Baltimore Waltz written by Paula Vogel is a riveting and comical story about the love between a sister and a brother, and a metaphorical disease that tears the two apart. The plot takes place during the AIDs epidemic of the 1980s. In the beginning of the play, Ann becomes “infected” with the fictional Acquired Toilet Disease (a parody of AIDs), however, her brother, Carl, is the one with the real illness and is dying from AIDs. Throughout the play, Ann imagines her and her brother on a trip through Europe where she has intimate affairs with men in every country. A “Third Man” plays a large role in the script by being a doctor, Ann’s European lovers, and exchanges toy bunnies with Carl. As the fantasy of this play increases in oddity, the audience learns that Ann has been “waltzing” around the reality of her brother’s eventual death. This critically acclaimed show based on the real-life story of Vogel and her …show more content…
brother received so much applause that is appeared Off-Broadway twice in a twelve year span.
Baltimore Waltz is a fascinating memorial play that balances the likes of comedy and true-to-life heartbreak, all the while depicting the truth about the AIDs epidemic of the 1980s. Baltimore Waltz was composed nearly a year and a half after Vogel’s brother, Carl, succumbed to the AIDs virus in 1988. In 1986, Carl had asked Vogel to join him on a trip around Europe, in which Vogel explained in The Baltimore Sun article, “ Due to pressures of time and money, I declined, never dreaming that he was HIV-positive.” Vogel was originally abstinent about writing the story of her and her sibling due to their close bond, but after nearly a year and a half she decided to write it as a memorial piece (Rousuck). Understanding the events that took place during the 1980s AIDs epidemic is imperative to grasping the deep emotional turmoil and fear that took place, especially in understanding
the character Ann’s actions. Beginning in June of 1981, anxiety throughout the United States began to rise as a bizarre immune deficiency syndrome began to spread within a small homosexual population in California. By the end of 1981, five to six cases where popping up each week. There were several problems that lead to the spread of this horrific disease. Due to a prejudice towards the homosexual population the government and many doctors were reluctant to help, and one of leading doctors of the time on the AIDs forefront, Dr. Joel Weisman, stated that one of his colleagues even said that “If it kills a few of them off, it will make society a better place.” It was not until 1985 when the government directly addressed AIDS for the first time. Furthermore, many people thought that the virus could only affect white, homosexual men, but as time progressed more African Americans and women became infected. Other problems include scientists not knowing how it was spreading, and by 1986, the virus had spread to more than half of all hemophiliacs, which added to the mass hysteria. By the end of the 1980s, over 100,000 people had acquired the disease (“History of HIV & AIDS in the U.S”).
The play Sisters, by Wendy Lill, is set in 20th century Nova Scotia at an Indian Residential School. The play focuses on a hopeful 17-year-old farm girl named Mary who was dating Louis at the time. Along with the present Mary who is currently in interrogation with, the duty counsel, Stein. She has been accused of torching down the Residential School, the place where she worked for fifteen years. There are various factors contributing to the impulsive reasoning behind Sister Mary’s act of burning down the Residential School such as, the actual truth to why she committed the sin, the contrast relationships with others that reflected upon her actions, and the overall punishment she should receive.
One important scene in the film ‘The Age of Aids’ is “Port Au Prince, Haiti”. In this scene it outlines the conditions in Haiti, which were very poor and it turn left the city defenseless against the new disease. In 70’s and 80’s the disease began to be seen by doctors and priests who were being sought after to cure a unseen disease which left the people with the “look of death, [making them] so skinny you could see their bones”. The scene then goes on to take a look at one of the first HIV clinics in Port Au Prince, which was opened in the roughest parts of town. One of the surprising things that this clinic found when they were looking at the patients coming in was that the mean they were analyzing had more contact with women then they had with men. This was extremely interesting because this was completely different from what the pattern of the disease had been in the US. The doctors believed this was because homosexual males had been coming into Haiti as tourists and where having sex with locals, who in comparison didn’t call themselves homosexuals because even though they had been having sex with men, the number of women they were having sex with greatly outnumbered the men. This was extremely important because it allowed people to open their eyes, and realize that this was not a homosexual disease, that anyone could get the disease. And that’s exactly what happened within the Haitian community. Within three years the disease had spread across the entire island effects all aspects of society. This scene was effective because it is able to change a viewer with little knowledge of the disease to understand how doctors were able to come to the conclusion that the disease was not in fact a homosexual ...
The concept of American dream originated in the 1600s, even before America was a country (“Ten Facts”). The forever changing American dream, has instilled in American literature the choices people are forced to make regarding their aspirations. Every generation has changed the common idea of what the American dream entails. There are immense possibilities as to how the common person interprets the American dream. The American dream inspires people to make their own decisions and prompts people that there is always another possibility (Izaguirre). In American literature the theme of choices and possibilities is prominent.
