SPIDER-MAN...the nail in the coffin? Taymor takes script- Page 2

[peachesr]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 5:22pm

Just sounds like a petulant child stamping her feet and making a scene to me

[ggersten]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 5:36pm

If Taymor can take the script, then she has much better lawyers than the producers. They paid her for the script and should own it. But, I gather there must be something in the contract that might let her exercise some veto power over her script.

I haven't seen the show - and I have read and collected comic books for .... um.... a real long time. I know little of the actual story on stage but I think as a stage show that the device of Arachne sounded interesting. I like the idea of taking Spider-Man and making him more mythic. The idea that Arachne picks Peter Parker is intriguing. What I would do is to have Arachne trying to manipulate Peter Parker so Arachne can have her thousands year old revenge on Athena. First Parker has to prove himself worthy and has challenges that prepare him for that final battle to either get revenge on Athena or to release Arachne from her thousands year old curse. In that setting, the Goblin could be Athena's champion. Other villains can come and go quicly - because they are merely challenges for the final set-up. Then the grand finale is the resolution where Parker refuses to be Arachne's stooge and refuses to exact revenge - probably based on the influence of Mary Jane. Arachne either does an Applegate finish or has her own change of heart - and Aphordite appears to change Arachne back. But, Parker gets to keep his powers - and has a triumphant flight around the theatre yelling "yahoo" or some such with the big landing on stage as in the video clips.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 5:42pm

If she does take the script, they are indeed up sh*t's creek without a paddle (as my Mother used to say). 4 weeks to develop a whole new workable story to fit the cast, sets, costumes and flying effects? I wish them luck. As bad as her script might be, it's the one that the entire production has been built on. Almost all the critics pointed out the spider-weaving scene was one of the few highlights, that's hers I'm sure, and without the fashion show there goes a million dollars worth of costumes.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 6:31pm

I would really hate to see the weaving scene get cut. I just don't think she's in a position to be doing this. I really hope this will work out so they can keep some of the good stuff from her script. This is all still in negotiation thou, so nothing is for sure yet.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 7:12pm

Taymor may have brought Arachne into the mix of this version of the Spider-Man story, but it's not her character. She has publicly stated that she found Arachne in a Spider-Man comic, and also, she is a character from Greek Mythology (which I actually only discovered when describing the plot of the show to someone who knew nothing about the show itself but a lot about Greek Mythology). Even if Taymor pulls the script, it's not as if she owns the character of Arachne. The new script can utilize Arachne, but I guess not any of the lines Taymor wrote for her, which, as stated many times throughout this thread, is not a bad thing.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 7:16pm

This reminds me of when David Merrick stole the charts of "Meadow Lark" from the all the music stands in the pit when THE BAKER'S WIFE was having its problems.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 7:19pm

Even without the fashion show, aren't only 2 of the 6 villains her creation and the rest come from the comics? I mean it's still money down the tubes but it's not like they'd have to get rid of all of the other villains.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 7:37pm

Arachne really 'isn't' in the comic books in that she's a character. She's MENTIONED on the first page of Ultimate Spider-man #1. I'm looking at the thing right now. It's just a spider that Norman Osborn is holding and he's saying,

"THE STORY GOES THAT ATHENA- YOU KNOW ATHENA, RIGHT? SEEMS SHE HEARD THERE WAS THIS WOMAN ON EARTH- A MERE MORTA, LIKE YOU AND ME- WHO HAPPENED TO BE A BETTER SPINSTRESS THAN SHE WAS. ATHENA WASN'T TOO HAPPY TO HEAR THIS AND SHE CAME DOWN TO EARTH AND DESTROYED THE WOMAN'S CREATIONS. WHEN THIS MORTAL GIRL SAW WHAT HAD HAPPENED- THAT SHE HAD INSULTED THE GODS AND THAT HER LIFE'S WORK HAD BEEN DESTROYED- SHE HANGED HERSELF.ATHENA TOOK PITY ON THIS POOR GIRL, AND TOUCHED HER ON THE FOREHEAD WITH A MAGIC LIQUID AND SAID: "YOU SHALL NOT DIE, ARACHNE. INSTEAD YOU SHALL BE TRANSFORMED AND WEAVE YOUR WEB FOREVER."

