Image from a production staged at Montgomery College: www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/spdnth/theatre /thstart.htm
2.24.2010
"We do things on stage..."
"...that are supposed to happen off. Which is a kind of integrity, if you look on every exit being an entrance somewhere else."
So says the "Player King" in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. In class today we discussed some of the ways reading the text of this play, or any other, is much different than the experience of seeing it performed. As you finish reading Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, what one or two scene(s) would you most like to see performed? Why?
Image from a production staged at Montgomery College: www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/spdnth/theatre /thstart.htm
Image from a production staged at Montgomery College: www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/spdnth/theatre /thstart.htm
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Overall, I'm sure in an actual performance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead the humor is significantly more apparent. Also, it'd also be interesting to see how the actors interpret their characters into real life characters.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I would love to see the opening scene performed, mainly because I'm sure it'll be funny and faster paced than when I read it. Also, I might understand the humor more watching it happen in a fast pace environment rather than the slow reading of all the stage directions.
The other scene I would like to be performed is when Ros and Guil initially encounter the players. Even though it is just a occurance that they run into them, I'd love to see how the actor of Rosencrantz handles the "shy" stage markings. It'd be very interesting to see the dynamics played out on stage.
The first scene I would like to see performed would be in Act I when Ros and Guil play the question game. It took me a while to catch on but once I did I found it very entertaining and I think it would be funny to see performed. This game is also a sketch that the show "Who's Line is it Anyways?" always plays and it's always hilarious to watch so I have to imagine it would be in this play as well.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to see the scene on the boat at the end with Ros, Guil and the players. I just thought it was funny how long it took Ros and Guil to catch on to the fact that they were in trouble. There's also another interesting thing that takes place but for the sake of people who haven't gotten to that part I won't go into detail.
Overall, I think this book is definitely meant to be seen performed in order to get the humor better, but at the same time it can be really confusing during certain parts which is a benefit of reading it so you can reread those parts.
I agree with both the girls above, that this play is really meant to be seen. There isn't really a specific scene that I immediately think of that I would want to see. I would be interested in too many places that are no specific scene. Specifically, I think that any time its Guil and Ros talking to each other in short sentences would be the best to see. I just imagine it as being said really fast and being somewhat witty in delivery. A majority of their dialog are just quick short sentences that play back and forth from each other. If the actors were really good and delivered the lines at the right pace in the right tone, I think it would just keep you on the edge of your seat trying to keep up with their wit. Christie mentioned one really good one which would be the word game. I just seems to me like everything they said would just be said so quickly that to hear it would just make the play really come alive.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as said in class, the first scene would be great to see because I feel it would take some confusion out of it. I had no idea what was going on. Its so hard to start a book in the middle anyways, and these guys were throwing around coins, only getting heads. If they played it out and you could see the wit, confusion, and other expressions, I think that, while it would still be confusing, I wouldn't have been so irritated because I could have gotten some of the humor out of it.
Ok my first scene I would like to see is the tennis match because I felt like it was actually interesting although quite annoying because it seemed to go on and on like everything else in this story I would want to learn how to play it the way they were playing it with words.
ReplyDeleteMy other scene I would want to see is the scene on page 79 where the player is acting out the play and Guil thinks its the ending but the player tells him he has to be patient and let the events play themselves out, just because i want to see what happened and how good the players actually were.
I would like to see the scene from pages 20 to 22 acted out in a play. Ros begins to says that he can hear music, or that he thought he heard a band. Then says I could not have been really. In these pages they are describing everything so well I think it would be awesome to have the behind the scenes people be able to incorporate music. They could play drums or add really cool music to mess with the audience. Then Guil has a dialog were he says he must be dreaming, he thought he saw a unicorn, but in turn it was a deer. Again, I think some awesome props could be brought in to really entertain the audience.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, on page 66-68 when Guil begins to lose his cool, he is screaming “What are we supposed to to do?”I think this kind of excitement/ emotion would be really neat to see as an audience member. There is just a lot of dialog about how mad Hamlet is and the love affair with the old man’s daughter. Plus at the end of pg 69 they bring back the coin. With the coin it adds a funny pun.
I would like to see the scene where the characters hide in and switch among the barrels. That would be impressive to choreograph. The other scene I would like to see is the conversation on the ship about whether they are alive or dead. They could do some interesting things with the lighting during that scene.
ReplyDeleteI would want to see the scene when they were playing the question game. It seemed to me that they loose track of who they are when they were playing that game and you get to see which characteristics you can pin to which character.
ReplyDeleteI would also want to see the coin game acted out. I feel that this scene really needs to be seen to make sense of what is going on. As you are reading the only way you can tell who is who is by who wins the game. A visible representation of this would allow for a better sense of the emotions the characters have.
This story is meant to be seen like the people that wrote above me said. Its too fast of a dialog for the readers to get much of anything out of it other than humor.
