Theater Musing Series

"Theater Musing Series" is actually a video series I created when I was a sophomore at MSU but just came up with a title for it now. These are a series of videos in which I was musing about something in the theater field and decided to interview someone from MSU to get more insight on it.

The "From the Vault" portion of the titles of these episodes so far refers to the fact that these are old videos that have existed before on Facebook and have just now been uploaded to YouTube. They are from specific blog posts on here and I had uploaded them to my Facebook page then because I didn't have a YouTube channel at the time. I had been debating about doing this for a while and so I finally decided to dedicate today to it. They are going to stay on my Facebook page, but I decided to upload them to YouTube as well to give them a broader audience. I might add to this series in the future.

As for my other Facebook videos, I may or may not upload them to YouTube as well. As for me continuing to upload videos onto the Facebook page, I am yet to determine this.

For my "Taking it One 'Stef' at a Time" Facebook videos, click here.

For my "Theater Musing Series" on YouTube, click here.

Frank Galati's The Grapes of Wrath Now in my Possession (Sort of)

I've been wanting to show you something. A few weeks ago I went to the library and found this book!

This is the script form of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, written by Frank Galati, the one I saw performed at MSU! I had always wanted to read it, and now I am able to! It is actually a pretty quick read as opposed to the actual performance.

I told myself that if I ever got my hands on the script, I would find a particular part and take a picture of it, and that's exactly what I did.

Why this excerpt is relevant...

Isn't it great that this part showed up on a page that is easy to find? I looked for it the night I took it home from the library and found it right away!

I always wanted to find this part written in the script, and now I did it. Another thing I want to do is find this part written in the actual novel and take a picture of that.

I'm going to also see if I can find a copy of the script for myself to own as well. It brings back a lot of memories.

(By the way, in the script, it is actually written that the characters pronounce Rose of Sharon as "Rosasharn." This is something I always wondered as well.)

Theatrical Nudity From an Actor's Perspective: One on One Time with Actor Michael Brewer

Remember those days when I talked about theatrical nudity in the Spring 2011 semester production of The Grapes of Wrath and about the practice in general?

We're still in those days.

I FINALLY had the chance to talk to senior Acting major Michael Brewer, who played "Al" in The Grapes of Wrath, about his views on the subject. Click here to remind yourselves of my opinions about the character of "Al" and how he contributes to theatrical nudity. This video has been a long time coming and I am so glad that I finally got the chance to accomplish it. He was very enthused to talk to me about it.

Check out our interview here. I apologize for the sound in this video. It was breezy the day we filmed. (P.S. Michael is sitting on a sculpture outside of Life Hall. I think something artistic like that is a pretty appropriate background. My friend Kelly and I hung out there once and it is one of our favorite landmarks on campus.)

We also talk about what is next for him as an actor. Michael will be playing "Lord Capulet" in this semester's production of Romeo and Juliet, which is premiering next week! Click here for tickets and more details. Best of luck to the cast and crew of Romeo and Juliet!

Thank you again to Michael for talking with me!

Discussing Theatrical Nudity with Professor and Director Susan Kerner

Hiya, folks!

This semester I am taking a course called "Introduction to the Theatrical Medium" with Professor Susan Kerner. Susan has directed performances at Montclair State University such as Arcadia and The Grapes of Wrath and is currently directing Stage Door, which will be premiering at the Alexander Kasser Theater this upcoming November.

If you remember from my "Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments" installment of The Grapes of Wrath, I discuss the play's usage of nudity and the extra artistic element it brings to the stage. I had been wanting to discuss this topic with the actors, which I still might do, but thought of the idea this past week to discuss it with the director herself, beings though she is my professor this semester.

Click here to view our interview. Enjoy! :)

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: Albert Herring

Albert Herring-May 2011-Alexander Kasser Theater

Okay so here we are at the final show of the Spring 2011 semester, and it just so happens to be an opera. The story is set in England at the beginning of the 20th century and surrounds a group of people who are suggested to be Catholic because of their search for a female virgin to be this year's "Queen of the May" for their May Day festival. To me, this seems to be connected to what us Roman Catholics celebrate as a May Crowning, which is a ceremony when we honor the Virgin Mary by crowning a statue of her. This takes place in May, which is the month of Mary, and ironically enough the opera played at Kasser on May 2 and 3.

If you want a visual of what I am talking about, click here. This is a video of this year's May Crowning at my parish, Holy Family. I took it special for this post.

This is a slideshow I found of the performance on May 2. I saw the May 3 performance, which was different cast, but the video still gives you a good idea of what the opera looked like.

Now that you know some brief religious background I have noticed in Albert Herring, here are it's Awkward Sexual Moments.

"The Female Sex is Soiled": After the council discusses every female in town who is in the running to be "Queen of the May," only to discover that every single one has already been deflowered, they lose hope in the female race. Therefore, they begin to sing "The female sex is soiled" repetitively in a very droll manner. Both my mother and I were in the audience and this part offended us, but in two very different and interesting ways.

Because all of these girls aren't virgins, their final resort is the only male virgin in town, Albert Herring. My mother finds this concept offensive because she feels that the female sex is portrayed in a very degrading manner here. "Not one girl was a virgin out of all of them so they had to a retreat to a guy? That's a disgrace to women." It suggests that the female sex as a whole isn't very virtuous, or, I guess, sexually honorable, which doesn't say much about women back during the time Albert Herring takes place.

However, though I do agree with my mother's point, I see the degrading of the female sex in this scene in a different way. The opera makes the women's sexualities out to be a tragedy. They make it seem so dark and depressing that women have sex instead of celebrating the expression of female sexuality. This part is so satirically dramatic, as if it's completely horrible that women have their own sex lives and that it is shameful, that I found myself actually laughing as I watched it, questioning why it is such a big deal.

"Bounce me High, Bounce me Low": There are these three adolescent kids in the opera who play this game in which they stand in a circle and bounce a ball to each other and chant these very words: "Bounce me high, bounce me low, bounce me up to Jericho. Bounce me slow, bounce me quick, bounce me to Arithmetic." Then they rhythmically clap their hands and rotate their circle. 

I know it's not intended to be, but this chant sounds kind of sexual. It's kind of funny to think about. Read it again and you'll see what I mean.

Previously: The Agee/Evans Project

Okay...announcement time. 

This might be my very last "Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments" post. Notice how I say "might." If I am inspired enough I will write them again. I don't really want to stop something with which I have been consistent. 

The thing is, they're not interesting me as much as they used to. When I wrote the originals, I was on winter break and wrote them to be productive and was excited to write them. Even though I enjoyed writing them this summer as well, they felt kind of forced this time. I was working on articles this summer and plus I came up with other post ideas so I couldn't really place my full focus on them. I felt obligated to complete them because I promised them, so I kind of made them an unnecessary task that I brought on myself.

Like I said, I might continue it, but I just want to warn you to be prepared that this may be the last one. I just want to move on to other things. Thank you so much for reading them and I am so glad that I wrote them for you!

However, on a happier note, I am looking forward to the 2011/2012 season of Peak Performances at MSU! :)

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: New Works Initiative: The Agee/Evans Project

New Works Initiative: The Agee/Evans Project-April 2011-L. Howard Fox Theatre

The New Works Initiative is exactly that: a new work in the process. The Agee/Evans Project was not a complete piece when it was performed in Fox. For example, some actors still had to use their scripts. Before the show began, one of the theater professors announced that this was a new form of theater we have not experienced before. It certainly was.

