Friday, May 4, 2012

Study Guide for Final -- pt. 2 -- EN 230 -- Spring 2012

Above is a picture of American artist Bob Rauschenberg's Radioactive I (1964).  It is initiating us into the more avant-garde section of the semester.  As you may remember, Rauschenberg's work inspired contemporary playwright Charles Mee's bobrauschenbergamerica, and Anne Bogart whose books I've reviewed directed the play's premiere.



And here are some links to videos that we've seen in class:

Below are links to the performances that we saw, starting with Hedda.

Here is the review of the production:

Let's look at Charles Mee's bobrauschenbergamerica:

Next is Suzan-Lori Parks' The America Play:

Finally, we have a scene from Tarell McCraney's Brother/Sister Plays, the ones that I consider more enjoyable to read.

What do the playwrights and directors seem to be trying to do in these plays?

See this blog entry.  
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2012/apr/19/noises-off-theatre-safe-risks
Are we trying to make drama and theater too safe?  Should we embrace productions like Hedda?

The picture below is from the NYC production of Marcus, or the Secret of Sweet.



Yikes!  I forgot Trifles.  The link to my entry on this play is below:


Here are links to the movie versions that we saw:


Below are theatrical versions of this play:

If only there had been a video of the 2005 production at Theatre Unbound!


Let's move on to Brecht and The Good Person of Szechuan:

Here is the definition of the alienation effect:

See this link for more about epic theater:

Let's start with our clips from The Threepenny Opera (words, Brecht; music, Weill)


Below is a poster for the 1931 film version of Brecht and Weill's play.


Mother Courage is another of Brecht's plays.  Recently Tony Kushner translated it.  Meryl Streep has starred in a production that used his translation.


Here is a song from Mother Courage (but from a different production and translation):

On to the Good Person of Szechuan!

Below is a picture from a 2010 production staged in Berlin, Germany.


Here is a trailer (much music, no words) from this production:

We'll finish up with Waiting for Godot.


See this link for my Multiply entry on this play:

Here is a link to Beckett's Film with Buster Keaton:
(and here is a film with Keaton:

These are the links to versions of Waiting for Godot:


How has watching these videos helped you with Waiting for Godot?

Here are some clips of other plays by Beckett:

And here is an entry on The Metamorphoses:

4 comments:

Tamara Safford said...

You are the best! what a terrific collection of guidelines in plays and movies...literature is booming in your house!
I am not acquainted iwht the plays by Charles Mee but knew of him through family.///he is currently on the broadway
of Boston with a play about Cafe...have t read of it...just saw FELA last thursday..two nights ago...worth looking up.
I am busy with work at the gallery today but thank you so much for multiply!!!!

M. Szlyk said...

I think that my sister-in-law and brother-in-law worked on some of Mee's plays back when Live Arts in Charlottesville did challenging work.

Tamara Safford said...

grew up next door to Charles Mee in Chelsea New York on 22nd Street...my older sister no longer
alive and her husband were good friends ...sally mee now lives in their old town house on the upper level on 22nd street....as for me I only eaves dropped and met him once..he is a
paraplegic....and operates from a wheel chair...I remember it was bombasted across the dinner
table that the family was neighborly with the Mees...Sally is divorced from Charles Mee..but is still there...I just watched Cafe Monde...am not so far away from that genre..best subject at school in critical studies was Post Modern Art History.
I recently saw Michael Bleiweiss ..he is looking for another...we had a nice time, he came to the gallery where I work, Creative Union...listened to the new guitar music and original lyrics..live free or die theme..he asked about you..you or I might invite him onto multiply

M. Szlyk said...

wow, i didn't realize that mee was a paraplegic