I agree with Luke about the coin game scene. There seems to be so much humor behind it, but just from reading it, I was not able to take any humor away from it. I agree with what Pierre mentioned in class, I mostly felt annoyed and confused by just reading it. Perhaps by seeing it in person, I would be able to enjoy it more and take away something more significant from the scene.
ReplyDeleteI think I would most like to see the coin tossing scene because I think it would be more humorous in person and perhaps flow better. I feel like in this story some scenes just don't make sense and it helps to see it acted out. Another scene that I feel is like this is with the tennis questions because I honestly didn't really understand it that much, but I feel like if it was acted out in front of me it might make more sense. Personally overall I think this story would just translate better on stage because you can see the humor as opposed to reading it where you interpret things differently.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this interpretation of the minor characters in Hamlet because the author managed to take a famous tragedy and put a humorous spin on it.
ReplyDeleteIf I got to view this play, I would be excited to see the opening scene with the coin flipping. I feel like this scene really gives us insight to the types of characters Ros and Gil are without just simply describing them. I also think it gives the audience insight to the type of relationship they have and is humorous.
I would be interested to see the scene in which they are practicing what they are going to say to Hamlet by role playing. Again it was humorous to see how alike they were. I loved the back and forth confusion between the two.
I think the whole play would be fun to see. I admire the author's attemps to give these minor character's a new twist, and highlight their roles in Hamlet.
I would have to say that I kind of wish that this play was going to be showing here at Purdue so I could see it live as well. It has been enjoyable reading it and I could imagine that seeing it live would be as well.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I have to agree with Jenny, I would like to see the beginning acted out. While reading it I didn't feel as though I got the full effect. Seeing it in person I would be able to not only pick up on what they were saying quicker, but pick up on body language as well.
Other than that, I have to say it's hard to pin point ONE scene that I would want to see because I'd like to see it all! Although reading the play the reader can still pick up on some non-verbal hints, but overall I think seeing it in person can give the full effect. The only thing someone has to be careful about is that some directors might choose to have the actors act a scene out using different styles and this may affect the way it is viewed.
I have to completely agree with what Katrina said. The scene that I would like to see the most acted out would be the coin tossing scene. When I was reading the scene I was getting really annoyed and did not find it very funny at all. I feel like if I saw it acted out live maybe I would have a different view on it then. I would like to see how it would be choreographed.
ReplyDeleteI would really like to see a production of this story. I think it would be really funny, but also thought-provoking in a way. I would like to see two different scenes acted out.
ReplyDeleteThe first would have to be the coin toss scene. I think it offers huge insight into the characters and the whole story. The second scene I would like to see is when they meet Gertrude and Claudius. It's like very old school slap-stick kind of comedy to me. I love how they bow over and over and they introduce each other by the other's name. It's a very comical scene. The whole play would be wonderful to see.
I agree with what most people have already stated. I believe that the opening scene with the coin and the question game, or really any scene with just Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are scenes that I would really like to see performed. I believe that this play is meant to move at a quick pace, but I find myself having to reread over sections; therefore, I am missing out on the humor because I am too busy trying to figure out which character is talking as well as trying to figure out what is going on in the scene. I believe it would be much easier to visually see the action going on because then I wouldn’t have to worry about figuring out who is talking.
ReplyDeleteI would first like to see the scene on pages 42-53 where Ros and Guil are playing the questions game. The dialogue is shooting back and forth between the two so quickly, I think it would be a fun, funny scene to watch between the two. It also shows how close the two are that they can just launch into a game like that with rules already set out at a rapid fire pace.
ReplyDeleteI agree with pretty much the rest of the class with the coin tossing scene. It sets up the dynamics between the two for the rest of the play. It was pretty boring to read, but I think it would be much more effective if you could have visuals of the two. The coin is also referred to throughout the play, so that alone tells you it is an important part of the story. I also this viewing the play would be more confusing than reading it, however, because it is hard to keep track of who is who even when you can read who is speaking. It would be a lot harder to figure out when you only had the two men on stage who don't even know what their own names are.
I think it would defnitely make more sense to see a lot of the scenes performed rather than reading them. The first one I would like to see on stage is Ros and Guil's first interaction with the players in act 1, particularly from pages 22 and 29. I think there is a lot of sexual innuendos and humor in this scene and it would definitely be entertaining to see it performed. I am going to have to agree with some of my classmates and say that I would also like to see the scene with the question tennis match on page 42. I was so confused when I read it and actually didn't get it for a few pages so I went back and read it over again. I think it would be interesting to see them banter back and forth.
ReplyDeleteEven though it irritated me I still would like to see the scene when Guil and Ros are just flipping the coins and listening to Guil ramble on with his theories as to why the coins have consecutively been heads and not tails. I'm not sure why, but I find it a little interesting and I think it would be interesting to actually see their faces and their emotions in the way that they react to one another when they start to question each other as well as the anger over Guil's face when Ros constantly says "Heads" and just picks up the coin and tosses it into his bag.
