#1
Posted: 2/19/06 at 11:43pm
Like any good piece of art, See What I Wanna See goes above and beyond the superficial idea of what is presenting. In this case, truth. What is truth? What does truth mean?
Watching the show, it was difficult to pick up on the many different themes and connections throughout the show. No one could possibly pick up on all the nuances, innuendoes, and such. I saw the show late in its run, and even the actors were discovering new things throughout the run.
There are too many ideas to pick up on. Even harder is the direction you see things. The idea of the show is what truth is, and how each individual perceives truth. Depending on how you follow the through-line will change your understanding of the show. What I think when I leave, someone else may not think.
I would like to discuss this. It seems rare, nowadays, that we get such an abstract piece of art – but, also very realistic.
I just want to say I haven’t yet picked up on all the repetition of lines and music…some that is also very important in connecting the three stories – “Kesa & Morito,” “R Shoman,” and “Gloryday.”
First off, we have the idea of truth. Who killed who? Did Kesa kill Morito, or did Morito kill Kesa? Who killed Louie, the husband? Did the Priest lie? We believe who we want. And while there is no answer, we don’t want an answer. It is the way God sees the world. Many people moving about, creating havoc, but the faces aren’t clear.
The Priest, in “Gloryday” realizes that seeing these people gathering to see Christ rise makes him seem like God. This is how God feels – a concept presented very clearly in “Kesa & Morito.” But who is God in “R Shoman?” We could say that each person who sees what they are doing is God. This would make even God subject to lying. We could say that the police play the role of God. Hearing each statement and having to judge in the end. But, truly, the audience plays the role of the police. The actors are telling the audience their point of view.
Then we have the idea of honor. Kesa says that she has confessed he adultery to her husband and wants to kill her lover for her own honor. Then, in R Shoman, Lilly, the wife, wants to kill her husband for – apparently her own honor. Something that was prevalent in Akugawa’s story “In a Grove” was that the wife was ruined when she had sex with the thief. She did not like the way her husband looked at her. He looked at her like she had been ruined. And, unable to cope with that, she knew that either the thief or her husband would have to be killed. I struggled hard, then, with the character of Diyanna, the actress, in “Gloryday.” I came up with the idea that she does want to turn her life around.
Another idea presented by the show is that of curiosity. In “R Shoman” the Janitor states that we have to “smother curiosity.” That we should just turn our backs and leave. In “Gloryday” the Reporter says that he would watch, or step, into the fire. However, the instinct to survive outweighs the instinct to wonder – to be curious. Perhaps the very thing that forced the Janitor to turn away from the “murder” was the instinct to survive. That is exactly why we wouldn’t walk through fire to see what is on the other side. We, as human beings, prefer “to survive” than “to discover.”
The ironic thing is that Aunt Monica, in “Gloryday” states that “the greatest practical joke – played on the common folk – is God.” This follows the idea that “Jesus Christ” is going to rise out of Central Park. This one line sums up exactly what the Priest is doing. This “miracle” he has created is a joke played on everyone. When people expect a miracle, it doesn’t matter who they are – CPAs, movie stars, grocery clerks, good men, bad men. It makes no difference. In the presence of a miracle, we are all of us humbled.
The wonder of it all is that we don’t walk away with an answer, but rather the idea that nothing in life is certain. What is important, however, is each of our individual beliefs. We all need a miracle for different reasons. The play asks, “what’s your reason?”
Anyway, I didn’t even touch the surface on all the ideas presented in this piece. So, let us discuss.
Watching the show, it was difficult to pick up on the many different themes and connections throughout the show. No one could possibly pick up on all the nuances, innuendoes, and such. I saw the show late in its run, and even the actors were discovering new things throughout the run.
There are too many ideas to pick up on. Even harder is the direction you see things. The idea of the show is what truth is, and how each individual perceives truth. Depending on how you follow the through-line will change your understanding of the show. What I think when I leave, someone else may not think.
I would like to discuss this. It seems rare, nowadays, that we get such an abstract piece of art – but, also very realistic.
I just want to say I haven’t yet picked up on all the repetition of lines and music…some that is also very important in connecting the three stories – “Kesa & Morito,” “R Shoman,” and “Gloryday.”
First off, we have the idea of truth. Who killed who? Did Kesa kill Morito, or did Morito kill Kesa? Who killed Louie, the husband? Did the Priest lie? We believe who we want. And while there is no answer, we don’t want an answer. It is the way God sees the world. Many people moving about, creating havoc, but the faces aren’t clear.
The Priest, in “Gloryday” realizes that seeing these people gathering to see Christ rise makes him seem like God. This is how God feels – a concept presented very clearly in “Kesa & Morito.” But who is God in “R Shoman?” We could say that each person who sees what they are doing is God. This would make even God subject to lying. We could say that the police play the role of God. Hearing each statement and having to judge in the end. But, truly, the audience plays the role of the police. The actors are telling the audience their point of view.
Then we have the idea of honor. Kesa says that she has confessed he adultery to her husband and wants to kill her lover for her own honor. Then, in R Shoman, Lilly, the wife, wants to kill her husband for – apparently her own honor. Something that was prevalent in Akugawa’s story “In a Grove” was that the wife was ruined when she had sex with the thief. She did not like the way her husband looked at her. He looked at her like she had been ruined. And, unable to cope with that, she knew that either the thief or her husband would have to be killed. I struggled hard, then, with the character of Diyanna, the actress, in “Gloryday.” I came up with the idea that she does want to turn her life around.
Another idea presented by the show is that of curiosity. In “R Shoman” the Janitor states that we have to “smother curiosity.” That we should just turn our backs and leave. In “Gloryday” the Reporter says that he would watch, or step, into the fire. However, the instinct to survive outweighs the instinct to wonder – to be curious. Perhaps the very thing that forced the Janitor to turn away from the “murder” was the instinct to survive. That is exactly why we wouldn’t walk through fire to see what is on the other side. We, as human beings, prefer “to survive” than “to discover.”
The ironic thing is that Aunt Monica, in “Gloryday” states that “the greatest practical joke – played on the common folk – is God.” This follows the idea that “Jesus Christ” is going to rise out of Central Park. This one line sums up exactly what the Priest is doing. This “miracle” he has created is a joke played on everyone. When people expect a miracle, it doesn’t matter who they are – CPAs, movie stars, grocery clerks, good men, bad men. It makes no difference. In the presence of a miracle, we are all of us humbled.
The wonder of it all is that we don’t walk away with an answer, but rather the idea that nothing in life is certain. What is important, however, is each of our individual beliefs. We all need a miracle for different reasons. The play asks, “what’s your reason?”
Anyway, I didn’t even touch the surface on all the ideas presented in this piece. So, let us discuss.
The smallest stream is a valent river. It will drown me if it can.
I do think, though, that the show is summed up in one quote that I happened to memorize because I loved it so much: 
