tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200658218238769688.post4328585861805714737..comments2024-01-20T16:46:43.636+11:00Comments on Kevin Jackson's Theatre Diary: Our TownGeorge Khuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10220918958933755405noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200658218238769688.post-87916554690207011722010-10-31T17:02:01.357+11:002010-10-31T17:02:01.357+11:00History shows us that plays can shift in and out o...History shows us that plays can shift in and out of acceptability. The recent Rattigan and Coward revival/hits in London demonstrate this. But truly great plays are timeless and adapt to the world's temperament no matter what the 'colour' and can be played to fit the times and not be diminished. Neither of these two recent productions diminished the play or the writer's intentions. Different in tone, to my memories, but, still culturally resonant. Mr Wilder triumphs no matter the directorial liberties and will always, I believe in the case of OUR TOWN, THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH, (and dare I add?) THE MATCHMAKER, because I would canonise these plays as GREAT!!<br /><br />I am an admirer of the work of the artist, Iain Sinclair. If I had a reservation, it would be that a hard line of intellectualism sometimes prevents his work from fully relaxing into its life voice as living work inhabited by other contributing artists and audience in a 'dance' of exchanged breaths. I could see the effort that some of the actors were making to stay within the direction inspiration - not distracting but perceptible. This was true of KILLER JOE as well.<br /><br />It is highly displeasing to imply that any of these artists would subvert their integrity for self serving purposes. Every individual sets out to do the work well. It is not easy to achieve and certainly Mr Sinclair searches in honouring his playwright above his own ideas, more so than some others practicing regularly in the Sydney scene. But then, that view will be determined by the individual prejudices of the viewer.<br /><br />That the STC has not pleased some of its audience might reflect the relative inexperience or youthfulness of some of the directors given that central task by them, than deliberate misplaced ambitions of the artists themselves. A better balance between the mature and developing aesthetics of the guiding artists may be a better respite for the curating of the STC seasons. There is no doubt that the response by the Sydney audiences to the Steppenwolf’s, wholly conventional, but exceptional production of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, is some signal to the other side of the art practice that we, the audience, crave, in the midst of much form and style development we have subscribed to, or not. <br /><br />Meyerhold always believed that to please the whole audience might signify a failure. Debate was more than desirable, for him, it was necessary.Kevin Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00267609975862930264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200658218238769688.post-52593321082059497672010-10-31T17:01:49.253+11:002010-10-31T17:01:49.253+11:00For Swampy and in reply to banburi: OUR TOWN.
Bot...For Swampy and in reply to banburi: OUR TOWN.<br /><br />Both the recent Cromer production in New York and the Sinclair production for the STC seemed intent to avoid what might in the cruelly cynical world of 2010 be called 'sentimentality', i.e. overt sentimentality. For me they played against my fond memories of other productions but still created impact and a poetic transcendence.<br /><br />The actress playing Emily in New York, for instance, was often brusque and extremely forthright in a very contemporary sense, aggressive with a liberated dominance, opinionated. It is what I felt about some of the acting in the Sydney production as well, for instance, both Mrs Webb and Mrs Gibbs seemed to play their family scenes with a contemporary aggressiveness.<br /><br />Yet after reading the OUR TOWN again, and on reflection, I felt that the tough puritanical streak of the need and will to survive in the Great Depression was present, and was reflected in, for example, Steinbeck's THE GRAPES OF WRATH, both the novel and the Steppenwolf production of the play, which I saw on Broadway, and have that stoic edginess about the characters and in the playing. OUR TOWN was written in 1938, THE GRAPES OF WRATH in 1939 (WAITING FOR LEFTY - Clifford Odets, 1935 - although city/urban has some pretty understated and tough emotional tones as well), a time of great hardship for the Our Towns in the countryside and Mr Wilder seems to have some of that observation. I would excuse the production emphasis as Stoic Puritanism. This relatively restrained approach was also the hall mark of Mr Gilshenan as the Stage Manager.<br /><br />In an essay, THORNTON WILDER AND HIS PUBLIC by his brother, Amos Niven Wilder (1957), I came across this quote: "…rigour rather than indulgence appears also in the ethos of his work. If there is, indeed, a large charity in his portrayal of life and much gaiety, yet no one should miss the uncompromising severity that accompanies these. There was an iron in his outlook, some combination perhaps of granite from Calvin and the worldly wisdom from his cherished Goethe... This combination of generosity of spirit with austerity is far from sentimentality…". Is this what Mr Cromer and Sinclair were striving for?<br /><br />My memory of the play in my youth was one of much more emotional sweep. It probably suited the times and the mood of the zeitgeist, my mood - the 1960's, a much more optimistic time. Sentimentality was more digestible than today, perhaps, and welcome, which if underlined now might undermine the human universality, the aptness of the play for 2010, that for me, still evidentally, affected my experience of these two more emotionally contemporary readings. The more restrained tones gave the play its fit for today — post 9/11 and the Great Financial Crisis and amidst Iran and Afghanistan. It gave me nostalgia for a more transparent world that had a kind of selfless and simple honesty at its core and not sentimental, weepy or sad. Rather, a kind of inspirited heroism in the face of life with all of its awful simplicities and complications.Kevin Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00267609975862930264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200658218238769688.post-36426355144124765512010-10-29T21:36:49.489+11:002010-10-29T21:36:49.489+11:00Indeed Our Town in a good play. I was just wonder...Indeed Our Town in a good play. I was just wondering this 'magic' that you felt, after subtracting Wilder's contribution, how much remains - that strained residue - can be interpretted as Sinclair's talent? <br /><br />Did you find the style of acting adopted in this production endearing? Was it also adopted in other productions? Is it how Wilder would have envisioned it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200658218238769688.post-45028753741269341192010-10-20T23:36:56.708+11:002010-10-20T23:36:56.708+11:00I have to say - I saw this STC production of '...I have to say - I saw this STC production of 'Our Town' a few weeks ago and I was bored sh!tless. These characters were not written to yell at each other nor bear invective in the fashion of the late C20th yet that is what we were given. I've read the play several times but had never seen it. I don't think this was the production to reveal it to me. It struck me as a production by people more interested in their own ideas and careers than the play and any audiences's response to same. There was some good work being done on stage by certain actors but the production as a whole let them down. A couple of good ideas do not a good production make and God knows the STC is guilty of that sin time and time again and this is no exception. A very disappointing and dull night in the theatre.Swampynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7200658218238769688.post-10106582129255528232010-10-20T19:51:49.844+11:002010-10-20T19:51:49.844+11:00Fascinating review Mr Jackson and yes I think you ...Fascinating review Mr Jackson and yes I think you are correct about Tot Mom - it was an Australian gig - I didn't think of it that way. I was going to comment on your writing on Fool for Love - particularly your knowledge of Shepard's work. I learned a lot. I look forward to your review of True West!James Waiteshttp://www.jameswaites.comnoreply@blogger.com