With the semester, and with it my time at MCLA, ending I wanted to take a look at all of what we have done in this class. I went to this class thinking it would be interesting and fun. As a lover of theatre I was looking forward to a chance to read more plays. And that is exactly what I did. Though I had read two of these plays and was familiar with several of the playwrights, I found myself loving every second of it. Even when I didn't like a play (i.e.. Joe Turner and Mother Courage) I still liked coming to class and discussing them. I got a lot out of our class discussions and some of them even changed how I viewed the plays. The class also introduced me to a few plays that I love so much I hope to somehow be involved in a production some day. Many of plays were not something I would have picked up on my own and I am so glad I had this class to make me try them.  I would like to thank everyone in the class for sharing their opinions and making the class what it was and Professor Newby for introducing to so many wonderful plays. I can't wait to get out there and continue in the theatre world.

M. Butterfly

Let me start by saying that I loved this play. I thought it was a perfect melding of the best elements of the plays we have read this semester. To write about everything I liked about this play would take too long, so instead ill pick just one thing to talk about.

The thing I probably liked most about the play was the secret of Song's gender and how it was revealed, both to the characters and the audience. I thought it was a perfect blend of subtle clues and fairly obvious ones, finalized in the without-a-doubt revelation when he strips. Though I figured it out pretty quickly, and I hadn't read the back of the book, I could see how Rene might not figure it out. First of all, he did not have the benefit of characters like Chin more or less spelling it out. Second, he was in love and he was knowingly passing along secrets. To believe that Song was not a girl would mean betraying his country and himself. In that time there is no way he could admit to loving a man, yet he needed that love. If Rene had known of the betrayal by Song he probably wouldn't have been able to live with himself, as shown by his suicide at the end of the play. I loved that this was clearly portrayed while still showing the audience, or at least those paying attention, early enough in the play for everything to make sense. 

There is so much more I could say about this play, and I'm sure we will touch on much of it in class.  The reveal of the secret is easily my favorite part but the whole play is really good. I only wish I was planning on working somewhere where i could direct this show, but I don't think it would be appropriate for a high school!

Mother Courage

I'm not really sure what I can say about Mother Courage and Her Children. I honestly really hated this play. I couldn't connect to anything, the plot, the characters nothing. I'm not sure why. I think it may have been that the writing was dry and difficult to get through. If thats the case then maybe I would like it better if I saw the play performed. Anyway, I get what Brecht was trying to do, and I guess if he didn't want people to enjoy it then he succeeded. 

The only thing I kind of appreciated was the use of songs. I think it was really interesting that Brecht used a convention usually saved for happy or funny shows for something so opposite. His songs made The otherwise really boring play at least a little interesting. I can only imagine how they would sound but from listening to the song from Three Penny Opera, I think it would be pretty good.  I just wish that this had carried into the rest of play.

Overall, though I get and appreciate what Brecht did for Theatre, I just really can't stand this play.  I wish I liked it, really I do, but i just can't find anything in it. To those of you who do like it, can you tell me what it is you like, maybe that will help.

Buried Child

Wow I'm behind. Oops. I'll make up for it in the next few weeks. For now I'm going to focus on Buried Child.

I have to start by saying that I love this play. Yes, its bizarre, yes there is an incest baby, but it all comes together to make something that is just so, good. I don't know how to put it really. I think its just how everything in the play, all the symbols, all the weirdness, seem to work together perfectly. 

Often when I read a play I consider if I would want to be in it or direct it. I guess this is because I am so into performing. With this play it is an absolute yes. I would love to play either of female roles in this play. The main reason is that there is so much to work with. With Shelley you have that she is new to this situation and must figure it out. Coming up with reactions to everything going on would be amazing. I would also explore why she doesn't just leave, wither with or without Vince, when the family doesn't recognize him. With Halie there is just so much. He knowledge of the "secret" and how that plays out. Her obvious delusions that everything is perfectly normal. She would just be such an interesting character to portray. 

