Okay... this is not going to be a real post today. It's more of a... pre-post warning (which sounds kind of oxymoronic). Basically, I'm going to go see Anton Chekhov's play "Three Sisters" this weekend at the Yale Rep. and I am REALLY EXCITED. You can probably expect a review by Sunday.
I hope that all of your weekends look as promising as mine!
Love,
Caty
P.S. Chekhov is the man. Even if he did call "The Seagull" a "comedy"
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
"A 'Rushin' Play And Tales of Family Angst"
Well... I can't think of anything interesting to say about what's going on in my life right now that hasn't been said before. So I'll just say that Procrastination is a life choice, and I have chosen it. As a result, I can write a pretty decent paper in under an hour. I probably shouldn't push my procrastination skills too much, though. Anyway, I've read two reasonably famous plays lately, and I'm going to tell you about them both.
Instead of reviewing one thing at time, like I normally do, I'm going to switch it up by doing a little compare and contrast of the play "Buried Child" by Sam Shepard and "The Seagull" by Anton Chekhov. Both plays concerned dysfunctional family relations. "Buried Child" took place in rural Illinois and "The Seagull" took place in Russia (I really just don't know where) on an estate by a lake. Shepard explored such things as personal identity vs. family inheritance, incestuous relationships, and the dynamics of a broken family. "The Seagull" also had an element of familial issues because of a rather complex Love Square (even more deadly than the feared Love Triangle!). There is very professional visualization below:
Perhaps my favorite part about both of these plays, though, was the way they mixed tragedy with comedy. For "Buried Child" it was the way the family communicated with each other (through slander and leg-pulling), and for Chekhov it was the complexities of everyday life as well as a light kind of tone.
To be completely honest, I HATED "Buried Child" the first time I read it. I didn't agree with one of the main themes and I thought it was just too dark. Upon re-reading it I liked it, though. I think that this is because by the time I got to the end of the play I forgot all of the comedy in the beginning. As for "The Seagull," I liked it. I just don't think it should be called a "Comedy," no matter how ironic it is. If you read it/have read it, you will know what I mean.
I was going to do a much more in-depth compare and contrast, but I seem to have lost some motivation. I do, after all, have Devo blasting and another play to read ("Golden Boy"). I will leave you with the most frustrating and most enjoyable parts of each play.
"Buried Child": Very ambiguous about a great deal of things, but has some very funny moments and allows for a lot of individual interpretation.
"The Seagull": All of the characters have 3 names (which makes it VERY DIFFICULT to read effectively), but was written beautifully (could be one of my favorite plays, even if it is NOT a comedy).
Other than read plays, all I've done is watch "The Princess & The Frog" (which I love). It's set in the '30s, has Jazz music composed by Randy Newman, and is a classically drawn Disney movie. I think that there is no way this movie couldn't be awesome. But then again, I like Disney movies...
So, anyway, I have some Calculus homework to punch in the face and some Dunkin' Donuts coffee to drink. I bid you adieu and hope that wherever you may be in life and in the world, you have a great day.
Love,
Caty
Instead of reviewing one thing at time, like I normally do, I'm going to switch it up by doing a little compare and contrast of the play "Buried Child" by Sam Shepard and "The Seagull" by Anton Chekhov. Both plays concerned dysfunctional family relations. "Buried Child" took place in rural Illinois and "The Seagull" took place in Russia (I really just don't know where) on an estate by a lake. Shepard explored such things as personal identity vs. family inheritance, incestuous relationships, and the dynamics of a broken family. "The Seagull" also had an element of familial issues because of a rather complex Love Square (even more deadly than the feared Love Triangle!). There is very professional visualization below:
To be completely honest, I HATED "Buried Child" the first time I read it. I didn't agree with one of the main themes and I thought it was just too dark. Upon re-reading it I liked it, though. I think that this is because by the time I got to the end of the play I forgot all of the comedy in the beginning. As for "The Seagull," I liked it. I just don't think it should be called a "Comedy," no matter how ironic it is. If you read it/have read it, you will know what I mean.
I was going to do a much more in-depth compare and contrast, but I seem to have lost some motivation. I do, after all, have Devo blasting and another play to read ("Golden Boy"). I will leave you with the most frustrating and most enjoyable parts of each play.
"Buried Child": Very ambiguous about a great deal of things, but has some very funny moments and allows for a lot of individual interpretation.
"The Seagull": All of the characters have 3 names (which makes it VERY DIFFICULT to read effectively), but was written beautifully (could be one of my favorite plays, even if it is NOT a comedy).
Other than read plays, all I've done is watch "The Princess & The Frog" (which I love). It's set in the '30s, has Jazz music composed by Randy Newman, and is a classically drawn Disney movie. I think that there is no way this movie couldn't be awesome. But then again, I like Disney movies...
So, anyway, I have some Calculus homework to punch in the face and some Dunkin' Donuts coffee to drink. I bid you adieu and hope that wherever you may be in life and in the world, you have a great day.
Love,
Caty
Thursday, September 15, 2011
"The Unusual Suspects"
College is... not too shabby! I've made a few more friends, and am starting to feel like I actually live here. Saw some Alaskans this past weekend, which was awesome, went to NYC (AMAZING), and just generally had a decent week. But enough about me, what of my reviews that I know you're all just DYING to read?! Well, I've got a few, so don't worry.
A truly wonderful film that I watched was "The Usual Suspects." Kevin Spacey is the actor I want to be some day. He's so amazing! The plot twist was one I would normally catch, but he fooled me. I don't want to give anything away, so I can't really say much besides "watch the movie!"
Another goodie that I rewatched lately was "Julie & Julia." Frankly... it's a chick-flick (though I did get my brother to watch it and he enjoyed it!). It's very cute and creative. Amy Adams is one of my very favorite actresses. If you're looking for a lot of depth, look elsewhere. However, this flick has more to offer than some lame kiss-kiss movie. It's good. Watch it... if you like chick flicks, anyway.
I really can't think of any other movies right now. I've been too busy for them lately! Anyway, stay classy, have a great day.
Love,
Caty
A truly wonderful film that I watched was "The Usual Suspects." Kevin Spacey is the actor I want to be some day. He's so amazing! The plot twist was one I would normally catch, but he fooled me. I don't want to give anything away, so I can't really say much besides "watch the movie!"
Another goodie that I rewatched lately was "Julie & Julia." Frankly... it's a chick-flick (though I did get my brother to watch it and he enjoyed it!). It's very cute and creative. Amy Adams is one of my very favorite actresses. If you're looking for a lot of depth, look elsewhere. However, this flick has more to offer than some lame kiss-kiss movie. It's good. Watch it... if you like chick flicks, anyway.
I really can't think of any other movies right now. I've been too busy for them lately! Anyway, stay classy, have a great day.
Love,
Caty
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