Two things about this show immediately piqued my interest. First: Christopher Walken played the lead during the Broadway run of the play. I love Christopher Walken and, although UGA’s production of A Behanding in Spokane will obviously not star him, the fact that he was involved with it initially has endeared the play to me. Second: the show seems to be, from the brief descriptions I’ve read, delightfully twisted. According to Broadway.com, the play is about a man who is missing his left had, two con-artists who promise to sell him what they claim is that hand, and a racy, provocative hotel clerk. That extremely vague description only strengthened my interest in this show; I thoroughly enjoy darker, non “cookie-cutter” stories and can’t wait to learn how the man lost his hand and how all the characters fit together. …show more content…
I’m able to stomach most things that people deem inappropriate or provocative in theatre (i.e.
violence, on-stage sex scenes), but I truly dislike excessive use of crude language, which A Behanding in Spokane appears to have a lot of. I saw a production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest last spring and the language in that made me uncomfortable, so if the language in this show is any worse (and I have a feeling that it is), then I’m in for an uphill battle. I can understand if course language is used to emphasize an abhorrent or deplorable character, or if it is used sparingly to emphasize that a character is extremely upset. However, I cannot get behind the idea of using that kind of language simply for the sake of using it. I highly doubt the language issue will make or break the show for me though; it will probably end up being a minor
annoyance. I’m a theatre person; I’ve been acting in community and school and church theatre since I was little. Consequently, I’m already engaged with the production just because it’s a play and I’m excited to see it. I’m fairly low maintenance when it comes to staying interested in something; as long as the production doesn’t drag and has an intriguing plot, I’ll be able to stay engaged. I’ve always been a fan of visible (for lack of a better word) costuming and set design; the more intricate the visuals of the play are, the better. Shows where the actors wear all black or where the setting is minimal have never held much interest for me, but that’s solely a personal preference. If the acting and story line are good enough, I can handle minimalistic visuals. A Behanding in Spokane is a very modern production, so I expect that the costumes and set will reflect that. If I were in charge of the show, I would put the main character in a dark trench-coat, the two con-artists in jeans, and the hotel clerk in a hotel uniform. The costumes, in my opinion, should look disheveled and worn; I highly doubt any character in the play puts much stock in personal appearance. The show is set in a grungy motel; I expect there will be a dingy bed and a nightstand at the very least. Again, if I were in charge, I would build a mobile piece of wall to close in the stage space and the hotel seem more real to the audience. I would also add rugs and more furniture to truly give the set the appearance of a hotel. Of course, I have no clue what kind of stage or budget the cast and crew of the production are working with; they might not have the means or space to build an elaborate set. This play is not a happy one, so I don’t think there will be much bright light, aside from a few spotlights here and there to highlight pivotal moments.
The author Ken Kesey was born in La Junta, Colorado and went to Stanford University. He volunteered to be used for an experiment in the hospital because he would get paid. In the book “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, Kesey brings up the past memories to show how Bromden is trying to be more confident by using those thoughts to make him be himself. He uses Bromden’s hallucinations, Nurse Ratched’s authority, and symbolism to reveal how he’s weak, but he builds up more courage after each memory.
Not knowing what this play was about, I went to go see it Wednesday after noon at Holyoke Community College in the Leslie Phillips Theater. I had many mixed emotions about this play. I thought some parts were very funny, but others were a little uncomfortable because of some racia...
Mark Twain best described courage when he said that, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear” (Twain). Both in The One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and Watership Down by Richard Adams, the authors deal with the topic of courage and each share a similar view on it as this quote. Indeed, both authors suggest that courage is not accumulated simply by acts of heroism, but rather by overcoming fears and speaking one’s mind as well. These books are very similar in the way that bravery is displayed through the characters in an uncommon way. Firstly, an example of bravery
When they first come to the Island Philip is dependent of timothy and doesn’t want to work because he is blind stated by him in the novel. ”I just wanted to sit and think. I didn’t want to work. I said timothy I can’t work I’m blind”. Page 70 in the novel. Then when Timothy almost died of malaria so Timothy trained him to to rely on himself. Phillip starts being independent of Timothy when he carves a crane for philip so he can move around the island and also attaches vines to each side of the island so philip can walk back and forth from the hut.In chapter eleven is when philip says ” Timothy fashioned a cane for me and I was now using it to feel my way around the island ”.” I was starting to be less dependent on the vine ”. While still dependent on timothy he started to be less being able to walk without him and the vines. To test if Philip was now independent of Timothy he had to climb a tree blind. When he first went up to it he had stop and
On October 3, 2016, I watched The Woodsman in class at Brigham Young University. James Ortiz directed the play, along with the production team Claire Karpen (Director), Molly Seidel (Costume Design), Catherine Clark and Jamie Roderick (Lighting Design) and Becca Key (Production Manager). A Broadway Production, The Woodsman epitomized the strength of technical design while allowing the audience to fall in love with the characters.
When it comes to manipulation many view it as a negative aspect in life. Although people view it as a negative aspect, they continue to manipulate words and actions to get what they want. Ken Kesey applied manipulation in the book to reveal the positive and negative sides of manipulation. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a controversial novel that describes the inner workings of a mental institution.
