Re: nudity in college theatre

[flinchbau...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, March 13, 1996 at 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, Jeffrey Sweet wrote:
> Grant,
>
> Well, of course intentions are different in different styles of theatre and
> with different plays.
>
> My basic argument is that the theatre plays poor second cousin to film when
> trying to counterfeit the literal. No matter how outrageous and
> improbable, what occurs in film looks real. For instance, the whole joke
> of the opening sequences in the James Bond movies is that they are
> impossible but are persuasively staged.
>
> To repeat myself, the stage plays to its strength when it embraces its
> metaphoric nature. Things are not what they are on the stage. Things
> represent other things. The audience collaborates in the translation of
> meaning and so becomes active in the event. "Equus" onstage would not work
> with real horses, but the use of masks on mimes brings it into a theatrical
> world. In the film, of course, the use of masks would have been ludicrous;
> so they used real horses.
>
> Anyway, anyway --
>
> Jeff

I see no reason for such gratuitous idiocracy and why anyone, male or female feels some quirky need to publicly expose oneself. Equus being the prime example of what nobody should be watching, as they obviously just want to lust after the actor or actress, or both.

Jim

[Jack Hemlin]

flinchbau...@gmail.com wrote:
> I see no reason for such gratuitous idiocracy and why anyone, male or female
> feels some quirky need to publicly expose oneself. Equus being the prime
> example of what nobody should be watching, as they obviously just want to
> lust after the actor or actress, or both.
>
> Jim

I think, properly done, it can speak to the vulnerability of the characters
on stage. The key term is, of course, "properly done". I once saw a college
performance of "The Grapes of Wrath". In that performance, there was a
scene where two of the main characters stripped naked to jump into a lake
after a long journey. I thought it was excessive, but I think the director
was trying to create a moment that spoke to what was essentially the last
instance of freedom and calm the characters would have before making the
journey to California and all the trials that would be experienced.

I don't know if you have seen the film "All That Jazz", but there is a
moment in the film where the main character, his girlfriend, and his
daughter all are laughing with each other and having a great time.
This is a turning point in the film; it all goes downhill for the
main character from there. For this performance of "Grapes", I think
this was also what the director was trying to imply. Unfortunately,
as I mentioned earlier, I think it came off as a bit excessive even if
I understood the main purpose of the moment.