Unfortunately, I didn't like it as much.

Nothing against the plot or the playwright, for I am a playwright as well so I can relate to what one goes through when writing plays, but this play leads something to be desired for me. The premise is that a writer, James Agee, and his photographer friend, Walker Evans, are doing a story about this sharecropper family who lives in this house in rural Alabama and the two men study them from their porch, which is where the entire play takes place. As the play goes on we can see that Agee becomes more and more passionate about the story than Evans. However, this isn't the only thread in the play. We meet members of the family, who each have their own issues and storylines, and then there is also a chorus over to the other side of the stage that provides the sound effects with either their voices or certain objects, such as rocks.

Though like all Peak Performances it was very well done, I didn't quite understand it much. It is one of those odd forms of theater that isn't a chronological story but rather poetry scattered all around. What I didn't like the most though is when the story with Agee and Evans, the family running around, and the chorus combine at once. I get how this is supposed to be a theatrical tactic to make the piece more intricate and artsy, but after a while it gets to be too much at once happening on the stage, making it hard to focus on what is going on.

Now that I have said all this I might as well admit to the fact that the day I saw this play wasn't necessarily one of my best. It was the final day of "Hell Week," which means a bunch of papers due all in one week at the end of the semester, so I was stressed and tired. And, I was also dealing with a female-related issue, so I wasn't feeling well. Maybe if I wasn't enduring these circumstances my enjoyment of the play wouldn't have been as tainted. Then again, it is also a piece in the works, so it's reasonable that it's not going to be perfect just yet.

Now for the Awkward Sexual Moments of The Agee/Evans Project.

Evans and Agee Discuss the Possibility of Agee Leaving His Wife: That's it. In one little itty bitty scene, Agee and Evans discuss the possibility of Agee leaving his wife, possibly for another woman. This idea is never revisited or, from what I see, have anything to do with the plot, so I feel like it was pointless to include in the first place. Now, it would make more sense if Agee decided to leave his wife for one of the family members they were studying, but I cannot remember if this is the case or not. I don't think it is the case only because I feel like something like that would stand out well enough for one to remember.


Now here is another episode of “Bonus Random Moments That I Really Need to Talk About.”

The Girl with the Blanket: Like The Grapes of Wrath, The Agee/Evans Project also has a bonus random moment about a girl with a blanket. As Agee becomes so engrossed with this family, all of a sudden the members start shouting that "Something is coming," to which Agee responds, "Can I stop it?" I begin to wonder what exactly "it" is. First I think literally, perhaps it is a tornado of sorts, for they all seem to look out into the distance. Then Agee grabs one of the girls and holds her, and she eventually goes lifeless in his arms, so then I think "it" metaphorically refers to death. This explanation would make more sense in this play because there seems to be a lot of symbolism. One thing about this play is that, to me, nothing is straight and to the point.

So the audience is lead to believe that this girl had died. She kneels and crouches over in the middle of the stage and they place a blanket over her, hiding her from view, thus suggesting a burial. The family members each walk back slowly to their post (for throughout the play when they aren't in a scene they sit in chairs located towards the back of the stage, their backs facing the audience) and both Agee and Evans sit on either side of the girl in silence and look at her. One of the girls in the chorus then has a solo harmonizing session as this all happens.

The problem I have with this scene is that sure it is interesting when it first begins, but then it begins to drag on when it isn't necessary. The girl does not stop harmonizing when the family members finally all return to their seats and Agee and Evans continue to look on. It just gets boring after a while. To me, the scene is around ten to fifteen minutes long, but then again maybe my mood this day made it seem longer. It could be shorter than what it is. Every time you expect the scene to finish, it continues for no reason. Nothing is happening because everything is still so I begin to wonder when they are going to move on to the next part of the play.

The only explanation for this longer than usual scene is that they are trying to make it sink in to the audience that the characters are in a mourning period, which is actually understandable if the girl ACTUALLY DIED!

After this scene finally comes to a close, the girl exits her house onto her porch and begins to talk to Agee, as if nothing happened! This really irritates me because it left me with so many unanswered questions! Did she come back from the dead? Is this a flashback? Did she even die at all? If none of this is true, then what is the point of that lengthy scene? What point are they trying to make then making that one girl a focus for such a long time only to have nothing result from it?

Previously: dis connect
Next...and final... Albert Herring (Brace yourselves, people. This one's an opera :P)

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: dis connect

dis connect-April 2011-L. Howard Fox Theatre

dis connect, if you remember, was written and produced by the Class of 2011 Theatre Studies majors for their final BA project. The play discusses the over-indulgence of technology and that there is a time and place for such technology to be used. Interestingly, I've noticed that unlike my other contributions to this series, I don't analyze much here but rather summarize. I think it's because the awkward sexual moments in this play speak for themselves and are more relatable to the kind of events that take place today, so therefore there are emotional connections. In my other segments, I normally take the time to explain why I think certain moments are sexually awkward. Here, the moments don't necessarily need any explanation but are rather obvious.

*Beware of Spoilers*

Josh Wilde: I would like to take this time to thank the BA Theatre Studies Class of 2011 for providing me with a video that will from now on until further notice be the video mascot of “Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments.” Watch the video before you read what I have to say about it.

Josh Wilde is one of the first characters we meet in dis connect, and is also one of the funniest. He is a juvenile delinquent who is doing community service for an old temperamental woman named Betty. In the first scene we see him, he is bringing Betty groceries but then ends up telling her in slang about hooking up with a girl in a dressing room. Very random story to tell an old woman and a very spontaneous time to do so at that. Right when he is about to be released from his duties with Betty, Josh decides to cause a riot by dancing and stripping right outside her house, which is the scene you see in the clip. The scene performed on the stage is interesting because you see him stripping and dancing with a bunch of spectators filming him with cameras as the overheard screen that overlooks the stage projects the YouTube video. One of the guys filming says at the end of the scene, “This is going on YouTube,” which is exactly where it ends up in real life. Throughout the play he matures but also continues to become more awkward because he discovers that the girl he talks about in his first scene is actually Alice, Betty’s granddaughter and one of the prominent characters of the play! How does he find this out? Betty, who has no knowledge of them knowing each other, sets them up on a blind date. This blind date is their only scene together and all is revealed then. However, the story of Josh Wilde ends well as he gives Alice a bouquet of flowers and the two walk off together quite possibly kindling a relationship, after some awkwardness of trying to get away from each other, and reminiscing about his YouTube phenomenon.

Tyler’s Coming Out Experience: Unfortunately, the humorous awkward sexual moments end with Josh Wilde and the rest are pretty morbid. For example, Tyler DeChristopher is a gay man who is best friends with Alice and struggles with his sexuality. He corresponds with a man via online chat and until now has kept his sexuality a secret. He reveals it to the man online and the two share a bond, the man persuading him to finally accept who he is and reveal it to Alice, giving him inspiring advice. Tyler finds himself falling for the man and wishes to see his face. The man refuses to do so, causing Tyler to interrogate him. After some very intense dialogue, the man reveals himself to be a woman, revealed to the audience as Cassie, another prominent character in the play who is just as lonely as Tyler because technology has caused a rift in her family. After this revelation, heartbroken, Tyler plans to hang himself. Right as he is about to do the deed, Alice walks in and stops him. He tells Alice that he is gay and the two agree to help each other with their struggles. Tyler’s story is a really important addition because it hits home with current events regarding homosexuality.

