death of a salesman vid

I thought it was very interesting how involved Arthur Miller was with the actual filming and stage direction of the movie. I've never heard of a playwright or screenwriter having that much say in how a film was put together.

Also, it was just as surprising to see how much influence Dustin Hoffman had on scenes. I know he is a great actor, but I thought there was something called directorial control?

It was interesting how they intentionally made it look like a play instead of adapting to look more like a movie, I thought it kept a nice level of integrity.

One thing the video showed was how hard it is to make a movie for everyone involved. It truly is a neverending saga, at least until the movie's debut.

Fences

I really enjoyed this play. Although I guess I can't say from personal experience, I feel like August Wilson did a great job portraying some of the bitter realities African-Americans faced just before the Civil Rights Era. Troy experiences several of the same struggles as many African-Americans did during that time, like homelessness and incarceration, but what I thought was interesting was how Wilson juxtaposed the origins of Troy's greatest achievement with a place usually considered rock bottom. But then again, learning to play baseball may not have been so great for Troy after all because, in the end, it caused him so much more grief than success.
Wilson did a great job using Troy to embody many of the negative stereotypes of African-American males during post-Civil War Era, like infidelity and absentee fatherhood, while also keeping him human enough to still root for. Maybe not passionately cheer for, but I empathized with him over his struggles to cope with his Cory's potential athletic success. He was so hung up on the humiliating treatment of black athletes, and probably African-Americans in general, that he was reluctant to let his son go down the same path.
I liked the fence metaphor. It seems like it was probably pretty representative of how African-American mothers and wives felt about their families. The war had taken many of their husbands and sons, and lives of vice took some of what was left, so I can imagine black women were willing to do anything to keep their families together.

Fences

This play was very depression. I do not see any reason why I should sympathize with Troy. He seems to be bitter about the past and is taking it out on his love ones, which is selfish and cruel. If this play was meant to make me feel pitiful towards Troy, I do not at all. I think that Rose was a beautiful woman, and I felt a lot of pain for her while reading the play. I also really sympathized with Corey similar to how I sympathized with Biff in Death of a Salesman, although, at least Willy was loving and selfless, unlike Troy. I really didn't get the moral of this story either. I am anxious for class discussion to gain some new insight.

Death of a Salesman movie

I really enjoyed the Death of a Salesman movie. It is always interesting to see the background of a play production rather than just the production itself. There is so much detail that goes into the performance. Not only the acting, but also the set, the music, the pauses, and the costumes. Everything has a purpose and those who create the art take much pride in it. I also really appreciated The actor or Willy. I really observed his talent and the passion behind his character. The same goes for the other actors as well. I would like to say that I would enjoy seeing this performance live, but I think it would depress me. The plot of this play hits very close to home and it is emotional for me to witness similar family problems to my own. However, it was a very well put- together documentary and I really enjoyed it. 

Death of a Salesman Video

Death of a Salesman Video

I LOVED the movie on the making of Death Of a Salesman. It was so interesting seeing the real personalty of Dustin Hoffman, and how he acted on set. I loved seeing how much of a perfectionist he was, and how hard he worked to capture that perfect moment on film. It was also interesting to see the differences and similarities that have occurred in film since the time Death of A Salesman was filmed.

Fences

I had a really hard time getting through this play. I found it dark and depressing. There was no point that gave me any hope, or reason to want to connect or feel engaged with the characters. I believe that Troy Maxon was symbolic of human nature's reluctance to recognize or accept social change. However, I found it upsetting that this once talented young man went down a path where he turned to crime for his income, killed a man, spent years in prison. I felt that the play lacked any hope, or real message or lesson. There was far more bad than good in his life. Even his house, which he was proud to provide for his family, was  unfinished (the fence) and unkept, and provided through his brother's disability checks.

death of a salesman video

I really enjoyed watching this movie. As with Mother Courage, it was interesting to see the behind the scenes production of the performance. I personally am a huge fan of both Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovitch, so to see them sharing the stage was a treat. The climactic scene in the end before Willy's death gave me chills. I would be interested to see the movie of the play. I think Dustin Hoffman is an actor who, despite not being physically as big as the usual castings of Willy Loman, can carry himself well and dominate the stage and screen.

