Reviews for The Medieval European Stage, 500-1550

The average rating for The Medieval European Stage, 500-1550 based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-09-11 00:00:00 Barbara Buscemi David Mamet explains his minimalist and consumer-oriented notion of theatre, and works to knock artists high on themselves down a peg. He believes that the point of drama is to examine the human condition, the measure of a well-written play is if the audience wants to know what happens next, and that the Method approach to acting is BS. He abhors issue plays and state-sponsorship, even though he himself admits that he has received grants before for his work. Instead, he believes drama should shine a light on the parts of humanity that we'd rather not see. We seek out drama to understand ourselves and explore what life is like. Issue plays are easy because they aren't as scary as confronting who we really are. And morality plays don't help us to understand ourselves; we go to morality plays to feel superior. He frequently uses hunting metaphors and flight metaphors. Many aspects of the play can work with little or no intervention; we just need to be willing to step back and given it room. He talks very frequently about the director who does something "interesting" with a play, implying that they are hijacking the theatre for their own ends or glorification. He also doesn't seem to think highly of critics, instead empowering the audience as the ultimate critic, who reviews the play by either buying a ticket (or not) and keeping their butt in the seat (or leaving partway through). Anyone can destroy, he says of the critic, but few can create. Some will try to rob the play of its power; as with those who hijack the play, it is for their own glorification. He also uses some religious metaphors; he seems to view the play as something sacred, and the act of changing it to "do something interesting" is profane. Finally, he really doesn't like Stanislavsky or the Method approach to acting. He considers the notion of character to be antiquated and unnecessary. Learning the craft is artificial. The real test is what happens in front of an audience - and how the audience reacts. The worth of art is determined by its ability to entertain. The audience is the teacher of both actors and writers. If they react the way you want, you're doing it right. Overall, an interesting read, especially for anyone involved in the arts - as an artist or administration. I don't agree with everything he says, but I was thoroughly entertained and laughed out loud many times.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-08-05 00:00:00 James Specyal concise and useful