The Real Thing Broadway Ed Book

Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye's version of "Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing, Baby":



A play I saw in the eighties when I saw a lot of Stoppard plays, one of his most popular ones, about the difference between reality and appearance, about true love and lust, between passionate commitment and affection.

The play focuses on the relationship between Henry and Annie, an actress who is trying to free Brodie, an activist (Henry, his main character, and Stoppard, were skeptical of Marxism and political theater, which I am not, but I still liked the play). The play uses various strategies to accomplish its exploration, including a play within a play. It's layered and complex and clever; for instance, Annie is married to Max, having an affair with Henry while also working as an activist for Brodie. They all SAY they are in love to each other but seem to be having affairs with other people they say the same things to. . . then you who are seeing it on stage see them as actors saying this to other people and (almost) convincing us they are being honest. Language and writing are key elements of analysis.

"Words, words, words," from My Fair Lady:



The play has autobiographical elements, as Stoppard was having an affair with a woman who played one of the characters the main character (modeled after himself) was having an affair with. It must have been confusing for him. But the play is witty and clever and interesting. I really liked reading it.