

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/may/07/death-of-a-salesman-leeds

http://newcitystage.com/2009/10/13/review-death-of-a-salesmanraven-theatre/

http://chitheatreaddict.com/2009/10/07/death-of-a-salesman-raven-theatre/

Enjoy!

Arthur Miller 1915-2005

While I'm online, I will post some links about playwright Arthur Miller.  The picture above is of the author in 1949, the year that Death of a Salesman became such a hit.

Since Miller's plays were quite popular in the UK, the BBC has an excellent obituary.  You may also see clips of his plays at this site.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/233032.stm

The slideshow below gives you an idea of his career as well:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4258123.stm

The Guardian's obituary provides more background:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2005/feb/12/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries

Here British directors give their thoughts on Miller's legacy:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/feb/12/arts.filmnews?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

The NY Times has collected its articles from the later part of his career:

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/theater/newsandfeatures/MILLER-REF.html

Or you may prefer to read Miller's own thoughts from 2001:

http://www.neh.gov/whoweare/miller/lecture.html

http://www.neh.gov/whoweare/miller/interview.html

Miller is also known for his short marriage to Marilyn Monroe.


Susan Doll's essay discusses The Misfits, a movie that Miller wrote for his wife towards the end of their marriage.

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/marilyn-monroe-final-years3.htm

Another of Miller's most well-known plays is The Crucible, a play set during Salem's 1692 witch trials.  See this link for a review of a recent London production:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/jun/03/the-crucible-review

I'll close with a picture of 1910s New York City.  It's incredible to see how crowded the city streets were.

Historical Background for Death of a Salesman

Most of the pictures of 1940s Brooklyn that I've found so far are fairly urban.  The picture above is of trolleys somewhere in the borough (or section of the city).  Fewer people had cars, so more people took trolleys and the subway.  (Note that Willy has a car but Linda does not.)  Without television, movie theaters were common in most neighborhoods.  However, the rise of television would lead to the closing of many of these theaters.


Here is a picture of Ebbets Field where Biff played.  It is, of course, more famous for the Brooklyn Dodgers. 


In 1949, Jackie Robinson had already joined the Dodgers' major league team, thus beginning the process of integrating baseball.  Up until this point, no African Americans played in the major leagues. 


The following site will give you more of an overview of the 1940s:

http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade40.html

For more information about 1949, see this site:

http://www.infoplease.com/year/1949.html

This timeline focuses on NYC in the 1940s:

http://bigapple.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/11/nyc-decade-by-decade19401949the-war-and-the-aftermath.html

Sometimes it is more fun to look at the smaller picture.  The site below contains reviews of restaurants and nightclubs from the 1940s.  I can't get over how inexpensive the restaurant meals and drinks are! 

http://www.tipsontables.com/

Fashion is always fun!

http://retro-fashion-history.com/html/1949_fashion_and_vintage_cloth.html

http://1940s.org/fashion/

http://www.murrayonhawaii.com/nolan/fashionhistory_1940mens.html


Or you may prefer cars.

http://www.anythingaboutcars.com/1940scars.html

http://www.pbase.com/rpdoody/classic_american_cars_of_the_1940s

Movies are always interesting. 

http://theendofcinema.blogspot.com/2008/06/movies-of-year-1949.html

http://www.filmsite.org/1949.html

Here is a link to a movie trailer from that era:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHeiNUbaG7o

Here is a "Hit Parade" of songs from 1949:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R6QfBXwdkA

FYAmuse, here are some pictures of Brooklyn today:

 Here is a picture of a family in Brooklyn:

Or this picture:

Videos of Death of a Salesman

The picture above is from the original 1949 performance of Death of a Salesman.  Lee J. Cobb was Willy, Arthur Kennedy was Biff, and Cameron Mitchell played Happy.  Cobb later appeared in CBS' 1966 movie for television.  

See this link for a picture from that later production:  

http://www.broadwaydigitalarchive.com/catalog/view/33

The 1985 Death of a Salesman is harder to find, so I will send you a few other versions, starting with a 1951 version that Arthur Miller did *not* approve of!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVYlGsrSB4o

Avery Brooks starred in a 2008 production at Oberlin College.  (He and the director Justin Emeka are both Oberlin alums.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPnEFZJafjE

Starting with this YouTube, Brooks and Emeka discuss the production:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC4UUhUZRX8

In 2009, Charles S. Dutton played Willy in Yale Rep's version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJNaEDrtjug

Brian Dennehy played Willy in 2000.  This TV movie appeared on Showtime, another of our premium channels:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brdbM9YSCq4

These pictures are from a 2005 production, also starring Dennehy.  This production was staged at London's Lyric Theater.  I think that my sister-in-law may have seen either this version or an earlier one at the Goodman Theater in Chicago.

David Mamet argues that Death of a Salesman is a Jewish play:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2005/may/07/theatre.davidmamet

This version from 1996 is British and appeared on the BBC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnTqlxajQ5Q

DC's own Arena Stage also had a version of Death of a Salesman as part of an Arthur Miller festival in 2008:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nYKpvtYPG4

The Ensemble Theater's 2008 version is here.  (This company is Australian.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSFXnXJrNqM&feature=related

I'll close with the Raven Theater Company's 2008/9 version.  This company is based in Chicago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAkKa0X73mw&feature=related