Christine Scott

Hey, Incoming Students!

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:57:50 -0500

The first thing you should know is that this class is awesome. Cate is pretty much the most awesome teacher ever (and an amazing cook), so this class is fun, interesting, and educational. The second thing you should know is to not be afraid to speak up, especially if you disagree with what other people are saying. Whatever you have to bring to the table will make the conversation more interesting. In this class, you can really express your opinions.

About writing: for the Tumblr assignments, don’t sweat it. Overthinking never gets you anywhere, and for these informal posts, hey, no one’s judging. For the wiki assignments, you’re not going to do them wrong. It’s better to get a ton of ideas flowing than to agonize over getting the answer right. A lot of times, there isn’t really a right answer, and in the discussion afterwards, you’ll learn how to fix your mistakes. For the essays, make sure you have something substantial for the peer review. And again, don’t be afraid of being wrong. You’re not going to be wrong as long as you support your argument. Just remember to ask yourself the dreaded “So what?” question before turning it in.

About reading: do it. Seriously. You will always get a pop quiz the day you forget or feel like it doesn’t matter that much. Besides, all the plays are really great, so you have no excuse. You don’t have to give them a whole ton of thought before class, but it’s always nice to come with an idea or two prepared if you’re going to discuss the play.

About grades: it’s true that we have a lot of “easy” grades or grades that are a small portion of the overall grade and can be neglected. Don’t let this lull you into a false sense of security. This isn’t a blowoff class, and Cate isn’t going to give you any slack when it comes to grading papers. The good news is, she gives good criticism, so if you pay attention, you won’t make the same mistake twice.

About class: go. You really have to. But you know what? It’s not hard at all. This class is an absolute blast. It feels like hanging out with friends instead of attending class because it’s so relaxed and fun. Don’t get me wrong—there’s a lot of learning going on here. But there hasn’t been a single day this semester in which I thought, “Ugh, I don’t really want to go to Lit & Theatre…” Every day, I looked forward to it. This is probably the most fun class you’ll have. Enjoy it!

Good luck, future students! Don’t forget to be awesome!

Marat/Sade

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:55:13 -0500

The film made everything much less confusing for me just because it provided a good visual. I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters and their viewpoints in the play, but it was much easier to remember, for example, “that guy in the straitjacket” rather than “Roux.” The film also did a very good job of emphasizing the ambiguity of the subject it is dealing with. I thought a particularly nice touch was the symbolic “spilling of blood” portrayed by pouring different colors of paint—both black and white for Marat, letting the audience decide what color the man’s heart really was.

The film also was quite effective at highlighting the crazy mood swings the play has. It’s very easy to not take anything too seriously just reading it, but the performances were very heartfelt and sometimes suspenseful, which made the mood whiplash of suddenly breaking into song and dance all the more effective. I felt like Charlotte Corday was portrayed as more sympathetic than she needed to be, but her perpetual seriousness culminating in her emotional murder of Marat was just the right touch needed for me as an audience member to completely lose all investment in the characters when the murder was halted to sing of what happened in the years after Marat’s murder.

Image credit:...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:26:15 -0400

Image credit: http://sharetv.org/images/person/james_marsters.jpg

For the role of Frankie, I would case James Marsters, mostly for his tendency to play shallow characters who don’t know how to take no for an answer and push their affections on those who don’t desire it. He also plays the “bad boy” type of character, and while Frankie may not precisely fit that description, he certainly thinks he does.

I chose this picture because Marsters looks rather goofy in it, like he isn’t taking life seriously, which is a serious shortcoming of Frankie’s. Marsters looks like he just wants to have a good time and doesn’t really care about consequences or anyone else’s opinions, an attitude Frankie seems to be perpetually stuck in. He’s also looking straight at the camera, which is consistent with Frankie’s tendency to never back down from anyone. Marsters is wearing a nice shirt and jacket, but his collar is unbuttoned and he doesn’t have a tie. This casual way of wearing semiformal clothing is precisely the way I imagine Frankie to dress himself.

The only objection I would have to Marsters playing this role is his age, but other than that, he would be perfect for Frankie.

