Constant Reader discussion

Portia wrote: "I think it would be great if CR read a play or six every year. We could, perhaps read Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" starting the day after X-mas and "A Midsummer's Night's Dream" (did get all the ..."

Oh my goodness, what a coincidence! This morning on tv, I just caught most of the 1935 A Midsummer Night's Dream movie with Mickey Rooney as Puck, James Cagney as Bottom, and Olivia de Havilland, with Erich Wolfgang Korngold's orchestration of the Mendelssohn music.

BTW, I vote yes for a play thread.

"To post or not to post
That is the question ...' Tee hee !!!:P

Jane, I'm sure you've seen the 1999 version with Kevin Kline as Bottom, Michele Pfeiffer as Tatania, Stanley Tucci as Puck ...

You make a good suggestion for a Winter Holiday read. I've seen Midsummer performed at least twice in December. Wishful thinking about "the winter of our discontent [being made] splendid summer ..." perhaps.

Well, let's hope we have a few more interested parties.

Just joined CR and very up for a play thread. Are you reading now? If so, what?

I think this thread is still in the "finding out if anyone is interested" phase. And that is why we need comments like yours, Susan!

My suggestion was to read either A Midsummer Night's Dream or Twelfth Night between December 25 and January 6.

What would you like to read?

Sounds good! Either one will do, but I think I have read Twelfth Night already.

Emily, sounds like Midsummer is a good idea. Would anyone like to read a play a month starting sooner than MidWinter?

If yes, please make suggestions and then we can see where we are as a thread.

When you're ready to read it, just start a new thread under this folder.

Will do when we get there.

At the beginning of this thread there are lists of possible plays. I'd line to add "August, Osage County"
"Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe"
plays of Tennessee Williams

Basically, 20th and 21st Century works.

Is anyone interested in moderating this thread besides me? Or would like to co-mod?

Here is an idea. Woody Allen's new movie, "Blue Jasmine", with Cate Blanchett, is LOOSELY patterned on Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." Blanchett played Blanche Dubois on stage a few years ago.

Shall we set October 1 for the group read of "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams? That will give people time to read the play and/or see the movie?

Portia wrote: "Here is an idea. Woody Allen's new movie, "Blue Jasmine", with Cate Blanchett, is LOOSLY patterned on Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." Blanchett played Blanche Dubois on stage a fe..."

Sounds good to me.

☯Emily wrote: "Portia wrote: "Here is an idea. Woody Allen's new movie, "Blue Jasmine", with Cate Blanchett, is LOOSLY patterned on Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." Blanchett played Blanche Duboi..."

Okey dokey, Emily. I am looking forward to your first post on the "Streetcar" thread in October.

Don't leave me out here alone! :-)

Portia

PS. What do you think of "The Importance of Being Ernest" by Oscar Wilde for November? I like it because it has so many layers and is humorous on each one.

This is just a suggestion. The original list, compiled by Al, give us so many choices.

I love anything by Oscar Wilde. For humor, The Rivals, is top-notch. Love Mrs. Malaprop.

Choices, choices. Wonderful!

Portia wrote: ""To post or not to post
That is the question ...' Tee hee !!!:P

Jane, I'm sure you've seen the 1999 version with Kevin Kline as Bottom, Michele Pfeiffer as Tatania, Stanley Tucci as Puck ...

You..."

No, I've not seen that version.

Portia wrote: "Here is an idea. Woody Allen's new movie, "Blue Jasmine", with Cate Blanchett, is LOOSLY patterned on Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." Blanchett played Blanche Dubois on stage a fe..."

There's also a A Streetcar Named Desire by André Previn.

Jane wrote: "Portia wrote: "Here is an idea. Woody Allen's new movie, "Blue Jasmine", with Cate Blanchett, is LOOSLY patterned on Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." Blanchett played Blanche Duboi..."

Jane, I didn't know that. Is it a musical? Do you ahve a link?

We will be reading the Tennessee Williams version, but I would really like to know how to find any others.

And Happy almost Birthday.

I just read David Denby's review of "Blue Jasmine" in the 7/29/13 edition of the New Yorker...where he draws the parallel between the movie and Streetcar Named Desire"... and I thought back on the sister's (Ginger) boyfriend, and what a Stanley Kowalski character he was.....especially when he tells off Jasmine.....I wish I read this review before seeing the movie...may need to see it again.

Thanks, Doreen.

Here is the link:

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews...

Thank you, Portia for the link....I love your cat's nose!

Doreen wrote: "Thank you, Portia for the link....I love your cat's nose!"

Thank you, Doreen. I love her nose, too!.

Does your cat have blue eyes? The color is a bit hard to see, but the entire cat is all beautiful.

Yes..her name is Pearl..she is half Siamese and half grey tabby, I think...blue eyes...tan, grey, brown coloring...and lots of attitude. Cats fit in so well with the literary life, don't you think? You don't have to walk them, and they love hanging out in your lap, etc. while you read....

