Hey folks, Harry here with a report of a radio play. Now, I know... I know. What the hell am I doing bothering you good folks with a review of a pair of radio plays? Well, it's quite simple... this pair of audio presentations were written and directed by the very finest filmaker/writers we have. Charlie Kaufman and The Coen Brothers. They've done a pair of radio plays - and I'll be damned if that ain't cool. Here ya go...
Hi Harry
I realise it's not a 'film' thing, but so many film people
are involved I thought I would send it in, in case anyone's
interested.
Something awful has happened. Charlie Kaufman, one of the
brightest voices in screenwriting, has taken his own life.
He found the strain of self-reference and deconstruction too
much. More of that later.
This evening I went to see the 'Theater of the New Ear' show
at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The first half,
'Sawbones', was written and directed by the Coen Brothers
and starred Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Marcia Gay Harden,
and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The second half, 'Hope Leaves
The Theater', written and directed by Charlie Kaufman,
starred Dame Meryl Streep, Hope Davis and Peter 'The Dink'
Dinklage.
Both halves were set to music by Carter Burwell and were
radio plays being performed, rather than 'proper' plays.
Only Kaufman's half involved some visual acting. The
orchestra and foley sound artist were live on stage
performing the music and sound effects.
Sawbones was the much shorter part, starting off erratically
then slowly forming a full narrative. An unfaithful wife
(the 'it puts the lotion on its skin' lady from Silence of
the Lambs) has an affair whilst watching a TV show which is
like a male Dr. Quinn. Then the husband finds out, and the
rest is classic Coen Bros. It was intelligent and funny, and
it's always fun to see balloons forming the sounds of an
intestinal operation. It was all over very quickly, but
worth it.
Now for Hope Leaves the Theater. I don't know how to start.
So, the play starts with the house lights up, the three
actors on stage, and Hope narrating the internal monologue
of an audience member, sitting next to a handsome man and a
critic who turns out to be her father who died 9 years ago.
Then the play proper starts, with The Dink and Meryl stood
in a lift going up 2000 or so floors, and forming a
relationship. And they also play themselves, their own
internal monologues, the internal monologues of audience
members, and themselves playing themselves. Playing
themselves.
Meryl Streep throws a shit fit and ejects Hope's character
from the theater, and we follow her thoughts on the way
home. She's overweight, middle aged, hooked on internet
chatrooms, bitter and misanthropic. Think Nic Cage in
Adaptation. She also thinks she could have been the third
Coen Brother. And very much enjoyed Philiip Seymour Hoffman
in the previous play.
Whilst all this goes on, Meryl has an existential crisis on
stage, turns on Hope and the Dink, and starts heckling the
audience.
And all this is dedicated to Charlie Kaufman, who took his
life after completing the play. Meryl is taking this very
badly. Worse than the Dink, because Adaptation was better
than Human Nature.
And then the critic character deconstructs the entire play
whilst Meryl sings an Alanis-type ode to bitterness, as
Hope's character, now years younger, steps out into the
world.
Would a diagram help?
Three audience members talk about the three actors on stage
|
|
v
Play set in a lift---->Hope playing an audience
member----->Meryl playing herself
|
|
v
Meryl loses her shit with the audience------>Hope leaves the
theater------>Hope narrates a life
|
|
v
Critic hates Kaufman and all he stands for----->Kaufman
commits suicide (takes place after play ends)
All clear? Good.
This is all acted out perfectly; Hope breaks your heart by
the end, the Dink is effortlessly cool and does a mean
British accent, and Meryl brings the house down with her
bitter diva act. The hour-long play was touching and so damn
clever and proper funny. Not chortle funny, but proper
funny.
It was all written with those actors in mind (with Hope
talking about her own career in the third person, then
debating how hard Sophie's Choice must have been for Meryl)
so I can't imagine it being performed again.
Carter Burwell's music was all excellent, especially his
theme tune to the Sawbones TV show. And the foley artist
(apologies for forgetting his name) was great, stamping away
in his tray of water.
I'm so fucking pleased that they all took the time to fly
over just for one night. If Kaufman ever writes a full play,
it could take over the world.
Not that he will, of course.
Because he's dead.
Jenkis