My favorite play, more than any by Shakespeare or Tennessee Williams is 'Night Mother by Marsha Norman. I saw it, the first time, on Broadway, about a month after it opened (March 31, 1983). I had bought my ticket before it had won the Pulitzer Prize, but after I had read about the play in detail including the review. (I hope that link will work for you). I went back and saw this play 3 more times. It overwhelmed me. I knew this woman, Jessie, I knew her well. I know her now.
A few years later, in acting class, I did two monologues from this play. My teacher and I clashed over my interpretation. I played it tight, she wanted it more emotional - I was right. I played it as I had seen Kathy Bates play it (this was long before Hollywood had discovered her) - the right way.
Allow me to bore you with one of them...
"Jessie: And I can't do anything either, about my life, to change it, make it better, make me feel better about it. Like it better, make it work. But I can stop it. Shut it down, turn it off like the radio when there's nothing on I want to listen to. It's all I really have that belongs to me and I'm going to say what happens to it. And it's going to stop. And I'm going to stop it....."I have a copy of the play sitting next to my keyboard. I would love to give you the other monologue but it is rather longer...
At any rate, I subscribe to an email list called "FunSavers" that shows you what cultural activities are going on in the general area and offers discounts on tickets. This afternoon I almost deleted the email without reading it but since I had no other interesting mail I clicked it open and there it was - discount tickets to 'Night Mother at a theatre just an easy cab ride away. It's a professional cast and there was no question of my not going.
Not just because it is my favorite play of all time but because I had just been about to create another a blog. A private one. More a personal diary. For my eyes only. So I wouldn't bore you any longer with my sadness. I created a new gmail address to link it with and the title of the blog was going to be - you guessed it - Night Mother.
So I guess it was fated that I go to the theatre and see my favorite play. Someone wants me to remember, or forget or learn or look more closely or realize or...I shall re-read the play tonight. Try to armour myself so I won't be sobbing in the theatre. Even if the performances are not stellar my memories are.
If you would like to know more about the play this is the entry in Wikipedia
I'm glad you are going to the theater ... but that play excerpt is rather ominous! For what it's worth, I don't feel bored by your sadness (though very often I find my own sadness extremely boring).
ReplyDeleteIndeed - the play takes place in real time - Jessie explains to her mother why she is going to commit suicide that night. And she does.
ReplyDelete"That's what this is about. It's somebody I lost, all right, it's my own self. Who I never was. Or who I tried to be and never got there. Somebody I waited for who never came. And never will. So, see, it doesn't much matter what else happens in the world or in this house, even. I'm what was worth waiting for and I didn't make it. Me...who might have made a difference to me...I'm not going to show up, so there's no reason to stay, except to keep you company, and that's...not reason enough because I'm not...very good company. (a pause) Am I."
It sure does seem like fate that you are going to that play this weekend. I haven't heard of that play but it does sound like one where you could get lost in the emotion of it all. I enjoy plays like that though. I also don't feel bored by your sadness. You always make me see things differently and realize that we are all alike in one way or another yet some of us aren't very good at articulating it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your night at the theatre!
It's a powerful play. Everyone in the theatre knew how it was going to end and still they were stunned into silence. The first time I saw it, after the final curtain, as the audience filed out, there was complete silence. Very unusual for a NY audience - there is usually chatter, chatter and more chatter. I remember that I was fine until I hit the street and then the tears started rolling down my face and I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't go into the subway that way so I walked all the across town to another subway station and still I was crying - so I wandered around until I could get myself under control. Powerful stuff.
ReplyDeleteHey, I've been on Broadway. Of course, it was just part of the directions that I needed to follow to get down to 4th Street until I hit Times Square, and then it dawned on me, "Whoa, this is Broadway!"
ReplyDeleteWasn't there a movie made of this play? I think I saw it once. Very dramatic. I'm glad you are going to see something, although I'm thinking you need to see something a little happier, Grace. :) (just kidding)
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't like all this traffic and concrete, I like living in Chicago because we have great theater here as well. Okay, so it isn't Broadway, but we do get a lot of those actors here with the show when it starts to travel. We love to go whenever possible. I just wish we had more money for all the shows that I would like to see!
Broadway is a long street! Times Square used to be such fun until they Disneyied it, now it's just a tourist trap, no fun at all.
ReplyDeleteYeah, a not very good movie. I've been railing against what appears now on Broadway - every freakin' thing is turned into a freakin' musical. Aside from "South Pacific" I'm not a fan. But they keep taking serious dramas and turning them into musicals or transfer Disney movies to the stage - there is a place for children's theatre but not in every freakin' theatre on the planet! I'm waiting for "Hedda Gabler - the musical" or the musical version of "Long Days Journey Into Night" or how about "Street Car Named Desire - the musical"? OK, there goes my blood pressure for the morning.
ReplyDeleteGlad you have found something to look forward to. Enjoy it. Just don't get too sad!!
ReplyDeleteIf the actors are any good I shall be crying buckets :)
ReplyDeleteSomeone or something is trying to send you a message, or maybe it was just perfect timing. Who knows, but either way I hope you thoroughly enjoy the performance.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way Grace, you never bore me with anything you write. You have a great style, I enjoy your curmudgeon personality.
Don't forget to take extra tissues with you to the theater :)
I don't mind the curmudgeon; I like the curmudgeon it's the "Would like some cheese with that whine" aspect of me that I think can be tedious - Suzie Sad Sack - she gets on MY nerves and I'm her!
ReplyDeleteYes, I have already prepared my purse with tissues. I hope I need. If I don't then it's a lousy performance. But then again I cry reading this play...I cry easy!
I'm always looking for omens -