Fascinating play. I get the feeling that Howard, for all his youthful writings in favor of the underclass, was mere adopting that posture always popular among the well-off, that their hearts are really with those less fortunate. Of course, that's rarely how it actually works out -- those with privilege will rarely actually jeopardize their privilege -- but it sure makes for a convincing pose. That's one of the things I like about this play: I really want to know more about the details of this society, but in the end I really don't need to. Some things are just timeless.
@1:00:18 and to the end of the play: I'm hearing, on a more horrific way (because of the context), thematic resonances of Wally in My Dinner With Andre, who is also willing to accept a reduced and ever-narrowing world devoid of mystery or warmth whatsoever. If Camus wrote about the Rebel, Shawn writes of the absolute anti-Rebel, who is also willing to see the absurdity of life, but is willing to make his peace with that fact -- and just how inhuman it is to make that peace with it, politically and existentially.
Mr. Wallace Shawn and company that was a brilliant piece of work! As in Orwell, most people are asleep or blissfully ignorant. As in your play, certain people will be singled out and when they disappear, no one will notice.
There are actually several new Deborah Eisenberg stories since that book, so it does not quite contain "everything." And she's not wearing black here! Seriously unusual. :-)
Fascinating play. I get the feeling that Howard, for all his youthful writings in favor of the underclass, was mere adopting that posture always popular among the well-off, that their hearts are really with those less fortunate. Of course, that's rarely how it actually works out -- those with privilege will rarely actually jeopardize their privilege -- but it sure makes for a convincing pose.
That's one of the things I like about this play: I really want to know more about the details of this society, but in the end I really don't need to. Some things are just timeless.
@1:00:18 and to the end of the play: I'm hearing, on a more horrific way (because of the context), thematic resonances of Wally in My Dinner With Andre, who is also willing to accept a reduced and ever-narrowing world devoid of mystery or warmth whatsoever. If Camus wrote about the Rebel, Shawn writes of the absolute anti-Rebel, who is also willing to see the absurdity of life, but is willing to make his peace with that fact -- and just how inhuman it is to make that peace with it, politically and existentially.
Mr. Wallace Shawn and company that was a brilliant piece of work!
As in Orwell, most people are asleep or blissfully ignorant.
As in your play, certain people will be singled out and when they disappear, no one will notice.
There are actually several new Deborah Eisenberg stories since that book, so it does not quite contain "everything." And she's not wearing black here! Seriously unusual. :-)