Bonus Play: Matt and Ben! by Mindy Kaling & Brenda Withers

First off I'm gonna start this post off by saying Matt and Ben is one of my all time favorite plays! It is a hilarious show that I enjoy reading every time I pick it up. Now keep in mind this play is intended to be played by two woman, but it can go both ways. Mat and Ben is based off of yes you guessed it, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Before they hit it big with their Academy Award Winning script  Good Will Hunting  the two boys are broke living in a small two bedroom apartment in Boston. While they are trying to achieve fame we find them writing a crappy film adaption of Catcher In The Rye. When suddenly their award winning script magically falls from the ceiling completely finished. The two have to decide whether they cash in on this or throw it away in fear that they might get caught with it. Now since were in a script analysis class I presume this would be the appropriate time to apply what I've learned. When looking at  Matt and Ben  the underlining question of the play is simple. "Will they take the easy road or the hard road to achieve success?" Inevitably the characteristics of the two collide when we see hard working and innocent Matt Damon and lazy and big headed Ben Affleck fighting over what to do with the script. Matt wants to take the high road and get rid of it whereas Ben wants to do the complete opposite. This play is one that I absolutely love the crazy antics and shenanigans that happen on stage make it well worth the read.

4000 Miles #5

4000 Miles

I think the ultimate motif behind this play focuses on the personal stories and lives of the characters. When I read 4000 Miles it was almost like watching real life rather than a play. It doesn't have any fancy costumes or elaborate/ eccentric characters. It just takes a strong approach on the dialogue and the different lives of the characters. It is almost like we are strictly there to observe what is going on and for us to interpret why things are the way they are based off of the character’s actions and decisions. When looking at the lives of these characters we direct our intention on to how the three are individually dealing with their own change. Each character has their own story and as the play progresses you begin to discover more about them. That is what I believe that was Amy Herzog’s main motif when writing this play. To portray how different people can have a different outcome or interpretations in life. More importantly how a common event that is shared by Leo, Vera, and Bec can affect them differently. The play is set right at the time Leo arrives in New York to visit his grandmother, Vera.  Prior to this arrival Leo had a traumatic experience in which his best friend has lost his life. This seemingly has left Leo to feel lost without any sense of direction. What drove him to seek comfort with his Vera is uncertain, but regardless of what has happened she notices something is wrong and humbly takes him in. Though his friend’s death is a very sensitive topic I began to notice a reoccurring pattern with Leo. Whenever his family or more specifically his mother is brought up Leo tends to lose his cool. For a majority of the play it’s never really mentioned why he is so angry until he finally unfolds and reveals what has happened. Because of this I feel Vera is able to sense he is troubled which is why she feels the need to take him in. If we were to look at the big picture of this and decipher what is the main question of the show it would be, “Who needs who?” Does Leo need Vera to help him get through this or does Vera need Leo so she can have a sense of want. Ultimately I believe it was Herzog’s main intention to show that the changes of one person can affect the lives of others. 

Damn Judith You Scary #4

Howard Barker’s Judith is a chillingly power play centered on lust and betrayal. Judith a prostitute is sent to the bedchamber of Holofernes a powerful general leading an attack against Israel. This puts Judith in a difficult position when she must make the decision of whether or not she should murder Holofernes. In doing so she would save the lives of thousands of people and put an end to the war. However, conflict arises within Judith’s character when she is faced with the opportunity of ending his life. Because of this conflict I firmly believe the major dramatic question of the play is does Judith actually love Holofernes. In loving him it is the only thing that would prevent her from going through with his death. Judith is faced with a tough decision. On one hand it logically makes sense to end his life, but on the other hand her heart is invested in him. Inevitably making his death a difficult one. As the Servant says “one of them is lying but who?” It is in my opinion that Judith truly does love him, and the only lie she is telling is that she doesn't love him. It gives reason and justifies the way she acts after Holofernes is dead making it in my opinion the main question of the script.

