| What happens between Eddie and Catherine in the first hour of the play is unbelievably unrealistic, almost surreal. I assume that Van Hove is taking us inside Eddie's mind, showing us his thoughts. The 17-year old Catherine is not only childlike -- she is a child. The skirt she is wearing is extremely short -- we see her white undergarment whenever she sits down, leans a little, and jumps into Eddie's arms. Again I assume we are seeing these things as Eddie's sexual fantasy. When Eddie feels her leg, then her thigh, and stops just short of her underwear, I agree that Catherine is oblivious to his action being sexual, but for Eddie it is definitely sexual. The fact that these activities take place in full view of Beatrice is almost ludicrous unless you assume that only Eddie and audience are privy to Eddie's fantasy. I assume that Beatrice doesn't really see what the audience sees. I think the reason there was some tittering at the performance I saw is that a more appropriate response from Beatrice to Catherine would be "Get your f__king p___y out of my husband's face, you c__t!" I didn't laugh because I was wrapped up in the power of the scene, but I can understand why others did. |
