4000 Miles Response

            I believe a major motif in Amy Herzog’s play 4000 Miles is the act of misunderstanding something. This is a reoccurring pattern in the play, especially in regards to Leo and Vera. Vera is 91 years old and uses a hearing aid, but quit a few times she forgets to wear it and cannot hear what is being said. Vera also has trouble remembering simple words; this sometimes makes it hard to understand what she is talking about. When she cannot remember what something is called she says “whaddayacallit”, this is defiantly a reoccurring word in the script.

            Leo in my opinion is the worst when it comes to misunderstanding things. Take for instance his relationship with Bec. He thinks everything is great and they are so much in love. Bec on the other hand feels that their relationship is childish and not very serious. Leo also does not understand how his actions affect others. His adoptive sister and he have made out and now she is in therapy because of it. He responds to this by saying well I only used a little tongue. This just shows how much he does not understand. The point could be argued that Leo knows what he is doing and just does not care.

            I am certain that 4000 Miles is a play about misunderstandings. 

Judith: A Parting From The Body Responce

            In Howard Barker’s play, Judith: A Parting From The Body, I believe that the major dramatic question is ‘Will Judith be able to abandon her inhibitions?’

             As the play progress we learn that Judith has come into Holofernes’ tent the night before a major battle against Israel to assassinate him. She does not act out her goal right away because she says that she has fallen in love with Holofernes and understands him now on some level. Holofernes and Judith share a moment and talk about how they both lie all of the time. Judith’s Servant ends up convincing her to kill Holofernes by telling her that he was smiling at her and in a sense mocking her.  The Servant was lying Holofernes was not smiling. Judith then commits the deed of stabbing Holofernes therefore letting go of some of her inhibitions, but the play does not end here. That is because Judith still has some things holding her back.

            After she has committed the act Judith goes on to have almost a panic attack. She tries to have sex with the now dead and beheaded Holofernes. The Servant tries to calm her down and get her back on track. I feel during this part Judith is having misgivings about what she has done. In the end with the Servant’s help Judith comes to terms with what she has done. She then regains control of the situation and the Servant. The play ends with Judith still hesitating before leaving the tent. I think this shows that even at the very end of the play she is still fighting with her self, but in the end she does abandons her inhibitions fully and exits the tent. 

My Comments

1. Overtones: http://carolinehebert2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/overtones-response.html
2. Trifles: http://bturn2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/blog-post.html
3. 'Night, Mother: http://andreagracethtr2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/night-mother.html
4. Judith: http://morgansthtr2130blog.blogspot.com/2013/09/judith-response_15.html
5. Judith: http://bturn2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/judith-party-from-body.html
6. 4000 Miles: http://andreagracethtr2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/4000-miles.html

Night Mother, Response

            Although our director makes a great point when he says that the major dramatic question for Night, Mother is whether or not Jessie will kill herself. I find myself thinking that we could maybe refine this question and make it more direct. Yes the play is about Jessie killing herself and if it will happen or not, but where does that leave Mama? I feel that Jessie is the protagonist and Mama is the antagonist in this play. Jessie has a goal that she is fighting towards, killing herself, and Mama is trying to prevent her from doing so.

            I believe that the major dramatic question in Night, Mother is; will Mama prevent Jessie from killing herself? This question can give us more to work with and adds some depth to the play.

            Mama tries many different tactics to try and stop Jessie from completing her goal. She tells her that she will miss when shooting herself and just end up becoming a vegetable. She asks Jessie if it is her brother Dawson and his wife Loretta that has brought this decision on and if so they never have to come over to the house again. Jessie will never have to see them again. Then Mama warns that if Jessie kills herself it will be setting a bad example for her son Ricky. Mama goes on to tell Jessie things about her dad that she never knew and stories about Mama’s friend Agnes. In the end everything that Mama tries is in vain. In the end Jessie kills herself and the major dramatic question is answered.

            Will Mama prevent Jessie from killing herself? No.

Trifles Response

The play in question is called Trifles for a reason and in my opinion it would be a mistake to stage this play with minimal props and set. The play is based on small details that the men miss, but the women notice and pick up on. I feel this would be very hard to communicate with abstract neutrally colored props. One of my favorite quotes from the text is when Mrs. Hale says, “You know, it seems kind of sneaking. Locking her in the town and then coming out here and trying to get her own home to turn against her!” This line was very powerful to me, and with no real home/set this line would fall flat. Also, since Minnie is never seen in the play her house has to act as a representative of her.

In the proposal it is suggested that with the bare set this will force the audience to “focus on the people and, not the things.” The audience will have to pay more attention to the text. I believe this to be false. When reading the play we follow the women who are finding all of these small details in the set and as a reader I was focusing on the details too and trying to figure it out along with them. With all of the props onstage it allows the audience to be invested in the action of the play.

There are a few positive effects that minimal set and props could have on the play. For instance this play would be difficult to set in a more modern time. Notice I say difficult not impossible, I believe it could be done. But, with a bare set the play could become timeless.

I still stand strong by my statement that Trifles should be staged with a full set and props. 

Overtones Response

In Gerstenberg’s Overtones the inner selves Hetty and Maggie do not directly come into contact with their cultured selves Harriet and Margaret, but do in fact talk to each other. It is indicated in the stage directions that the two primitive selves direct some of their lines to the other. It is not stated if they can see each other and/or hear what the other says. The primitive selves seem to only speak to each other when they are contradicting what the other’s cultured half has said. It is also a bit confusing as to whether or not they can actually hear each other at all, because they never really have a back and forth conversation. Something that cannot be derived from the text is whether or not the inner selves can hear each other when they speak to their cultured halves. For example when Hetty tells Harriet to do something can Maggie hear her? 

Towards the end of the play Hetty and Maggie rush at each other and throw back their veils they have been wearing during the play. It is stated that they “throw” their speeches at each other. Even though it seems like they see each other at this point it is still not specifically stated in the text. I had a hard time envisioning this play in my head. Gerstenberg in my opinion does not provide enough details about the rules of the world. It is difficult to tell who can see and hear whom. The only way an audience could know Gerstenberg’s intentions is through the director’s staging of the play. Costumes will also help to get the point across. The veils that Hetty and Maggie wear could help the audience to understand that they cannot really be seen.