The Tragedy of Jenny: Jenny's story represents the worst-case scenario when it comes to technology. Jennifer “Jenny” Maloney is a thirteen-year-old girl who has an estranged relationship with her mother Erika. Her father has died while fighting in the armed forces, which has contributed to Jenny’s rebellious behavior. Jenny is constantly on her cell phone on which she corresponds with a man she has met on the Internet and has not yet met in person, but plans to. At this point you know that the outcome of this story is not going to be a good one. Erika is oblivious to this, but takes away Jenny’s cell to punish her for texting during her father’s memorial. Erika’s plan backfires because once she does this Jenny runs off to meet the man, gets assaulted, and is unable to call her mother for help due to lack of phone, causing Erika to blame herself for her daughter’s coma. This scenario also causes the rest of the characters to think about the positives and negatives of technology. Finally, while Jenny is laying down onstage in her coma, she shows up on the overhead screen and has a monologue, which is suggested to be her inner thoughts. She ultimately decides that she would rather die than face her mother again, so she peacefully passes. The only thing I don’t understand about Jenny’s story is that in her final monologue before she passes, she states that her mother will never understand why she resents her father. Why does she resent him exactly? They never really give a clear explanation from what I can see.

For The Montclarion article about dis connect, click here.

Previously: The Grapes of Wrath
Next up: The Agee/Evans Project :)

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath-March 2011-Alexander Kasser Theater

The Grapes of Wrath, based on the classic novel of the same name by John Steinbeck, had a lot of epic moments involving the Joad family’s journey to California and it was very well done, one of the best shows I’ve seen at MSU so far. What’s interesting about Grapes is that it brings up elements of theater that I wish to discuss more in-depth.

*Beware of Spoilers*

Al and Al’s Girl: Al Joad is a young teenage male who loves the ladies. Oftentimes we hear him speak about his sexual escapades, but we never actual see him with any girl, until we meet Al’s Girl. Al’s Girl has no name, mainly because she has no specific purpose but to help show just how much of a player Al is. Their scene together takes up a whopping five minutes, during which she discusses with him their future “marriage.” Ha! She obviously doesn’t know him like we do. Al dismisses this idea by hesitantly agreeing just to shut her up and make out with her. It’s awkward but it’s understandable because we know the character of Al. But then something else happens later on that is really odd. AL GETS ENGAGED! What? All of a sudden now Al is mature and is committing himself to one woman? When did this happen? Not much time passes between the Al’s Girl scenes and the final scene when we discover he is engaged, so where did this transition take place? What makes it even weirder is that Al’s Girl isn’t the girl he is engaged to. It’s a totally different woman we haven’t met before until now. Who is she? When did he meet her? Where did she come from? What the heck is her name? (*Checks program.) Apparently her name is Aggie Wainwright. Her name is appropriately placed at the end of the list, for the cast list is listed “in order of appearance.” In this scene with “Aggie,” Al takes on this totally different persona than what he had throughout the show. It would have been nice if we saw his progression because I don’t think we do. All of a sudden his personality switches with no clear transition. 

Nudity: Now here’s an element on which I want to place a majority of my focus. During the length of the play, we see two characters get naked. One is Al (Surprised? I didn’t think so.) and Rose of Sharon, the eldest and pregnant daughter. With Al, the nudity is very unexpected in the context of the scene. The family finds a watering hole where they all decide to bathe and suddenly Al strips down to his birthday suit. Yes, there are moments when you see his penis and buttock crack in full light. For me, the scene wasn’t too bad because I consider the human body as nothing to be ashamed of and I thought it was an interesting theatrical addition to the play. The human body is art in itself. However, there could have been people in the audience who were greatly uncomfortable that this occurred.

Then there is the final scene between Rose of Sharon and the Man in Barn. In the scene prior, Rose of Sharon gives birth to a stillborn child. Seeking refuge from the rain, the Joad family escapes into a barn where they find a man dying of starvation, at which point Rose of Sharon decides to breastfeed him. Now this scene is not what I would call sexual, but it is very beautiful, one of the most powerful scenes I’ve ever seen on a stage. We see Rose of Sharon’s breast, but very briefly. She and the man then form this nurturing embrace, which closes the play. I found myself in a trance, not even realizing that the play had ended because I expected more after that. It truly had a “wow” factor. People were quiet in the audience. It took them a moment to start clapping because the scene was so mesmerizing.

What I would like to know is what people think about scenes like these. Is nudity an theatrical element that you feel that theater should use more? I would especially like an actor’s point of view for he or she is the one who would be enacting the task.

*Now you are in for a special treat. I am going to do something a little bit different in this blog post. In addition to these awkward sexual moments, I’ve also noticed some other random moments in Grapes that bothered me that I need to get off my chest. I may develop these into a whole other series, but for now I will keep them in here and call them “Bonus Random Moments That I Really Need to Talk About.” (Yeah, I think I should work on a better title than that too.) 

The Girl with the Blanket: At one point the Joad family assembles onto the stage along with other extra characters to show how they all are gathered together at this one camp to make it seem more realistic. One of the characters that shows up is this little woman who folds the same blanket over and over again in a different way than how people normally fold blankets. She stands in place, bouncing as she stands, while also giving these odd facial expressions. Her actions are peculiar, suggesting that maybe she is a danger for the Joad family. She stands towards the front of the stage while everybody else remains in the background, thus suggesting that she is a significant character for this scene and that we will hear from her very soon. So then we wait. Tom Joad, the lead man and eldest Joad son, walks towards the front of the stage with another male lead character (I can’t remember who) and the two stroll back and forth onstage in the midst of a lengthy discussion. Every time they were to walk towards the direction of the girl with the blanket, she would run the other way. So here we have some brief interaction, suggesting that they are building up her big moment to start some trouble. Tom and the other guy continue their conversation, and then we see Tom actually look at the girl suspiciously. Now we know that Tom definitely notices her like the rest of us and that he will soon start talking to her. Right? 

Wrong! He NEVER speaks to her! She never even gets her own lines. The extent of her dangerous qualities is that she briefly touches Rose of Sharon (God forbid), at which point the whole family rushes to her rescue. That could’ve happened in background like the other random actions that took place throughout the play. Why was she front and center? This odd placement of her totally deceived me and made me think that she was more important than what she was and it totally did not deliver.

Living on Fishing: There’s this one son in the Joad family and it is suggested that he is not all mentally stable. In the bathing scene, he confides in Tom that he is not going to continue the journey with the rest of the family but is rather going to live on the river and fish for survival. Tom tries to stop him, but to no avail. The family catches wind of this news, and though at first they are all concerned, they then continue without him after Pa Joad says “He’ll catch up.” Really? You mean to tell me that Ma Joad agrees to continue to California without her son, her mentally unstable son at that? If that were any other family they wouldn’t go anywhere until they found their lost child. Other characters leave too, including Connie, Rose of Sharon’s husband, which annoys me considering his wife is almost due, but yet they move on without him and say that he’ll catch up. What is it with these people thinking that their lost family members will catch up with them on foot when they are travelling in this gigantic truck? Also, I know this play takes place during the Depression and that they need jobs, food, and shelter, but is it really that imperative that they go without the rest of their clan? We never hear from these characters again nor do the other characters mention them. Was the absence of these characters not of a big deal to them?

