STRAIGHT WHITE MEN Previews- Page 4

[Dave28282]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 7:30pm

Racism is the exceptionalistic idea that races can be ranked as superior and inferior compared to eachother. This can result in different standards for one race over another.

 

Updated On: 7/4/18 at 07:30 PM

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 7:36pm

 

Dave, please go away.  

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 8:16pm

[kevinr]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 8:27pm

Did anyone meet Josh Charles at the stage door?  I am a big fan and am hoping to get a photo with him after the show on Saturday night!  

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 9:03pm

He took a few photos with people.  I watched a few videos of the stage door.  I think it's so creepy when people say to an actor "I'm obsessed with you".  I would never say that to a person I didn't know in a million years. The only thing I have ever said is "your performance was wonderful, thank you".  I don't know,   obsessed just seems creepy.  

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 9:59pm

EllieRose2 said: "I don't know, obsessed just seems creepy."

It seems creepy because it IS creepy.

[After Eight]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 10:20pm

Well move over, Log Cabin! You've got a new neighbor in Tractville, and a formidable rival in the ever-expanding screed-in-play's-clothing sweepstakes. 

Usually, in these cases, we are met with a lecture purporting to be a play.

In this case, we have a lecture purporting to be ..... a lecture. And it makes no bones about it!

Actually, this woebegone exhibit offers a double dose of lectures. The first comes from two performers who self-righteously explain to the audience that the loud, obscenity-laden "music" that had been blasted in our ears as a warmup to the play was purposely intended to cause discomfort to those pained by it so as to teach them a lesson. Way to go, for sure! By all means, stick it to the poor saps who pay the freight --- that'll teach 'em but good!

Then there's the actual lecture/play itself, which horns in and hammers home the same talking points we've heard a thousand times by now. It's also a clumsy, inept bore, in which three supposed adults engage in such embarrassingly infantile behavior that they make a playground full of pre-schoolers seem mature by comparison.

I'm telling you...

 

 

[After Eight]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 7:37am

walnutorroach wrote: "early on in the play, Bornstein’s character tells the audience that being kind to people you have reasons not to love can be really difficult"

Oh, yes, I got a good yuk out of that one. That really took the prize for irony/hypocrisy, both of which were perchance lost upon our finger-wagging sermonizer. Oh yes, by all means, let's show kindness to everyone ---like the kindness the show's creators showed their paying customers by deliberately inflicting blaring obscenities upon them before the play?

And they're lecturing us on kindness?

It's really too rich!

My advice to anyone planning to see this play: change your plans.

But if you really, absolutely must see a big movie star on stage, then subvert the subverters by not going to your seat until thirty seconds before curtain time. Your eardrums will thank you, for sure. 

Of course, you'll still have to suffer through the lectures and the play. 

 

 

 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 8:09am

Theatregoers like Dave and A8 are exactly the reason we need plays like this to exist. Sorry it doesn’t fit your cushy idea of theatre, fellas, but not everything can be catered to men whose idea of good theatre died off decades ago. Whether you like the play or not, the conversation sparked by Young Jean Lee’s work here is exactly what she intended.

And no one - not even Lee - is suggesting that one race, gender, or sexual identity is superior to another. But your uncomfortability with the preshow music, the subject matter, the “screed” of the People in Charge speaks more about you than it does the playwright’s intent.

[Dave28282]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 8:31am

She clearly has a strong opinion on a certain color and sexuality and gender. Which is bad per definition.

It leaves theatergoers with the idea that it is ok to judge on sexuality, race and gender.

Racism is the exceptionalistic idea that races can be ranked as superior and inferior compared to eachother. This can result in different standards for one race over another.

Equality starts where this separation ends.

Creating a "fun" show that lectures the way the nazi germans lectured Jews (for example) in "fun" shows during ww2, because they felt they were responsible for all of Germany's problems, is not okay. Nobody EVER has the right to do this. Judging anyone on their sexuality, race and gender. No matter how fun you think it is or how much you think you have earned the right.

It's disgusting.

I truly hope that this lady lives long enough to reach a point for herself where she understands that promoting separation (in shows like this) works against equality. Because that is the point where the road to equality starts.

