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| The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: josiahjosiah 10:09 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| Well, after eight years, six months, three weeks and a day Amazon delivered the copy of Kushner’s play that I ordered what seems like a lifetime ago in February of 2015! I’ve never had an opportunity to see a production of the play, so I’m hoping it’s a good read. Just thought others who might’ve been waiting would like to know that it’s now available. | |
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| Interesting, because... | |
| Posted by: Showtunegal 03:17 am EDT 10/12/23 | |
| In reply to: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - josiahjosiah 10:09 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| [SPOILER] I saw the play at the Public and one of the things I remember clearly is two characters sitting in a kitchen. One of them has what I recall as one of the old Duane Reade plastic shopping bags they would give you, and it's filled with various meds and tranquilizers. This character proceeds to tell the other exactly how someone at the end of life can bring peaceful death by putting a bag over one's head, taking these meds, and then falling asleep. Your head falls and the bag stops your from breathing. The character explained that there was sort of an underground organization of people who passed these drugs along to those in need, along with the instructions. At the time I thought, "Tony Kushner is writing this into his play so that people know what to, so that there are written instructions that can be looked up." I mean, my interpretation is likely wrong--maybe Kushner just wanted us to experience the realism of the scene, etc.--but I always thought it was something I could look up there if I needed it. | |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: Cormanjones 11:59 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
| In reply to: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - josiahjosiah 10:09 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| It was not a good play. Saw this at its premiere at the Guthrie during Kushner’s residency. They had a phenomenal production of Caroline or Change and this was the dud of the entire cycle. Almost 4 hours and the play ended with no conclusion. ( Maybe it’s been tinkered with since?) The other event they had was a talk back with him taking questions from the audience. He said in the talk back that the only inspiration in writing the Intelligent Homosexual…was the money he was getting from the Guthrie. It was an unusual hostile response. Someone asked him about the ending (or lack there of ) and he responded that it was the audiences fault for not figuring it out . They had arranged a signing at the end of the event with about 20 people wanting merch signed and he couldn’t care less for meeting or signing anyones purchased merch. His manager took the items and you had to return the next day for pickup. It’s really the only negative experience I’ve had trying to meet a theatre god! |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: OnceMoreWithFeeling 03:46 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - Cormanjones 11:59 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| Have to occasionally remind people of this but artists do not owe you more than what they offer. I can't speak to his attitude but he was present for a TalkBack and was also present and signing autographs for a meet n greet. We don't know what his day was like and either way, he does not owe us anything beyond what he provided. You sound like the same type of person who gets mad when an artist doesn't use the stage door or take a picture with every single person. |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: Cormanjones 05:22 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - OnceMoreWithFeeling 03:46 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
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| Oh please, you don’t have to remind anyone. If you have an event and have a merch table set up stating signing after, a line is set up by his publicist, you’re told by the publicist he’s coming…you wait close to 2 hours in line, he approaches the very short line and then leaves leaving the publicist to say how sorry they were. That is entirely different. |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 09:47 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - Cormanjones 05:22 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
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| These were his publicists or the Guthrie’s publicists? And was he aware that you had been in line for two hours? Had he agreed to the plan on the first place? We need more details. | |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: Cormanjones 11:17 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - Singapore/Fling 09:47 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
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| Lol, well this was 14 years ago. It was his publicist. This also wasn’t a typical talkback after a performance. It was billed as an evening with Tony Kushner. Similar to what Sondheim use to do across theatres in the early 2000s with the exception of meeting him in the lobby area. The event was maybe 70 minutes. During the talk he discussed signing things after in the lobby, it was also posted everywhere. There was a table set up and his publicist formed the line. I was 2nd in line, very few people, like less than 20. He sat at the table, the line was ready to go and his publicist brought over a local synagogue group of like 10 people…they talked a very long time. After they left the publicist brought an entirely different group, they talked…we all stood in line, the publicist let another group to cut. At this time it was close to midnight and no one from the line was able to get their stuff signed. Kushner got up from the table and said he was done. He said nothing to the 5 or less people that were still in line at that time. The publicist was very sorry and explained the event was over but if you left the stuff with her she would try to get it signed for pickup the following day… And obviously no one made a scene because we are all freaking adults and Tony Kushner fans but that is the last time I ever stayed in line for an autograph. And no one was expecting photos as I think this was still like flip phone era. :-) |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: BruceinIthaca 04:31 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - Cormanjones 11:59 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| Years ago, Kushner was IC's Distinguished Speaker in the Humanities and I got to represent our department at a dinner for him ahead of the talk. He could not have been nicer or more enthusiastic. So, maybe you got him on a bad night? | |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: Cormanjones 04:50 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - BruceinIthaca 04:31 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
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| It is very possible it was a bad night for him. I had the impression that he was irritated that he was forced to write a play he wasn’t exactly happy with and I think he could tell the audience didn’t get it. |
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| OMG | |
| Posted by: sirpupnyc 11:14 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
| In reply to: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - josiahjosiah 10:09 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| That release date has been pushed back so many times, I'd given up hoping. | |
