=93Groundbreaking=94 =93Innovative=94 =93Revolutionary=94 =93Ahead of its
Ti=
me=94
Company gets called all these things, and it certainly breaks some of
the rules. But what are these rules?
One might posit that stage narratives traditionally involve a
protagonist we=92ve some fascination with, facing obstacles as he tries
to achieve some definable goal. The obstacles most often include an
antagonist standing in his way. (South Pacific is a notable
exception. The villain there is the prejudice that lurks within the
Americans=92 minds.)
Of course drama is made up of conflict. Improv guru Del Close, when
talking about the need for =93agreement=94 was referring to those
spontaneously arrived-at cir***stances improvisers must agree upon
without planning in advance. (Very strange to quote him in this
context: sort of like quoting a rap artist in a discussion of string
quartets, and that=92s no knock on Del or rap artists; they=92re just
different beasts.)
Musicals can contain numbers that are so entertaining, audience
attention is diverted from those traditional story-telling virtues. I
think this is what happens in some Sondheim musicals. Razzle-dazzle
=91em with You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through, Buddy's
Blues and Losing My Mind audiences are going to forget they didn=92t
care about Ben and Phyllis continuing their marriage.
The fine and fun score of Company, similarly distracts us from the
dearth of all those traditional elements:
a- Bobby is not a fellow we care about. His friends seem to love him,
sure, but he does so little that makes US love him that we simply do
not have a rooting interest in what happens next.
b- Bobby has no defined goal. In the final scene, a good friend
implores him =93Want something!=94 which rings true. He hasn=92t wanted
anything so far.
c- Bobby faces no conflict, no struggle, no impediment. His life is
perfectly fine. He enjoys spending time with married friends; he
enjoys *** with stewardesses and other hot babes. We can worry, as
some of his friends do, that he=92s lonely or that his life is empty,
but the show presents no evidence of that. It=92s mere speculation
(consequentially, Poor Baby is the weakest number in the show).
d- If, as Jeff says, =93The show is framed as an argument Bobby is
having with himself,=94 it=92s certainly not a passionate one. Compare
Cable=92s depth of feeling in Carefully Taught. This is an intellectual
construct, Would-I-prefer-marriage?, and Bobby doesn=92t care much;
little weighs on the result of this colloquy.
Since we, the audience, aren=92t emotionally involved with this cipher=92s
unim****tant inner musings, it=92s little wonder Company leaves so many
viewers cold.
eagle> > In this interview he says about =93ambivalence=94 that =93it=92s
th=
e
stuff of
> > drama.=94 =A0I disagree. =A0The =93stuff=94 of drama is *conflict* --
> > ambivalence is only one form of conflict, usually referring to an
> > inner conflict.
>
sweet> Nah, to quote Del Close, drama is based on agreement. =A0People
fight
> over something because they agree that what they fight over is of
> value. =A0Otherwise plays would be people just whacking away at each
> other for a couple of hours, and that would be pretty numbing.
|