Updated On: 7/4/18 at 08:31 AM

[After Eight]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 8:31am

ColortheHours wrote: "But your uncomfortability with the preshow music, the subject matter, the “screed” of the People in Charge speaks more about you than it does the playwright’s intent."

Oh, I don't know about that. I think it speaks plenty about the playwright's intent, since it wholly fulfilled the playwright's intent. The People in Charge openly  boast/gloat/pat themselves on the back about the playwright's intent and how they accomplished what she aimed for. So kudos to the playwright for achieving her intent: sucker punching the suckers who shelled out their dough for this clunker.

Such an admirable intent.

As for what it says about me, well, it says that a) I know a rotten play when I see it; b) I know what filth is when I hear it; and c) I don't like being sucker punched.  And if that's what it tells about me, then, great!

[carnzee]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 9:14am

Dave28282 said: 
It's disgusting.

I truly hope that this lady lives long enough to reach a point for herself where she understands that promoting separation (in shows like this) works against equality. Because that is thepoint where the road to equality starts."

Have you seen this play? I asked you yesterday and got no response. I ask because no one else who has seen it has compared the playwright to a Nazi. 

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 9:28am

Okay, I'm one of those older white guys (not straight) who waited in the lobby during the ear-banging music before the play began. Yes, it pissed me off, and from what I read from the playwright, that was the point.

The mostly young audience seemed to get into it. Framing the play with non binary characters, who are not IN the play, was pretty much lost on me. The actual "drama" of the play was pretty ordinary, and without knowing much about it, made very few dramatic or emotional points. And while the opening "act" was sort of fun and promised an interesting evening, the play petered out completely by the end, and left me not caring about these characters or prototypes at all. 

Acing was good, considering the shakiness of the material (by the way, is Dennis Arndt ever coming in to play the father?) At the curtain call (this was only the play's third performance), there was a SO from the orchestra, although Hammer kind of waved it away, as if to say it really wasn't that good.

Perhaps the actors saw something on the printed page that never got translated to the stage. 

[astromiami]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 12:13pm

Dave28282 said: "ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "
. “And, really,” says Lee, “Matt is me. If I woke up tomorrow as a single white male, I would have a crisis. As a Korean-American female, all I have to do is try to succeed and I’m a hero of diversity! But if I wake up as Matt, I don’t get points for being successful as a capitalist.”."

What she really is doing, is putting once race and sexuality above another. She is the one keeping this idea alive and continues to separate.

Racism isthe exceptionalistic idea that races can be ranked as superior and inferior comparedto eachother. This can result in different standards for one race over another.

That's what she does.

"

I am shocked you take issue with this. I would think that you would agree with her that minorities get praise and white men get indifference for doing the very same things.

 

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 12:20pm

This is what happens when you try and start a conversation on race with people for whom the most radical work of art they've seen is Next to Normal. 

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 12:35pm

astromiami said: "Dave28282 said: "ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "
. “And, really,” says Lee, “Matt is me. If I woke up tomorrow as a single white male, I would have a crisis. As a Korean-American female, all I have to do is try to succeed and I’m a hero of diversity! But if I wake up as Matt, I don’t get points for being successful as a capitalist.”."

What she really is doing, is putting once race and sexuality above another. She is the one keeping this idea alive and continues to separate.

Racism isthe exceptionalistic idea that races can be ranked as superior and inferior comparedto eachother. This can result in different standards for one race over another.

That's what she does.

"

I am shocked you take issue with this. I would think that you would agree with her that minorities get praise and white men get indifference for doing the very same things.

"

Dave just saw the title of the play and saw who the playwright was and made all sorts of assumptions. He has some comprehension issues because what he is saying really did not follow anything Lee said. You can't even have a conversation with Dave about it because he just copied and pasted talking points from Storm Front or white supremacist Tumblr or whatever and talks past you. He doesn't even engage in the actual subject matter of this thread nor will he engage in any debate. He only wants to hear himself speak and just keep going on like a robot who can't understand how to follow a conversation. Nothing in his posts indicates to anyone he understood or even read what this play really was about or that he understood what Lee was saying. I think his inability to comprehend what he read explains A LOT about his views.