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| re: OMG | |
| Posted by: comedywest 09:41 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: OMG - sirpupnyc 11:14 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| It's up there with Merrily's pub date, which seems to get pushed back a year every year. | |
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| re: OMG | |
| Posted by: Ann 09:44 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: OMG - comedywest 09:41 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
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| It was gone for awhile, and now it's back with a December 12 release date. | |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: theaterisok 10:46 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
| In reply to: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - josiahjosiah 10:09 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| I remember the evening felt like a writing exercise about calibrating overlapping dialogue, without success of a dramatic or compelling narrative. | |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: Cormanjones 12:06 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - theaterisok 10:46 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| Couldn’t agree more! | |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Last Edit: lordofspeech 11:12 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
| Posted by: lordofspeech 11:10 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - theaterisok 10:46 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| I was thrilled by the scope of the play and all the turns it took. Had bursts of the family-power-dynamics of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. And I felt the most exciting scenes were between the gay son and the male sex worker whom he was so mixed up with. There were some forced twists and turns of plot/synchronicity, and perhaps the examination of making the choice for suicide was under-cooked, but all the talkiness was fun. It reminded me of August Wilson. Gab that didn’t necessarily serve the Aristotelian unities, but it was fun to hear all that talk for its own sake. And I admired that Kushner was stretching himself to write about ‘nuclear family’ and to create a female character grounded in an ordinary reality (whereas Harper and the Angel in ANGELS had been so unmoored.) I thought Spinella’s frailty was overused, and, probably, he was miscast. But the others worked well and hard. Special brava to Ms Emond. |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: singleticket 11:40 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - lordofspeech 11:10 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| I remember enjoying it and being engaged throughout. I also remember thinking that the plot mechanics were contrived though some were delicious (an essential document buried in the walls of the house?). And I think I also thought its politics leaned a bit too much towards punditry, not based on the experience of actual contemporary social struggles. | |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: davei2000 11:26 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - lordofspeech 11:10 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| ...the talkiness was fun. It reminded me of August Wilson. Gab that didn’t necessarily serve the Aristotelian unities, but it was fun to hear all that talk for its own sake. I can't remember much about it when I saw it at the Public, but I certainly agree with this. And because it was so long, I took the day off to see a Wednesday matinee, which made the whole event relaxing for me...I couldn't do that today... |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Posted by: Zelgo 11:13 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - lordofspeech 11:10 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| I remember seeing it in NYC and somewhat enjoying it. But I don't remember anything much about it--something about a union member dad sticks out. Can someone remind me when it was presented in NYC? |
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| re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures | |
| Last Edit: TheOtherOne 12:36 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 12:26 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - Zelgo 11:13 am EDT 10/11/23 | |
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| The spring of 2011. I remember that it had many compelling moments, but otherwise I don't remember much about it. I would like to read it to see if it triggers memories. |
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| Saw it in London... | |
| Posted by: GrumpyMorningBoy 11:55 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
| In reply to: re: The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures - lordofspeech 11:10 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| ... and I liked it considerably. Did it feel like a day on the playground of Kushner's brain? Yes. But there are far less interesting playgrounds to kick around some fun ideas for a few hours. - GMB |
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| re: Saw it in London... | |
| Posted by: NYCscribe 12:27 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
| In reply to: Saw it in London... - GrumpyMorningBoy 11:55 pm EDT 10/10/23 | |
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| Also enjoyed it (at the Public) for the reasons stated above. I remember how terrific Stephen Pasquale was in a fraught scene where he confronts Michael Christofer's character. That was the first time I understood he was a great actor, not just a singer who did musicals. Also loved Michael Esper in this. It was a complicated family drama and as always, it was thrilling to see a play with 11 characters that were really meaty and fleshed out. I read somewhere that Kushner wrote this for his friends and I guess he felt responsibility that they all have great parts. | |
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| re: Saw it in London... | |
| Posted by: lordofspeech 09:36 am EDT 10/12/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Saw it in London... - NYCscribe 12:27 pm EDT 10/11/23 | |
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| The published book (with a terrific cover) has notes on production history, character and setting, ‘an introduction, apology, a user’s guide’, and an appendix. We learn therein that the script was way behind schedule for the first production (at the Guthrie)and was being finished as the actors were being rehearsed. Yoiks! | |
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| re: Saw it in London... | |
| Posted by: simbo 11:52 pm EDT 10/12/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Saw it in London... - lordofspeech 09:36 am EDT 10/12/23 | |
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| I suspect that shortly after millennium approaches, Kushner started to view deadlines as things that go rushing by and he may or may not meet them. Having a reputation for excellence can be intimidating if you're not confident what you've done lives up to your reputation (the last 20 years of perestroika rewrites seem to agree) | |
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| re: Saw it in London... | |
| Posted by: Cormanjones 10:49 am EDT 10/12/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Saw it in London... - lordofspeech 09:36 am EDT 10/12/23 | |
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| Interesting, think I’ll purchase this just to see what the final ending was. Thanks! |
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