So, she's not the character Taymor created. She's merely referenced in her mythic self. If you want to read into it and say the spider Norman is petting is Arachne, fine. But she doesn't talk or sing or want to have sex with Peter (who in the Ultimates is like 15, so ew).

It would be an interesting legal decision that could be made on whether Taymor really 'owns' the characters of Arachne and the Furies. Personally, I'd love to see it play out so we could see!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 8:47pm

"...CAME DOWN TO EARTH AND DESTROYED THE WOMEN'S CREATIONS. WHEN THIS MORTAL GIRL SAW WHAT HAPPENED- THAT SHE HAD INSULTED THE GODS AND THAT HER LIFE'S WORK HAD BEEN DESTROYED- SHE HUNG HERSELF" hmmm, I don't like the sound of that.
Updated On: 3/12/11 at 08:47 PM

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 9:25pm

"If Taymor can take the script, then she has much better lawyers than the producers. They paid her for the script and should own it. But, I gather there must be something in the contract that might let her exercise some veto power over her script."

(Though I am not a Broadway producer) if the producers owned the script then that would leave them to making changes, and it would not give her power to make changes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I THINK that's how it works...

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 10:10pm

I am surely in the extreme minority but I found the attempt to weave the Arachne character from mythology into the spider man myth to be the most interesting component of the musical

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 10:12pm

^ I agree. Incorporating Arachne and Greek mythology into the story is a thrilling and original idea that adds a whole new dimension to the story.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 11:54pm

ggersten, the producers do NOT own the script. It belongs to Taymor and Glen Berger and either one of them is completely within their contractual rights to withdraw their work. That's a standard part of the Dramatist's Guild contract.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/12/11 at 11:59pm

Michael Bennett, I agree. I was only interested when Arachne was onstage or someone was flying. But, at the same time, Arachne's stuff was, to me at least, also the most frustratingly bad.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 12:09am

theatreguy, all reliable reports that I have seen indicate that Taymor didn't sign a Dramatists Guild contract with the producers.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 12:41am

perhaps this is just a PR move so the show can chuck the script completely, and make it.... decent. Add in Harry Osborn, ditch the southern drawl on Norman, make Uncle Ben matter, ya know stuff like that.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 12:57am

Well, even if she didn't sign a Dramatists Guild contract, I've never heard of a theatrical production where the writer completely signed away their rights from the beginning. Of course, with all the other madness happening at the Foxwoods I guess I wouldn't be surprised if Taymor and Berger did just that.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 12:58am

I'd imagine that it's possible that Taymor never thought she'd have to separate her roles as writer and director.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 1:11am

without a dramatists guild contract, i can't even begin to guess what madness is / is not on paper there

[Brick]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 1:40am

I don't think she foresaw such events in the slightest.

I don't think she'll take the script. The most important part of Reidel column points out she's holding it ransom for money.

To be fired so publicly is pretty embarrassing and she's looking to soften the blow with a cushion of cash.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 1:47am

This story makes its own gravy every day.

The backstage story should be the one they charge admission for because the main stage story sucks.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 1:57am

If the producers are not wise enough to make peace with JT (and their track record is not good), her signature is over a huge amount of the physical production. There is no way they could extract her work and start afresh in the time they've given themselves.

Can they not do anything right?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 3:30am

There is no way this couldn't have been public. But again: she built this disaster...from start to finish, from concept to unwillingness to adapt.

[robjohn99]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 4:54am

She DID work on the damn thing for 10 years (good or bad) - cut her some slack!
robjohn

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 7:46am

The amount of time she worked on this goes AGAINST her. In near ten years, she allowed a show to begin previews WITHOUT AN ENDING?????

The money she has already rec'd and will CONTINUE to recieve is her slack. Even when this finally closes, regarless of whether it has recouped or not, SHE will have made gads of money. She is a professional, she deserves to be critiqued and discussed.