Comments on: OMG, this is so funny

By: Ernie Bornheimer

Ernie Bornheimer — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:08:35 +0000

No, Mamet meant what he said, and he’s not being a hypocrite. If the author has two characters talking about a third character for the purpose of revealing their character (as in American Buffalo or Waiting for Godot), that’s fine. It stinks only when they are talking about a third character to fill the audience in about that third character. In that case, the author is telling and not showing. Good writing will illustrate a point, but rarely explain it.

By: Comrade PhysioProf

Comrade PhysioProf — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:20:15 +0000

Imagine how much funnier that would be than it already is if we knew all the inside jokes?

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:54:21 +0000

I loved that part about talking fast.

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:10:55 +0000

Hah, brilliant! I love Mamet’s plays (American Buffalo was the subject for one of my final essays in my advanced critical theory class last year), but somehow missed this memo entirely. As someone who’s read a LOT of theatrical manifestos, the whole thing reads as hilariously tongue-in-cheek. My favourite line has to be this:

“SOMEONE HAS TO MAKE THE SCENE DRAMATIC. IT IS NOT THE ACTORS JOB (THE ACTORS JOB IS TO BE TRUTHFUL). IT IS NOT THE DIRECTORS JOB. HIS OR HER JOB IS TO FILM IT STRAIGHTFORWARDLY AND REMIND THE ACTORS TO TALK FAST. IT IS YOUR JOB”

I’ll have to email my Directing II professor to let her know that the director’s job is simply to remind the actors to talk fast.