This is how it's done, dolls

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:17:06 -0400

Romance in Mrs. Warren’s Profession is about as different as possible from that in A Doll House. In the former, Vivie is a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need to lie or grovel in order to please a man. In fact, she doesn’t feel that she needs a man at all, and is quite frank in rejecting Crofts. This portrayal of a woman’s side of romance is in stark contrast to that in A Doll House, where Nora has to act like a silly pet in order to get her way. In this way, Mrs. Warren’s Profession is Shaw’s response to Ibsen’s portrayal of romance. He is saying that there are strong, authoritative women in this world who are capable of experiencing romance on their own terms. He rejects Ibsen’s message that women can only be strong if they leave the dominating company of men. In contrast to Nora, Vivie is quite sure of herself and unafraid to express her opinions to men and those in authority positions.

Actors From The London Stage--The Tempest

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:02:25 -0400

This play was the third by the Actors From The London Stage that I have seen. I’ve loved their past work, and this year’s play did not disappoint. The acting was phenomenal, the switches between characters were clear and seamlessly pulled off, and the minimalistic props served the play exceedingly well.

Knowing what to expect coming into the play, I was able to focus less on the unique style of AFTLS and more on the choices made in the production itself. What struck me most was the portrayal of Miranda. Rather than the usual interpretation of a shy but graceful young woman, Miranda was portrayed as very awkward and extremely lacking in propriety and social skills, something that should logically be expected from someone who has spent all her life on an isolated island with only her father to teach her. Miranda frequently lets out bursts of emotion that would be extremely different from what Ferdinand is used to, but Ferdinand seems to find this enchanting.

Another aspect I found interesting was the interaction between Ariel and Prospero. They don’t interact directly, instead circling each other and speaking as if they can’t see each other. At first, I found this a bit off-putting, as it held none of the but it made the end, when Prospero finally looks Ariel in the face and grants the sprite freedom, much more effective. It was as if Prospero was recognizing Ariel as an equal while saying goodbye at the same time.

Othello--More Than Black And White

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:27:51 -0400

On the island of Cyprus, everything seems to be going to plan. The war against the Turks is won, the valiant General Othello has just married the beautiful lady Desdemona, and revelry abounds. However, amidst this joviality, one man is discontent. The General’s ensign, the crafty Iago, is plotting revenge. Feeling slighted for being passed over for promotion in favor of an untried gentleman, Iago will stop at nothing to bring down Othello, the newly-promoted Cassio, and everyone who is dear to them both.

Everyone sees Iago as an honest and loyal man. But as he plots to turn his enemies against one another, will anyone realize his true nature? In Shakespeare’s stunning tragedy, the deceptions of Iago and the suspicions of his enemies lead the reader to one burning question: who will end up outsmarting the others and who will end up dead?

The End--No Longer A Doll House

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:14:43 -0400

I found the end of A Doll House quite satisfying. I quite liked the fact that Nora finally stood up to her husband, admitted to herself that she was in a dysfunctional relationship, and found it in her to leave. Nora was always compliant and childish before, and in the end, she finally learns to be a woman. Although it’s heartbreaking to see Nora forced to leave her children and her comfortable life, I would not classify this play as a tragedy. Just the opposite, in fact—the future is full of opportunity for her. She is well aware that what lies ahead is not going to be fun or easy, but she’s willing to accept the challenges and move on, because she realizes that the doll house she’s been living in isn’t a home. She wants to live her own life, not the fake life Torvald has been making up for her. The play condemns the actions of Torvald and also of Nora before she decided to step out. The fantasies Torvald tells Nora about are nothing short of pathetic, as are the “tricks” Nora’s been performing for him. Their relationship is based on childish games and false happiness and simply couldn’t last in a healthy capacity.

Nora the Extreme Doormat

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 02:14:07 -0400

Nora: If your little squirrel begged you, with all her hear and soul, for something… Then would you do it?

Helmer: First, naturally, I’d have to know what it was.

Nora: Your squirrel would scamper about and do tricks, if you’d only be sweet and give in… Your lark would be singing high and low in every room… I’d be a wood nymph and dance for you in the moonlight.

——

Helmer: Nora, dear, I can forgive you this panic, even though basically you’re insulting me. Yes, you are! Or isn’t it an insult to think that I should be afraid of a courtroom hack’s revenge? But I forgive you anyways, because this shows so beautifully how much you love me. This is the way it should be, my darling Nora. Whatever comes, you’ll see: when it really counts, I have strength and courage enough as a man to take on the whole weight myself… Now you should run through your tarantella and practice your tambourine. I’ll go to the inner office and shut both doors, so I won’t hear a thing: you can make all the noise you like.

