Author: Maria Irene Fornes
Where/When Produced: New York Theatre Strategy at the Relativity Media Lab, New York City, May 5, 1977
Setting: New England Spring 1935, well to do house
Type of Play: Magic Realism
A group of somewhat eccentric women get together to rehearse speeches for a cause about education. Julia is in a wheelchair and has hallucinations. Fefu is very different a likes to question the world around her which makes some of the other women uncomfortable.
Women questioning their place and reason
If it is real to one person is it not real?
Is acting outside of what is expected good bad or neutral?
Diction: Some Quotes I liked
Fefu 14 "It won't be any trouble. You might want some later. I'm strange, Christina. but I am fortunate in that I don't mind being strange. it's hard on others sometimes. But not that hard. is it Cindy? Those who love me, love me precicely because I am the way I am. isn't that so?"
Emma 27 "I do, and it drives me crazy. Each person I see in the street, anywhere at all... I keep thinking of their genitals, what they look like, what position they are in. I think it's odd that everyone had them. don't you?"
Christina and Cindy harmonize a song I part one.
effigy that is improvised by Emma 29
popular song of the age sung 30
Strong Female characters which I always like in a play.
I love Fefu's Character. Daring and questioning of the world around her. I like that she shoots at Phillip. She does her own plumbing. she's smart
The audience being split into groups and watching the different scenes
Some of the characters are in multiple of these scenes
The Shot at the end with blood. How to make that happen?
The many props that have to be set a certain way and then reset for the next group of people
Possible Monologues or Scenes:
I love the scene about genitals. women talking about genitals and sex! Oh my! that's sarcasm if you didn't catch it. they are real people.
Fefu 15 monologue about men and acting like a man while women are not the way she wants to be. "We'll see. I still like men better than I like women.
Christina 31 about those who don't conform and how they are dangerous to her but important to the world "I do... she confuses me a little..."58
Good scene between Fefu and Julia at the end
Would I put up this show and ideas?
In part two the audience is split into four group and led through each scene. the scenes are repeated for each group and they rejoin for part three. This could be such a cool immersive experience. A piece that is already set up for some sort of hyperrealist performance along with the magical elements.
Part of the 100 plays of summer. Play 2 out of 100.