The Narrators: Long story short, the addition of these narrators made the play seem like a musical when in reality it wasn’t. Basically, they show up out of nowhere and sing about what is currently happening in the play. Now, this isn’t a bad thing. It is actually a theatrical tactic that was unexpected but an interesting addition. The only problem I have with it is that these narrators would sing very joyfully at the most morbid times. For example, Tom and Pa could be having a very serious conversation, the lights go down, and then all of a sudden the narrators would brighten the mood with a happy song and dance. There is a time and place for happy singing and dancing, and for certain scenes in Grapes, it is just not appropriate.

Previously: Sweet Charity

Next: dis connect :)

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: Sweet Charity

Sweet Charity-February 2011-L. Howard Fox Theatre 

Sweet Charity was one of the more heartwarming shows I’ve seen on campus so far. Because it is such a well-known show, it is no wonder why it sold out very quickly. It was also very tame, so the awkward sexual moments were very subtle and quite possibly unnoticeable. It was one of those shows you could watch with the whole family. However, the sexual moments were there. I am proud to kick off the Spring 2011 Semester of “Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments” with Sweet Charity.

*Beware of Spoilers*

Charlie: The main goal of heroine Charity Hope Valentine is to find love, and it is suggested in the opening song that she has found love in a man named Charlie. Throughout the show we meet three of Charity’s love interests, Charlie being the first. Well, actually, we don’t exactly “meet” him. That’s what makes him awkward. He doesn’t have any lines. Throughout the entire number his back is toward the audience as he smokes a cigarette. He just stands there as Charity hangs all over him and sings to him about the glamorous life they will lead together. Just by his suspicious actions, we know there is something off with this guy and that he is not altogether “good.” Our assumptions are proven correct when he robs Charity, causing her to fall into a lake, and we never see him again.

“Big Spender”: Charity and the rest of her friends work at the Fandango Hall as dance hall hostesses. These same women deliver that famous musical number "Big Spender." Now, from what I saw, this Fandango Hall isn’t entirely a bad place. A guy comes in, chooses one of the girls, and then dances and spends time with her. However, Charity makes it a point throughout the play to state just how bad this place is. Are we supposed to assume that it is the equivalent of a gentleman’s club then? I ask this because even though there is no reference to actual sexual action when it comes to the Fandango Hall, Charity makes it seem like there is by how she talks about the place. The women just dance with the men who enter the hall. And it’s not even any dirty dancing or lap dancing either. They would just slow dance. Is it really that bad? I mean, I realize that the place can be sexist and I got offended with how each customer summoned a girl, but I guess what I’m saying is it could be worse. Charity’s third and final love interest and fiance, Oscar Lindquist, gets all upset when he discovers that Charity works there, for Charity was hesitant in telling him and he found out by accident. When he does finally “accept” it, he finds that he can’t go through with their wedding because he finds it uncomfortable to think about. He originally thought that Charity was virginal and pure, but after he saw her laughing and smiling with another man, his view of her completely changed. Well, we haven’t really established if Charity is a virgin or not, so perhaps Oscar is kind of overreacting here. Just because she dances with men she is no longer pure in Oscar eyes? That’s kind of offensive, isn’t it? However, I do understand though where he does not want his girl involved with any other man. Are we supposed to assume then that these women have sex with the men they dance with? Now that’s a totally different story and Oscar's feelings are pretty plausible. This is what I mean when I say sexual moments in Sweet Charity are very unnoticeable at first. We are never given the full picture and a lot of questions are left unanswered.

Vittorio Vidal: Vittorio Vidal is love interest number two and also a sexy Italian movie star whom Charity admires. She runs into him when he is fighting with his girlfriend Ursula and is invited to a party with him instead to spite Ursula. However, by the end of the night, Ursula returns full of apologies and horniness, so the two makes sweet passionate love in Vittorio’s apartment while Charity spends the night in his closet, initiating one of the more hilarious scenes of the play. The following morning Vittorio releases her from his closet. Before she leaves, Charity compliments his sexual talents, saying that he is good in the movies, but is better in real life, suggesting that she was watching.

What is the point of this character? He serves absolutely nothing to the plot. A good portion of the middle of the show is dedicated to him, and yet nothing stems from the “relationship” between he and Charity. From what I can think of, his presence serves as comic relief and an opportunity for a song (Charity sings the famous “If My Friends Could See Me Now” during one of these scenes). It just seems like his scenes are completely random and unnecessary. I guess he is needed to make you think that something would develop between he and Charity, but if the story cut him out and we jumped from Charlie to Oscar, nothing against Vittorio, but it wouldn’t have been much of a loss. The story would have been complete without him.

For The Montclarion article about Sweet Charity, click here.

Next up: The Grapes of Wrath :)

I'm Baaack!

Wow! I feel like I've been gone forever! Well, the good news is I am on my summer break, which means for now I can devote my time to write about what I want when I want and other writing gigs as opposed to those pesky essays!

I have a lot of interesting things cooking for this summer's new blog posts of "Taking it One 'Stef' at a Time," including the premieres of new series and a new season of an old one...

They're performances that are peak, they're sexual, they're awkward...That's right! "Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments" are back for a brand new season! :DDD!!! Rejoice and be glad, faithful readers! Being the perverted person that I am (lol), I actually looked for sexually awkward moments in this semester's Peak Performances this time around for this specific reason, and by golly there are a good handful!

I was debating if this series should be posted only during my winter breaks, but this past winter break 2011 I drove myself crazy covering three semesters worth of sexual awkwardness, so I am going to make this series a semester thing. I was also debating on if I should continue the series in general and write about Peak Performances and other types of "moments" each time, which I still may do, but I decided that since this series was such a hit and is something I kind of seem to be known for, it should be something I do for every semester. It gives people something to look forward to :). Now I haven't started writing them yet, so give me a chance to post them! I have all summer, so hopefully I won't be doing any week long posting like I did last time.

This summer will also give me a chance to post some entries that I have been thinking about this semester, but couldn't exactly focus on until now. I will also probably come up with brand new ideas to write about throughout the summer.

Here's to an awesome summer of giving you something to read! :D

One on One Time with Actress Corinne Chandler

Hello faithful readers! Today (well rather this evening) I have a real treat for you.

Photo taken by me :)

You may recall that in both the Sweeney Todd and The Rimers of Eldrich parts of my series "Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments," I discussed the use of rape scenes in theater and how I don't think it is such a good idea to have the actual act portrayed onstage for it may affect audience members in a negative way.

It just so happens that this semester I am taking a class with Corinne Chandler (http://corinnechandler.com/), a senior Acting major at Montclair State University, who played Eva in The Rimers of Eldritch in the L. Howard Fox Theatre, who if you remember is the young girl who was about to be raped by her counterpart Robert. I thought it would be interesting to get her point of view on the subject in a video interview. Plus, this is my very first video upload (that is my own video) to this blog. Yay visuals!

It was a pretty interesting discussion and Corinne makes a lot of good points. Enjoy! Click here to see the video.

Just as a side note: *Spoiler Alert* I keep referring to Corinne's scene as a "rape scene." This is not entirely correct. It is more so an attempted rape scene because Skelly comes to Eva's rescue before the deed occurs.