ReplyDeleteI believe I would also like to see the scene when they come across the players. It's a little odd because they players really don't have an identity they're just kind of out there doing what they can because times are "hard" and all the while Guil and Ros are expecting them to put on some sort of performance. Then the head players uses another player as his bet in the wager between him and Guil and I just think thats funny.
There are two acts that interested me the most. The first one, which I agree with most people’s posts, is Ros and Guil were flipping the coins, at the beginning of the entrance of Tragedians. It is definitely the scene where they both demonstrated their personality. Guil was showing the curiosity, but Ros had “not a flicker of doubt” since he was winning. If in a performance, the player should display both characters along with their attitudes. When the audiences see the facial expression, I believe they would be more certain about Ros and Guil’s personality. Also, this scene is very thought provoking as Jenny said. It questions that whether we should believe in what we see as fact, or we should doubt the faithfulness and discover what lies behind the fact we see.
ReplyDeleteAnother scene would be anywhere that Ros and Guil were confused about their own identity or their way of being. For example, at the end of Act I, they were probing Hamlet by using questions and answers, or later the confusion caused by the Tragedians, all these were to say that plays is coming from life and life is just like a series of play, in which people often are confused about themselves, because they were not themselves, but actors in their life.
I think this play would be interesting to see performed and I agree with Katie who said she wished this play was being shown at Purdue. Just from reading it, you can tell the characters play well off of each other. This would great to see in a performance.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see the opening seen of Act I where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are flipping the coin. I think it would be more interesting to see in person. The exchanges between characters and the expressions/body language would definitely add to this seen.
I would also like to see the seen in Act 3 leading up to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's death. I think this seen has interesting exchanges between the characters. I would like to see the way this would be worked out on a stage where Guildenstern disappears and the lights come on.
A lot of people have said that this is meant to be seen in a play more than read in a classroom and I completely agree with that. Just reading it can make things very confusing at times. To go along with that, I think that you would get a lot more out of seeing the play. When the script is read by actors, there are a lot more things they do to enhance the dialogue that you wouldn't do while reading it alone.
ReplyDeleteAs far as scenes go that I would like to see acted out, first of all would be the opening scene of Act 1 like a lot of people have said before me. That goes along well with what I was saying about misunderstanding dialogue because you're just reading it alone. Adding to what Erica said, the mannerisms and body language would add a whole lot to the story. It's hard to know what's going on while reading sometimes. Also the questions game scene just because of the way that Rosencrantz and Gildenstern get flustered while playing the game and get confused about their names. That's another scene where the actual acting would make the scene a whole lot better.
I would be interested to see any of the scenes with Hamlet acted out. I enjoy when he comes around because I feel like I know him well as a character. I am also very familiar with his story throughout the play from reading the book, Hamlet. So, I would enjoy seeing the scene where Ophelia and Hamlet enter the stage for their fight.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Jenny in seeing the scene where they first meet Claudius and Gertrude. Again, I feel like I know these two characters and their stories already from the book, so it would be interesting to see them from Guil and Ros's point of views...
I would like to see the enacted version of the part where Guildenstern flips the coins to Rosencrantz and they ask each other very vague questions like where did they come from, where are they headed to, why are they here? These questions introduce the characters and set a mood for the play.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to see the performance of crazy Hamlet when he goes to meet Ophelia with a very clumsy and unkempt appearance. Hamlet's behavior which totally confuses all the other characters would be a lot of fun to watch.
The end of the play would be a scene I would like to see again. Not only is it the closing scene for the whole play, but I think it answers the question of who Ros and Guil really are. They finally come to the conclusion and realization that they are simply made up characters in a play and that no one cares what happens to them. They are fated to forever repeat the same scenes and lines over and over again as the reader picks up the play and either performs it or reads it. In a sense the character never really dies because they live on in the story as it continues to be told.
ReplyDeleteOne scene that I would like to see performed on stage is the part when they are asking questions. I think it would be funny to watch their expressions. The whole play would be a sight because Ros and Guil are unique characters. This play is that Stoppard took the funniest characters from Hamlet and showed what they did. This play is a dream come true. I always want an author to write the story from someone else point of view. I think it would be cool if this play was combined with Hamlet on stage.
ReplyDeleteBeing that we talked about the coin scene so much I would have to say that is the scene that I would most like to see in a performance. That is one of the scenes that I thought was enjoyable but when I was reading it didn't make much of an impact on me. Although, as we were discussing it in class and everyone had such a different opinion about it, I think it would be good to see it in real life and then maybe redirect my thoughts and interpret in a different way than I had...not really anything.
ReplyDelete