fences

This was not one of my favorite plays of the semester, but I nevertheless enjoyed it. It is interesting to look back at the plays we have read, and examine how the family is treated in each play. Here, similar to Death of a Salesman, the father is very principled and steadfast in his beliefs. He disagrees with his son Corey frequently about what he should do with his life, in the same way that Willy Loman disagrees with his son Biff. You also have the element of unfaithfulness in the father, Troy, coupled with the devotion and caring nature of the mother, Rose, as you had in Death of a Salesman.
 My favorite character in the play was Gabe. I found him to be the most intelligent, given the fact that he foreshadowed Troy's death. I also appreciated the character of Lyons. Lyons for me was the playwright showing the audience that one can make a living following one's dreams. Troy wants Corey to get a job, thinking that it is more important for Corey to make money and provide himself with financial security. Corey, however, wants to follow his dreams and go play football. Not finding this practical, Troy does not sign his papers. However, Lyons is someone who has followed his dream of becoming a musician, and he is able to make a living. Despite having to ask Troy for loans, he pays all of his loans back, and in the end he has set himself up to be married and start a family.
All in all, I thought the play was good. I felt a lot of pity for Rose and Corey, both of whom had to live under the "shadow" of Troy, as Corey puts it. Troy was a complex and dominating figure, and one whose tragic ending seemed to have been brought about by himself.

Fences

Fences was yet another sad play. However, Troy's character was very fascinating for me. Troy is the instigator of all of the conflicts in this play, and does not have the ability to empathize with others, or understand other character's choices if they differ from his own perspective. Also, Troy's character reminds me slightly of Willy Loman in Death of a Salemans, primarily because of the affairs that they both partake in.

I also saw a similarity between Linda Loman and Rose Maxson. Bother characters are nurturing and caring for their family, and they both have to put up with awful husbands. It is also interesting to note that Wilson's mother was also named after a flower, as her name was Daisy. Flowers and planting was a motif in Fences that representing the nurturing and caring characteristics in order to allow something to grow or change. I bet that Wilson was a Mama's boy and really loved his mother! I think that in general, playwright's mothers are often very influential in their lives as they are often reflected in their work.

Finally, I want to discuss the meaning behind the fence in this play. Bono explains to Cory and Troy that Rose wants this fence to be built because she wants to hold and protect her loved ones. However, because Rose is a woman she cannot provide that protection on her own, and relies on her son and husband to build it (and they do so reluctantly). Ironically, an outsiders, Alberta, has already corrupted the Maxson home.

Death of a Salesman Video

I really enjoyed the Death of a Salesman Movie, because it once again gave a behind the scenes look into what goes on behind the camera. Although I enjoyed the movie, I still did not enjoy the storyline. Death of a Salesman was a depressing read for me, but seeing it acted out gave it a little more life. I think it must be challenging for the actors and director to adapt such a prominent work in theater and create a movie of it. With challenges of sticking to the script, but also making the characters came to life, I'm sure it's hard to film a play, not to mention if the original playwright is on set at all times. I also admired Miller for giving input and suggestions, but still giving his work to the director to make their own interpretation of it. I found Dustin Hoffman to be very entertaining, and it was interesting to see how much feedback he was allowed in the production of the movie. He also seemed to make the main character more likable to me.

Death of a Salesman Movie

Maybe it is because I was obsessed with the movie Hook back in the day, but I like Dustin Hoffman a lot. I think he's a funny, weird guy and I appreciate him in the different roles he plays. I guess it came off as cocky but I thought that it was cool that he was able to switch back and forth from being very professional and helping the director, and being goofy with the cast and crew. I felt bad for the actor playing the waiter though in that one scene we saw being shot because he kept getting called out for messing up. I liked seeing how much work goes into the play, and how long it takes. I have seen this version of the play twice, so I was really able to appreciate seeing the scenes that were shot and how different they ended up in the final cut. I also liked that the actors were shown sections that were filmed that day so they could see how everything was progressing.

Fences

I know that you were supposed to pity him, but I really didn't like Troy. I'm not one for cheaters in general, but I also didn't like the difference in his personality with that subject. He was so bold and outspoken in all other areas of his life, except for this one, so he slipped up and inadvertently admitted his guilt to Bono. I also thought it was interesting how Wilson brought in other racial commentary with calling jazz music "Chinese music" because it was foreign and useless in Troy's eyes. This was interesting because it showed that although he was the victim of racism, he is doing it to others as well.