Anyway, both he and A8 (who I am convinced never sees anything he says he does and only reads reviews and lucky for him I provided a few links to articles where he was able to make some generic criticisms of the show from reading those articles) post here to get attention. They have real narcissistic tendencies and NEED to take over threads. Nobody normal would post in a forum where their opinions and posts are so unpopular and regularly ridiculed. They do it because they get off on it.

Also,

Synecdoche2 said: "This is what happens when you try and start a conversation on race with people for whom the most radical work of art they've seen is Next to Normal."

Best line of the thread. It's so true. Some people really want their theatre to be like 1950s safe television and would maybe challenge themselves once in a while by watching some Disney Channel sitcom where they do a very special episode on challenging issues like drug use or racism.

Updated On: 7/4/18 at 12:35 PM

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 12:39pm

"This play is an abomination. Her persecution of straight white men is absolutely disgusting. They are THE most disrespected group of people on this planet. Jeez, I wish all the brown people would go back to Mexico, the homos would stay in the closet, and the women would get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich because I'm starting to feel like I don't have 100% of the power anymore. Sad!"

[Owen22]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 1:28pm

I sorta find it hilarious that After Eight and a guy called "Dave" find this play offensive. I mean, can't they see the irony?  One would assume if people go to the theatre they would have to be somewhat self-aware.

Not having seen this production but the off Broadway and Chicago productions I find the Play completely truthful in that we white people are mostly awful (even us "good" ones) in acting out due to our un-percieved privilege and fear of eventual annihilation.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 1:39pm

Well, this thread is going to hell.

I'm finding these reports confusing. From the reports about Matt's ambition and the game of privilege and the complaints about a heavy-handed screed it seems like the play is commenting on a lot. But then the majority of posts say that the action of the play is a fairly standard family drama and it didn't feel like anything was being communicated.

[Tom5]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 2:32pm

Won't see this play unless future reviews start making. allusions to "early Tennessee Williams".

[Dave28282]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 7:16pm

carnzee said: "Dave28282 said:
It's disgusting.

I truly hope that this lady lives long enough to reach a point for herself where she understands that promoting separation (in shows like this) works against equality. Because that is thepoint where the road to equality starts."

Have you seen this play? I asked you yesterday and got no response. I ask because no one else who has seen it has compared the playwright to a Nazi."

I missed your question. Yes I have and I felt very belittled and the audience seemed full of world alienated color counters. Really, it was like being in a madhouse. It felt like a scene from ww2. Strangely accepted by society.

[Dave28282]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 7:25pm

astromiami said: "Dave28282 said: "ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "
. “And, really,” says Lee, “Matt is me. If I woke up tomorrow as a single white male, I would have a crisis. As a Korean-American female, all I have to do is try to succeed and I’m a hero of diversity! But if I wake up as Matt, I don’t get points for being successful as a capitalist.”."

What she really is doing, is putting once race and sexuality above another. She is the one keeping this idea alive and continues to separate.

Racism isthe exceptionalistic idea that races can be ranked as superior and inferior comparedto eachother. This can result in different standards for one race over another.

That's what she does.

"

I am shocked you take issue with this. I would think that you would agree with her that minorities get praise and white men get indifference for doing the very same things.

"

I do because it's the core of the problem. I am actually glad you are shocked, because I hope this is a wake up call.

I know this remark happens to beneficial for white men, but positive or negative, it's both wrong. The mindset (separation and comparing the worth of races) is the problem. Period. It's not like I suddenly change agenda's like the left color counting separatists constantly do whenever a situation suits the color of choice more, missing the bigger picture.

Also, what she describes makes no sense, because someone who "divides" will never be a hero to me. The fact that some people don't understand this is a different story. 

Updated On: 7/4/18 at 07:25 PM

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 7:34pm

[Dave28282]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 7:42pm

GeorgeandDot said: ""This play is an abomination. Her persecution of straight white men is absolutely disgusting. They are THE most disrespected group of people on this planet. Jeez, I wish all the brown people would go back to Mexico, the homos would stay in the closet, and the women would get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich because I'm starting to feel like I don't have 100% of the power anymore. Sad!""

What the hell?

Seeing how you support the separation in this case,  I'm sure your other wishes will be fulfilled too in the future. That's the right direction for you?

 

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 7/4/18 at 8:40pm

So... anyone else actually see the show and want to offer their thoughts?