Portia wrote: "Jane wrote: "Portia wrote: "Here is an idea. Woody Allen's new movie, "Blue Jasmine", with Cate Blanchett, is LOOSLY patterned on Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." Blanchett played ..."

Thank you for the good wishes.

A Streetcar Named Desire has been made into an opera by André Previn

Here's a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Street...

most recently it was put on by Lyric Opera of Chicago [2013]. I'd love to hear it sometime.

http://www.lyricopera.org/streetcar/

Renee Fleming as Blanche.

Jane wrote: "Portia wrote: "Jane wrote: "Portia wrote: "Here is an idea. Woody Allen's new movie, "Blue Jasmine", with Cate Blanchett, is LOOSLY patterned on Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire." Bl..."

Wow, Jane! Renee Flemming has the most beautiful voice. I heard her sing once and agree with the critics who say her voice is like liquid gold.

But I have to ask, does the singer playing Stanley sing, "STELLA!" ?

I wouldn't be surprised, but I don't know for sure.

Stanley Kowalski
Teddy Tahu Rhodes
Lyric debut
As the character that Marlon Brando made famous, “Teddy Tahu Rhodes has the ideal physique for Stanley…when he adds a guttural growl to the sweet resonance of his baritone, we understand how dangerous this character can be.” Sydney Morning Herald

I'm glad Previn wrote Stanley Kowalski as a baritone. Tenor would be too wimpy.

I agree with you about La Fleming's voice!!!

Jane, I hope you are planning to join all of us in October when we read the play. You know a lot about "Streetcar" and I am sure we will all benefit from your comments.

I'll have to read it again; it's been years since I've read it. And I can Netflix the movie.
I can even see if the library has the CD of the opera; if so, Portia, maybe I can answer your question about SK! :)

Whenever I read plays, I love to read them out loud [when I won't bother anyone else!]

Jane, I don't want to think about a tenor crying, "Stella!"

But Brian Stokes Mitchell ...

Loving this thread!

Can I just clarify that we're reading Streetcar in October and Importance in November. Is this right?

I'd like to throw Ibsen into the mix - perhaps Ghosts? Also Miller - perhaps one of the lesser known works (is there such a thing?!) - A Memory of Two Mondays; The American Clock maybe?

Am I right in thinking a lot of you guys are American? Would love some recommendations for playwrights big in the US, but less so beyond. I think plays give such an intimate insight into the important social issues of a particular time.

For my part I'd love to see what non-Brits make of writers like Ayckbourn, Bennett, Coward, Joe Orton etc., etc. All greatly famous and lauded in the UK, but I suspect less so beyond?

PS: There's only one yeller of Stella for me. Marlon! How beautiful was he as a young man?!

Also, I've never seen the fragility of Blanche captured better than by Vivien Leigh. I saw the peerless Claire Bloom perform Blanche back in the 1970s (yes - I'm that old!), but even she didn't capture it like la Leigh.

Hi, Susan. Glad you are liking this thread!

Streetcar is for Oct, but we are still taking suggestions for Nov and beyond. So, when we ask, suggest!

Vivian Leigh was a gifted actress.

Happy to go with Importance for November if this works for others.

In celebration of Portia, who is so active on this thread, maybe we should do the Merchant sometime soon!

My PS. Ernest is a suggestion for Oct as is Sherdan's The Rivals". Coward would be fun.
I'm hoping we can have variety and balance.

And next week, I'll save the world ;-)

In Belmont lives a lady richly left,
And she is fair ...
Her name is Portia

Clearly a cat thing going on here - so not to be left out I've just added my baby to my profile!

Susan...what a lovely black and white cat....reminds me of Henri the Existential Cat....google him and watch the videos if you haven't seen them already!

When a list is finalized, please post it here for me and others. Oct. is Streetcar?

October is Streetcar.

We are still taking suggestions for the future BUT I had tossed out A Midsummer Night's Dream OR Twelfth Night for December.

Maybe we should decide soon.

I'll post the suggestions I have so far when I get to my laptop. This iPhone has gremlins!

oh please, don't send 'em here! :)

I'm willing to go along w/ anything reasonable.

I have always relied on the kindness of strangers, says Blanche.

Oh dear, what if these gremlins are my friends !!!!!!!!

Chekhov? I love his plays.

The movie Vanya on 42nd Street is most interesting--stage production updated to the present [and usually I don't like updates], based on Uncle Vanya, David Mamet's rendering into today's English.

Portia wrote: "I have always relied on the kindness of strangers, says Blanche.

Oh dear, what if these gremlins are my friends !!!!!!!!"

One of my favourite quotes - and how right she was!

OK, Play Readers! Here is my idea for our schedule. This is only my idea. Let's also hear yours.