If you are in the Montclair area, please come check out Corinne and the rest of the cast of The Grapes of Wrath this upcoming March at the Alexander Kasser Theater at Montclair State University! We are all looking forward to it, Corinne! Click here for details: The Grapes of Wrath Tickets and Info.

Thanks again to Corinne for taking the time to speak with me! :)

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: The Rimers of Eldritch

The Rimers of Eldritch-December 2010-L. Howard Fox Theatre
This play is a mystery whodunit of who killed Skelly Mannor, the town outcast. What I liked about it is that it kept you guessing the entire time and you eventually realize how the characters are all intertwined into the same situation, even though they are first introduced as separate storylines.

*Beware of Spoilers*

• The relationship between Cora and Walter: Cora is somewhat of an outcast as well because her husband has passed and she has employed a younger man, Walter, in her diner, and the two close early to do you know what. This is a topic of gossip among the townspeople. It’s not really the relationship I want to criticize, but the randomness of it. There are times the two would just walk onstage, kiss, and then walk backstage together. I know, bowchikawowwow. I know this serves a purpose to suggest what they are doing, but it’s just odd. Even when something else is happening onstage with other characters, Walter walks in the background and starts unbuttoning his shirt in front of Cora, a rather exciting moment indeed because the whole time you are wondering if he is going to pull a Full Monty and start undressing right there in front of everyone. It’s just that his unbuttoning has absolutely nothing to do with the scene that is currently happening onstage whatsoever. It is an additional scene just thrown in there to thwart our focus. Towards the end of the play he impregnates another character, which pretty much comes out of nowhere, and this character repetitively tells him that she loves him, which is how the play ends.

• Robert attempts to rape Eva: I’m just going to get this one over with. Robert and Eva are the two youngsters of the play in their early teens that are in the middle of the trial for Skelly’s murder. It turns out that Nelly Winrod shot Skelly thinking he was the one assaulting Eva when it turns out that Skelly was the one who rescued her from Robert. The infuriating thing is it’s quite possible the characters will never find this out because Robert lies about the whole thing, Skelly isn’t alive to defend himself nor would anybody listen to him anyway when he was alive, and Eva is in a state of shock. Eva is actually the one who comes on to Robert, wanting to attempt sex with him, which is weird itself to me considering that they are supposed to be childlike teens. Eva accuses Robert of not having enough guts to have sex with her, and Robert, tired of being looked down upon like he was throughout the play, attacks Eva, leading to the other events. Like most rape scenes, it was frightening.

I actually reviewed this play for The Montclarion as well. You can read my review here.

Check out the previous post of this series: Sweeney Todd

Conclusion:

Sexual moments in college productions is not a bad thing at all. In fact, it makes the show that much more interesting and complex. It just depends on what happens, how it is done, and your demographic of audience members and how they perceive it. I am looking forward to future Peak Performances this upcoming semester and beyond and what awkward sexual moments 2011 has to offer.

And this concludes this edition of "Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments"!!! Yay!

If you’re ever in the Montclair area, I encourage you to check out these performances. They are always very well done and worthwhile. ;) Here is where you can find out more: http://www.peakperfs.org/.

$15 a ticket, Free for undergraduates using an MSU ID. Hope to see you there! :D

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

(Please note that the videos I use in this post are not mine. Credit goes to their respective owners.)

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street-November 2010-Alexander Kasser Theater
Sweeny Revengeful, Murderous, Throat-slitting Todd. That’s right, folks. THE Sweeney Todd. By far my favorite play I have seen at Montclair State so far, this show was epic and phenomenal, so that’s why I am so excited to finally get to write about it on my list. I don’t think, from an audience point of view, I saw one flaw. However, like most Peak Performances, there are awkward sexual moments to commend.

*Beware of Spoilers*

• The Beggar Woman hits on both Sweeney Todd and Anthony: When we first open up the story after the most awesome prelude ever, we meet Sweeney Todd and Anthony on a boat embarking for London. When they get off this boat, they are both bombarded by a Beggar Woman for money and then—sex. At this moment and then throughout the play she makes comments about their penises and comes onto them quite strongly. This may sound weird, but part of me wishes that Sweeney had given in to her advances. One reason being that he has maybe been deprived of sex the past fifteen years at the penal colony. Another reason, a reason that is more relevant to the plot, is that this way he would have recognized her as his wife Lucy ahead of time. So many lives would have been spared and Sweeney probably would have never met Mrs. Lovett. Anthony would have found out that their daughter Johanna was in Judge Turpin’s clutches and together they would have found a way to get her back and live happily ever after.

• Judge Turpin rapes Lucy: I hate rape scenes on stage, in movies, in books, etc. I feel like such events are so real for people that actually experience them, that when they occur in these forms, it’s as if we are using it as entertainment, almost glorifying them. I mean, if rape is going to be a theme for your piece, just mention it. Don’t show the actual act in detail in my opinion. What if a rape victim trying to heal is in your audience? This kind of scene can be traumatizing for he or she and bring back horrible memories. Not often will a person going into the theater know what exactly is in store. But unfortunately, these scenes exist. It is most awkward on stage because it is happening right in front of you, making it that much more real and frightening. In this context, Mrs. Lovett is telling Sweeney what happened after Turpin sent him to the penal colony, so we are getting flashbacks as a musical number. Turpin invites Lucy to a party and even though at first she rejects his invite, she eventually attends. When she gets there she does not know anyone, poor thing, for it is a masquerade party and the guests are flamboyantly dressed in disguises. At this point Turpin’s evil sidekick Beadle Bamford attacks and restrains Lucy so Turpin could rape her—right in the middle of the party. The party guests witness this and do what you would expect any normal large group of civilized people to do upon witnessing a rape—laugh at Lucy. Say it with me: WTF? Thankfully this scene ends with Sweeney crying in agony, thus causing Lovett to end the song. Check out both “Poor Thing” and “My Friends” from this clip:

• Judge Turpin lusts after Johanna: Yeah, I think this one speaks for itself. An old man who acts as a father figure to a young developing girl and then lusts after her is beyond creepy. However, there is something I want to say about this. I may sound crazy, but I really don’t think this is too bad. Hold on! Let me explain! I mean I feel like it is normal for an older man to find a younger girl sexy, he is only human. It depends on how he acts on these feelings that makes it wrong. It’s not like Turpin plans on raping her like he did her mother, and he does ask God to help him restrain himself. But then again, Turpin does plan on marrying Johanna and tells her and Beadle about it nonchalantly as if it is completely normal… Oh please. This is just plain weird and creepy so let’s just move on.

