On Thursday afternoon, I finished Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee. It’s a play that was written 1962 and first performed as well. And I love it.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve been in STAC for three years now, since Freshman Year. That year, the writers did playwriting. I fell in love. Luke gave each of us a book of plays to read, and mine were by Albee. The two scripts were The Zoo Story (1958) and The American Dream (1960). I still talk about those plays whenever plays in general come up, and this Christmas I plan on adding them to my list.
They have influenced me a lot, both as a storyteller and a thinker. The creativity and new thinking expressed in them shocked me.
Before STAC, I had never read a play. I knew that in High School I’d be reading Shakespeare, and I was ready for that, but I was very inexperienced in general about plays. I had never read one. The entire format surprised me, and made me want to try. Now, I do not fancy myself a screenwriter. I get so caught up in the visuals, the cinematography, it becomes harder for me to get across the story. I think that partly has to do with my inability to feel adequate using sub-par materials. I know, it’s picky of me in a situation I cannot afford to be picky in. But that’s what I like about plays, you know what you have as a base and you can only go up. You put a blank stage in your head, and build upon it. Movies are already so many things. Plays have layers you can physically see. I also love the live-ness of it all. I love that every time you see it, there’s something new to every performance.
Before STAC, I had never read a play. I knew that in High School I’d be reading Shakespeare, and I was ready for that, but I was very inexperienced in general about plays. I had never read one. The entire format surprised me, and made me want to try. Now, I do not fancy myself a screenwriter. I get so caught up in the visuals, the cinematography, it becomes harder for me to get across the story. I think that partly has to do with my inability to feel adequate using sub-par materials. I know, it’s picky of me in a situation I cannot afford to be picky in. But that’s what I like about plays, you know what you have as a base and you can only go up. You put a blank stage in your head, and build upon it. Movies are already so many things. Plays have layers you can physically see. I also love the live-ness of it all. I love that every time you see it, there’s something new to every performance.
This is a pitch for plays. Everyone should at least try them out. But what’s important to me, is finding what you love, and sticking with it. From what I’ve read, I love Albee. Sure, I’m willing to try new things, but I don’t plan on giving up what I already have in the process.
See you guys tomorrow.
3 comments:
I too, happen to prefer plays over film, though from an acting standpoint. I like the connection of having people right in front of you, and to react in real time with you. But I digress. Why does having non professional quality for film making bother you, but not theater? There is certainly a line between professional and non professional theater as there is with film making.
With plays, I feel more connected to the writing and the feelings conveyed. Both professional and amateur live actors make mistakes, that is human nature. But the connection holds the importance to me. It's hard for me to get a true, pure moment out of film with less-trained actors because we both can't see the audience in that moment. I believe it takes years to cultivate that awareness. While I know I have to practice in order to get there, I'm not sure if I want to get there. But that's just the acting.
With film, I find the visuals to be something of a roadblock to me. When I watch a movie, the visuals are equally important to the script. With theatre, the script has more weight. I find it difficult to find the correct visuals that I want in my surroundings, but with plays I can create it, even if it is low budget.
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