I know that a lot of people don't like this play, for one reason or another, but I think it is great and something that I would love to be involved with in one way or another.

Doubt

I have to start out by saying that I loved this play. I have yet to see the movie and reading this has just made want to see it even more than I already did. The play was realistic and I really felt for many of characters, even the ones I didn't necessarily like. Now for some things I noticed about the play.

One thing I really liked was the use of monologues. The "sermons" given by Father Flynn were extremely powerful and a great asset to the play. They allowed the audience to gain incite into Flynn's character while also providing a glimpse at some of the themes of the play. I thought that the juxtaposition of these monologue with the scenes with the sisters provided an excellent way to move the plot along while still getting important character information.

Another interesting thing I noticed is that, like with "Spinning Into Butter", many of the characters who are essential to the plot are never seen. Without Donald Muller there would be no story here, or at least it would be a different story, yet he is never on stage. In both cases I don't think that the character needs to be on stage. In fact, particularly in this case, I think the play s probably better without Donald. If we saw the young boy, and really felt for him as a character, then any sympathy we might have for Father Flynn would be gone. Without some small caring for Father Flynn the play would be too one-sided and therefore boring.

August Wilson and "Joe Turner's Come and Gone"

Being the resident August Wilson "expert" (I researched him for Theatre History last year) I had read other Wilson plays and knew a little of what to expect going into reading "Joe Turner". I knew Wilson's influences, the things he was known for, and had read his most popular play, "Fences". I knew that I had previously enjoyed Wilson's work and like the things that he is trying to do. However, when I read "Joe Turner, I found that i didn't enjoy it. Unlike "Fences" which i loved, I found that I couldn't connect with any of the characters. That was weird for me because Wilson is known for creating relatable characters. I guess the closest I came was with Bertha, but she wasn't really important enough for it to draw me to the story. I'm not even sure why I feel this way but I just couldn't get into the plot without having a character I connect to.

As for the dialects thing that we discussed in class, I liked it. I knew it was coming when I picked up the play, Wilson always writes how his characters would actually speak, but this is not why I liked it. I feel like it is important for characters to talk in a way that real people talk, and in this time that is how people talked. As an actor I feel like dialects is very important in developing character because it can reveal a lot about a person, where they are from, are they educated etc. An actor must use this to create a deep and well thought out character, which is what Wilson is looking for.

Overall, though I didn't enjoy the play, I can understand why we read it. It is a classic example of Wilson's work, incorporating all he is know for. My own personal taste does not take away from its educational value.

Spinning into Butter

I really enjoy reading Spinning Into Butter by Rebecca Gilman. One of the reasons for this is that it relates rather directly to my life. I think all of us can imagine what life at Belmont is like. Other than it being a private school it is pretty much MCLA, though i think we all like to hope that our administrators are better. I think knowing this environment so well made the plot that much easier to focus on. I know I could easily imagine a lot of that stuff happening here.

While of course we like to believe that racism is non-existent it is not. In my life I have known many racist people. Back home I live in a neighborhood full of them. My neighbors have actually threatened to burn another neighbors house down because they were in favor of putting a school nearby that would have "black people" in it. These people also hate my family because we're Jewish. Interestingly enough this took place in Albany, NY, a relatively large and racially diverse city. This is the same city that Simon is supposedly from.

Another thought I had about the play was something that was discussed a little bit in class. Patrick asks Sarah to call minority students "students of color", i think this is unfair. I consider myself to be a minority student. I check other and write in Jewish as my race on every form I fill out. Being Jewish is very important to my identity, as a culture as well as a religion. Many other people feel this way too. There is even a facebook group about it. By referring to minorities as "students of color" i feel left out. What does that make me? I do not consider myself to white, but I am not "colored" either. While Sarah was definitely more in the wrong in this situation Patrick was not perfect either.