Written by Australian playwright Debra Oswald, Dags is an Australian play set that is in the 1980’s. The hilarious comedy portrays the life of high school student Gillian, who is a daggy, insure teenager who lacks self-confidence and believes that there is no point in life. The play which is set from the point of view of main character Gillian explores the troubles faced by adolescents. Dags brings to the table a fun and entertaining production that is exaggerated to its extremes and takes on a funny and compassionate look at adolescence. Sixteen year old Gillian suffers from the occasional so called “ack-attack”, and is worried about not having a boyfriend. She is infatuated with the best looking boy in school, heartthrob
"My Papa 's Waltz," by Theodore Roethke 's, is a poem about a boy who expresses his affection for his father, but at the same time expresses a sense of danger that comes from the father. The poem appears to be a snapshot in time from a child’s memory. The uplifting experience is created through the father and son’s waltz while the father’s uncontrollable movements juxtaposes the menace of the drunken father.
The Movie “And the Band Played On” is the framework of the earliest years of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Also known as the Gay disease. The movie examines HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States in the earlier 1980’s and emphasizes on three crucial components. An immunologist with knowledge in eradicating smallpox and containing the Ebola virus, joins the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to attempt and recognize just what this disease is. The film also deals the administration and government side that does not seem to care. The homosexual community in San Francisco is separated on the nature of the disease but also want to know what should be done
The play is set in the 1920s when women started to receive clerical jobs and were expected to complete certain milestones in life. For example, in the scene labeled “at home” young woman – the main character – tells her mom that she is going to get married, because everybody does it, but then says she will not because she does not love Mr. Jones (Machinal). Ultimately her choice was to not get married, but in the end she does because her mom needs and wants her to get married for financial stability and the young woman feels that her destiny was to care for her mother. However, in the scene titled “prohibited”, the young woman starts deciding her destiny and chooses to cheat on her husband, Mr. Jones (Machinal). This is the moment when she realizes she can control her own destiny. That she does not have to be the happy housewife that society says her fate has to be. But there was still one problem, society still appeared to be in control of her destiny because she hasn’t decided on what her exact destiny would
A major problem that both Blanche and Amanda face is their misconception of reality and the "New South." "The predominant theme of these plays is Southern womanhood helpless in the grip of the new world, while its old world of social position and financial security is a paradise lost (Gassner 78). They are victims of a society that taught them that virtue, attractiveness, and gentility all led to happiness. When tragedy strikes, Blanche and Amanda are unable to adjust to modem society and eventually withdraw into the securities of the past. "For Blanche and Amanda, the South forms an image of youth, love, purity and all of the ideals that have crumbled along with mansions and family fortunes" (Tischier 319).
This poem has a kept form. Even at a glance, it has a set form. It consists of four quatrains, each line being an iambic tritameter. The poem is about a young boy waltzing with his father. One can assume that the speaker is a young boy, or perhaps the poet reminiscing his youth. The father dances around in a haphazard manner, knocking over pans in the kitchen. Upon first glance, the tone is humorous. The picture one immediately forms is rather comical with the boy clinging on for dear life as his chuckling father spins him round and round, making a mess in the kitchen while the mother looks on discontentedly. However, the line, "whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy" suggests the father's drunkedness and "at every step you missed my right ear scraped buckle" suggests the dance was not an altogether joyful one. Lines such as "hung on like death", and "beat time on my head" are might even lead the reader to think the father is abusive of the boy.
“And the Band Played On” was an HBO movie that illustrated the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and early 1990s. The movie touched on subjects concerning the reaction of the gay community, the heterosexual community, and the medical community. It showed not only the research in AIDS, but also the way that the US government dealt with it. The movie expressed the consequences the gay community suffered, the plight of the medical community in researching the disease, and the issue of government response to it.
It explores and discovers Paul Crabbe’s will to become a concert pianist and his quest for identity, but stumbles across obstacles such as the desire for women. Megan, Paul’s first crush, symbolizes lust and desire and later on into the story we meet Rosie, Paul’s true love who symbolizes reality.
New Criticism attracts many readers to its methodologies by enticing them with clearly laid out steps to follow in order to criticize any work of literature. It dismisses the use of all outside sources, asserting that the only way to truly analyze a poem efficiently is to focus purely on the words in the poem. For this interpretation I followed all the steps necessary in order to properly analyze the poem. I came to a consensus on both the tension, and the resolving of it.
Irvington Conservatory Theater's production of Urinetown: The Musical proves, through an apocalyptic Fremont that has been in a 20-year drought where the government has banned private toilets, that you should always follow you heart. From the beginning, the musical’s storyline is imbedded into various songs, giving a cheerful tone to the production, but is still rich in detail. The constant repetition in the title song builds the suspense, making the audience wonder what Urinetown really is. While the name may seem immature, the musical deals with monopolies, bureaucracy, and love. A key character who educates the audience about love is Hope Caldwell, who tends to see the good in everyone but finds herself between her father and her own love.
The fact that such an ostensibly minor character carries such enormous weight in the play exemplifies the sensitivity of envious minds and the way in which seemingly trivial incidents can be amplified psychologically. Both productions triumphantly demonstrate Bianca’s undeniable significance, shedding a new, creative light on this once dark character as a major ingredient in the racial and sexual tensions prevalent in
are still in place in today's society. The play is a comedy but to a