Comments | bec_87rb: Zoo and Harold Pinter

bec_87rb

Zoo and Harold Pinter

Jun 06, 2011 14:38

Interesting, exhausting weekend. Took in Old Days by Harold Pinter, written in 1971. One of those plays with only three actors, minimalist furniture, all white, and lots and lots of meaningful pauses to which you the audience are to attach Meaning. At the end of the play - in which the only real action is Kate and her husband Deeley receiving a ( Read more... )

farm animals, theater, walking, weather, zoos, animals

Comments 18

suegypt June 7 2011, 00:54:25 UTC

Hope you're feeling better. Yarrgh. I don' know from Pinter. Sheesh.

BTW, zebras' skin is striped. If one were to shave one, the marking would be the same. It's just that, genetically, people have assumed the main pigment was white, because many varieties have white bellies. Lately they have found the skin's base coat is black from which white markings appear.

I love elephants. The only place I've ever seen one in the flesh is a zoo (or 2 or 3). But it never fails to make me sad. Of all the animals in a zoo, even our cousins the apes, I feel elephants suffer most from the mere captivity.

mere captivity suegypt June 7 2011, 01:07:22 UTC

heh

suegypt June 7 2011, 11:33:15 UTC

Re: zebra skin color, turns out i'm possibly full of it. It's not like tigers. Strange, I think i've blathered this before...
IGNORE MEH

bec_87rb June 7 2011, 16:53:51 UTC

I CANNOT IGNORE U. YR ALL-PERVASIVE.

The guide had squares of the hides of some of the animals, including a (former) zebra. The elephant skin was pretty weird, very thick and hard - as my hubby noted, "Pachy-derm, indeed."

Also, what was proported to be orangutan hair, and it was the hardest non-curly hair I have ever felt, like nylon. Which led me to wonder - was it nylon? Did they get together and decide it was not worth it to try and cut some hair off one of those beasts, in case the orangutan got hold of the scissors during the procedure. "Eh, give em some nylon. They'll never know the diff."

Thread 5

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bec_87rb June 7 2011, 16:56:36 UTC

I'll keep that in mind, thanks for reminding me. I was sitting on the Metro heading home, smooshed up against the window by his shoulders and thinking something very like what you describe.

I'm sorry you're feeling loss right now. :(

chhinnamasta June 7 2011, 12:20:18 UTC

Took in Old Days by Harold Pinter... One of those plays with only three actors, minimalist furniture, all white, and lots and lots of meaningful pauses to which you... are to attach Meaning.

Sounds very improving. Do you feel improved?

bec_87rb June 7 2011, 17:09:16 UTC

Man, it does sound a little improving, doesn't it? Possibly medicinal. It was well done - Deeley was Stephen Culp, and he is good utility actor, and Anna was Holly Twyford, who could hold her own - and I now can say I have seen this supposedly seminal work, and I can connect it to Pinter.

I feel more entertained than improved, I guess, and I only complain about the lack of clear resolution because I get used to good ol' Shakespeare, where you know that at the end you will see either a wedding or two or a stage littered with bodies, but either way, that sucker is wrapped up and all the mystery is explained. Mistaken identities are revealed, plot points untangled (mostly), but this is not that kind of play. Pinter is likewise lacking in swordplay, I note.

Another theory - Kate and Anna are two sides of the same woman. This makes lots of sense, given how it was staged.

Pinter is likewise lacking in swordplay, I note. chhinnamasta June 7 2011, 19:05:31 UTC

I always enjoy your wit :-)

I believe I've managed to escape seeing Pinter? I don't recall family members in any of his plays. Not to say they haven't been in any of them, but if they were, it must've been outside the context of mandatory viewing.

Ah, Steven Culp, not to be confused with Robert, who is a funny guy.

Re: Pinter is likewise lacking in swordplay, I note. suegypt June 7 2011, 19:53:18 UTC

I had a crush on Robert Culp when I was little. Sadly, he is no longer with us. A classy guy. Is Steven related?

Thread 9

uplinktruck June 8 2011, 20:15:41 UTC

"Any idea what that was about?"

"Nope, I'm at a loss."

"Oh, thank God," she said, "It's not just me."

ROFL!!! I've been to plays like that.

bec_87rb June 9 2011, 13:09:43 UTC

Kind of an Emperor Has No Clothes moment, to realize most everyone else was scratching their heads, too. I assume that is supposed to be part of the experience.

I've been to plays like that.

Any you'd like to warn me away from? :)

uplinktruck June 13 2011, 14:59:41 UTC

Those plays were back in my college days. The only reason I was there was to accompany the date d' jour. I don't remember the names of them, but they were all student works that were supposed to deliver some kind of message.

Alas, the message was lost in transit. But there and act engrossed was essential to the success of the date, so...