Friday, May 4, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
"The play's the thing!" . . .
Whether it's William Shakespeare or Woody Allen.
I doubt that William Shakespeare could anticipate that the words he wrote for the character of Hamlet to speak in Act II, Scene II would become famous centuries after he wrote them.
I recently saw a Broadway show called "Relatively Speaking" which consisted of three One Act plays by Ethan Coen, Elaine May and Woody Allen. Only one of the three plays was remotely interesting to me. It was NOT "Honeymoon Motel" by Woody Allen.
The great thing about theater to me is that, in attempting to create a work of fine art, one never really knows if the art that is being created will actually even be considered art at all.
The debate over whether or not a play is good or bad, genius or trash, art or not art is not nearly as interesting to me any longer as: "what worked" and "what didn't work" or "what could work better?" I learn something from everything I see. Even if it's only to NEVER repeat what I have just seen myself - because it simply does not work!
Sometimes artists stumble blindly into work that is almost gifted to us from the Cosmos. Often, sadly, we do not. That's what makes truly wonderful, magical and brilliant theater so special. It is often quite unique and rarely seen.
Although, all three plays in "Relatively Speaking" were written by skillful playwrights and screenwriters who have often had much success with their works, none of the plays were truly brilliant, genius, lasting works of art. That is, of course, my personal opinion. Although, I believe that has been the general consensus of most people that have seen "Relatively Speaking".
That said, is there any reason they should not have been put up? Absolutely not! I'm happy to have seen a performance of those three plays. I experienced theater history at the Brooks Atkinson Theater that night. Whether or not it was good or bad was not the real reason that I went to the theater in the first place.
Personally, I enjoy going to the theater for the exhilarating, and quite often, exasperating, experience of the communion between the audience and the players on the stage, as written by the playwright.
It is very rare that a play or musical can actually fully transport me from my seat into the world of the playwright. But it does occasionally happen.
The actual final two lines of Hamlet's soliloquy in Act II, Scene II are:
"The play's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King."
Shakespeare has Hamlet use the device of writing a play within the play of "Hamlet" to gain insight into the conscience of Claudius the King. Hamlet ultimately uses the reaction of Claudius to the play within the play, to justify murdering him.
However, as often happens with famous works of art when taken out of context, Shakespeare's words can mean whatever we want them to mean. As long as I leave the theater reflecting on "what worked", "what did not work" and "what could work better" - I will continue to see everything I possibly can.
After all, "The play's the thing!"
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