Reviews for Getting Frankie Married--and Afterwards and Other Plays: Horton Foote Collected Works Volume III

The average rating for Getting Frankie Married--and Afterwards and Other Plays: Horton Foote Collected Works Volume III based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-03-18 00:00:00 George Esparza Parting River Jordan describes itself as "kind of like a 1930s' screwball comedy." Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with 1930s' screwball comedies, but this was certainly an enjoyably zany read. There's a fascinating combination of church politics, social regulations (and the judicious or otherwise breaking thereof), and real faith, fun and feeling in the tale. The elderly deacon's suggestion that we just "split this old church down the middle" when factions can't agree is just the beginning'well, maybe building the wall and glassing in the baptismal pool so it can be shared… "The battle was over, but the war was just beginning!" the author writes. The novel is the result of Mari Barnes' first National Novel Writing Month effort, clearly well-edited and polished since the writing and delightfully presented. It's filled with fascinating characters, wonderfully delineated so I was never confused as to who was who. The dialog kept me trying to hide my laughs as I read on the plane. The crazy situations just added to each other as if they were bound to be that way. And a quiet little love story lurked in the background, awaiting its day. I guess the young pastor did prove a little more easily tempted than I'd thought, but quite genuinely conflicted. The ladies were truly more concerned than "nosy" though the difference is hard to define. And the power struggle between two pastors, young and old, striking startling sparks, and women weaving delightfully zany threads across the generations, was truly fun to follow. I really enjoyed this introduction to the author's writing and can't wait to learn what she produces from her next NaNoWriMo.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-06-08 00:00:00 Patrick Coll True West, Sam Shepard Act One: True West is about the sibling rivalry between two estranged brothers who have reconnected. The play begins with brothers Austin and Lee sitting in their mother's house. This is the first time they've seen one another in five years. The two are not on good terms, but Austin attempts to appease his older brother, who is more dominant. We learn that their mother is on vacation in Alaska and that Austin is house sitting. Austin is trying to work on his screenplay but Lee continually distracts him with nonsense questions. The two brothers seem on edge with one another. When Austin suggests that Lee leave, Lee threatens to steal things from the neighborhood. Austin calms him down and the night ends with the two of them on neutral. Lee talks about the security level of their mother's house, and how Lee went into the desert to find their dad. Austin then tells Lee to leave the house because a film producer, Saul, is coming by to look at Austin's screenplay (described as a "period piece"). Lee agrees to leave in exchange for Austin's car keys. Austin is reluctant at first but eventually relents and Lee promises that he will have it back by six. Lee departs. Saul and Austin are discussing their agreement when Lee enters with a stolen television set. Saul and Lee discuss golf and make plans to play the next day, excluding Austin because he doesn't play, despite his desire that Lee have nothing to do with Saul. Lee proposes a script idea to Saul and Saul reacts positively. Lee describes his story out loud. Austin writes it down, but stops, saying it doesn't resemble real life. The two brothers quarrel and Austin asks Lee for his car keys back. Lee assumes Austin is trying to make him leave, and Lee says he can't be kicked out. Austin says he wouldn't kick him out because he's his brother. Lee counters that being brothers means nothing because in-family murders are most common. Austin assures him they won't be driven to murder over a movie script. The two admit to being envious of each other's lives, Lee returns the car keys and the scene closes with Austin typing Lee's story. Act Two: Lee returns from his golf game with Saul. He tells Austin that Saul has promised him an advance for his story idea outline that Austin wrote. They celebrate until Lee informs Austin that he expects Austin to write the screenplay. Austin questions this knowing he has his own work, but Lee continues to inform him that Saul has chosen to drop Austin's screenplay. Austin warns Lee that he needs to be careful with messing about with this line of work and that he has a lot at stake on his own project. The scene ends with Austin threatening to leave and go to the desert as Lee tries to calm him down. Austin confronts Saul about his decision to buy Lee's screenplay. He argues that Saul only offered to buy the screenplay because he lost a bet. Saul wants Austin to write both his and Lee's story but Austin refuses. Austin thinks that Lee's story is without merit and not relevant to the time period. Due to Austin's rejection of the job, Saul decides to drop Austin's story and to find a different writer for Lee's story. The scene ends with Saul