Winter Quarter's Over

We have twelve days off, but need to read a couple of plays (Hedda Gabler, and Miss Julie) plus find scenes we'd like to do for the final presentations in June, over the break.  Bunch of shows to go to as well, just realized I could get into both the shows I was trying to choose between with the TPS membership, plus the last ticket on my pass.  Need to figure out the housing thing as well...running short of time.

So, the scene went in an interesting and unexpected direction tonight.  She had us throw a bathrobe at each other, which helped to really deliver intent to each other, but the last three exchanges of text are: "You think I'm a, of course I do.  You think I'm a frightened, repressed, confused, I don't know, abandoned young thing, of some doubtful sexuality who wants power and revenge, don't you?" "Yes, I do." "Well, isn' that better.  And I feel that that this is the first moment which you've treated me with respect, for you told me the truth."  Well the last line, is the one where I was taking the meaning that it was over from, that there was no hope left, but when I did the former, he softened and put his hands on my shoulders (we were facing each other) and mind you, this is someone I've accused of sexual assault, so totally not appropriate, so I threw them off.  At which point I walked away and he started crying, and it all totally threw me off.  I wasn't sure what to do.  As a human being, and from working off of your partner, I felt like I needed to respond (more kindly) to it, but I don't know if the character would, so I didn't.  When I asked about it later, she said that he did give me a type of truth. (Plus, he does beat me at the end of this act, and with the history of the characters and his appeal to "my feelings" in this scene, it could also be a ploy, on the part of the character.)  On a side note, read yesterday that there was a different ending originally.  Harold Pinter staged that version in London.  I want to find it.

The play is about power, those who have it and those who don't.  I've heard a lot of people say it's all about the whole sexual politics thing, but I'm not seeing it that way.  I actually read Act II again today to see if I was missing something, but no, it's about privilege and power.  The accusations of racism and classism are just as important as the sexism.  And then he makes up his own rules, so, she's never gonna win in that world, the target, the rules are always changing.  I'd love to spend more time with this, but on to the next thing, and the next, and the next.  Class ran late, too.  Time to sleep.

Woke up (Wednesday) feeling a little guilty about the crying thing.  She made us sing the "tea pot" song after the scene in a bad accent to let the tension go. (I'm a little tea pot, short and stout...)