NEEDS MORE SEA MONSTERS
I just finished my response for my Theory class, in which I rambled on about Pierre Corneille and how the only way to deal with neoclassical theatre is to break all the rules (so long as you're sneaky about it and don't let the audience realize it). But then I got to talking about Phèdre and MAN OH MAN DO I WANT ME SOME SEA MONSTERS.
The play has always kind of cracked me up. Neoclassical drama, very briefly, is all about the unities- time, space, and action. Have one plot that takes place in one space in one day. The root of it all seems to be in an interpretation of verisimilitude that doesn't want to tax the poor audiences' brains too hard. They will NEVER BELIEVE YOU if you say that you're in a new place when CLEARLY, you are on the same stage in front of you! They will NEVER BELIEVE YOU if you say that it's a week later because, HELLO, it is totally the same evening, WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU. And so forth.
So Phèdre cracks me up. On the surface, it's totally neoclassical! It all takes place outside the palace! It's all in one day! All the bad people suffer in the end! So do the good people! Anything weird that happens is all offstage!
EXCEPT THAT THE WEIRD STUFF IS A SEA MONSTER ATTACKING A DUDE ON HIS WAY TO GETTING HITCHED.
Now, if EVER there was a time to go for broke, it's when your story ALREADY HAS SEA MONSTERS! JEEZY CREEZY, RACINE. WAY TO BE A PARTY POOPER. :(
One of the most fabulous things I've ever seen on stage was Mary Zimmerman's Argonautika, which TOTALLY HAD A SEA MONSTER. ON THE STAGE. It was a giant piece of green cloth and actors were holding onto little round eyes from beneath while other actors billowed the cloth around the stage- it was AMAZING and CREEPY and HILARIOUS all at once. Perfection. COME ON, RACINE, GET WITH THE PROGRAM.
The play has always kind of cracked me up. Neoclassical drama, very briefly, is all about the unities- time, space, and action. Have one plot that takes place in one space in one day. The root of it all seems to be in an interpretation of verisimilitude that doesn't want to tax the poor audiences' brains too hard. They will NEVER BELIEVE YOU if you say that you're in a new place when CLEARLY, you are on the same stage in front of you! They will NEVER BELIEVE YOU if you say that it's a week later because, HELLO, it is totally the same evening, WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU. And so forth.
So Phèdre cracks me up. On the surface, it's totally neoclassical! It all takes place outside the palace! It's all in one day! All the bad people suffer in the end! So do the good people! Anything weird that happens is all offstage!
EXCEPT THAT THE WEIRD STUFF IS A SEA MONSTER ATTACKING A DUDE ON HIS WAY TO GETTING HITCHED.
Now, if EVER there was a time to go for broke, it's when your story ALREADY HAS SEA MONSTERS! JEEZY CREEZY, RACINE. WAY TO BE A PARTY POOPER. :(
One of the most fabulous things I've ever seen on stage was Mary Zimmerman's Argonautika, which TOTALLY HAD A SEA MONSTER. ON THE STAGE. It was a giant piece of green cloth and actors were holding onto little round eyes from beneath while other actors billowed the cloth around the stage- it was AMAZING and CREEPY and HILARIOUS all at once. Perfection. COME ON, RACINE, GET WITH THE PROGRAM.