• Johanna asks Anthony to kiss her: It’s not the fact that she wants him to kiss her that bugs me, but the fact that she asks at the weirdest times. I am not the biggest fan of Johanna anyway because to me she is this annoying damsel in distress who constantly needs rescuing and she just seems to me to act like a dingbat. She does not seem to be worldly wise and notice what is going on around her. When Anthony rescues her from Fogg’s Insane Asylum after Johanna uses Anthony’s gun to shoot Fogg. Wait a minute…Johanna shoots Fogg??? That’s right. The damsel in distress actually does something productive for once and ends up pulling one of the most epic moves in the show. Anyway when she does this, the lunatics escape from the asylum and run in the town resulting in a police chase. Anthony and Johanna reappear onstage as Johanna reminds Anthony that he promised to marry her on Sunday. Unfortunately the badass Johanna does not last long after the gunshot because then she goes, “Kiss me.” Anthony finally accomplishes what he set out to do throughout the entire play, which is to rescue Johanna without getting caught by either Turpin or Beadle, and in the meantime lunatics are running around town causing more chaos for the scene, and she has the nerve to ask him to kiss her AT THIS PRECISE TIME? He actually had to briefly stop them from running away to do so. That is two precious seconds taken away from their escape. There is a time and place for a kiss and now is not the time! Their focus now is to make their escape. Once this escape is successful, they will have plenty of time for kissing. Now I know I spent a lot of energy on this point about just one kiss, but it just had to be said. This scene, along with the deaths of both Turpin and Lucy, you can see here:

• Mrs. Lovett pining after Sweeney Todd: It just annoys me when women go out of their way to make a guy fall in love with them and convince themselves of their love when he is clearly hung up on someone else. That is what happens here. A perfect example of her unrequited affections is exhibited here:

Just as an added bonus, I thought I'd also include the two musical highlights of the performance (in my opinion) in this post. I do recommend checking out the other videos from the performance on YouTube as well. But for now, please enjoy "Epiphany" and "A Little Priest." :D

And finally, the last play of the series: The Rimers of Eldritch. :)

Check out the previous post of this series: The Seagull

You can check out my article about this show for The Monclarion here.

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: The Seagull

The Seagull-October 2010-L. Howard Fox Theatre
Set in Russia, practically the biggest well written love triangle set on stage. I know I said that about Arcadia, but this one is ridiculous. There is absolutely no happy coupling whatsoever. The love is always one-sided and the characters always love somebody other than who they are with. No one is coupled with the person they love.

*Beware of Spoilers*

• Arkadina introduces Nina to Trigorin: Arkadina is an actress who is dating boy toy writer Boris Trigorin. She is an older woman but looks relatively young and attractive for her age. One of her greatest admirers is young Nina, the love interest of her playwright son Constantin. So like any woman in a relationship, Arkadina introduces younger-female-than-her Nina to her man Trigorin, who is closer in age to Nina than Arkadina. Why does she do that? It is almost as if she is asking for them to form a relationship. She saw how fond Nina was of Trigorin and how Trigorin looked back at Nina and gradually falls for her. This was extremely stupid on her part! Unless, was this some kind of set up? Judging by her facial expression, she seemed very satisfied with the introduction, like she knew what she was doing and that this was her intention. But, isn’t she with Trigorin? And isn’t Nina with her son? The move just doesn’t make any sense! What makes this even worse is that eventually Trigorin impregnates Nina but never leaves Arkadina, Arkadina never learning about the pregnancy or relationship between the two, even though she is the primary cause of it.

• Arkadina gives Trigorin head: I get it. Oral sex is a normal sexual act so it shouldn’t count as awkward. And it’s not like it was totally graphic so it wouldn’t be considered totally controversial either. This was awkward because it was mimed and in context she was showing desperation, doing this to convince him to travel back home with her. Now I know they wouldn’t show the actual act in all its glory onstage, but still. It was suggested and the way it was suggested was quite humorous. You had to figure out for yourself what exactly she was doing to him, his pants fully enclosed and her head nuzzling into his groin. Looking at it, you think to yourself, “Um, yeah, that’s probably what’s happening.” I think what made it awkward too was that it was unexpected.

• Masha and Medevenko (Actually it's Medvedenko. I noticed my error awhile back but never changed it. Correction has been made March 31, 2012 at around 12:12 AM): I love these two. Their dialogue opens up the play and throughout remains quite humorous to me. Masha is this depressed twenty-two-year-old girl who is in love with Constantin and constantly pursued by Medevenko, the town teacher, who is clearly treading where he shouldn’t and is trying too hard, though he never backs off. She eventually settles for Medevenko and considers him a good man but doesn’t like him in the least. She rejects his every advance and even rolls her eyes at him every chance she gets. Though this pairing may be unhappy, there is just something about the bitchiness of Masha and the composure of Medevenko that just makes them so comical. Even though their relationship is rocky, it’s not that serious.

Next in the series: SWEENEY TODD!!! :D

Check out the previous post of this series: Side Show

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: Side Show

(Please note that the videos I use in this post are not mine. Credit goes to the respective owners.)

Side Show-March 2010-Alexander Kasser Theater
Okay so this is the only play I did see not live (but boy I really wish I did!) so I apologize if I get any information wrong. However, I have seen a good number of videos on YouTube and read up on the story to understand the basic premise. Interestingly enough, even though I did not see this production live, I have noticed that it contains the most sexually awkward intense scenes out of my whole series, so let’s get started. Basically the storyline is about conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton who are joined at the hip and (brace yourself) buttocks. They work at a Freak Show and are eventually founded by talent scouts Terry Connor and Buddy Foster to make them big time celebs. These two guys eventually become the girls’ love interests. This is where the fun begins.

*Beware of Spoilers*

• Buddy asks Violet to marry him: Okay so this part really irks me so I could not wait any longer to write about it. The twins wonder if they will ever find love being in their condition, so to make Violet happy Buddy proposes to her to prove that he loves her. This eventually goes awry because he reveals towards the end that he cares for her and loves her but not like she loves him. I know that sex isn’t the only factor to make a successful marriage, but sex is important in a marriage regardless. How was Buddy planning on making love to Violet while she is still attached to Daisy? That’s just…that’s just awkward. There’s no other word to describe it. Was he hoping for a threesome every time? And what if she gets pregnant? What would labor be like with Daisy attached to her? And what makes this whole idea even more awkward is that Buddy suggests to Terry to marry Daisy. What every man wants—another man is his marriage bed, because this means four people sharing a mattress, correct? Awkward. Here is the scene:

Another additional thing that has been bothering me but has nothing to do with the plot: How do Daisy and Violet use the bathroom? Sorry but I just had to ask that.

• “Private Conversation”: Aside from my bathroom question, this actually leads to my next point. Poor Terry. It turns out he actually does have feelings for Daisy but, get ready for this, he doesn’t have the GUTS to tell her! I can understand that he wants her alone, just the two of them together, which is the point of this song. The song is depressing because he really likes her and cannot have her to himself due to the circumstances. He doesn't know how to go about having a relationship with her, so this is why he restrains himself. It also shows that he is too shy to reveal these feelings in front of everyone, leading you to kind of sympathize with him because this is something people can relate to. He imagines what it would be like to be alone with her and plans in his mind what he would say and do. But wait, doesn’t he openly flirt with her and kiss her in scenes before this? He practically makes it known that he likes her, so why is he so saddened? Also, I find it hard to fathom how a fully-grown man has this many issues courting a woman. In a later scene he makes it a point to tell Daisy that he wants to spend time alone with her and give her the attention she deserves, so isn’t that proof enough that he does indeed like her? He doesn’t have to verbally say it because every scene they are in together he flirts up a storm with her. In fact, from what I've seen, I don't even think he ever acknowledges Violet whatsoever because he places his whole focus on Daisy in every scene. He even quits his job to be with her more! And yet he denies his feelings for her, even to himself. It is obviously an “obvious connection” between the two! What exactly does Terry think he is hiding? I just don’t understand why he is that bent out of shape. Check out the song here and maybe you can tell me:

But be warned, it’s a beautiful song that is beautifully sung, but it can be a real tearjerker. Well it was for me anyway when I first watched it. By the way, you will see Daisy apart from Violet in this scene. This is only a figment of Terry’s imagination. Just as an added bonus: I love the way she sings the line at 2:48. I like the way she sings a lot of lines in this song and other songs, but that’s my personal favorite.

