Comments on: Delayed Reaction http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:29:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: Renee Mumford http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/#comment-420 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:37:45 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/#comment-420 One more thing dear Mr. CJ, It's always about the audience, paying customers if you will. TO BE entertained. The theater is, ultimately, an evening of entertainment. Always, always, always. See, hear, speak. Just like the three monkeys except evil isn't always involved. Sometimes it's potheads and over zealous first novelists! If you can't hear the actors speaking or are stuck behind a cement piling (this does not apply to Step theatre, more The Schubert (NOT LaSalle..blah, blah). Yes, you are obviously young. I forgive you. And could probably play the role of your mother. Isn't that nice! Maybe someday.... In the meantime, keep breaking those legs! With love and passion about acting/the theater. All best, Renee One more thing dear Mr. CJ,

It’s always about the audience, paying customers if you will. TO BE entertained. The theater is, ultimately, an evening of entertainment. Always, always, always.

See, hear, speak. Just like the three monkeys except evil isn’t always involved. Sometimes it’s potheads and over zealous first novelists!

If you can’t hear the actors speaking or are stuck behind a cement piling (this does not apply to Step theatre, more The Schubert (NOT LaSalle..blah, blah).

Yes, you are obviously young. I forgive you. And could probably play the role of your mother. Isn’t that nice! Maybe someday….

In the meantime, keep breaking those legs!

With love and passion about acting/the theater.

All best,

Renee

]]> by: Renee Mumford http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/#comment-419 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:36:15 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/#comment-419 To CJ: Glad you are thinking! That is a good thing. And you can think whatever you want. I personally, THINK those who are only prone to kissy face sort of comments, can take a hike. I am as are you, entitled to think. FOR SHAME! I like how Lisa up top thinks. Yes, the fight scene was sophmoric and pointless. As might be war in general. I hope my suggestions have been taken seriously and that SD has implemented my thoughts. Can do no wrong! No wrong! No wrong! How can the garden grow with that attitude? RM To CJ: Glad you are thinking! That is a good thing. And you can think whatever you want. I personally, THINK those who are only prone to kissy face sort of comments, can take a hike. I am as are you, entitled to think. FOR SHAME! I like how Lisa up top thinks. Yes, the fight scene was sophmoric and pointless. As might be war in general.

I hope my suggestions have been taken seriously and that SD has implemented my thoughts.

Can do no wrong! No wrong! No wrong! How can the garden grow with that attitude?

RM

]]> by: Curtis Jackson http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/#comment-416 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:13:41 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/#comment-416 Sorry Jon for moving in on your blog; leaving a comment having little to do with your entry, but... To Renee Mumford: I think your comments are dismissive and annoying. With your "...passion for acting and theatre" since fourth grade (a while ago for you, I'm sure) I would have expected a better assessment dealing with the art and criticism for Superior Donuts. I think you're missing some important points and should look at the larger picture instead of ruining it with lame, limited perceptions that an immature cherry flavor loving child might cry over. Just something to think about in "…the name of the Steppenwolf game - FOR SHAME!" Thank you Lisa Haufschild for a more well rounded critique. As for you Jon Hill, giving your all every performance is something to notice, but not dwell in. I think you are truly magical on that stage and I'm very excited to see you in the future. Sorry Jon for moving in on your blog; leaving a comment having little to do with your entry, but…

To Renee Mumford: I think your comments are dismissive and annoying. With your “…passion for acting and theatre” since fourth grade (a while ago for you, I’m sure) I would have expected a better assessment dealing with the art and criticism for Superior Donuts. I think you’re missing some important points and should look at the larger picture instead of ruining it with lame, limited perceptions that an immature cherry flavor loving child might cry over. Just something to think about in “…the name of the Steppenwolf game - FOR SHAME!”

Thank you Lisa Haufschild for a more well rounded critique.

As for you Jon Hill, giving your all every performance is something to notice, but not dwell in. I think you are truly magical on that stage and I’m very excited to see you in the future.

