Still jet-lagging? Can’t be. Been long enough. But this west coast thing…
It’s the last day of so many. But/And the many always win. Off to the theater.
…
Last night I saw “The Goat” from Albee. The tradition of absurdity is still alive. Perhaps even reinvigorated–but the final judgement has yet to emerge. Nonetheless I said that it is good that such a play is (can be) performed. But then again, I’m in SF. The house was full and the audience responded well. The dialog was spicy, bit in the right places, acting was weak, female better than male. Yes, such a play in such a venue is inspirational but would the play do so well if Albee’s name wasn’t attached? The play has left me stranded. Absurdity is alive and that is good. But… there is something Martha & George in this play. I can’t put my finger on it (yet). The disturbing thing to me is that without the Goat and/or beastiality the play is a bore. Yet Albee is addressing something else. What? The fact that under circumstances man can and will do anything. But why in the context of the American dream? Is it because the American dream is really about finding happiness via an epiphany to fuck a goat? Yes, Albee is pushing the envelope of dark humour here. Not about playwriting, mind you, but where this dream is taking us. We in this great land are ruined. There is no mistake about it. Because, as Albee puts it, at least as I hear this morning after, what/where do you do/go when you’ve reached the dream? There is something traditional in this play, a thread-common perhaps, like so many plays of the absurd-theater. Is it the threat of questions unanswerable? Yes… what does Albee want to say? He is the great interpreter of the American Dream, right? How did he do it–is the more relevant question. In thinking of illusions. Illusions of truth. WMD. Be on it long enough and it will become part of you–how a lie becomes truth. But if the lie doesn’t matter? If the lie doesn’t matter then one must understand what drives the teller to lie. In The best example of this is woman. The next best example is consumption. And what about this slight lie? Timothy Leary worked for the CIA. Full stop. Redact.
Change previous chapter about Stone’s (that name again! Stop it!) commenting on SF visit.
Break.
SF at night is beautiful. Long walk back to hotel.
-Tommi
worstwriter 