Snow in Midsummer by Guan Hanqing
A Servant to Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni
Dona Rosita the Spinster by Federico Garcia Lorca
READ AND UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROJECT! Do not wait to get your hands on these books. I got all three on Amazon for $31.99; that was easiest for me. You folks can get them from the library, buy and share...whatever you need to do. Bring on the questions! DUE TO WALDEN MARCH 14TH!
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19 comments:
I might regret saying this, but I was able to find all three titles in various collections at the library. Don't reserve them! They are mine! (Malicious laugh) But seriously, I'll bring in all three (even Snow in Midsummer ) as soon as I get them.
I guess for once i should have looked at the Hamilton county website.
I think I'm doing Servant of Two Masters but I want to see the Snow one.
Well, you'll read all three for your class work. Don't worry. They are all rather short. A word of advice...do some context research and read the forewards or notes for the various editions you may find. You will get some good direction from the forewards as t o the cultural context, which may guide your vision for the project. Details about the classwork to follow via email, but, if you've started reading, think about your VISION for each piece.
I've started Snow in Midsummer and its pretty much straightforwardly incomprehensible. It's not hard to understand, but the characters say what they do and then do it. Somewhat Brechtian. Anyone else have Snowy comments.
If you do a little research, you'll see that the repetition of setting, movement and constant summarization are style points of Chinese Drama. Remember Kat's Kabuki gimmick where she'd strike a pose and we'd say her name loudly? The genre has some very specifil style requirements...just reading it off the page it does seem weird that Dou E and Mrs. Cai keep repeating their names and what they just said...but it's not short attention span theatre. It is a plot device traditionally used. With all of these pieces, try to be open minded and, if you are completely thrown, do a little research on the genre. Remember, read the forwards/introductions to the plays. They are uber helpful. Remember that research is one of our seven class objectives, and, by now, I'm hoping that you can see the insight a bit of trolling around can give you.
I'm sorry, Joe. What I wrote sounded kind of sarcastic ("f you'll do a little research")Unintentional. Still, research!
Another note about SIW, Joe: I read the whole thing in one sitting. It helped to see the scope of it when it is viewed in its entirity. I does seem disjointed if you don't, you're right.
Wait, we have to read them all? boo, I just was settled on servant of two masters as soon as the stage directions discussed a duck on a leash in this crazy adaptation I have. It was so dissimilar to Joe's I wonder why IB doesn't have more stringent requirements.
I assume we don't have to worry about copyright infringement since we're not selling this work right?
Dona Rosita irritated me from the first word and I'll wait till y'all are done to see snow in midwinter..
The main problem with Servant of Two masters is that all the characters are supposed to be familiar (since they're stock right, so every comedia play has the same characters)??
I can't really distinguish a plot within the text either...
Commedia is like any other genre...it has its traditional plot devices. Much of it centers around the lazzi, or physically comedic moments. I'm glad to see you two have gotten a head start!
aaron, which version do you have? Mine has a goofy framing scene in the beginning that has little to do with the play within the play, which is actually the focus of the play: published by Dramatist Play Sevice. Which is yours? Joe, what version do you have? I'm interested in the differences. IB used to have very strict guidelines, even giving ISBN numbers, but they changed that.
Mine is in a compliation, and has no preface.
Joe, is there a forward to the compilation? my version of SIM is in a compilation, and there was a very interesting forward about Hanqing's work that put him into a historical perspective and what his work was meant to represent about women and society. The forward also gave me some information that helped me understand the dialogue format and how a production would look. If not, then just do some generalized research on the gnre and author. Informal browsing for information wil really help you to understand the context of the play.
What exactly do you mean by colors and textures that we visualize. LIke for A Servant to Two Masters, I do not understand where we would discuss that. Are you talking about costumes?
Think about the "feel" of the play. Is it light? dark? heavy? gossamer? When I think of "The Ugly Duckling," which was Kat's one act piece, I think of brights and bold. flourecent colors. childlike bold lines and a lack of detail. Squiggles. I think Of that shiny, shimmery material that is like satin but has metallic flecks in it (sorry, I don't know what it's called) and, for some reason, triangles. These are the whimsical colors and textures I feel when thinking about the "feel" of that piece. It could be incorporated into the costumes and the set eventually, yes, but a character could arise from it as well. The movement of a character could be influenced by a texture. I wass in a play called top girls in which I portrayed a Dutch warrior (not suprising, I'm sure...:)) and my director told me..."Be Iron!" She wanted my movement to be iron...cold, hard, smooth, strong. It made sense. "Iron" has color a nd texture, and, when Carol read the play, "Iron" is what she saw in Dul Gret.
My play for servant is exactly the same as yours Mrs. Cook. It seems like a really good adaptation.
okay thanks
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