Fred Wright, Lauren's instructor for EN 132 (Life, Language, Literature), comments, "English 132 is an introduction to English studies, in which students learn about various areas in the discipline from linguistics to the study of popular culture. For the literature and literary criticism section of the course, students read a canonical work of literature and what scholars have said about the work over the years. This year, students read One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey, a classic of American literature which dates from the 1960s counterculture. Popularized in a film version starring Jack Nicholson, which the class also watched in order to discuss film studies and adaptation, the novel became notable for its sympathetic portrayal of the mentally ill. For an essay about the novel, students were asked to choose a critical approach (such as feminist, formalist, psychological, and so forth) and interpret the novel using that approach, while also considering how their interpretation fit into the ongoing scholarly dialogue about the work. Lauren chose the challenge of applying a Marxist approach to One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Not only did she learn about critical approaches and how to apply one to a text, she wrote an excellent essay, which will help other readers understand the text better. In fact, if John Clark Pratt or another editor ever want to update the 1996 Viking Critical Library edition of the novel, then he or she might want to include Lauren's essay in the next edition!"
Written in 1962-3, Play depicts three characters, a man (M), and two women (W1 and W2) trapped in urns with only their heads showing. These characters each present their own version of a love triangle, which once occurred between them. It becomes clear during the play that the characters, once tortured by each other, are now tortured by their situation. A spotlight acts as a "unique inquisitor," compelling each to speak when it shines on them, and to stop when it goes out. As this assault continues, the characters become increasingly maddened by the light, and increasingly desperate to make it stop. The play repeats itself, providing the audience with a sense that these characters have been saying the same words for an eternity, and will continue to do so until the light decides they can stop. Beckett demonstrates how "A style of living, theatrically communicable, is used to express a state of mind."
In a book written by Jonathan Harnisch, he says, “I have schizophrenia. I am not schizophrenia. I am not my mental illness. My illness is a part of me.” Unfortunately, not everybody has the same idea. In the Soviet Union, citizens were often put inside mental hospitals for having unpopular views or for having a disability. () In One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, the book displays ()
What makes an outcast in society? A stutter, an addiction, being gay or a mental illness? In this novel, “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” By Ken Kesey, explores this topic of conformity and individuality. R.P McMurphy is the main character and he wins the struggle between him and the nurse over this issue. McMurphy wins this war because he alleviates the stress of being ‘odd’ in the ward for the patients, he also demonstrated that being upset with the rules of the ward is okay and it was their right and lastly, McMurphy leaves a legacy as a reminder of his values and lessons.
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Girl, Interrupted” are two, dark humored, drama films that both depict the experiences of a sane protagonist while institutionalized. United Artists and Warner Home Video’s presented “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1975. A fictional drama film that took place in the early 1960’s starred: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, and Will Sampson. In contrast, Columbia Pictures presented “Girl, Interrupted” in 1999. A drama film based on the memoir of Susanna Kaysen that took place in the late 1960’s, featured actresses: Winona Ryder, Whoopi Goldberg, and Angelina Jolie. Although both pictures’ earned many achievements, the main character, plot, and conclusion of “Girl, Interrupted” made the movie an absolute
In 1962, Ken Kesey shook Americans across the nation with his book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The novel expresses such things as nonconformity, rebellion, freedom of the mind and the hardships of having a mental illness. It also challenges many levels of reality and social norms, such as glorifying corrupt juveniles, criminal activity, and depicting images of violence.
Along with having no plot, the play had no characters as well. The guest performers along with the fourth-year actors were not “playing characters” they were acting as themselves; it worked though. The night I watched the show there were four indigenous guest performers and they brought so much forth by being themselves. It was important to have them there because the audience should hear things from an indigenous perspective. After all, they are the reason we are here and we cannot be a post national country without them. It goes beyond just having them here, people need to treat them with the respect and the dignity they deserve. It was an effective choice to have random people come and answer questions that do not have an define answer and
The routine of everyday life is well-presented in the way In the Heights goes through a weekend of a city block in Washington Heights during the summer. When it comes to the characters and the work they do, there are the usual jobs related to Hispanics. There is Usnavi, the owner of De La Vega Bodega, Kevin and Camila Rosario, owners of the taxi cab service called Rosario's, and Daniela, who owns a salon. Throughout the play, there were a lot of casual activities I was able to relate to, such as my grandmother always taking the time to buy a lottery ticket if it was accessible, having a desire to visit the Dominican Republic again, yet never seeming to have the time like Usnavi, and hearing the idea of someone being sent to the DR for the summer
In The Second Shepherd's Play, there was very little historical evidence on to how the play was performed during medieval times. Nevertheless, historians had to dig deeper into how the play was structured to get a better understanding of how it could possibly be performed. With the play thought to be the first of it’s time, it fluenced great writers, like Shakespeare, into changing the way plays were written. By looking at the performance choices, structure, and overall themes of the play, this can give a greater insight as to how the author wanted their particular audience to experience when watching the play.