A Perfect Hell

A long 'Goodbar' rehearsal yesterday. The raw structure of the piece is in place. We have a good, mature group of performers growing comfortable in their roles. Adding lights, music and black-outs for scene changes will help finish the production. There is much work to do. David will be coming in on the 22nd to review and give us additional notes. To be continued...

We stayed after rehearsal to see a 'puppet show' version of Kurt Vonnegut's 'Player Piano.' It was a very innovative presentation using little cardboard cutouts and light to project shadows on a screen. Live music was provided by 'Francois,' an excellent cello player and whistler. It was all an elaborate dance of light and music. It depicted a war between man and machine. After being immersed in the verbal pyrotechnics of our own play, it was kind of refreshing not to have to follow a text, but ultimately there was very little to hold on to, except a kind of quiet, low-tech, beauty.

What is entertaining? To ask an audience to laugh, to shed tears, to amaze, divert, challenge? In Will Shakespeare's time 'Hamlet' co-existed with 'bear-baiting,' a staged spectacle where a bear, chained to a stake, would be attacked by dogs. This was considered an entertaining diversion.

Was, 'King Lear,' perceived as an elaborate, poetic, version of 'bear-baiting?' Why are 'the villians,' (for instance: Edward in 'Lear,' and Iago in 'Othello') so entertaining? The villians drive the plot forward; they conspire against the honest and simple characters, and by confiding in the audience, they include us in their conspiracy. When the villian is punished, there is a feeling of justice earned. We get the vicarious thrill of transgression, and then when the punishment comes, we can stand back and be happy that we are just 'bystanders.'

Krishnamurti was once asked, why evil existed in the world. Krishamurti replied, 'to thicken the plot.' Without evil, without the villian would we all die of complete, absolute, boredom? A perfect utopia - a perfect hell?