• “One Plus One Equals Three”: What makes “Private Conversation” that much more depressing is the fact that this song is performed right after, with Terry solemnly walking off the stage. Sung by Buddy and the twins, this song announces the engagement between he and Violet. Buddy knows that he is inheriting Daisy as well, so this explains the title. This song is so offensive and distasteful to me because it is such a slap in the face to Terry, who was just crying about Daisy seconds earlier, and it is just seems to further prove that Buddy is looking forward to having not one but two women in his bed every night. It’s like he’s saying to Terry, “Haha! I have my girl, and yours too, so you can’t have her!” The whole concept is just plain irritating. Regardless of how much I dislike the song itself, it was still very well done. You can check out this song here:

Another thing the song suggests is that Buddy is only marrying Violet for his own benefits, which makes me kind of hate it even more.

• The whole “Tunnel of Love” sequence: Along with “Private Conversation,” “Tunnel of Love” is my favorite song of this show. It is an awesome scene and once again very well done. The day before the wedding the foursome decides to take a relaxing ride in the Tunnel of Love. This whole scene is when each character’s emotions come to a head, leading to all kinds of awkward for the characters and complexity for the plot. Finally Terry gives into his emotions and begins to feverishly make out with Daisy in this ride, something that Daisy has been asking for since the beginning of the play, so she obviously enjoys herself throughout this scene. Of course, Terry cannot hold back any longer and feels comfortable to kiss her because the darkness of the tunnel daunts everyone’s vision, therefore he has her “alone.” Now his concern is being able to keep this heat up when they exit the Tunnel of Love. Buddy is having the opposite issue of being intimate with Violet with her sister by her side, which is odd considering how in broad daylight Buddy doesn’t have a problem showing the shy Violet his affections. In this way in seems like the four should switch partners depending on personality. As the four are hovering in mid-air, dancers do a routine underneath them on the stage. After the first refrain, ecstatic screams are heard (which to me seems kind of random and odd) and these dancers begin to undress a little bit, suggesting that perhaps people are possibly having sex in this tunnel. Either that or it's just symbolizing the sexual tension among the main characters. This is one of those suggestive scenes that has potential to be acknowledged as suggestive but often goes unnoticed as such. For some reason, when I saw it, I didn’t consider it a scene for children to witness. Kids definitely wouldn’t be scarred by it, but it’s just my opinion and first impression of it. I think I just consider it a bit more adult oriented. Check it out here and decide for yourself:

Here is the same scene from a different angle:

• Every time Daisy flirts with Terry: Daisy is the flirtatious of the two twins as she quickly falls for Terry and flirts with him any chance she gets, while he returns the favor. She asks for a kiss, he gladly obliges. However, when Buddy proposes to Violet, it is assumed that Terry is going to propose to her, because apparently these two guys come as packaged deal like the girls do now. What? Just because Buddy is marrying Violet automatically Terry has to marry Daisy? Now, maybe the whole thing with Terry is that he wants to get to know her before making any significant moves. That is the smart thing to do and yet Daisy is constantly annoyed every time Terry does not give in to her marriage proposals. Don’t women normally want a guy to take it slow? I just feel like the whole time she is pushing him whereas Terry prefers to take appropriate time and not rush into things. He likes her but maybe he is just not ready for a commitment just yet. Her flirtatiousness (and Terry's) is very obvious in this clip:

Tomorrow: The Seagull. :)

Check out the previous post of this series: Polaroid Stories and As You Like It.

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: Polaroid Stories and As You Like It

Because both entries are relatively short and both plays were playing at the same theater during the same week, I decided to combine the two into one post.

*Beware of Spoilers*

Polaroid Stories-December 2009-L. Howard Fox Theatre
I loved this play. It was very unique with limited scenery. It is about homeless people on the streets each representing a story of the characters of Greek mythology, particularly Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Now what I have been writing about so far is sex scenes and relations gone wrong. With our play here, even simple make out sessions aren’t safe.

• The make out scene between Eurydice and Orpheus: This is the second time we see these two together. The first time Eurydice is trying to escape from him and Orpheus is pretty much stalking her, thus suggesting a somewhat abusive relationship, so we know he is bad news. The next scene we find them running onto the stage and then start rolling on the stage kissing each other with dialogue. My friend that was with me found this a bit disturbing and so I thought this worth mentioning on my list here. Orpheus does not let Eurydice out of his clutches throughout the scene and is way too touchy-feely. Because we know that he is a bad guy from the beginning, this scene is awkward to watch even more and we sense that it will eventually not end well between them.

As You Like It-December 2009-L. Howard Fox Theatre
I’m going to do my best with this one, considering Shakespeare wrote it and we all know that Shakespeare may take some effort of understanding. But, it is the only play on my list here that pretty much does not have a sexually awkward scene. Though like any play it has its conflicts, it is the most heartwarming play I have seen so far. It is an adorable love story with a happy dance sequence at the end.

• Rosalind disguises herself as a man: If anything would be counted as an "awkward sexual moment" in this play, it would be this. From my understanding, our lead heroine Rosalind is kicked out of her uncle’s home and thus travels the land dressed as a man in search for her father. In her travels she runs into her beloved Orlando, whom she met back when she was in woman form. As she is dressed as a man, she gives Orlando tips as how to court his beloved Rosalind, who is she. This isn’t sexually awkward (well maybe a little bit) but interesting that she is able to tell him what she wants without him knowing who she is. What woman wouldn’t want this ability? This is a common tactic for Shakespeare, for he did the same thing for Twelfth Night.

Next on the list: Side Show. :)

Check out the previous post of this series: Arcadia

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: Arcadia

Arcadia-November 2009-Alexander Kasser Theater
Now this has got to be the most confusing play I have ever seen in my entire life, but in doing so it has become one of my favorites. It takes place in two different centuries as the characters in the present setting try to solve the mysteries of the past utilizing the resources provided for them, all in the same location of Sidley Park, Derbyshire, England. These mysteries pretty much center on the romance among the characters of the past.

*Beware of Spoilers*

• April 1809: The scenes from the past have got to hold the biggest love triangle of all time. The following is this triangle in a nutshell: The play begins on April 10, 1809 with Thomasina Coverly asking her tutor Septimus Hodge the meaning of “carnal embrace”. This question initiates the action of the rest of the play, revealing sex secrets and murderous desires. Septimus, who is in love with Thomasina’s mother Lady Croom, who in turn loves Lord Byron, slept with Mrs. Chater, who apparently slept with Lord Byron also, wife to less than decent poet Ezra Chater and the object of affection of Captain Brice. Mr. Chater and Captain Brice form an alliance to kill Septimus in a duel and Septimus is up for the challenge. Bernard Nightingale in the present tries to prove that is was Lord Byron who shot Mr. Chater thus killing him by ransacking the game books stored in Sidley Park, home to the descendants of the Coverly family: Valentine, Chloe and Gus, whose house is currently being studied by author Hannah Jarvis for her book. The whole conflict in 1809 is opened like a can of worms by Thomasina’s question and acts as a catalyst for the rest of the plot. Thankfully the scenes set in the present aren’t as confused, for the goals of these characters are pretty obvious.

