[NEohioPAL] We'll hear a play tomorrow

[Robert Hawkes]

In light of a recent social conversation -

Don't you sometimes wish folk (including reviewers) would find some more
thoughtful and specific criticism of a play than that it is "talky"?

I'm reminded of the exchange between Meg and Petey in the opening scene of *The
Birthday Party*, in which he tries to explain to her what a "straight" show
is: P:"No singing or dancing." M:"What do they do, then?" P:"They just
talk." Pinter pause, as Meg tries to process this idea. M:"Oh."

"Oh", indeed.

Back in the Day, of course, one spoke of "hearing" a play, rather than of
"seeing" it. Cf. Hamlet in my subject line, "We'll hear a play tomorrow."

It's about the words. We go to the theatre to hear the words, not to see the
pictures move, or to watch the acrobatics - though physical action (as in
the climactic moments of *Hamlet*) may be part of the spectacle, and a
good-looking show is a good-looking show. The live theatre is a very
different deal from the cinema or the television. We're there essentially to
HEAR, unless it's Mr Beckett's *Act Without Words* (I or II) - but note how
he draws attention to the unusual wordlessness in his very title. Seems to
me that with very rare exceptions, ALL plays are "talky".

Even the reviewer who didn't care for my approach to the monologue I'm doing
in tandem with Mrs Silver's at the Beck didn't accuse either of our texts of
"talkiness", though we do little except get out there and "talk" non-stop
for half an hour each.

So when folk say that a play such as *Long Day's Journey Into Night* is
"talky", do they mean that it's repetitive, clumsy, excessive, ill-written,
static, badly organized, or what? Why can't they - especially if they're
reviewers - explain WHY the quantity of speech becomes an issue?

But as the wheel continues to turn in the direction in which it's been
going, we'll continue to hear people say "Well, it's awfully talky, isn't
it?"

But you won't catch ME saying it - I'll think of something more explanatory
and helpful. And I could tell you what I think of *Long Day's Journey Into
Night,  *but I've alreay gone on too long.

Warm holiday wishes to all

RHH
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