I thought that it was interesting to see how much Cory was held back by his father rather than his race. It seemed almost as if Troy wouldn't let Cory succeed because he hadn't been able to himself. The conversation between the two about Troy's role as a father was interesting. It kind of highlighted that while Troy does provide for his sons, even the ones not by his wife, financially and practically, he is not supportive in all ways, such as supporting their dreams. The physical altercation between the two must have been very dramatic to see on stage. I was disappointed to see that Cory didn't end up playing in college.

My favorite character in the play besides Cory was Rose, so I was sad for her that she was married to Troy. She was really funny and loving, and just so whole-heartedly warm to her family, even if they are not biologically hers. She asks for the fence to keep her family close, and protected, and instead of building it at first, Troy runs off to see Angela. In the end she showed compassion by taking in Raynell, but also was able to be more independent which was nice to see.

Death of a Salesman Video

Again, it was neat to see how the plays are actually produced (we saw the Mother Courage production video last time). However, the Death of a Salesman video was much different than the backstage production of Mother Courage. The Death cast seemed like they were just sitting around, doing nothing, without a sense of urgency. There were so many crew/cast/etc that seemed completely unnecessary, and Dustin Hoffman acted like he was above everyone else working. Personally I do not many redeeming qualities in him. I was impressed with the Mother Courage video, but I am now questioning the credibility of those who say it's expensive and difficult to produce a play.

Death of Salesman.. video

What an interesting and fascinating insight into the production of a play/movie and the input that is provided from all sides - actor, director writer. This was easily the most enthralling thing we have watched in class thus far.
Being able to actually see the processes definitely makes the end product much more appreciable.

F-F-F-Fences.

Fences was a heroic effort and an excellent example of a well written play. I had a really hard time feeling sorry for man of these characters, especially Rose. I think the most I was able to gain from reading her character was that she is a good example of what happens when you give up, settle or refuse to change. The play in general was well written but depressing. It seems as though nobody wins, nobody loses really either and most of these characters are exactly as we found them at the beginning of the play.

Fences (August Wilson, 1983)

I don't know if it's because I'm 19 and white (which means I normally love and absorb anything produced by the African American culture i.e, Hip Hop, clothing style). But I thought, Wilson's Fences was great. I like the play in terms of its larger structural aspects (I love the large jumps; the play spans almost 8 years, with 6 month gap at one point). But, and this is unusual, I like the small artistic stuff in this play: the fence, the refrigerator (a symbol of food, family, growth, et cetera). Troy's character is great, and easily accessible and visible, because he is more a man of the 50s (than he is specifically a black male during the 50s). Bono’s character is alright; he is a useful device for advancing plot (that he pushes the affair with Alberta). But other than those two things, I don’t know. The ending is great, and I think the (other than the specific mention of the football/African American problem) only outrightly African-American (and even African) aspect of this play. Gabe’s character is great, and his imprisonment and tenure in the hospital are great sub-symbols in the play, as they relate to the fence. I do not understand --well --why the fence is ultimately completed. To me, in the play the fence represents closure and security, the both of which certainly do not denote the, for lack of a better word, chaos that happens when Troy dies. Maxson is also another question I had. Does it mean anything? 

Evan Koehler; Death of a Salesman video

I watched this movie last year in my English class. I don’t remember it, but I do remember my buddy, Mike, saying that Dustin Hoffman made him nervous and that he hated him as an actor. To me, that statement brought to light and elucidated what I had always hated about Dustin Hoffman. But at the same time that’s why Hoffman is so good in this role. Lowman’s character needs to almost despicable. All that aside, the video was informative and, like the Mother Courage production video, cool in that it shows how a play or film is actually produced. The director looked and sounded foreign, or German at least, and I find that interesting. That this specifically American film was directed by a foreigner is interesting to me. The film does not look like a large production, so I think that, if the film had been made into something larger, an good American director would have been employed. John Malcovich, I think, was apposite; he’s a good selection because he looks like a football player/jock-kind of guy. Linda’s character looked good. I do, like was said in class, think that having the playwright, director, and original male cast in the play is something really cool and special. It probably helped out the creative process immensely. Whoever played Happy looked great in the restaurant scene, but looked pretty affected in the scene where the family parades with Biff to the car. In summation though, I think Dustin Hoffman is terrible. That’s the largest thing I took from this video. 

Mother Courage Movie

I really enjoyed this movie. Firstly, because I love Meryl Streep. She is one of my favorite actresses and is so talented and enjoyable to watch. I also really enjoyed this film because it really showed how much depth there is to plays and theatre. There is so much behind the text of the plays, as I also learn during our discussions every week. It was amazing to see how much detail and practice was put into the production. The art of theatre meant so much to the people involved and they were very passionate about the messages they were trying to send. I also gained a new appreciation for the play itself. I had a hard time reading it, but I like it so much more after discussion and watching the movie. I wish I could become able to enjoy plays this much just from reading them.

Death of a Salesman

It is nice to read a play about America. We have been studying plays from other countries and from time periods that I cannot relate to, but Death of a Salesman is a play where I am able to really sympathize and relate to the characters. I actually got really emotional while reading this play and with the ending when Willy commits suicide because these are issues that are present in my everyday life. I really enjoyed reading this play, and it was much easier than the others. This play was very realistic and meaningful. I would love to see a film of it live, I think it would be very powerful.

Death of a Salesman

This play was an overwhelmingly depressing look at what can happen when someone is consumed by one idea. This idea in Death of a Salesman was achieving the American Dream, which Willy and his sons relentlessly tried to pursue. But they were still unhappy, and I felt bad for Biff and Happy who were constantly trying to impress their own father. Willy was an interesting character and I thought his daydreams were a unique part of this play. Overall, I enjoyed the play and I'm looking forward to getting an even deeper grasp of its meaning.

mother courage

I thought this was the best video we've watched this semester. The crypt in Melnik was crazy! I don't quite understand why they would stack skulls beneath a church, but it was very intense and it set a good tone for the rest of the video. Meryl Streep was great. I liked what she had to say about an actor does, the whole "I'm the voice of the dead people. I'm the singer of lost songs" thing. I feel like she is a very important actor for American theater because she can draw an audience that normally would not spend their friday night at a theater.
I thought it was great that the video showed the steps it takes to produce a play. I don't think a lot of people really understand how much work goes into getting ready to perform a play as complicated as Mother Courage and Her Children. Plus, we got to see a lot of great actors in action, which is always great.
I thought it was very telling that Bertolt Brecht would laugh as a sign of approval, even for gut-wrenching scenes. It makes sense if you consider that he viewed his actors as workers; it showed his respect for their ability to throw themselves into their work. Brecht was a very interesting and fantastic character. His love for Marxism is very apparent both in his life as well as his plays, and it was very clear that he loved his trade.

Death of a Salesman

The three main male characters in this play speak volumes to me about my own personal life. This is the first play we have read that does this. I grew up in a family of all boys and many of the nuances of these characters are present in my family. In particular the relationship between Willy and Biff struck multiple chords with me and reminded me of what really good writing can accomplish. Happy's character fell a little flat for me, but was still, overall, well written and wonderfully flushed out.

Mother Courage

            The Mother Courage film offered a lot of great insight into dramatic production. Having never taken part in any dramatic productions, I’m not familiar at all with the inner workings of theatre. As such, I found this documentary fascinating.

            I also appreciate the fact that the filmmakers made connections to current events, emphasizing just how relevant the themes remain today.

Mother Courage (Video)

In Mother Courage Meryl Streep is wonderful. I feel that her portrayal of this character is spot on and ingenious. Many of the nuances I had imagined for this character where present in her performance. I felt however, that many of the other characters fell flat and that the play lost meaning in this.

Death of a Salesman

            I first read Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman around this time last year, and, reading it for a second time, I got a lot more out of it. I was especially struck by Willy’s focus on “being liked.” He seems unable to differentiate between superficial and genuine relationships. As such, he seeks the approval of those who mean nothing to him while neglecting his family, the ones who should mean the most to him. Similarly, he cannot accept that Biff’s simple ambitions, as they do not fit in with his superficial definition of success.

            There are certain elements of the staging that I have difficulty imagining while reading it, namely the music.  I haven’t often encountered music in plays I’ve read, so I’m not quite sure how to react to it. Clearly its important to the dramatic tension of the scene, but the only way to get its effect while reading is to stop reading and look it up, thereby breaking the flow of the play. As annoying as it is, it at least offers incentive to see the play live.

death of a salesman

I really enjoyed this play. I thought it was a good play to read after reading Mother Courage because it had some similar critical elements in it. I remember in the beginning of the semester, we talked in class about how Death of a Salesman is in many ways similar to Greek tragedies, and I thought a lot about that while reading. Although not doomed by any gods, Willy's obsession with what he thinks is the American Dream and success end up destroying him. Looking back, I interestingly did not feel as bad for him as I normally would for a character killing them self. I think this is because i could not empathize with Willy's materialism. Overall, I found the play to be very entertaining and thought-stimulating.

mother courage film

I found this film to be extremely interesting, as it gave an inside look at the production of the play while blending in segments that talked about the philosophic and intellectual side of Brecht's writing. I also enjoyed the fact that they modernized it by showing how the play holds up today in the face of the war in Iraq. One thing I surprisingly did not like was the way Meryl Streep portrayed MOther Courage. I am a fan of Meryl Streep, and I think she is a great actress, but her emotional portrayal did not seem to be the Epic Theater acting Brecht wanted from his players. Perhaps I had misconceived notions of the acting style Brecht was looking for, but I am almost positive he did not want his audience to connect emotionally with the characters.

Mother Courage Film

This was my favorite film that we have watched this far in class. I really enjoyed both the behind-the-scenes footage and the actual footage of the play being performed. I thought it was interesting that Meryl Streep spoke about how showing the rehearsals of the play was revealing the messiness and unfinished nature of the play. But I found the rehearsals to be very enlightening to the production process. I enjoyed seeing the director's reaction to the performance and the insight into the prop department was also interesting. The film was a really interesting documentary because it incorporated so many different dimensions. The film explored the historical context of the play, the behind the scenes view of the production of the play, and the performance of the play. I also thought that Meryl Streep was a good choice for the role of Mother Courage.

Death of a Salesman

I found this play to be very creative,I like the whole American dream theme. Both happy and Briggs character was very interesting. The whole idea with willy and his daydreams where really interesting,seems as if wily is stuck between the dream and his own life. This play shares alot of information recognizing what is the real life and living a dream. For the most part I enjoyed the play and it wasnt hard to understand or follow.

Death of a Salesman

This was the first play we have read this semester that I have read in high school (although I really did not remember too much of it...it has been awhile). Willy Loman's character has a very unfortunate outlook on life, and I found that I had a hard time empathizing with him. As I am a firm believer that money does not automatically bring you happiness, I had a hard time understanding Willy's obsession with the success of wealth. Although Willy had a supportive family, he did not love or appreciate them and his insecurities of where he stands in society took precedence over everything else. Every scene got worse and worse for Willy, all leading up to his inevitable suicide.

The theme of the American Dream is quite obvious in this play, which is also seen in Biff and Happy's desire to go out west to live on a ranch and Willy's regrets that he did not go to Alaska with his brother. I also found the seeds to be a meaningful symbol at the end of the play. I am not entirely sure what they represent exactly, but I have a feeling that they have to do with showing some worth of his labor, or perhaps the need to put food on the table for his family.

I also wanted to point out the use of the flutes at the begginning and ending of the play. Like Dan pointed out in the last class, The Cherry Orchard ends with the song of the trees being chopped down, Mother Courage ends with the drum, and Death of a Salesman ends with a flute. What a weird coincidence!

Mother Courage Film

This film was very interesting. I liked that we got to see the actors at work and was especially cool to see how raw it is. I thought it was very sneaky of the documentary crew but I caught them at it, that they tried to pull a Brecht and remind you that it was a documentary, and not a characterization. In one of the shots when they were going into rehearsal, they filmed the sign on the bulletin board outside that said "documentary crew filming today" so they reminded the audience that they are watching a documentary. Sneaky! I liked that the documentary touched on how the play is significant to multiple time periods, cultures, and countries. Any individual who has ever been touched by war can surely sympathize with Mother Courage. Just because the aren't on the front lines with her doesn't mean that an individual has to sacrifice something to the effort. It could be as simple as an increase in taxes, or as severe as the loss of a loved one or the death of the individual.

In addition, I liked the part when they showed the photo book that Brecht used. I think it is a really good idea to have snapshots, because that can portray the staging in an exact way to someone else who is directing it, rather than leaving it up to their interpretation. Brecht wanted things done his way, and this was a good way to do it.

Finally, I really liked how they talked about how war leads to many political issues getting stripped open. We see this in America today, and have seen this throughout our world's history. It has been amazing to see that time and time again theater has stepped in to give the "helpless" as Meryl Streep puts it, a voice. It gives individuals with little influence otherwise the change to express themselves and their views on the situation at hand.

Mother Courage Film

This film about Brecht and Mother Courage gave me a different perspective of the power of playwright and theatre in general. Unlike many playwrights who wrote plays that embodied realism, Brecht considered actors workers, and had the intention of demystifying theatre and make the audience more away of what goes on during the production of a play. Even after watching this video alone, I had a better idea of what goes on "behind the scenes," as it showed how table readings work and how composers work to create music for the play. Overall, the film helped, "demystify" theatre--something that Brecht would certainly approve of.

On a different note, I thought that Meryl Streep was a good choice to play Mother Courage. It seemed as though she really understood the character of Mother Courage, and felt as though she was "the voice of dead people, the loss of dead songs." I also enjoyed learning more about Tony Kushner. He is a very passionate individual and it was very clear how much he was inspired by Brecht.

Death of a Salesman

Another fully depressing play. I have to admit I have a soft spot for the elderly (although my dad is 60 too and seems way younger than Willie is portrayed), so I get a lot more upset when I see old people mistreated and starting to lose their minds than I do for younger people. So I really disliked Biff and Happy for the whole first part until you find out about Willie's affair and why Biff really left. Then when Biff has the whole personal discovery after leaving the office with the pen, you just have to love him. He plays the characteristic of every kid in America who was always getting ragged on by his parents for not making anything of himself, when really he was just trying to do what he loved. I did not like Happy until the very end of the play when he decides to stay and try and start the family business. Other than that I thought he was a bit skanky. Also, I just couldn't forgive him for leaving his dad alone at the restaurant. Something that I noticed throughout the play were that everyone kept calling Willie "kid". I know that that is just slang from the time period, but I found it very demeaning and kind of showed how everyone noticed the part of Willie's personality of him just being kind of a joke and very childish. Willie, however proved to be very childish. He was obsessed with Biff's football career, and was always calling people mean names. The father/child relationship was a little twisted, with both parties constantly trying to impress the other one: Biff uses sports, Happy uses his weight loss, then his marriage goals, and Willie uses his success and reputation. There is way too much packed into this play to discuss in one blog posting, so hopefully the guys touch on more tomorrow.

I first read Death of A Salesman in an english class my sophomore year of high school. The first time I read the play, I found it incredibly depressing and unappealing. The play exemplifies the essential failure of the american dream. The only characters who are portrayed as "successful" are Bernard, who was a nerd and taken advantage of as a child because of his intelligence, or Uncle Ben, who may be rich, but is not alive to enjoy it.  I saw the play in London, and while this did not make the story any more cheerful or optimistic, I enjoyed viewing the play a lot more than reading it. It was easier for me to dislike the characters in the book, and disassociate myself from them. However, when I saw the play, it was easier for me to understand the true message, that acquiring the American Dream has little to do with attractiveness or materialistic good, but rather intrinsic motivation and the ability to do hard work. When I saw the play, rather than disassociating myself from the characters, I was able to see our similarities.

Mother Courage Video Response

Yet another interesting production of a play. My immediate afterthoughts were more about Meryl Streep than the actual play and its meaning. I did not see the critical connection to capitalism and its role in art included in this film. Instead, I felt like it focused on Meryl and her acting skills. No problem with this, and I think Prof Parent wanted us to see some backstage action of a production. I had only seen Meryl on the tv/film screen, so seeing a movie star do all the leg work behind memorizing lines for a play was impressive. She truly is a gifted actress, but I feel as if a no-name actress would have embodied Mother Courage's character a bit better.

Mother Courage Video Response: Evan Koehler

I really liked the video we watched in class because it provided, in my opinion, a very good look into a modern, big theatre production. I was surprised to see that the modern production of a play is extremely similar to what goes on in a film production. The documentary itself was well-made, but I couldn’t stand the people in it: the guy who got his Bachelor’s from Colombia, Meryl Streep, James Cantor. They were, and this is because I’m extremely conservative, suffocatingly liberal. I don’t like to hear about Marxism, especially when the institution in which it is being explored and examined is one that thrives especially because of capitalism. Good old Meryl Streep distracted me from what I should been looking for: if I was getting a good representation of the character Brecht wanted. Even though she was practicing, Meryl looked too emotional and unrealistic; I really only find actors like Dicaprio, Daniel Day Lewis, Christian Bale, Marlon Brando, and Jack Nicholson realistic. I understand, though, that the theatre demands a different style and performance from an actor---still, though, an actor’s job is to portray a reality. I didn’t learn much about Brecht, which I was looking for. I, too, would have wanted to see the play as it was performed with an audience. But, I value the opportunity to look into a production, to the degree that the documentary successfully does, more than I would seeing another production. A question I want answered: Did Brecht ever address any questions as to whether he recognized the importance capitalism plays in art?

Mother Courage

I thought that this play was very depressing. It seemed to drag on over the 30 years and did not provide me with much entertainment. I think that it is an important message that sometimes our greatest virtues ultimately led to our demise, and I can relate to that in my every day life. However, the length of 30 years did provide for an interesting perspective on the characters and their development. I was able to really get to know mother courage and her children and be with her throughout this part of her life.

Mother Courage and Her Children

I really loved the sweeping, almost Gone With The Wind feel of this play. It was super dramatic and yet poignant and carefully planned. When I was imagining the play in my head and how it would be staged I was imagining the set of Miss Saigon, helicopter and all. I felt incredible invested in these characters and in the end when Kattrin dies I am really, truly sad. This is by far the best play we have read so far. (in my humble opinion)

Mother Courage

I thought this play was dramatically different than the plays we have read so far, especially from the very intellectual and thought provoking Six Characters in Search of an Author. The play focused on the Thirty Years War, which was something different than the focus of other plays. The play also was carried out over a long period of time. I liked the fact that the play was over a long period of time, because I felt like I got to experience the evolution of the characters and followed them through their lives and, in the case of the three children, up until their deaths.
         The character whom I liked the most was Kattrin. This is mostly because I felt sorry for her. She was called dumb or stupid throughout the play, but she was the nicest character in the play. I felt really bad for her when the Cook said he and Mother Courage would have to leave Kattrin because of her scar. Overall I enjoyed this play.

Mother courage

This play was very interesting, seemed like most of the conflict and problems revolved around the life of business and war. Mother courage was a very interesting characte. She cared a lot about her children and there lives. Even though this play was very long, this one play I can say was worth reading. From the beginning to the end I was able to follow along and enjoyed it.

Mother Courage and her Children

I really liked reading "Mouther Courage and her Children." While the play was really long, it covered a really long time span and was constantly offering new details and information. Bretch created characters that were easy to get attached to and really care about, which made me not want to put the book down until I knew what had happened to each of them. I liked how easy it was to put the play in a historical context, based on what I've already learned from that time period. Because the Thirty Years War is a time period that will always be interesting to people, and because Mouther Courage and her three children are such relatable characters, "Mouther Courage and her Children" is a play that is truly timeless.

Mother Courage and Her Children

Despite the length of this play, I found this play to be very interested and did not have a problem reading it front to back in a sitting. It was interesting going from reading plays such as Miss Julie and Six Characters in Search of an Author to reading this play because while this play took place over a period of 30 years, those plays took place in only a few hours. I also found the entire concept of Mother Courage and her canteen cart to be very interesting because it embodies the absolute necessities of life--food, clothing, which is especially important during hard times such as war. While the war causes utter destruction in many towns, Mother Courage acts as a parasite of the war, and supports herself and her family from the war. Ironically, the war takes the lives of her three children, as she predicted in the beginning of the play. The saddest death out the the three children for me was definitely Kattrin's death. As a character, Kattrin was greatly affected by the war, yet surprisingly becomes a true hero at the end of the play. I like how Brecht ended the play because it came as a surprise for me yet left me satisfied.

Mother C and her.... Evan Koehler Response

Pardon the crudeness of this language, but I think Mother Courage and her Children was witty as hell. Being a male, I’m naturally attracted to war literature, which probably has something to do with my extremely favorable opinion (but the same can be said about the other works we read this year and how a woman would naturally favor them). I like the cart as a metaphor (that war is a weight, a family works as a unity, et cetera), and the intermittent comedy is a great rhetorical device, too; for example, I love when the mother calls Kattrin stupid and the name Swiss Cheese is hilarious in itself. The play is extremely light at points and then quickly dark; there is an easy transition, for example, between moments when the mother is yelling at Katrin about adoring herself in army gear and then the actual, imminent invasion of the Catholics. That the mother is the only one pulling the cart---that image---is particularly powerful. I don’t know if the true statement of this play is that the mother ends up bearing all the load of war, but the play accomplishes that almost perfectly. The songs about fraternization and absconding with soldiers early on were great. The play is, in my opinion, a bit long-winded. This, however, is about the 30 years war, so a 30 page or so adaptation or encapsulation can be forgiven. I want to say something about religion in this play, and that would possibly be that the self-ashing of the mother, Swiss Cheese, and Kattrin to make themselves Catholic is a statement about fate when it suits a purpose. 

Six Characters.... Evan Koehler

I want to see this play performed. The actual text was, for me, an average work of art. I've certainly read better. A few times I did not understand what was happening: the excessive, philosophical diatribes of the Father; the gun shot ending (though I suspect the father shot the son); the almost-sexual awkwardness between the Father and Stepdaughter. I think if I were to see the play performed, I would enjoy it. I like art that plays on illusion---American Psycho is my favorite novel. There is plenty literary critique in the play, which is manifested in criticisms from the father that I like. More than anything, I think this play is about acting and character and not so much about an entire production. I think a book would have done the playwrights authors more justice or obviously, though inaccessible, a film. However, I think this is the cleanest and best-written play we have read this year. The play, though I still think the actual production would be the best medium, is easily-imagined because of Pirandello's writing. I really like the scenes when, in response to the Manager, the actors laugh. The dialogue, with exception of the father, is the best imitation of actual conversation other than The Cherry Orchard. The Stepdaughter is a nice foil to the father; oddly, I really liked the youth of her character. On a negative note, though, I thought the play was too emotionally manipulative. Though the play starts out emotionally neutral, it becomes so traditional and dark. It was not a particularly uplifting piece, especially when I’m really sick.

The Cherry Orchard //// Film

Whoa, this was dramatic. The dialogue in this film was interesting and kept me focused on it, but the acting was an abomination. I am not sure if the actors where directed to behave in this way or if it is in the particular style of the play, but either way I was finding myself stifling laughs quite frequently and unable to keep a straight face throughout.

Six Characters... blah blah blah

This play was terrifically wretched, confusing and trite. Luigi Pirandello seems to enjoy the gimmick here of a play within a play, but it wasn't done with any originality and it seems rather dry at times. I found the use of much of the grammar to be contrived and that made this play an even harder endeavor to endure. The only saving grace in my humble opinion was the fact that it was short-ish.

Six Actors

        I did not enjoy this play as much as I think other people did. I thought the concept of having a play within a play was very interesting, however, at times it was confusing. I did enjoy the fact that the language was simpler, which made the dialogue a little easier to understand.
       There were also no characters who I really related to throughout the play, as I found the Manager and the Stepdaughter to be almost annoying. I agree with other people who said that the ending was not that great. It ended too abruptly in my opinion. Overall, this play was one of my least favorites.

The Cherry Orchard Movie

I really enjoyed this movie. I thought that it was beautifully done and that the actors very accurately portrayed the characters. I liked the daughter the most. She was very dramatic in her emotions. You could sense the mother's desperation and almost that she was going crazy. She seemed aloof and very out of tune with reality. I didn't think, however, that the play was too over dramatized. I would have liked to watch the whole movie, it would have helped me get into it more.
I always enjoy watching a play being performed rather than reading it. It helps me to understand the plot and the characters much better. Particularly in this play, seeing how beautiful the home and the cherry orchard were made the play much more vivid.

Six Characters in Search of an Author

This play was very hard for me to understand. I didn't really know what was going on between the Characters. However, the them of the play was very straightforward, and I liked that very much. The idea of taking away individuality and truth for the sake of a play is something I don't normally think about when I read plays. A character is an actor's interpretation of that character. Even though the Manager wanted to use the actors to play the characters, it would make been much more real for him to use the actual characters themselves. This play raises questions about out. What is more important, something beautiful or something real? The Manager did not like the ending of the play, so he was upset and didn't want to do it anymore. However, the ending was real.