• A thirty-year-old man hooking up with an eighteen-year-old girl: Okay so I know this isn’t that important to the plot but it really bothers me. Bernard in his late thirties has sexual relations with the eighteen-year-old Chloe. Now I know that she is legal and all, but I just find this coupling unsettling considering all the years he has on her. Chloe’s character gradually becomes more and more annoying as she falls more and more for Bernard because we as an audience know that she is just being naïve. Bernard eventually dumps her and does not want her to accompany him back to London, for his heart wasn’t in the relationship as much as Chloe’s. Surprise! This kind of outcome is predictable considering he is a man who likes his sex and also makes advances towards Hannah, which is another sexually awkward moment in itself considering the rocky relationship the two have.

• Gus: Gus is the youngest of the Coverlys and is also mute. He has no lines but makes it obvious that he harbors a crush on Hannah by exhibiting it through his offering of apples, dancing with her, and just acting shy around her. Though this is cute, every time the kid enters the scene not only is he mute he is timidly awkward. He just stands there and then runs out frightened. But I guess because he is young, this kind of shyness is understandable.

• Thomasina kisses Septimus: I am currently on the fence with this one, but because I complained so much about Bernard and Chloe together, I only found it fitting to write about these two as well. Septimus is twenty-two and Thomasina is thirteen and then sixteen. In the final seen they share kisses. They may be considered awkward because of the age difference and the fact it happens so suddenly, but I really don’t think it counts as an awkward sexual moment. This is because Thomasina at sixteen in 1809 is way more mature than Chloe at eighteen in the present. In 1809, it was probably common for a sixteen-year-old girl to be married with children already. Plus, it was only a kiss. Septimus was Thomasina’s tutor with whom she got along, so the kiss they share is actually kind of cute and innocent in this context.

Next up: Polaroid Stories and As You Like It. :)

Check out the previous post of this series: A Man of No Importance

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: A Man of No Importance

A Man of No Importance-October 2009-L. Howard Fox Theatre
Taking place in Ireland a young playwright named Alfie Byrne takes upon writing a play for the town actors to perform while also facing the difficulty of discovering his own sexuality. The whole play is pretty much Alfie’s coming out experience, and an awkward coming out experience it is.

*Beware of Spoilers*

• Any confrontation Alfie has with Breton Beret: We meet Breton Beret, who coincidentally wears a beret and looks more like a stereotypical French guy lost in Dublin rather than an Irish guy in my opinion, in the play’s local bar, because, you know, what is an Irish play without a bar as one its settings, right? Anyway Breton hangs out in this bar and he often checks out Alfie, suggesting that he is gay. He then begins messing with Alfie’s mind, saying that Alfie was checking him out as well. He pretty much speaks in riddles with a sly tone of voice confusing Alfie and making him begin to realize that he is gay as well. Now bear in mind up until this point Alfie pretty much considers himself straight so this so-called connection he and this guy have is news to him. You can tell that Alfie is uncomfortable in every scene with him until the muse of Oscar Wilde (yes, THE Oscar Wilde—I’ll get to that in a minute) inspires him to try to pursue a relationship with Breton because the man he is in love with is straight and does not return his affections let alone know about them. It then turns out that Mr. Beret is one of those gay-basher guys and beats and robs Alfie. Yes, a quick change of events there. I actually found it a real jaw dropper because it happens so suddenly and unexpectedly.

• Alfie walks in on Robbie Faye and Mrs. Patrick: The man Alfie falls for during the play is Robbie Faye, the town bus driver. It becomes obvious that Robbie does not return Alfie’s affections, nor is Alfie really sure of his affection for Robbie, for like I said this whole play is Alfie’s coming out experience of discovering who he is. Robbie is a friend of Alfie’s but there is a point in the play when Robbie actually seems to find Alfie irritating. This is when Alfie walks in on him and Mrs. Patrick. It turns out he is having an affair with this married woman. What makes this scene awkward is the fact that the lights are completely off and when they come up Alfie walks in on a heavy make-out session between the two, Mrs. Patrick a bit undressed, leading to a disturbing reaction among all three parties involved. It’s kind of heartbreaking because we can all relate to feeling the disappointment of witnessing someone else with the object of our affections. The fact that they were in a sexual embrace preparing to do the deed, Alfie thought he actually had a chance with Robbie, and the whole struggle Alfie had with his sexuality, was all toppled onto each other, making it that much more difficult for Alfie to handle. Seeing Robbie and Mrs. Patrick together was just icing on a not-so-tasty cake.

• Oscar Wilde: That’s right. The legendary supposedly homosexual playwright himself makes an appearance. Though this may not be considered an awkward sexual moment, I thought I’d include it because I believe there is a connection between him and Alfie. Alfie greatly admires the work of Oscar Wilde and uses them as inspiration for his own pieces. Regardless, the whole scene with Wilde is awkward because he just randomly enters as Alfie’s hallucination dressed with a huge hat, cape, and cane, and provides Alfie with the same attire. They walk around the stage and to me the scene just seemed out of place with the rest of the play. However, it seems as though the presence of Oscar Wilde does serve a purpose because a good thing that comes out of this scene is that Alfie seems to finally become comfortable with his sexuality and goes out to pursue relationships with men. Unfortunately, this also leads to the episode with Breton Beret.

Tomorrow: Arcadia. :)

Winter Break Project to be Posted Shortly

Greetings faithful readers! I hope you are enjoying the snow. :P

Starting Sunday or Monday I will begin posting a series of entries that I have been working on for a good majority of winter break. I am pretty proud of it and have worked very hard on it. I'll probably post one every day of the week instead of just posting two to spread it out because the entries are pretty lengthy. I apologize for the constant posts and lengthiness, but this is the only way to post them before I return back to school without bombarding you with two gigantic messages all at once. Some entries will be lengthier than others. I really hope you enjoy them!

The posts in this series have sexual content, so I ask you to proceed with caution. Perhaps this series is not for all viewers, but you the reader be the judge of that. However, I want to inform you that not all of my future posts will be this kind of content. This is just for the series.

Peak Performances is another name for theatrical shows produced by Montclair State University. As I was thinking one night (December 29, 2010) about the different Peak Performances that have occurred so far during my attendance at Montclair State University, a majority of them I have seen live, it has occurred to me that every show had something in common—awkward sexual tension. Though there is nothing wrong with a little hanky-panky behavior onstage, it is the context and delivery that makes it awkward and out there. Sometimes it is rather humorous, other times it is just plain uncomfortable. Never is there a time when a couple has sex or any activity in that range where it just seems natural and we just leave it as that. There is always additional weirdness going on. Now I am just going to limit this to the performances provided by the Department of Theatre and Dance at MSU, which involve MSU theater majors. Furthermore, this piece is definitely NOT a knock on anybody involved with these performances or the performances themselves, for I admire their abilities greatly, but rather the characters and situations they are portraying. Finally, last but certainly not least, it is only my opinion and I just decided to write about it. This is a series I like to call "Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments."

None of the shows I mention are playing at Montclair State University anymore, but if you plan on seeing these shows at other venues, I suggest you be careful when reading the series because I provide plenty of spoilers to get my points across. Enter at your own risk. 

Now without further to do, please join me as we take a trip down memory lane to commemorate these memorable moments.

First up, A Man of No Importance . :)