RSSOf Plays and Men
Apr 05
Spiel, observation No Comments
I’ve been reading many of the plays of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa over the past few days. He’s a very talented playwright, who’s works are brimming with a strange mix of pop-culture and literary awareness that has been seasoned with sexuality.
What I’ve enjoyed about this journey through Aguirre -Sacasa’s published works is just how unique each play and universe feels. Obviously like all writers, he has common themes he retreats to but each of them has stood as separate individuals.
But what’s really gotten me thinking since I started reading them is wondering how long it will take before the plays could fall into the hands of high school english classes (my guess: never). Obviously the sexuality and language present a block that will most likely remain, but the discussions that could be spawned from some of these plays almost begs to be had (at least in an AP class).
For instance, the play Good Boys and True takes a look at the high pressure exclusivity of a private school and the scandals that a sex tape can bring. Its an interesting look at at a phenomenon all the more common in this post One Night in Paris world and one that speaks to different generations with a relevancy that something like Oedipus Rex does not. (And don’t mistake me there. I love me some Greek incest and eye gouging, but its low on the relatability scale for most people who read it regardless of age.)
On the other end of the scale, though, is a play by Aguirre -Sacasa called Rough Magic. It’s the story of a woman who has found herself with the ability to literally bring life to the characters in plays and has. For instance, The Merchant of Venice’s Shylock now lives in modern day New York as a bookseller. It’s more of an action oriented play with the focus on the struggle between this woman and the real-life Prospero (not Shakespeare’s fictional one), but it works as such a wonderful survey into characters from different works and to the nature of stage storytelling. The furies from the Oresteia working side by side with Caliban works the same way as post-modern TV shows like Robot Chicken. And as a comparison piece to movies, having an action play to discuss works conversational wonders.
I did not enjoy the vast majority of the books I read when I was in high school, but I loved all the plays. It’s not that the books were bad — I can recognize quality while hating the tale — but there was always a sense that the value of these books was determined not because of their conversational or exploratory merits, but because of an abstract intrinsic work. And I understand certain materials have to be read. I get that and it’s hard to fight for change.
But, man, reading these plays makes me wish those discussions could be had. New blood could leak into the literary canon. And, yknow, sometimes all it takes is the right taste to get someone hooked for life.