All That Chat - re: THE VISIT-last night in Williamstown

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re: THE VISIT-last night in Williamstown

Posted by:	LegitOnce 02:31 pm EDT 08/03/14
In reply to:	THE VISIT-last night in Williamstown - NJGUY 08:12 am EDT 08/03/14

I haven't read the Dürrenmatt play, only the Maurice Valency adaptation, but my understanding is that in the original the role of Claire is relatively short -- extremely flashy, of course, but short. The real leading role is Alfred. When it came time to adapt the play as a vehicle for the Lunts, the grotesque elements of Claire's character were toned down somewhat and she was given extra scenes to build the part up so she was onstage more. (I don't think this had to do so much with Miss Fontanne's vanity but rather for the commercial reason that audiences might be disappointed if she seemed to disappear for much of the action.) The tradition since then, at least in English language versions of this play, has been to treat Claire as the star and Alfred as "leading man." But that's in a sense the opposite of the original intention, i.e., a play about Alfred in which Claire is the "monster."

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