Notable Quotes from Class

In answer to a question about the origin of Commedia dell'arte: "They were tired of tragedy."

Ed. comment: Is that all it takes to create a tradition of professional comedy?

On the day that the reading of a play was due, no one had read it. When the professor said that he had read it twice, a voice in the back of the class replied: "You have too much time on your hands."

Ed. comment: Isn't the teacher supposed to do the homework?

"The comedy of Aristophanes did not have much tragedy."

Ed. comment: No wonder his plays are so funny.

"Kabuki theatre started with women playing roles until the women became prostitutes. They then had boys but they too became sex symbols so they wound up with only men playing all the roles."

Ed. comment: So that's how the "onnagata" got started.

"Greece was extremely dramatic. They were so elaborate in dialog. Rome was toned down in drama."

Ed. comment: I suppose so, if you compare Plautus' and Terence's comedies in the Roman Republic to the festivities at the Coliseum at the height of the Roman empire.

While watching the video "The Making of Miss Saigon", when Lea Solanga auditions at Drury Lane - "Does she manage it?" (referring to the long string of English actor-managers)

"Even people in their 40's could be afraid of mimes. Maybe they had a bad experience with a mime when they were 12 years old."

Ed. comment: What could this have been? perhaps the child kept bumping into the imaginary walls, or the imaginary wind blew the mime over?"

"Ever since the beginning of entertainment......"

Ed. comment: Not the origin of drama or the birth of tragedy, but pre-Wayne Newton?"

"Semiotics is very important to theatre because now people are actually hired to interpret signs."

Ed. comment: Glad that critical thinking has an effect on the job market.

"The 12 step cure at Everyman's Clinic for Medieval Psychosis"

(from a group presentation parody of a talk show)

5/8/95
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