#76
Posted: 1/14/09 at 3:53pm
changingandhow ~ Right. I definitely think it applies to Dan and Diana ~ more clear to me in the Arena production than before. But I do think it can apply to Natalie and Gabe given that it comes just after Dan's refusal to say Gabe's name. In essence he's tried to forget Gabe and he feels that Diana, while not forgetting Natalie, certainly hasn't been everything she could to her in optimal circumstances. I think it's highly likely that it to be a two-layered statement
iamdangoodman ~ Yay! Someone to talk about it with! :)
Time ~ Gabe's birthday is at least late November, possibly early December. Henry and Natalie meet sometime after school begins ~ let's say school starts the day after Labor Day. I'm guessing it's not the first day since Natalie has a pattern of being in the practice room "a lot before school and after". So...let's say a couple of weeks in. Assuming their relationship starts (for Henry's count) that day, the dinner with the family would be toards the end of November or beginning of December (depending on where you count it starting from) because they have been "going out for nine weeks and three days". Since they say he was 18 months old ~ and when you have little kids everything is measured in weeks and months so that's probably not an estimate/rounding, that leaves 6 months until he would have been 2, putting it late May/early June when he died. I think the implication is that Natalie is already 16 (remember she can drive, and I doubt a mom who often has trouble operating a car would be allowed to be an "approved driver" for one with a learner's permit), so it would be her 17th birthday actually. But... Oh hell this is making my head hurt. LOL. It really doesn't work out in any real sense unless it's supposed to be 18 weeks old and not months. (Als 18 weeks would mean stuff would be tinier and a lot harder to diagnose a blockage/obstruction). Any other way around it would mean the conception would have had to be immediate and then she was about 3 months premature. It's really stretching it for an immediate conception to happen under those kind of stressful circumstances. And if she's 16 throughout the play it just doesn't work. Make him 18 weeks old when he died and it's highly possible. But like I said, I try not to dwell on it too much. LOL. :P
BiPolar ~ While I agree that essentially it boils down to an inability to cope, I think it is pretty clear that it does go further than that. The delusions are a big part of the issue. While the delusion of Gabe could be explained by the complicated bereavement, there are obviously other delusions going on ~ the whole rock star thing that Dan and Dr. Madden seem to be clueless about. So yes, the trauma is a big part of it, but it's not just that. There are definitely other underlying issues with Diana that she herself says go back a long way (her mother calling her high spirited).
The waiting in the car ~ That was actually directed at TonyVincent. I don't think there's any doubt that Dan has questions about his own sanity. But at the time his questions are more along the "why am I sticking with this?" (which he later answers in "The Promise") than his own realizing he's got a complicate bereavement issue on his hands as well.
Grieving ~ I'm not saying he grieved extensively for Gabe, but I'm guessing there was a cursory bit that went on. Like you have your experiences, I have my own. I think this is one of those shows that really touches on so many people's various experiences that if not identical have touches here and there.
And I think you're right about the power of the performance being the more important thing over a pitch issue here or there. I'd rather have some occasional pitchiness than have an emotionally flat but pitch perfect note-wise performance.
iamdangoodman ~ Yay! Someone to talk about it with! :)
Time ~ Gabe's birthday is at least late November, possibly early December. Henry and Natalie meet sometime after school begins ~ let's say school starts the day after Labor Day. I'm guessing it's not the first day since Natalie has a pattern of being in the practice room "a lot before school and after". So...let's say a couple of weeks in. Assuming their relationship starts (for Henry's count) that day, the dinner with the family would be toards the end of November or beginning of December (depending on where you count it starting from) because they have been "going out for nine weeks and three days". Since they say he was 18 months old ~ and when you have little kids everything is measured in weeks and months so that's probably not an estimate/rounding, that leaves 6 months until he would have been 2, putting it late May/early June when he died. I think the implication is that Natalie is already 16 (remember she can drive, and I doubt a mom who often has trouble operating a car would be allowed to be an "approved driver" for one with a learner's permit), so it would be her 17th birthday actually. But... Oh hell this is making my head hurt. LOL. It really doesn't work out in any real sense unless it's supposed to be 18 weeks old and not months. (Als 18 weeks would mean stuff would be tinier and a lot harder to diagnose a blockage/obstruction). Any other way around it would mean the conception would have had to be immediate and then she was about 3 months premature. It's really stretching it for an immediate conception to happen under those kind of stressful circumstances. And if she's 16 throughout the play it just doesn't work. Make him 18 weeks old when he died and it's highly possible. But like I said, I try not to dwell on it too much. LOL. :P
BiPolar ~ While I agree that essentially it boils down to an inability to cope, I think it is pretty clear that it does go further than that. The delusions are a big part of the issue. While the delusion of Gabe could be explained by the complicated bereavement, there are obviously other delusions going on ~ the whole rock star thing that Dan and Dr. Madden seem to be clueless about. So yes, the trauma is a big part of it, but it's not just that. There are definitely other underlying issues with Diana that she herself says go back a long way (her mother calling her high spirited).
The waiting in the car ~ That was actually directed at TonyVincent. I don't think there's any doubt that Dan has questions about his own sanity. But at the time his questions are more along the "why am I sticking with this?" (which he later answers in "The Promise") than his own realizing he's got a complicate bereavement issue on his hands as well.
Grieving ~ I'm not saying he grieved extensively for Gabe, but I'm guessing there was a cursory bit that went on. Like you have your experiences, I have my own. I think this is one of those shows that really touches on so many people's various experiences that if not identical have touches here and there.
And I think you're right about the power of the performance being the more important thing over a pitch issue here or there. I'd rather have some occasional pitchiness than have an emotionally flat but pitch perfect note-wise performance.
Experience live theater. Experience paintings. Experience books. Live, look and listen like artists! ~ imaginethis
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
LIVE THAT LESSON!!!!!!
Updated On: 1/14/09 at 03:53 PM
