Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Maureen Stapleton | |
| Posted by: Whistler 02:21 am EDT 08/25/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Anyone ever see Maureen Stapleton on stage? - FAIRBOY 12:55 am EDT 08/25/22 | |
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| I'd forgotten that I'd seen her in The Gingerbread Lady or that I'd seen that play. She was that good, as described above, and the script was that weak. Another excellent actor, Michael Lombard, was stuck in what Neil Simon's idea of a homosexual was in those days, and the character was straight out of the often false "Why do we all hate ourselves?" theme from Mart Crowley's The Boys In The Band. I also saw her with George C. Scott early in the run of Plaza Suite and, again as described above, they were hysterical and terrific. As with many actors in Simon's plays, they added depth and subtext where Simon provided none -- even while they were playing the farce of the fourth one-act. And I saw her in the revival of The Rose Tattoo, and she was, as expected, wonderful -- again, stronger than Tennessee Williams' script. Finally, I saw her give a guest lecture to college students in the mid-'70s. When asked how she chose her scripts, she replied -- and I suspect this was one of her stock stories -- "I read the script and then I look all around me on the floor for vomit. If there isn't any, I say, "Yes." |
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| re: Maureen Stapleton | |
| Posted by: PlazaBoy 08:31 pm EDT 08/25/22 | |
| In reply to: Maureen Stapleton - Whistler 02:21 am EDT 08/25/22 | |
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| Interesting point about Neil Simon's idea of a homosexuals. What you say is certainly accurate and I agree with you now. However, I had a different perspective and experience then. At the time, I was 18, from a rural farming community in Wisconsin. I saw the play on a trip to Chicago. I'd seen so little representation of gay men anywhere, that I was absolutely thrilled by the gay character. The actor portraying him was handsome, vibrant, sophisticated. The lens I was viewing through saw those attributes and probably ignored the rest. Imagine my surprise years later when I saw James Coco's portrayal in the film adaptation, Only when I Laugh. |
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| Sorry | |
| Posted by: Whistler 02:59 am EDT 08/25/22 | |
| In reply to: Maureen Stapleton - Whistler 02:21 am EDT 08/25/22 | |
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| Sorry, got my Neil Simon "suite" plays mixed up -- Plaza Suite only has three one-acts. I believe the original fourth one was turned into the film, The Out-Of-Towners. | |
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| re: Sorry | |
| Posted by: IThespis 08:19 am EDT 08/25/22 | |
| In reply to: Sorry - Whistler 02:59 am EDT 08/25/22 | |
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| Just a note, her autobiography is terrific. A Hell of a Life. Great theatre book | |
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| re: Sorry | |
| Posted by: WWriter 06:37 pm EDT 08/25/22 | |
| In reply to: re: Sorry - IThespis 08:19 am EDT 08/25/22 | |
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| I loved, loved, loved that book. Her voice comes through loud and clear, and she's funny and honest and I felt almost as though I had had the privilege of hanging out with her. | |
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