Night Mother #3

What causes somebody to take their own life? At what point do we decide that we've had enough and we're ready to get off? The topic of suicide tends to be placed into specific categories of anger, depression , or loneliness. However, in Marsha Norman's, Night Mother the idea of suicide is shown in a completely different light. Jessie is an ordinary, middle class women, in an ordinary, middle class living neighborhood, where ordinary people would not contemplate the possibility of suicide, much less discuss it.The conflict arises with Jessie's contemplation of taking her own life. What makes this play interesting is her reasoning behind this decision. Jessie simply just wants it her life to come to an end plain and simple. Thoughts like this are not usually common in people with such a steady mind. Because of this unusual situation you are left to ask yourself will she actually kill herself? Can somebody end their life for the sake of ending it? This question fuels the scripts and builds the anticipation of its readers. You are only left to decide whether or not you believe Jessie will take her own life. Rational thinkers can see this play ending one way and emotional thinkers another. This causes the reader to have a different outcomes and perceptions of Jessie's decision. This is why the question of Jessie's death is the MDQ of the script. It is a question that initially lead to a series of different answers and provokes the thoughts of its readers.Without this as the MDQ the play would have no conflict for the characters to be faced with.  

Trifles #2

Trifles

The rooms are cold and barren, the kitchen remains completely untouched, and the air is heavy with the death of John Wright still looming around the house. Susan Glaspell's Trifles is a wonderfully executed murder mystery style play. When John Wright is found dead in his bedroom four characters are left to search the house for any evidence that might uncover the truth behind his mysterious death. What made this script such an enjoyable read for me was the struggle between Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hales as they began to uncover the possibility that it was Mrs. Wright who murdered her own husband. On one hand the two women find themselves completely on the side of the law. If Mrs. Wright did in fact kill her husband then she deserves to remain in jail and be found guilty. But on the other hand, as they begin to search through the kitchen the women discover a new sympathetic understanding through their new perspective. This begins to unfold through a series of Mrs. Wright's possessions, all of which indicated signs of an utterly unhappy life. As Mrs. Hale proceeds to explain how happy Mrs. Wright used to be before she wedded the cold and harsh man that is John Wright. It almost justifies all of her actions regardless of how heinous they were. When trying to look through the playwrights perspective in creating these specific details I began to interpret what each of the characters represented. When looking at the big picture you have to look at whats happening. In the big scheme, a problem arises and you have to solve the problem. You can either handle the problem logically or emotionally. The Sheriff and the County Attorney in my interpretation represent the logical standpoint of the death. They are there to find hard facts and evidence to take a logical standpoint to prove why this all happened. Whereas the woman in the play take an emotional stance and try to understand why such a thing would happen in the first place. In doing this Glaspell is able to appeal to each reader. Some of us are logical thinkers and others are emotional thinkers thus, this play has the ability to generate different answers as to the guilt or innocence of Mrs. Wright

Overtones #1

Overtones

What if how you felt on the inside could manifest itself into a real person?  Would these manifestations of inner emotions be the same as your outward appearance? In Alice Gerstenberg’s Overtones  the emotions and inner thoughts of Harriet and Margaret come to life on stage in a comedic and brutally honest fashion. Upon reading this script I found myself being utterly humored and entertained, by the concept of the character’s thoughts fighting its way into the conversation. There are so many instances in our lives where we wish we could just blurt out everything that we truly felt on the inside, but don’t in fear that it might strike a chord with somebody’s emotions. When taking a step back and looking at the big picture of what’s really happening I found myself being humored at the idea that this is what it’s like whenever two women sit down and talk to each other. As mentioned in class this was exactly like watching an episode of Real Housewives of really rich and fancy area where you’re too poor to live. Aside from all of this, Gerstenberg’s play offers a lot of room for creativity in depicting and/or portraying the manifestation of a character’s inner most thoughts.  For example it is mentioned in the director’s notes that both of the primitive women on stage are wearing a slightly different color than their respective character as a way to represent what that character is about. Whenever I read a play I usually find myself taking a production standpoint as a way to visualize exactly what I am reading. With this little excerpt alone there are so many different things that can be done whether it’s casting decisions, lighting, costumes the use of a manifestation has a lot to offer. Overtones is definitely a wonderfully creative and well thought out play.