October 1, 2013 "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams

November 1, 2013 "The Importance of Being Ernest" by Oscar Wilde

December 1, 2013 "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare

2014

Since the format used by The Moderators is so effective, I think we should follow that style for choosing future reads. Between now and December 1, 2013, let's all suggest plays we'd like to read as a group. Then, between December 1 and December 15, we can, by voting, narrow the list down until we have six plays to read from January 1, 2014 through June 30, 2014.

If we have enough interest, we can see what lies ahead in July. (Hope springs eternal ... ;-)

As a reminder, there are wonderful lists at the beginning of this thread. Please review them for ideas.

NOTA BENE: I am getting the group started but I don't need to/want to lead all the discussions. So please, especially if there is a play that you really want to discuss, feel free to take the lead.

Happy Birthday, Jane!

How are you spending your special day?

I will be visiting friends this evening. Thank you for your good wishes!

While we are waiting for October 1, why don't we discuss our individual preferences when it comes to books, live theater, and movies.

Live theater, naturally gives us the chance to breathe the same air as the actors. Over and over, one hears actors state that a performance is nothing without their audience. When asked how they can do the same thing over and over again, actors say that every audience is different. Just because you got a laugh on that line Wednesday night doesn't mean you'll get a laugh at the same place during the Sunday matinee. And, if you blow your lines, there is no "Cut!" or delete key.

It can be said that movie directors do all the thinking for you. How many times has one of us said, "I would never have cast that actress in that role!"? Or, I would never have pictured that story set in that location?

Some novelists let us imagine all we wish. Hemingway, of course, comes to mind. Dickens, who got paid by the word, tells it all.

Well, ultimately it has to be books because they're so much more accessible (in the physical sense), but ...

Theatre is my passion. I love it's immediacy, it's edginess. I love that night after night women and men will go out under that proscenium arch and bare their soul for me, perform for me, allow me to suspend my disbelief just for a couple of hoaurs. And I love that sometimes, just occasionally, one is privileged to witness something so moving, so perfectly executed, so breathtaking that you carry the wonder with you for the rest of your life.

One of the great privileges of my life has been to see the reinvention of London's Old Vic Theatre by Kevin Spacey. This wonderful old theatre, which has hosted so many fine actors: Laurence Olivier; Maggie Smith; Peter O'Toole; Richard Burton ... to name but a few ... had fallen into disrepair, and the few efforts made to rejuvenate it had largely failed. Spacey, with all his talent and energy and dignity - despite the best efforts of the English press to personally discredit him - single handedly put the Old Vic back on the map. He has given us wonderful eclectic seasons; he has attracted big names; he has directed and acted with enthusiasm and he's been prepared to take risks. He also gave me one of the most memorable nights of my life when I saw him play Richard III a few years ago.

So, you will have gathered - I like the theatre!

Movies? Well I like the romance - so inevitably it's the old ones that do it for me. I can remember the thrill of going to Hollywood and seeing the handprints on the pavement, and of visiting Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Most of my favourite films are Pre-1980 - probably because I'm more interested in acting and stories than special effects.

So, in order: books first because of the continuous cerebral satisfaction and challenge; theatre second because it satisfies the passion in my heart and movies third because they satisfy the romance in my soul!

Susan, I agree with your priorities. How lucky you are to have the world's finest theatre at your fingertips. I live in Irvine, CA, but the local university shows the London National Theatre season on big screen. This Saturday I am seeing Helen Mirren in "the Audience". There is also great local theatre, and Los Angeles is not far. But it isn't London..and big screen is a far cry from the real thing.

Susan wrote: "Well, ultimately it has to be books because they're so much more accessible (in the physical sense), but ...

Theatre is my passion. I love it's immediacy, it's edginess. I love that night after ..."

Susan, how lucky you are to have seen Kevin Spacey's Richard. I wanted to see it when it came to New York a few years ago but that wasn't to be. I am a huge fan of his. I am glad things are working out for The Old Vic. I was concerned over the snappish reviews Spacey and his vision were getting when he first took over.

One thing I did see, and I hope I'll be able to weave it in with our Streetcar discussion, was Cate Blanchette's Blanche. She and her husband run a theatre company in Australia and they toured Streetcar a few years ago. Sublime.

What was really wonderful to watch was how supportive Blanchette was of the young, not as famous nor as experienced actor who played Stanley. He is a good actor in his own right, but going up against someone of Blanchette's caliber had to have been challenging. But the two of the made it work beautifully.

Doreen, I agree with you that Orange County and Los Angeles have some great places for plays. In the 1970s I went often to a small store-front type theater in Newport Beach where matiness were $4. They did some wonderful plays, one I especially still remember was Sticks and Bones by David Rabe, one of his Vietnam trilogy plays. This theater company later moved to the Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa where the cost increased considerably.

A theater where we like to go is Garry Marshall's playhouse in Burbank, The Falcon Theater. (Marshall directed a bunch of TV sitcoms such as LaVerne & Shirley, Happy Days, etc.) Nice area, easy parking, very reasonable cost of around $35 to $40 per ticket, and every seat in this small playhouse is a good one.