——

Nora and Torvald have a very twisted view of love. In the first passage, Nora essentially dehumanizes herself in an attempt to get Torvald to give Krogstad his job back. She does not assert herself, she does not use logic, and she does not ask him to do it as a favor to her. Instead, she attempts to entice him by promising to be a good little doll-wife and make him happy. It’s clear that Nora’s miserable, but she doesn’t stand up for herself. She promises to put on a happy mask if Torvald does what she wants, but in doing so, she’s making herself little more than a toy. She’s offering to do whatever frivolous activity Torvald wants her to do. Essentially, she is willingly letting Torvald walk all over her—she’s putting herself into the position of an extreme doormat.

In the second passage, we see that Torvald actually agrees to her being a doormat. Unfortunately for Nora, he’s rejecting her idea. He’s saying, essentially, that it’s cute that Nora loves him so much, but she should just do as she’s told and let him handle the serious business. For some reason, he seems to think that this qualifies as love—as if he loves Nora so much, he simply couldn’t bear the idea of her putting herself under the strain of actually having a say in anything. Following an assertion of his own manliness, Torvald tells Nora, essentially, to go play and let the adults worry about the business. Not only has he rejected her offer of performing for him in exchange for heeding her idea, he’s telling her that she has to perform for him, anyways, so she’d better get to practicing. Naturally, he sees this as an act of love—he wants Nora to dance at a party and show everyone how amazing she is. While this may seem to him to be a loving gesture, it calls to mind a show animal being put through its paces. The Helmers’ constant references to Nora as a cute animal of some sort does not help dispel this image in the least.

Nora has already agreed to dance the tarantella, and is seen practicing it later in the act, which seems to cement the idea that she will, in fact, perform it for Torvald despite him doing absolutely nothing for her. Once again, Nora is not standing up for herself. She could very easily say that she won’t perform unless Torvald considers giving Krogstad his job back, or tell Torvald that she’s in such a distressed state that she couldn’t possibly practice at a time like this. Of course, this doesn’t even seem to cross her mind, and like a good little doormat/pet/doll, she gives in to Torvald and does exactly what he wants her to. After all, that’s what love is to her: letting her husband tell her what to do and never complaining.

Were I to cast a version of The Tempest, I would cast Nathan...

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:45:07 -0400

Were I to cast a version of The Tempest, I would cast Nathan Fillion as Antonio. He has a tendency to play characters who, like Antonio, can be joking one moment and killing someone the next. I chose this image because, despite the improper time period weapon (okay, and the context of the image), he looks quite determined and intent on his goals. This is exactly as I picture Antonio looking in the moment before he attempts to kill Alonso.

Source: http://www.movieline.com

Act I--Prospero

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:37:10 -0400

While it is easy to condemn Prospero for his treatment of the three people under his care, Prospero deals with them quite fairly, for the most part. Miranda he dotes upon, Ariel he seems to respect, and Caliban he attempted to civilize. While he does tend to play god (making Ariel carry out his will in exchange for rescuing him, enchanting Miranda into sleep when it’s convenient, and treating Caliban as a slave), he seems genuinely benign.

Caliban’s treatment deserves special note. On the surface, it seems that Prospero thinks of Caliban as a lower being, disgusting and savage. And, indeed, this is how Prospero treats him. However, Prospero tells Caliban “I have used thee, filth that thou art, with humane care, and lodged thee in mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate the honor of my child” (I.ii.346-349). Caliban abused the kindness that was shown to him, attempting to rape Miranda. Taking this hideous deed into consideration, Prospero’s treatment of Caliban could be considered extremely compassionate. Indeed, he could hardly be blamed if he had chosen to kill Caliban for such a crime. Confining Caliban and forcing him to do slave labor is a quite similar to the penalty levied today for attempted rape. In addition, it would border on idiocy for Prospero to not confine a man who had attempted to rape his fifteen-year-old daughter. In light of Caliban’s actions, Prospero’s disgust with him is justified. Caliban had the opportunity to be an educated, civilized young man, and he chose to be a brute. While some of the punishments Prospero levies seem to be a bit unfair (for example, inflicting cramps on him), it is impossible to say that Caliban didn’t bring them upon himself.