I remember my high school drama teacher very vividly. She knew a lot about performance and therefore had very strong, sarcastic and usually hilarious opinions about such matters. I remember her proclaiming angrily to the class, after seeing a performance of Spring Awakening, "YOU DO NOT HIRE CHILDREN TO PLAY CHILDREN, you hire adults that look like children." I remember thinking defensively, how harsh. Then realizing, I am a harsh bitch when it comes to performances, especially vocal performances [And let's not lie, I'm sure you are too reader.] So even though watching the live performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is way more funny then just listening to the track, I've posted the track because all the youtube versions I found seemed sub-par.This is a piece that demands greatness.
On a similar note, I have trouble accepting the "copies"/ several performances of Duchman. I have trouble believing that all interpretations/performances of the play are "right," as opposed to having one agreed upon "right." (For example: in the fictional cinematic battle between "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factor" I would like to believe that Gene Wilder and Mel Stuart win, hands down) Many elements of the Cherry Lane Theatre version of Dutchman seemed frivolous. The random, "emotion evoking" music, camera angles and horror light are reminiscent of the soap operas I hear the older women talking about in my local hair salon. Using these theatrical elements in a play like the Dutchman felt like a farce for me and turning such writing into a farce borders on dangerous when you have a blond white woman running around screaming "nigger" and killing black men; personifying the criticisms coming out of Harlem that labeled the show as "white-hating." By the end Clay's anger seems to come out of no where and he starts talking with an accent like Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York. (When is cinematic gold in Gangs of New York... not so much here.)
(Alright it might be a touch of exaggeration, but after 40 minutes, this is seriously what I heard.)
Even the article surrounding the Dutchman through me. It reports, "Dutchman is an emotionally charged and highly symbolic version of the Adam and Eve story. The emotionally taut, intellectual verbal fencing between Clay (the black Adam) and Lula (a white Eve) spirals irrevocably to the symbolic act of violence that will apparently repeat itself over and over again." I find this a little far fetched. The only similarity I can find that could seem like a metaphor for the story of the fall is their constant reference to eating apples "eat an apple with me," "I am the woman that eats apples," ect. I am open to the fact that I could be completely wrong, that everything I've written in this blog up till this point is complete bullshit but it always appears that when people feel the need to write criticism/reviews they decide what they will write about before having anything to back it up. For example, one would say "I want to write a feminist criticism about the Dutchman" then they would drawn on factors like Clay's aggression in his ending monologue and the facts that Lula's wearing a slinky dress and go on a 15 page rant about Baraka's intention to illustrate the feminist position in modern times. In the interpretation of Dutchman as Adam and Eve Lula would be both Eve and the Serpent, Adam being both her lover and her prey. Eve would kill Adam and the animals of Eden would dispose of the body. Also Adam and Eve would be of different racial backgrounds. Which is not possible with Eve being made from the rib of Adam and all that jazz. I believe the difference of race is a much more prominent factor in the play then the connection of apples. Maybe I'm missing the deep symbolism or "the point" but it sounds like a stretch...
really great points, thoughts, insights here. And as usual, nice job making connections and associations between often very unlike things... that makes your readings rich and fascinating. thanks again!
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