Taymor Will Accept Help-or Depart

[jdtp12]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 9:27pm

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/theater/spider-man-director-faces-tough-choices-including-her-exit.html?_r=1&ref=theater

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 9:47pm

La Ego!

[KylieS]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 9:55pm

She's making about as much sense as Charlie Sheen with all that phoenix-and-burnt-char stuff... (What kind of char isn't burnt?)

[ActingIsLovee]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 9:56pm

there is NO WAY she'll completely depart. It may be a complete mess, but it's still her show and she's done too much now to leave.

[willheim2]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 9:56pm

she could redeem herself by being humble and gracious and opening up and stepping aside and letting someone else drive the bus.

only one person can be driving the bus, otherwise you get nowhere.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:03pm

Ah did we forget the hoopla over Across the Universe? Same story different Medium. Julie's version was unwatchable the Producers had to wrangle it away from her and re edit to make the barley watchable mess that it ended up being.

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:05pm

Julie Taymor = Charlie Sheen??

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:06pm

Honestly, I think this production will fail miserably without her as director. I really hope they can find a medium of her staying as director, but stepping down as a co-bookwriter.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:11pm

Well....it's not exactly succeeding WITH her.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:17pm

She's making about as much sense as Charlie Sheen with all that phoenix-and-burnt-char stuff... (What kind of char isn't burnt?)
What is there to not understand?
“Anyone who creates knows — when it’s not quite there. Where it hasn’t quite become the phoenix or the burnt char. And I am right there.”
She is saying that every director knows when their show isn't right. It hasn't become quite the hit and masterpiece she wanted yet, but it is not a total disaster yet in her eyes (even though most others think differently).
Comparing her to Charlie Sheen in this situation makes no sense.

I personally think that at this point, her departing is probably the best thing for this show. As dramamama said, it is most definitely not working with her as director.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:17pm

I am still trying to figure out how she did Lion King.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:18pm

Julie's therapist needs to ask her once again why she has such difficulty asking for help.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:20pm

I am still trying to figure out how she did Lion King.

I think Disney's tighter reins have a lot to do with that

Julie's therapist needs to ask her once again why she has such difficulty asking for help.

Wouldn't going to a therapist suggest that she can ask for help? Or do you think she just pays the therapist to have a captive audience for an hour once a week?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:23pm

Julie will never have a therapeutic breakthrough until she learns to ask for help and finally realizes she can't do everything herself. And that's ... okay.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:30pm

^ I agree Namo. If Julie Taymor would simply accept help and be open to other ideas this show could maybe be salvaged. If she would have accepted help sooner, she, and the show for that matter, would not be in this situation.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:33pm

Julie has her "Friends" who come in and tell her everything she does is golden at the end of the day. She believes it. She can do no wrong.
This goes way back to Transposed Heads, Women and Water and Liberties Taken. Add to that a McCarthur grant and the success of The Lion King and you ah a tour de force in the ego department. She needs no stinkin' help. It is just the common folk doesn't understand the Artiste!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:43pm

How much friggin' money do these producers intend to throw away?
Now that OSHA has proclaimed they were at serious fault can at least two Huge lawsuits be far behind? Chris has said he won't sue but we will see how long that lasts. The actress who got the rope concussion (I've already forgotten her name) is probably kicking herself. If she got a buy-out as reported she could have waited and really made out now, I'm still not sure how you get a concussion from a rope unless it was a big ole sailor's knot that whacked her. And the two other actors could now stand to be very wealthy. Are these actors back in the show?
Hiring a whole new creative team and re-working the show will have to push this production near the 100mil mark and that just turns my stomach.
Hey Bono, shut it down and feed the World!

Updated On: 3/7/11 at 10:43 PM

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:44pm

Actually, SNAFU, you're wrong about Across the Universe. Joe Roth did cut a separate version, but when Julie caught wind that test audiences were seeing it, she fought him and finally pointed to a contract clause. The barely watchable mess that limped onto cinema screens was Julie's edit all the way.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:54pm

You know, on this the eve of International Women's Day, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the whiff of misogyny that runs through much of the criticism against her and would like to point out that no male director would be so mercilessly criticized. He'd be considered a mad genius like Herzog.

Having said that, it looks like the Times blog is going to spin this as a mess of Bono's making that only he can undo.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 10:56pm

I think Julie Taymor is TOO creative. She does not know when to draw the line with an idea. For example, the idea of Arachne bombarding Peter's mind is a good one, but she made the entire second act about this. A majority of audience members are not going to appreciate, understand, or have the patience for some of the things Taymor wants to do. She has a brilliant mind when it comes to creating stunning visuals, but when it comes to creating a story and show, she just goes too far. There is no question in my mind that she is a genius and has a brilliant mind though.

Updated On: 3/7/11 at 10:56 PM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 11:00pm

Oh god. This is turning into an Intervention parody.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 11:00pm

re: ACROSS THE UNIVERSE -- gvendo2005. There was an edit that cut "Benefit of Mr. Kite" as well as 1-2 other songs. (It made the film perfect, I'm told.)

Julie got her way. And the result was what occurred that season, and the film was not nominated for Best Picture.

[FindingNamo]

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

I don't think there is a perfect film in Across the Universe, but dumping Eddie Izzard sure would have been a step in that direction anyway.

Even if she had never created anything other than the army recruiter scene in that movie, I'd still say Julie Taymor's a genius.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 11:27pm

I agree that there is not a perfect film buried in Across the Universe, but there certainly is a better film lost somewhere in there.

I think Julie is truly a creative genius. However, as many people tend to forget, creative genius does not always lead to perfection without some strong collaborators to help interpret those ideas.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/7/11 at 11:45pm

I have no doubt that Taymor is a genius, capable of incredibly gorgeous, striking, and brilliant art. But she has a habit of creating those pieces of art and linking them together, regardless or whether or not they mesh. It's like a chef making a stew out of everything that looks good, without caring about whether or not it's actually edible.