#51
Posted: 4/19/08 at 4:26pm
I can't find my source, but here are some excerpts from the paper I wrote (SPOILERS!!). I hope this will answer some questions people had an explain the first act.
Possibly the most powerful character at the party is Pope Joan. It was believed that, in the 9th century, a woman managed to disguise herself as a man and ascend to the papacy. She reigned for about three years, only to be discovered when she gave birth to a child during a public procession. She was immediately stoned to death for her act of heresy.
In Top Girls, the actor who portrays Pope Joan is also cast as Louise, an older woman who comes to Marlene’s agency for a job. Louise is quitting her old job because she says her coworkers see her as a man. They do not respect her womanly qualities and she feels stifled. Louise is looking for the escape that Joan never got before she winds up with the same fate.
Lady Nijo is another historical character. She was a concubine to the Japanese emperor in the 11th century. She attempts to gain power there by adhering to the stereotype of women at the time. She is obedient, even letting the emperor beat her when it is customary. However, when the submission becomes too much, she tries to assert her rights and is expelled from the palace. She spends the next twenty years traveling the countryside as a Buddhist nun. At the death of her father, she is not permitted to be at his side.
Nijo’s sacrifices parallel those of Marlene. Marlene gave up her only daughter, Angie, to her older sister. Joyce has raised Angie and Marlene only gets to see her once a year or less. Marlene, unlike Nijo, seems perfectly content with the situation, until she is faced with the effect it has had on Angie. Only then does she realize that her desire to be on top affects more people than just her, and she begins to feel guilty.
The character of Win, a worker in the employment agency, is played by the person who plays Nijo. Like her medieval counterpart, Win is a concubine of sorts. The first time we meet her character, she tells us about her fling with a married man. She delights in her power to attract men, much like Nijo, yet she does not attach herself to any one man. She enjoys her extravagant lifestyle. She is content to slowly work within the system to gain power, rather than submit to others until a certain point, then explode and make a scene.
Another fictional character from history is Patient Griselda. She was originally a character of Chaucer from medieval Europe. Griselda is a poor girl who has the marquis appear at her house one day and request her hand in marriage. Naturally, her father grants his blessing and she is whisked off to the marquis’ estate for a life of jewels and riches. At first, she is very happy, but when she gives birth to their first child, it becomes clear that her husband does not trust her. In order to test her true feelings for him, he claims, she has to give up her baby to his control, even if it means he will kill it. Although reluctant, she agrees and gives up the child when it is time. She does not even question his reasoning and, in the play, she acts as if it made perfect sense and there was no other option besides obeying her husband blindly. Even four years later, when he takes her second child, she does not see anything wrong with her actions, or lack thereof. His test of her feelings extends so far that he expels her from the palace, only to return to her house much later and explain that it was all a test. He presents her with her children, for he had never really killed them, and proposes to her all over again. Naturally, Griselda is overjoyed and returns to him.
Griselda is connected to the character of Nell, another office worker in the agency. Nell seems to be the opposite of Griselda, rejecting the traditional qualities of women that Griselda embodied. She sneers that men do not like to hire women in sales positions because they are afraid the women will be too nice and consider the other person’s feelings. Her sarcasm makes it perfectly clear that she would never put someone’s feelings before her job performance. She also confides to Win that she could “play house ace” to the man intent on marrying her, but she does not want to. She would rather stay a working girl and serve herself without worrying about raising a family.
Isabella Bird is a fascinating character. She lived during the Victorian era and traveled the world, refusing to settle down with a family. She married twice, but only when she enjoyed the same freedom with her husband as she did when she traveled to Asia. She never had children, but she wrote many books and served as ambassadors to some nations. She lived a very full life. As much as she has rejected the traditional female qualities of her time, she still wants to be viewed as a respectable lady. Even though she is arguably the happiest and most successful historical character in the play, even she was never able to reconcile her personal goals with the notion of children.
Typically, Isabella Bird is double cast with Joyce, Marlene’s sister. The connection between the two of them, like Griselda and Nell, seems to be that of opposites. Joyce has chosen to raise a family and, as a consequence, is stuck at home. She is defined by her responsibility to Angie and her sick mother. She was not even able to make her marriage work. She tells Marlene that she is not able to travel much. She does not have nearly as much freedom as Isabella, yet she does have the family that Isabella never had time for.
The casting of Top Girls suggests a connection between the past and now. Churchill demonstrates that, as much as we try to convince ourselves we are moving forward, we have been going through the same struggles for centuries. The struggle between personal ambition and family responsibility will never be resolved for more than one person at a time. Churchill just shows us a collection of people who have attempted to resolve the conflict in their own way and then leaves it up to the audience to resolve the conflict for themselves.
