#1 - Marsha Norman would be deeply disappointed in me. I have yet to see August: Osage County.
#2 - Anyone have an AVERSE reaction to this production/play?
About Me
- Freeman
- Matthew Freeman is a Brooklyn based playwright with a BFA from Emerson College. His plays include THE DEATH OF KING ARTHUR, REASONS FOR MOVING, THE GREAT ESCAPE, THE AMERICANS, THE WHITE SWALLOW, AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR, THE MOST WONDERFUL LOVE, WHEN IS A CLOCK, GLEE CLUB, THAT OLD SOFT SHOE and BRANDYWINE DISTILLERY FIRE. He served as Assistant Producer and Senior Writer for the live webcast from Times Square on New Year's Eve 2010-2012. As a freelance writer, he has contributed to Gamespy, Premiere, Complex Magazine, Maxim Online, and MTV Magazine. His plays have been published by Playscripts, Inc., New York Theatre Experience, and Samuel French.
3 comments:
I overall liked it, but felt that the third act needed a few more drafts. I felt like Letts hadn't figured out exactly what he wanted from the play as a whole, but concealed that brilliantly until the third act. I, like Norman, didn't buy the final moment with the mother. Still, I don't want to be a dick. It's better than the majority of plays I've read or seen for a few years.
And Norman is right - when a play works as a big splashy entertainment and buzzed-about success without being cheesy, it makes each viewer more excited about plays. It makes them enter the next play they see with a little less apprehension in their hearts.
Read the NYTimes Reader's Reviews of the play and you will see a couple of witty dissents:
"It's a three hour episode of Mama's Family, scripted for Times readers!"
Also, I think in the comments section of the blog on which Norman's essay appears I saw some who didn't like it. Including somebody who said they left after the first act. (Interestingly enough, Terry Teachout, who was positive about the play, strongly suggested that patrons should consider skipping the first act.)
John Heilpern of the Observer was very underwhelmed, almost hostile. Though most of his venom was aimed at the Times' rave, rather than the play.
I haven't read or seen it, but I know several people who have and they all liked it.
I didn't like it. The dialogue is great but i had trouble caring about any of the characters. and it felt manipulative.
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