Instead of eating breakfast this morning I watched a romantic, old movie. Come Live with Me was made in 1941 and stars James Stewart and Hedy Lamarr. (The Turner Classic Movies channel is playing Hedy Lamarr films in honor of it being her birthday today.)
Lamarr plays an immigrant whose temporary visa has expired and must either leave the country or marry an American citizen. Fortunately she finds Stewart. Stewart is a down-on-his-luck writer who's just lost his last dime. She quickly convinces him to marry her in exchange for just enough money for him to live on each week. He immediately sits down to write this story that is stranger than fiction... though he's not sure how to end it since she just visits once a week to drop off a check and doesn't seem the slightest bit interested in actually loving this man she's married. He is urged by the milk man to make the character get off his butt, or as he puts it "...get some pants", and get the girl because the story needs a happy ending. Stewart's character sends out the first couple chapters of his book to publishers, one of whom recognizes the story because he is Lamarr's older, rich, married boyfriend who is about to ask his wife for a divorce so he can marry Lamarr's character. The publisher's wife loves the story instantly and insists that he give Stewart an advance. Stewart uses the advance to whisk Lamarr off to the country to visit his wise grandmother. In the end Stewart recites some poetry to Lamarr and she falls for him and decides to staty with the writer in the country rather than go to a life of luxury with the publisher.
Moral of the story: pretty words always get the girl. It doesn't matter what you look like or how much money you make, if you write or recite poetry the girl is yours. (I believe Sherman Alexie said something to that effect when I saw him speak.)
Just beware of those other literate men.
Now, classic films are really no substitute for breakfast, so I am going to go get a bowl of cereal.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Musical Trickster
If I remember correctly there was a musical artist, about ten years ago, by the name of Chris Gaines who suddenly appeared out of the woodwork and with great fanfare. He appeared on Saturday Night Live and was rumored to be starring in a movie. After a very short while of everyone questioning 'ooooh, who's this new pop star?' it was revealed that he was actually a well known country music star of the time- Garth Brooks. He'd slapped on a long-ish wig, struck some moody poses in a photo shoot and put an album out under his psuedonym. The life and popularity of Chris Gaines turned out to be very short-lived, but also put Garth Brooks very much in the spotlight for that time. I'm willing to bet that the stunt was at least a little beneficial to his career.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
An Example Of Trickster In Theatre
Those who have been in classes with me should know that I have a propensity for relating any topic whatsoever to the theatre. Well, I'm going to do it again.
On November 1st I had the pleasure of attending the Talking Book Salon that is sponsored by the MSU English department and is held on the first tuesday of the month. The topic was trickster figures and it was facilitated by Dr. Sexson with the help of his grad students. We were asked to identify trickster figures in film, music, and literature. I submited the Marx Brothers, a group of vaudville actors who made several popular films in the 20's, 30's and 40's. In their films they were constantly deceiving the affluent authority figures, encroaching on the personal space of women, stealing the girl(or at least trying), and somehow getting far more from those around them than they should have gotten. They were highly influential to the art of comedy as we know it. Shades of the Marx Brothers and references to them can be found everywhere, from Woody Allen to The Simpsons to the character of Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H. However, the comedy of the Marx Brothers was nothing new. Long before they appeared on the New York Vaudville scene actors were hamming it up in a form of theatre called Commedia dell' Arte.
Commedia dell' Arte originated in Italy in the mid-1500's and involves a set of stock characters and a combination of formulaic skits called lazzi. The actors were all well-versed in the characters they played and the lazzi were rehearsed extensively. During the course of a show this preparation allowed the actors to abruptly switch to a new lazzi as needed. One example of this is a lazzi that could be turned to if things were not going well and the audience was not enjoying the performance. The lazzi of nightfall was very popular and I'm guessing was pretty much infallible. One actor would indicate that night had suddenly fallen and everyone would procede to lurch their way around bumping into things, mistaking identities and often groping one another. The audience would, of course, be entertained by their antics.
Now, how do I argue that this all ties into the idea of the trickster?
