Lacunagroup has decided upon its next project. The group will undertake an exact, documentary re-creation of a performance of Act III, Scene 1 from Shakespeare’s Coriolanus the group gave on the evening of November 1, 2008 at the Newnan Community Theatre Company.
“That performance had certain qualities that I find fascinating,” opined group member Dale Lyles, “and the tension in the space was palpable. Not even Shakespeare could script such moments. I think the performers uncovered something very special that night.”
“If for no other reason, I think the contributions this work could make to our understanding of the neuro-physiology of memory will make it worth seeing, ” adds group member Jeff Bishop. “Oliver Sacks has offered to deliver a short spoken introduction.”
The group plans to develop the piece through a process of assembling and reviewing both spokenreminiscencesand assorted journalistic accounts. “Some of the original participants are still alive,” offers member Kevin McInturff, “and have been very generous with their time and their personal recollections. Considering the emotions we’ve asked them to re-live, they’ve all been quite fearless. We have a rich abundance of material to work with.”
The group sees this as carrying forward its interest in “photorealist” theatrical representation. Member Marc Honea hopes the result will be “an intense, chamber-scale offering in meticulous detail–a final, impossible rendering of the ephemeral.” Due to some moments of violence, the performance will be for adults only.
“We’re interested in allowing the audience to examine this theatre artifact in the greatest detail,” said Honea. “The two-hour running time of the production will give them time to do just that.”
“That, and the nudity,” added Lyles.
The nudity. Of course, the nudity. Including my naked brain, screaming to the heavens. I will probably never live this down. It will go down in the annals, like Mary Frances Honea’s famous night on Marc’s play. At least she has company.
Hey, hold up. Did we just get away with doing a TOTALLY GAY play in a public park in NEWNAN? And we weren’t arrested? No one protested? Cool. We should just attach Shakespeare’s name to WHATEVER we choose to do. People will stay away, and even if they come, they will shrug and say, “Well, you know, it’s Shakespeare.”
Well, it wasn’t TOTALLY GAY. I mean, we didn’t kiss or anything. Well, you and Jeff did, but he was your wife, so that wasn’t gay. Was it?
Trust me. Gay. We were so, so very gay.
Not to mention mother issues and questions concerning the status of the father. Pretty gay.
And approving nods from at least two Queer Theory adepts.
Though we probably should have gone for the muslin diapers to cinch the deal.
Jeff, are you advocating our next production be a stage adaptation of Shakespeare’s Brokeback Mounting?
Could someone fix the typo in my previous comment?
Jeff, are you advocating our next production be a stage mounting of Shakespeare’s Brokeback Adaptation?