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in media res
Member
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Posted: Thu Oct 4th, 2007 07:18 pm |
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This little play is about 11 pages long on paper.
Let me know your reactions please.
Pardon if there is any formatting problems. It should be okay.
Thanks,
in media res
Removed by playwright.
Thank you one and all for your very helpful comments.
in media res
Last edited on Tue Oct 9th, 2007 02:16 pm by in media res
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kris
Member
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Posted: Thu Oct 4th, 2007 10:05 pm |
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Hello, in media res!
I really enjoyed this play. A fun concept and some killer lines -- I can hear an audience laughing at many points throughout. (The "death penalty" line was one of my favorites.) I like the way you set it up so we don't immediately know that Thomas is a politician -- he's a dunce first.
One little nit: Miss Prindle -- who is so prim, proper and precise -- seems to fall out of character a bit, for me, when she says "real hard" and "a lot of." It seems that she would be more inclined to say something like "most diligently" and "many" or "several." A tiny nit.
Fun and funny -- thanks for sharing.
kris
Last edited on Thu Oct 4th, 2007 10:53 pm by kris
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Luana Krause
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| Joined: | Tue Jan 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | Wyoming USA |
| Posts: | 114 |
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Posted: Fri Oct 5th, 2007 11:04 pm |
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IMR:
I enjoyed this immensely! Clever, funny, thought-provoking...a pleasure to read. And like Kris said, you've got some terrific lines.
Bravo!
Luana
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in media res
Member
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Posted: Sat Oct 6th, 2007 02:43 am |
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Kris and Luana,
Thank you for your comments.
A little political theatre without the anger of "Agitprop."
I incorprated in an "edit post" some some nice suggestions from Kris in some "PM's" she sent me. Thanks Kris. Have to do a little more.
I am sad that in American Theatre the true inquisitive "polis" of the Greeks has been nearly eviscerated from the American Theatre. At least British theatre has in their genetics a sense of the political. Even those dreaded Russians do. Angels in America was brilliant, but that was 1993!
The Greeks in their Democracy argued in their theatre not only the politics but the actual THEOLOGY that was the basis of their political STATE. It was not only expected, but was almost demanded that they do! (Antigone anyone?!) Of course they also made Socrates drink hemlock. And look what happened to the Athens of the Greeks! They stopped questioning/growing and they eventually died off, along with their gods.
If anyone else has some commetns about this little play, I'd apreciate them.
best,
in media resLast edited on Sat Oct 6th, 2007 12:10 pm by in media res
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Proboscisbunny
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Posted: Sat Oct 6th, 2007 12:05 pm |
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in media res -
I really liked it. I admire the way it grew, led by his craziness and tempered by her. I LOVE that she knits...I'm kooky like that. And the end was an absolute suprise, and it worked...made me laugh out loud.
Rock on!
Vanessa
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Luana Krause
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Posted: Sat Oct 6th, 2007 12:10 pm |
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Another quick comment: I really like the name of your Congressman: Cantwell...brilliant!
Luana
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in media res
Member
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Posted: Sat Oct 6th, 2007 12:11 pm |
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Vanessa,
Thank you.
Teaching...tough job, eh?!!
best,
in media res
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muncy
Member
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Posted: Sat Oct 6th, 2007 05:57 pm |
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Well done imr. It is good to know that whenever I want to read good quality contempory theatre, I will always find it on this site.
David
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Edd
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| Joined: | Sat Jun 10th, 2006 |
| Location: | Denver, Colorado USA |
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Posted: Sun Oct 7th, 2007 01:37 pm |
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in medea res,
I will spare you one of my long-winded tomes on why I loved your play. I just did.
There was a book out many years ago about how we’ve learned everything we need to know by kindergarten, or maybe it was third grade. Your play brought that to mind. We are taught well, for the most part, and then we learn to rationalize and make excuses for our behavior and, ultimately, for ourselves. We have great examples—Jefferson, Lincoln and Washington, for instance—and in time we delegate them to myth.
I remember when the “saying” was something about how the C-students were running everything. That too was a very long time ago. I miss the C-students—at least we still spoke the same language and believed in Goodness and in Reason—and knew how to make change at the market. I lament.
Your play is wonderful, my friend.
~Edd
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Proboscisbunny
Member
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Posted: Mon Oct 8th, 2007 01:21 am |
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Robert Fulghum wrote All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten, and a bunch of other "simple wisdom" books....I read them all a million moons ago.
I could use some sime wisdom....
Vanessa
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Luana Krause
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Posted: Mon Oct 8th, 2007 02:54 am |
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Hi, Vanessa: I wrote something a while back on a similar topic. I'm a huge Marx Brothers fan, so I came up with a funny bit I call "Everything I Know About Life I Learned from the Marx Brothers:
When invited to a dinner party always bring your own silverware. Hide it in your sleeve.
Being the “dummy” in bridge is a good thing.
You’ll get far in life if you know how to sing like Maurice Chevalier.
Wiggling your eyebrows lowers your blood pressure.
Never leave the house without a trench coat, top hat and a bicycle horn.
In the event of war, inspire the troops with a “hey nonny nonny and a ha cha cha.”
Get a leg-up on the competition.
When at the opera, don’t forget to bring popcorn.
Expand your horizons by hiding in closets.
If you want to impress people, speak with an Italian accent. Use this phrase at least once: “Dat’s a-right, boss!”
Never pass up an opportunity to play patty-cake with a gangster.
Don’t be a finicky eater. Flowers, thermometers and saucers are quite nutritious.
Push a doorbell and run.
“Sweet Adeline” sounds best when sung crouched inside a barrel.
Make sure no one’s watching when you cheat at solitaire.
You can always count on your brother to light your cigar with a blowtorch.
Marry for money.
Never stiff the bartender at a speakeasy.
***
Luana
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Proboscisbunny
Member
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Posted: Mon Oct 8th, 2007 12:21 pm |
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Ah, yes..."marry for money." My Mom said that....
V
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in media res
Member
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Posted: Tue Oct 9th, 2007 02:34 pm |
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Thank you all for the perceptive and valuable comments. They all helped me immensely. Of course, I am very happy you liked it, but the final "fine-tuning" of a play is what makes it really good or just "okay."
I compare it to "lay-in" or "set-in" carpenters who do the rough work in building houses or restorations, and the "finisher" carpenters. Both are very vital to having a job well done. If the finishers weren't there the results would look ugly.
I often call actors "The Finishers" in the theatre. We are the final work before the audience sees the construct of the playwright. If we aren't good we become the glaring scratches and dents and flaws on the playwright's work and efforts (if the play was "set-in" right in the first place!)
Again, as always on The Forum, thank you for your helpful ideas/comments.
best,
in media res
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