Friday, August 3, 2007
A Question
Lately the image of a train keeps coming to mind when reading the Visit. We begin the story at the RR Station, return there for a creepy encounter with the Townsfolk, and end the play with a tableau of the Station again. But after a while the image of a locomotive seemed fitting for the play in more thematic ways. What could a train be symbolic of in this play?
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9 comments:
Perhaps this was a rhetorical question...but I decided to post anyway because it makes a lot of sense to me.
I think the most obvious thing that the train represents is the greed and widespread chaos that the town gets swept up in. Kind of like when a train builds up speed there is really no stopping it.
-Smedes
That's a great point. Once it builds up speed there is no stopping it. Everyone's destiny is fixed, on a "track".
ok. Even though Smedes pretty much nailed it, are there any other observations? Could we carry this metaphor further? Does it apply to every part of the play? If this play were a train, what job would your character have? or what kind of passenger would they be? what kind of room, etc? Let's carry the metaphor as far as it will go.
C'mon people.
sims
If you were to take the metaphor further, you take the old worn out town and it becomes an old piece of crap train. At one point long ago the different memebers took up jobs on the train and enjoyed success. Until Schill a regular patron got claire kick off. then in the years that followed the train and its patron and staff fell from its former glory, to the point where the train requiers constant repairs, and there is little to no money coming through new passengers. Claire comes back as a very rich woman and offers to refurbish the train. and she will only do it if they get rid of Schill.
that is what the story would sound like it it were on a train, i think. all the characters would become either staff or patrons. the mayor: conductor, police man: the old guy who goes around and collects ticket stubs, Schill: one of the regular passengers prbaly one of the people who put money into he train when it was first created.
As the show moved on, the train would pick up speed as it got repaired, and the owners of the train got more excited about the idea about refubishing the train. it would be moving at a bluring speed when the staff and passengers of the train cast Schill from the train.
That would be my interpritation of the show if you were to take it and put it on a train. i am not sure if that is what sims was asking for but that is what i am giving.
-George
Another angle, George, but a keen observation on the play. I think that THEMES should be looked at in as many ways as possible, to see which ones work best for the play. We will take our THEME, once we've decided on one, and build that idea into an ACTABLE framework for the play. It's an approach to preparation that I think you all should know. So keep 'em coming.
sims
the train to me is a symbol of industry and the fact that it doesnt stop in the town often displays that their glory days are over
-thomas
It makes that point in the beginning, and takes on a slightly demonic tone when Schill nearly leaves later in the play. good one.
As Semdes, George, and Thomas have said to me the train seems like a symbol of what the town once was. How fabulous and classy it was in its youth. And it seems that over the years the train/town lost its first coat of shinny new paint and began to wear thin. However the townspeople never quit believing in what the town used to be, therefore when Clair comes into town the people become crazy with the thought of Guellen becoming beautiful again. The towns people fall head over heals for Clair because the have pride in their town and want to see it flourish again. To me Clair is kind of like the big mob boss on the train. Everyone is scared of what the boss might do but as long as you are one his good side your safe. And you will do whatever it takes to stay safe.
Also when I read the lines for the Ticket Inspector I imagine him saying "Guellen" with this total disgust in his voice and looking around to make sure he wasn't dreaming. But once he realizes Clair actually wants to be in Guellen he offers up some nice spots to visit as if it were a nice place to be. I don't think that's exactly what you were looking for... but whatever.
~Grace
Very good example of how a theme should inform an actor's choices. The theme isn't something we can "act" onstage. I have been asked before "why is theme important to us? We can't USE it onstage!", and that is true; but thinking about it in the way that you all have IS usefull in that it helps us build a framework for our characters. Good work Sykes! Its all about taking a theme and making it translate into "actable" choices.
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