]]> by: Lisa Haufschild http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/#comment-415 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:30:47 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/#comment-415 As a result of the "pathetic" fight, I've been toying with the idea of fighting, violence, war and what it serves, defines or resolves ever since - and how it plays into what it means to be American - perhaps especially an American male. On one level, both men seemed to feel they deserved to be beaten up - it's as if they let themselves be beat up as much as they threw punches. I felt sorry for both - so much internal suffering in that fight - and there was no real "winner" - unless that ending face bashing by Arthur - or the vicious dunk in the janitor's pail was "triumphant". Arthur's challenge was to overcome the heartbreak of his father's view of him as a coward for choosing Canada/pacifism (hardly cowardice, given the personal price paid for leaving - isolation from your family and culture) over Vietnam. Post WWII, the idea of going to war as something that "made the man" was changing. Maybe slowly, the physical fight, the need to war is being evolved out of us? We can surely see that most such "fight scenes" are just violence no matter who's throwing the punches for whatever reason. It's interesting that many audience members think that scene can go - but did Arthur? He felt he needed to fight - go to war - to be powerful - a very old script. Did the massive violence in VN solve or change anything? Could history have done without that act? Unfortunately, the fear of "Communism" and our own country's need to assert its military power drove us right on in, just like Arthur, who still had a glimmer of the old idea "this is strength, this is manhood" in his mind pushing him to that fight. Arthur's moment of triumph is not when he fights. He is still a boy then. He is courageous when he decides to live and to open himself up to the life around him. He so gorgeously became a man when he supported Franco like a son, when he apologized for hurting Franco, when he calls Randy for a date even though he feels not fully worthy of love. Calling his daughter was just around the corner. Being accountable is courage. Opening up to the messiness of life - to change - without fear is courage. If we want a fight scene out of a play because it so clearly did nothing to further the character's breathtaking evolution, we're just one step away from seeing that wars are just as superfluous. As a result of the “pathetic” fight, I’ve been toying with the idea of fighting, violence, war and what it serves, defines or resolves ever since - and how it plays into what it means to be American - perhaps especially an American male. On one level, both men seemed to feel they deserved to be beaten up - it’s as if they let themselves be beat up as much as they threw punches. I felt sorry for both - so much internal suffering in that fight - and there was no real “winner” - unless that ending face bashing by Arthur - or the vicious dunk in the janitor’s pail was “triumphant”. Arthur’s challenge was to overcome the heartbreak of his father’s view of him as a coward for choosing Canada/pacifism (hardly cowardice, given the personal price paid for leaving - isolation from your family and culture) over Vietnam. Post WWII, the idea of going to war as something that “made the man” was changing. Maybe slowly, the physical fight, the need to war is being evolved out of us? We can surely see that most such “fight scenes” are just violence no matter who’s throwing the punches for whatever reason. It’s interesting that many audience members think that scene can go - but did Arthur? He felt he needed to fight - go to war - to be powerful - a very old script. Did the massive violence in VN solve or change anything? Could history have done without that act? Unfortunately, the fear of “Communism” and our own country’s need to assert its military power drove us right on in, just like Arthur, who still had a glimmer of the old idea “this is strength, this is manhood” in his mind pushing him to that fight. Arthur’s moment of triumph is not when he fights. He is still a boy then. He is courageous when he decides to live and to open himself up to the life around him. He so gorgeously became a man when he supported Franco like a son, when he apologized for hurting Franco, when he calls Randy for a date even though he feels not fully worthy of love. Calling his daughter was just around the corner. Being accountable is courage. Opening up to the messiness of life - to change - without fear is courage. If we want a fight scene out of a play because it so clearly did nothing to further the character’s breathtaking evolution, we’re just one step away from seeing that wars are just as superfluous.

]]> by: Renee Mumford http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/#comment-414 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:31:45 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2008/07/31/delayed-reaction/#comment-414 Okay well, if all is perfect and there is nothing to counter-weight and if critiquing in any way except a positive manner, is the name of the Steppenwolf game - FOR SHAME! My intuition tells me Mr. Letts had stuffed this play in the filing cabinet when he was much younger, maybe twenty years ago, as a fledgling Chicagoan. It smacked of youthful penmanship. But then was dusted off and finished in true confidence having been awarded for his August opus. The fight scene is lame. It would have been better had it been a verbal confrontation. The whole thing seemed uncomfortable for the actors, as if they would rather have had it transpire some other way. Like off stage. Blood? That wasn't blood. I hope it was cherry flavored! Anyway, if criticism is not allowed here, which I know it is, in the name of art, that would cloud communication, and my passion for acting and the theatre, which I dubbed 'My Home' when I was in fourth grade. PS: I am aware that Arthur needed to arch via the play but fighting the Italian/Irish mob person, I thought, was a lame, childishly uncomfortable way to handle it. PPS: I did love Lady best. She was a terrific character and wish she'd had a meatier part. And Jon seemed hell bent on keeping the energy afloat and it was at times, painful to watch. It must be exhausting! Okay well, if all is perfect and there is nothing to counter-weight and if critiquing in any way except a positive manner, is the name of the Steppenwolf game - FOR SHAME!

My intuition tells me Mr. Letts had stuffed this play in the filing cabinet when he was much younger, maybe twenty years ago, as a fledgling Chicagoan. It smacked of youthful penmanship. But then was dusted off and finished in true confidence having been awarded for his August opus.

The fight scene is lame. It would have been better had it been a verbal confrontation. The whole thing seemed uncomfortable for the actors, as if they would rather have had it transpire some other way. Like off stage. Blood? That wasn’t blood. I hope it was cherry flavored!

Anyway, if criticism is not allowed here, which I know it is, in the name of art, that would cloud communication, and my passion for acting and the theatre, which I dubbed ‘My Home’ when I was in fourth grade.

PS: I am aware that Arthur needed to arch via the play but fighting the Italian/Irish mob person, I thought, was a lame, childishly uncomfortable way to handle it.

PPS: I did love Lady best. She was a terrific character and wish she’d had a meatier part. And Jon seemed hell bent on keeping the energy afloat and it was at times, painful to watch. It must be exhausting!

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