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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Chekhov

Charlie Rose is on TV interviewing Judi Dench. She is talking about how theater is for her and film is mere diversion. Suddenly I get an urge to see a Chekhov play. Perhaps somewhere Cherry Orchard is on.

In the past couple of years I've slowly learned to appreciate theater and enjoy the intensity of it. It's hard to explain --- intensely alive is perhaps the right phrase. Palpable, like strong gushes of blood in the arteries, so hot and loud that one can hear it. Film can never be like that.

I'd like to see a Chekhov play soon.

2 comments:

Mark said...

Yes. Ive never seen Chekhov but its supposed to be life changing. I remember the first time I saw Hamlet, at 17. Even though there were large parts of the play I didnt understand, the action and the immediacy of it were stunning. I realized then that in reality Shakespeare was everything it DIDNT seem like in high school english class--suspensful, exciting, violent, full of surprises.
I admire how well you keep up with your blog. Ive got to get inspired again.

Little Meatball said...

Thanks, Mark. :) Theater reminds me of the impermanent nature of every moment --- the good, the bad, and the boring, and life itself are all fleeting and transient. What I see tonight will never happen again. To write it down is to preserve a bit of the illusion that we can hold on to something a little longer.

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