[lit-ideas] Re: Rain and the Elf man
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:59:39 -0700
On Sep 15, 2010, at 10:03 PM, David Ritchie wrote:
By the time I reached the classroom I had, of course, decided on a tactic. I
was a little taken aback by attendance. On Monday it was about fifty percent.
Ditto today. I have no inkling why, beyond the fact that the studio faculty
are encouraging students to attend events offered by the Time Arts Festival.
My impression is that these run in the evening, but maybe there is something in
the afternoon? Thus my carefully-considered solution played well to about half
the class. Ah, teaching!
Yesterday evening L. talked me into trying the Time Based Art festival. I went
to see this:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/135354-Nature-Theater-of-Oklahomas-Romeo-and-Juliet-Begins-NY-Run-Dec-17
What we got was proof that people ramble when asked to recall the plot of
"Romeo and Juliet." I suppose it's a little odd that actors can't remember how
the plot goes, but it struck me that this might be because Shakespeare's tales
are not very memorable. The fun in Shakespeare is usually in the words, not
the twists and turns of twins and boys who are playing girls who are playing
boys and need to get married to someone in Italy or Illyria. Nevertheless, the
audience roared with laughter, especially when the actors took a pause and a
woman in a chicken suit came on stage to do little more than scratch herself.
There were hints of masturbation...oooh!
It wasn't awful, and the actors had some talent (how little was revealed when,
at the end, they did the balcony scene). As seems to me almost always to be
the case in Portland, the audience was delighted by the very idea of being in a
theater.
> I read the New York Times obit column. I recommend the entry on Michael
> Burn, 97.
I forgot to add the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/world/europe/15burn.html
David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
Other related posts:
