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Pastimes : The Boxing Ring Revived -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rambi who wrote (2176)	2/15/2002 8:59:52 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 7720

Actually, I appreciate the time you took to respond. It turns out that a lot of what she wrote is recited as if it were a "Beat poem", reminding me particularly of Lawrence Ferlinghetti ("A Coney Island of the Mind"), sort of an amalgam of poetry, declamation, and theatrical prose. Ensler is not a great actress, but she is talented, in fact, and therefore makes some stuff work that might not otherwise. A higher degree of intimacy would probably make it work better, yes. I once wrote a play in the form of the Commedia dell- Arte, which was produced in a small venue when I was a sophomore in college. I made it partly interactive with the audience, and staged it to reach out. The reaction was very good, and I felt that that aspect of it was important to how well it was recieved. I did not dislike the childbirth monologue, which, by the way, was added, and may not have been in the edition you read. I just questioned the focus on things like the various colors of the vagina, when the dramatic focus of a birth is on the child. The conceit (in the technical sense) of revolving everything around the vagina could seem too contrived and brittle, but the implementation mostly worked. Clearly, Enser is sensitive to the personal aspect of her work, however muddy her broader conclusions, and can represent a point of view vividly. A lot depends, though, on sheer craft. She is attentive to the way that matters are phrased and presented, she does not just spill guts. I remember Marlin well. The story sounds terrible, and is one of the reasons I am happy to be born in the latter half of the century. For one thing, it is easier to have what has come to be called a companionate marriage---- a marriage with a woman one actually has a lot in common with, and likes to talk to a lot. I love women, but especially when they have a brain in their head and are comfortable about it. I figure literature only has to make sense within its sphere. For example, one of my favorite authors, E.L. Doctorow, is a socialist, and I find a lot of his non- fiction ruminations ridiculous. But when he tells a story, well, the hamhandedness is gone, and he is faithful to the way things would seem to the characters. I can feel Coalhouse Walker's rage and pain, and understand why he wanted to blow up the Morgan Library (which I have visited, by the way). I can see how Mother's Younger Brother might have thrown his lot in with Coalhouse. I can smile at the portrait of Emma Goldman, with whom I have some small familiarity, and recognize it as plausible. And so on. So it is with the Vagina Monologues. I needn't buy all statements, as long as the emotional logic is plausible......

To: Rambi who wrote (2176)	2/15/2002 9:53:23 AM
From: J. C. Dithers	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 7720

"Hillary and Jackie" ... a great chick film... (Changing the subject here!) We watched this last night, taped from the Independent Film Channel. This is a lavishly produced British film about the DuPre sisters, real people who were gifted musicians. It is mostly about the conflicted but loving relationship between the sisters as they grew up. It is really powerful and moving story, deserving of multiple hankies for the tears. We pay a very small added amount for the IFC and some other obscure channels, but it is well worth it for the occasional movies of this caliber (no commercials). This is the kind of movie that you talk about the next day. JC