making plans for lunch with Lee. Austin is drunk and annoying Lee, who is now the one trying to concentrate on a screenplay. Austin taunts his brother with advice and says that this is the first time he has enjoyed spending time with Lee since he arrived. He insists that Lee is not a real screenwriter, and when Lee informs him that he has an advance coming on his script, Austin claims he could burgle houses just as well as Lee can. Lee bets that he couldn't even steal a toaster, but they can't agree on the stakes. Instead Lee asks in earnest for Austin's help with the technical parts of the writing, offering to pay him money and then disappear like their father did and leave Austin alone. Austin argues about how well their father ended up, and the scene closes as they drink together. Austin is polishing toasters that he stole while Lee is smashing a typewriter early in the morning. The two continue to do this while they are carrying on a conversation. Austin is proud of what he has done. Lee wants to see a woman, but Austin refuses because he is married. Lee throws a fit while on the phone with the operator because he cannot find a pen to write down what the operator is saying. Austin begs Lee to go to the desert with him because he thinks there is nothing for him where he is. The brothers make a deal that Austin will write the play for Lee if Lee takes him to the desert. In the final scene, the house is ransacked and Lee and Austin are working vigorously on their script. Their mother returns and Lee is first to notice her. She is confused by her sons' appearances and the state of her house. Austin tells her that he and Lee are going to take off into the desert, but Lee says they might have to postpone the trip because he doesn't think Austin is cut out for the desert life-style. Austin responds by attempting to strangle Lee and their mother storms out of the house in trepidation. Austin finally lets go of Lee, and is worried for a second that he's killed his brother. As Austin moves for the door, Lee rises. The two brothers face one another as the lights fade. تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیستم ماه اکتبر سال 2004 میلادی عنوان: غ‍رب‌ ح‍ق‍ی‍ق‍ی‌ - ن‍م‍ای‍ش‍ن‍ام‍ه‌؛ نویسنده: س‍ام‌ ش‍پ‍ارد؛ مت‍رج‍م: ام‍ی‍ر ام‍ج‍د؛ ت‍ه‍ران‌: ن‍ی‍لا‏‫، 1382؛ در 74 ص؛ شابک: شابک: 9646900372؛ چاپ دوم 1388؛ در 90 ص؛ شابک: 9789646900370؛ موضوع: نمایشنامه های نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20 م ‬ نمایشنامه غرب حقیقی، اثر «سام شپارد» از نه پرده تشکیل شده، که تمام آنها یک طراحی به خصوص (همانند دیگر آثار شپرد، معمولا یک خانه ی کلبه مانند با وسایل ساده) دارند، اتاقی که در یکسوی آن آشپزخانه و در سویی دیگر آلاچیقی بدون در قرار گرفته است. در هشت صحنه نخست، تنها دو نقش «لی (برادر بزرگ)» و «آستین (برادر کوچک)»، در نما حضور دارند. در یکی از پرده ها، «سول کیمر(تهیه کننده برنامه ها تلویزیونی)» نیز، وارد صحنه میشود. در پرده ی نهم، «مادر» وارد شده، و پس از گفتگویی کوتاه با دو برادر، آنجا را ترک میکند. در مورد نقشها، «آستین» یک فیلمنامه نویس موفق و ثروتمند است، تشکیل خانواده داده، و فرزندی نیز دارد. برادر بزرگتر، «لی»، یک دائم الخمر بیکار است، که از راه دزدی روزگار میگذراند. مدتی را در بیابان به تنهایی سپری کرده است. شخصیت پردازی برای «لی»، بسیار خوب، و در باره ی «آستین»، معمولی است، اما این امر در مورد «مادر» به پایین ترین حد ممکن میرسد. به نحویکه اگر نقش «مادر» در نمایشنامه وجود نداشت، نه تنها چیزی از قلم نمیافتاد، بلکه یک ضعف بزرگ نیز، از میان برداشته میشد. اما به نظر میرسد برای «شپارد»، قرار دادن نقش «مادر» در نمایشنامه، ضروریت داشته است، زیرا قصد وی خلق اثری دیگر در ژانر «تراژدی خانوادگی» بوده است. در میان دیالوگها، از پدری دائم الخمر گفتگو میشود، که در بیـــابان زنــدگی میکند. این موضوع، در کنار نقش «مادر» و «برادرها»، نمایشنامه ی تراژدیک «شپارد» را، کامل میکند. نمایشنامه، با مکالمه ی برادرها در خانه «مادر» آغاز میشود (مادر برای سفر به آلاسکا رفته است، در تضاد با پدری که به بیابان فرار کرده)، سپس ملاقات برادرها با «سول کیمر»، که فیلمنامه ی عاشقانه و عامه پسند برادر تحصیلکرده، مورد پسند نیست، و فیلمنامه ی وسترن برادر بزرگتر، «لی»، مورد اقبال قرار میگیرد. نمایشنامه با به استیصال رسیدن «آستین»، و درخواست از «لی» جهت رفتن به بیابان، ادامه پیدا میکند. در نهایت در پرده ی آخر، دو برادر با یکدیگر درگیری شدید پیدا کرده، و نمایشنامه در حالی به پایان میرسد، که دو برادر پس از نزاعی خونین، رودرروی یکدیگر ایستاده، و گرگها در زمینه زوزه میکشند، و این است: غرب حقیقی. در واقع آغاز و عنوان نمایشنامه (در کلام)، سر آغازی بر پایان آن (در مفهوم و نماد) است. برای درک زیبایی «غرب حقیقی»، باید فیلمنامه «پاریس تگزاس» را، پیش از خواندن این نمایشنامه مطالعه کرد. «غرب حقیقی» و «پاریس تگزاس»، ارتباط تنگاتنگی با یکدیگر دارند. دو برادر در «غرب حقیقی»، یادآور دو برادر در «پاریس تگزاس» هستند. «تراویس»، برادر بزرگتر در «پاریس تگزاس»، همانند «لی»، مدتها بیابان گردی کرده است. در «غرب حقیقی»، «آستین» فیلمنامه ای عاشقانه نوشته است و «لی» فیلمنامه ای وسترن و خشن. «پاریس تگزاس» نیز جدا از نام یک مکان، یک نماد است. «پاریس» نماد احساس، عاطفه و عشق و «تگزاس» نماد خشونت و بیرحمی. «سام شپارد» در خلق شاهکاری پرمعنا از هیچ یک نابغه است. نقل از متن: «مادر: وای همه‌ شون مردن، نه؟‌ (به طرف آن می‌رود و از نزدیک براندازشان می‌کند)، گمونم وقت نکردین آبشون بدین. آستین: من بهشون می‌رسیدم تا اینکه لی اومد، و لی: آره من حسابی اوضاشو بهم ریختم، مامان اون تقصیر نداره. مکث. مادر به گیاه خیره شده است.»؛ پایان نقل. ا. شربیانی