Thursday, November 15, 2007

Hospitality Suite

by: Roger Rueff

Again, one of my favorites. It was actually made into a movie before I heard about it. The movie, The Big Kahuna, was amazing. I then saw that it was based on a play, got my hands on it and was awed by the fact that it was almost word for word the same. That so very rarely happens.

The play is about 3 industrial lubricant salesmen and what transpires during a hospitality party. IMDB sums it up thusly:

On the last evening of a convention two seen-it-all industrial lubricant salesmen and a youngster from the research department gather in the hotel's hospitality suite to host a delegates party. The main aim is to get the business of one particular big fish. When it becomes apparent that it is the lad who has developed a direct line to the guy, his strong religious beliefs bring him into sharp conflict with his older and more cynical colleagues.


For me this play, with all it's subtleties and openness, is one superb example of a play that should be performed in churches everywhere. It won't be though. The language is too blue, too honest. Oh well. C'est la vie.
~9/10~

[personal notes: this one would be great for Al, Tony and I to do together sometime. Sometime when they are up to the length of it.]

The Zoo Story

by: Edward Albee

This is one of my all-time favorites, as you can tell by the list over on the side. This was also my final project in school, which I produced, acted in, did props, special fx and costumes for as well. It was so much fun!

The play itself is amazing for a playwrights first play. The characters are supremely well drawn and either one is an actor's dream; Jerry however is just a little more desirable. The play is about two guys in a park and the inevitable fight over the ownership of the bench. It's much deeper though than just that little sentence.

Jerry is a very hurting individual who lives a very difficult, colorful life. Peter is your white-collar worker who has all he needs, except peace and quiet on this particular day.
~10/10~

[personal notes: not one that I would immediately think of for Sanctuary for the Monkeys, but one that our community would connect with for sure.]