Love! Valour! Compassion!

A historian would look at this play and wonder what happened to our society.  That is, if he thought that the play represented what life was like in our century.   As far as being a well made play, it may be very confusing in comparison to The Glass of Water and The Children’s Hour. Yes, it has three acts and those “one liners” that left you hanging at the end of each scene.  Much of the dialogue seem petty and didn't make a point such as when they are arguing about what they want to watch on television. 

  

The difference between the “truth” and illusion is hard to separate.   The part when James closes his eyes, the piano stops, he is looking at the chair, and now he is John, is very confusing.  Is this real, a hallucination, or is it really John? What is the truth and what is the illusion? Then all of a sudden John is sitting in the chair?  Maybe, this was James’s way of justifying how his parents treated him and John.    Is he really “James the Good” and his brother is “John the Bad?”

This play was confusing to me and I lived through the 90’s.  Every once in a while the characters would move forward and talk or narrate to the audience which was confusing to me.  I guess this was the biggest difference from the other well-made plays that we have read.   I found very distracting from the standpoint of keeping up with what was happing.  It wasn’t until the end that it made more sense, especially when each character was telling the audience how they died.  As a dramaturgical choice, it helped to bring a close to the story.  I also liked the last line when John says, “Anyway.”

The Children's Hour

I think the biggest departure of the well made play would be the scene when Martha kills herself.  That was totally unexpected.  In the obligatory scene in this case, you would expect Karen and/or Martha to admit to their feelings for each other.  Martha does admit that she had the kind of feelings she had been accused of.  That was expected, however I didn't expect she would kill herself over it.  It is a good dramaturgical because when Mrs. Tilford comes to confess and apologize to them about Mary’s lying, the news of Martha’s death further makes Mrs. Tilford feels guilty.  Now she wants to help Karen and says, “Take whatever I can give you. Take it for yourself and use it for yourself.”   She is trying to justify her mistake in believing Mary.

As far as the other question goes as to whether it should be performed today or not, I would say yes.  I don’t think it has to do with the subject of lesbianism as much as a mis-communication between the characters.   Mary was a very spoiled and manipulating. She is the one that causes all the problems.  It doesn’t matter if Martha and Karen are in a relationship or not.  The fact that a spoiled child could get so much control over people is a good topic for today’s society.   Most of the play is about how Mary uses people and their emotions.  For example, she arrives late to class and brings flowers to the teacher to cover up her unwillingness to go to class.  She “faints” to get attention, talks Rosalie into lying to hide the secret about the bracelet.   As far as the suicide goes, I think it was more of Mary’s manipulation that could cause Martha to commit suicide.   Mary’s accusations put the idea of the women kissing into Martha’s head.  Yes, maybe that brought out the feelings that Martha had, but Martha may have never even thought much about that until Mary’s accusation. 

A Glass of Water

I don’t know if it’s a translation error or not, but in the scene at the end when the Duchess and Bolingbroke kiss and then slap each other is very odd.   When I read it, it really surprised me.  I was not expecting that. They are at each other’s throats though out the whole play.  They are both scheming and plotting against each other and trying to discredit each other.  All of a sudden at the end they are kissing each other?  They are telling each other that they would have wed if they had known each other earlier.   That doesn't make sense, unless it was an attempt by the author to bring some comedy to the end of the production.   I would have guessed that they would have politely bowed to each other and left.  They could have said their lines while smiling, not meaning what they were saying and left without the kissing and slapping.  Of course, that may not have been as effective or funny.