Firstly, trickery abounds in Commedia dell' Arte. A character will pretend to be crazy so that he can freely beat the people around him or a dead character pops up to inform the audience that it is rude to disturb the dead. A character puts on an accent and pretends not to speak English in order to dupe someone out of his money. Over and over the characters are tricked by one another and the audience is tricked by the actors.
Secondly, identities and situations are never solid, certain and expected. In one lazzi two affluent characters hire servants to fight their duel for them. When they all meet to carry out the planned duel it is discovered that the two servants are old friends and have no intention of fighting. Characters change form through magic and also physically twist their bodies into alternate forms. Identical twins are mistaken for one another, usually with one getting the other in trouble.
Thirdly, most lazzi, in some way or another, deal with profane or disgusting acts. The male characters are always trying to get the female characters into bed or at least grope them. Simulated sex acts are common and erections are fair game as well. Enemas, usually unnecesary, are a very popular topic too. In one lazzi a female character is tied to a tree and two drunk male characters, upon discovering her, decide to urinate on the nearest tree... which, of course, is the one she is tied to.
Trickster is a central figure in this form of theatre. The lazzi of Commedia dell' Arte is full of examples of trickery and deception and this form of comedic theatre is a part of the origins of our present day sense of comedy and has informed and helped create many of our present day trickster figures.
Now, give me a topic, any topic, and I'll relate it to the art of theatre!
On November 1st I had the pleasure of attending the Talking Book Salon that is sponsored by the MSU English department and is held on the first tuesday of the month. The topic was trickster figures and it was facilitated by Dr. Sexson with the help of his grad students. We were asked to identify trickster figures in film, music, and literature. I submited the Marx Brothers, a group of vaudville actors who made several popular films in the 20's, 30's and 40's. In their films they were constantly deceiving the affluent authority figures, encroaching on the personal space of women, stealing the girl(or at least trying), and somehow getting far more from those around them than they should have gotten. They were highly influential to the art of comedy as we know it. Shades of the Marx Brothers and references to them can be found everywhere, from Woody Allen to The Simpsons to the character of Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H. However, the comedy of the Marx Brothers was nothing new. Long before they appeared on the New York Vaudville scene actors were hamming it up in a form of theatre called Commedia dell' Arte.
Commedia dell' Arte originated in Italy in the mid-1500's and involves a set of stock characters and a combination of formulaic skits called lazzi. The actors were all well-versed in the characters they played and the lazzi were rehearsed extensively. During the course of a show this preparation allowed the actors to abruptly switch to a new lazzi as needed. One example of this is a lazzi that could be turned to if things were not going well and the audience was not enjoying the performance. The lazzi of nightfall was very popular and I'm guessing was pretty much infallible. One actor would indicate that night had suddenly fallen and everyone would procede to lurch their way around bumping into things, mistaking identities and often groping one another. The audience would, of course, be entertained by their antics.
Now, how do I argue that this all ties into the idea of the trickster?
Firstly, trickery abounds in Commedia dell' Arte. A character will pretend to be crazy so that he can freely beat the people around him or a dead character pops up to inform the audience that it is rude to disturb the dead. A character puts on an accent and pretends not to speak English in order to dupe someone out of his money. Over and over the characters are tricked by one another and the audience is tricked by the actors.
Secondly, identities and situations are never solid, certain and expected. In one lazzi two affluent characters hire servants to fight their duel for them. When they all meet to carry out the planned duel it is discovered that the two servants are old friends and have no intention of fighting. Characters change form through magic and also physically twist their bodies into alternate forms. Identical twins are mistaken for one another, usually with one getting the other in trouble.
Thirdly, most lazzi, in some way or another, deal with profane or disgusting acts. The male characters are always trying to get the female characters into bed or at least grope them. Simulated sex acts are common and erections are fair game as well. Enemas, usually unnecesary, are a very popular topic too. In one lazzi a female character is tied to a tree and two drunk male characters, upon discovering her, decide to urinate on the nearest tree... which, of course, is the one she is tied to.
Trickster is a central figure in this form of theatre. The lazzi of Commedia dell' Arte is full of examples of trickery and deception and this form of comedic theatre is a part of the origins of our present day sense of comedy and has informed and helped create many of our present day trickster figures.
Now, give me a topic, any topic, and I'll relate it to the art of theatre!
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