Possibly the most powerful character at the party is Pope Joan. It was believed that, in the 9th century, a woman managed to disguise herself as a man and ascend to the papacy. She reigned for about three years, only to be discovered when she gave birth to a child during a public procession. She was immediately stoned to death for her act of heresy.
In Top Girls, the actor who portrays Pope Joan is also cast as Louise, an older woman who comes to Marlene’s agency for a job. Louise is quitting her old job because she says her coworkers see her as a man. They do not respect her womanly qualities and she feels stifled. Louise is looking for the escape that Joan never got before she winds up with the same fate.
Lady Nijo is another historical character. She was a concubine to the Japanese emperor in the 11th century. She attempts to gain power there by adhering to the stereotype of women at the time. She is obedient, even letting the emperor beat her when it is customary. However, when the submission becomes too much, she tries to assert her rights and is expelled from the palace. She spends the next twenty years traveling the countryside as a Buddhist nun. At the death of her father, she is not permitted to be at his side.
Nijo’s sacrifices parallel those of Marlene. Marlene gave up her only daughter, Angie, to her older sister. Joyce has raised Angie and Marlene only gets to see her once a year or less. Marlene, unlike Nijo, seems perfectly content with the situation, until she is faced with the effect it has had on Angie. Only then does she realize that her desire to be on top affects more people than just her, and she begins to feel guilty.
The character of Win, a worker in the employment agency, is played by the person who plays Nijo. Like her medieval counterpart, Win is a concubine of sorts. The first time we meet her character, she tells us about her fling with a married man. She delights in her power to attract men, much like Nijo, yet she does not attach herself to any one man. She enjoys her extravagant lifestyle. She is content to slowly work within the system to gain power, rather than submit to others until a certain point, then explode and make a scene.
Another fictional character from history is Patient Griselda. She was originally a character of Chaucer from medieval Europe. Griselda is a poor girl who has the marquis appear at her house one day and request her hand in marriage. Naturally, her father grants his blessing and she is whisked off to the marquis’ estate for a life of jewels and riches. At first, she is very happy, but when she gives birth to their first child, it becomes clear that her husband does not trust her. In order to test her true feelings for him, he claims, she has to give up her baby to his control, even if it means he will kill it. Although reluctant, she agrees and gives up the child when it is time. She does not even question his reasoning and, in the play, she acts as if it made perfect sense and there was no other option besides obeying her husband blindly. Even four years later, when he takes her second child, she does not see anything wrong with her actions, or lack thereof. His test of her feelings extends so far that he expels her from the palace, only to return to her house much later and explain that it was all a test. He presents her with her children, for he had never really killed them, and proposes to her all over again. Naturally, Griselda is overjoyed and returns to him.
Griselda is connected to the character of Nell, another office worker in the agency. Nell seems to be the opposite of Griselda, rejecting the traditional qualities of women that Griselda embodied. She sneers that men do not like to hire women in sales positions because they are afraid the women will be too nice and consider the other person’s feelings. Her sarcasm makes it perfectly clear that she would never put someone’s feelings before her job performance. She also confides to Win that she could “play house ace” to the man intent on marrying her, but she does not want to. She would rather stay a working girl and serve herself without worrying about raising a family.
Isabella Bird is a fascinating character. She lived during the Victorian era and traveled the world, refusing to settle down with a family. She married twice, but only when she enjoyed the same freedom with her husband as she did when she traveled to Asia. She never had children, but she wrote many books and served as ambassadors to some nations. She lived a very full life. As much as she has rejected the traditional female qualities of her time, she still wants to be viewed as a respectable lady. Even though she is arguably the happiest and most successful historical character in the play, even she was never able to reconcile her personal goals with the notion of children.
Typically, Isabella Bird is double cast with Joyce, Marlene’s sister. The connection between the two of them, like Griselda and Nell, seems to be that of opposites. Joyce has chosen to raise a family and, as a consequence, is stuck at home. She is defined by her responsibility to Angie and her sick mother. She was not even able to make her marriage work. She tells Marlene that she is not able to travel much. She does not have nearly as much freedom as Isabella, yet she does have the family that Isabella never had time for.
The casting of Top Girls suggests a connection between the past and now. Churchill demonstrates that, as much as we try to convince ourselves we are moving forward, we have been going through the same struggles for centuries. The struggle between personal ambition and family responsibility will never be resolved for more than one person at a time. Churchill just shows us a collection of people who have attempted to resolve the conflict in their own way and then leaves it up to the audience to resolve the conflict for themselves.
Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters. ~ Wicked
Everything in life is only for now. ~ Avenue Q
There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. ~ Rent
"He's a tramp, but I love him."
Everything in life is only for now. ~ Avenue Q
There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. ~ Rent
Updated On: 4/19/08 at 04:26 PM
