Category Archives: Theater

ADAPTING GATSBY.

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Philip

ADAPTING GATSBY. I posted here about Gatz, an adaptation of THE GREAT GATSBY in which one of the characters reads aloud all of THE GREAT GATSBY. It’s a wonderful experience, and it is now having a second run at the … Continue reading →

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OLIVIER’S INSIGHT ON IAGO’S MOTIVATION.

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Philip

OLIVIER’S INSIGHT ON IAGO’S MOTIVATION. I can’t find it using Google, but long ago I read an interview with Olivier about Iago’s motivation. Olivier said that when he was young, he had trouble playing Iago because he could not understand … Continue reading →

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IAGO AS A SEDUCER.

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Philip

IAGO AS A SEDUCER. The digital view of Othello also raises the possibility that Iago can be played as literally an attempted seducer with a homosexual attachment to Othello. The wikipedia article on Iago says that some critics thought that … Continue reading →

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IAGO AS A COURTIER.

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Philip

IAGO AS A COURTIER. The digital analysis of Othello that sees Iago’s dealings with Othello as “like the language of courtship but it’s really a perverse seduction of Othello by his lieutenant” has two aspects. That Iago is Othello’s lieutenant … Continue reading →

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“THE JOKER IN THE PACK”.

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Philip

“THE JOKER IN THE PACK”. Before the age of digital analysis, W.H. Auden had a view of the comic mechanisms which underlie the tragedy of Othello. In THE DYER’S HAND, he called Iago “The Joker in the Pack.” Auden acknowledges … Continue reading →

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‘WHY CAN’T WE HAVE NEW PLAYS LIKE THIS ON BROADWAY?”

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Philip

“WHY CAN’T WE HAVE NEW PLAYS LIKE THIS ON BROADWAY?” If a play by a revered writer like Edward Albee could be forced by harsh reviews to close after 12 performances, the financial risks for all other productions of new … Continue reading →

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A PLAY KILLED BY THE CRITICS.

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Philip

A PLAY KILLED BY THE CRITICS. In his review of the new production of Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque, Terry Teachout says that the premiere of the play in 1980 was “one of those soul-shriveling disasters that can blight … Continue reading →

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THE LAKE BELOW THE OPERA.

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Philip

THE LAKE BELOW THE OPERA. The audience watching The Phantom of the Opera may well think that there are elements of fantasy in the story. However, as Neil Shea points out: “Beneath the Paris Opera House, for example, sits a … Continue reading →

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COUNTING AND COMEDY.

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Philip

COUNTING AND COMEDY. I posted here about how Jim Dale learned to count his pauses in years of working in British music halls. There was a count that would make a joke work and over time audience reactions would tell … Continue reading →

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DO CRITICS KNOW BETTER THAN PLAYWRIGHTS?

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Philip

DO CRITICS KNOW BETTER THAN PLAYWRIGHTS? It’s tempting to make the argument that Tony Kushner and Shakespeare know what they’re doing more than critics do. Kushner seems to like “lengthy digressions and superfluous subplots.” Shakespeare’s subplots seem always to be … Continue reading →

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