Hilarious Article Regarding AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 7:19am

Opinion Stated As Fact:

Without such work by Dunagan and Morton — as well as Francis Guinan, Rondi Reed and a host of others, "August" would not have gone to Broadway in an unprecedented straight-from-Chicago transfer.

It would not have overcome the Broadway stagehands strike, which almost killed the play. It would not have landed in such a central position on New York's cultural agenda this season.
__________________________________________________________

Last Line Of Article:

The thought of future collegiate Barbaras and over-the-top Violets gives one the jitters. But "Streetcar" has survived plenty of shrill Stellas and stultifying Stanleys. Have no fears about "August."
__________________________________________________________

So which is it, Chris Jones?
Would Tracy Letts have won the Pulitzer for 'August' without the Chicago performers?

[dramarama2]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 7:46am

Wow.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 9:44am

This is why critics who want to write about theater as if they have any credibility should be involved with putting on theater before they write. This critic is entirely ignorant of that which he writes about and offers nothing to back up his claims.

Posted: 4/26/08 at 10:03am

And besides that HE DOESN'T EVEN LIVE IN NEW YORK!

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 10:08am

No, Joe. He's in Chicago. Which is where the play came from. What does being from New York or not have to do with it? He's discussing the actors from Chicago.

Posted: 4/26/08 at 2:46pm

Hmmm. So people from OTHER cities might have valid opinions? Weird. I'm not really sure about that. If I read this whole article, I might find statements that are valid, a new perspective and a fresh take on the situation. That just scares me. I'd rather stay in my upper west side mileau, talking to the same six or eight people, never being confronted by a new idea. People with diferent ideas are just icky! I'm certainly never going to read this Chris Jones again! His Blog is way too thought-provoking.

When I start to think too much, my head hurts. So I just go see "Legally Blond" again! Oh My God!

[scaryclowns223]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 2:47pm

Oh, come on. You could say that about any lauded play ever written. Ever read a Pinter play? Its not even close to the experience on stage. This guy is pointing out the obvious.

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 6:15pm

WannaBe,
You're usually one of the few posters on this board that I read with any interest as you seem to have a good amount of intelligence. But your reading of this article seems so inept, I wonder did you actually read the entire thing? Or are you aware that all that's going on here is a little hometown pride being extolled by Chicago's local theatre critic (who perpetually writes more intelligent reviews than Brantley for most broadway shows) Chris Jones. And even if you can't see that, his bold opinions are probably correct as, for as brilliant a show as this was, without its current cast of Chicago actors, the majority of whom are brand new to New York, I doubt this would have made it all the way to Broadway. Do yourself a favor and try not to overreact so harshly to a critics online blog.

Updated On: 4/26/08 at 06:15 PM

[Smaxie]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 6:47pm

>who perpetually writes more intelligent than Brantley<

Oh, the irony...

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 7:00pm

ok ill give you that, but i still stand by my (now edited) sentiments.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 7:36pm

"Hmmm. So people from OTHER cities might have valid opinions?"

As Jordangirl stated, the show originated in Chicago. With the original cast that opened it in NYC. I am sure Mr. Jones has seen the show, most likely in Chicago and New York. What city he is in has nothing to do with it. That's almost like saying that critics from out of town who review Broadway shows should not review a Broadway show. Which makes no sense.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 11:17pm

Isn't the author just stating a truism - that plays only seem Pulitzer-worthy if an excellent cast works their theatrical magic with the text? Or to ask it another way, has an unperformed play ever captured a Pulitzer?

[JeaniusIsMe]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:22am

I agree with Keen- having a great cast certainly doesn't hurt a play's ability to win the Pulitzer. And, while August is a fabulous play in its own right, the great cast presenting the play only helped it to win a Pulitzer. That being said, I doubt Chris Jones really needed to articulate that in an article, much less to worry about the future state of the show in the hands of other actors.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 11:44am

"And even if you can't see that, his bold opinions are probably correct as, for as brilliant a show as this was, without its current cast of Chicago actors, the majority of whom are brand new to New York, I doubt this would have made it all the way to Broadway."

What bold opinions? He merely states the obvious: theater is convergence. One could say the same about any play that we now consider a classic; for a script to get recognized, it takes the proper director, the proper cast. Have you seen the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof revival? Somehow I think that production would have not had the same success as the original; people might not have thought of it as Pulitzer-worthy. But the text still is (and that's what the Pulitzer is awarded for), as is the text of August: Osage County. Morton and her fellow cast mates are not compensating for a deficient text; they are merely allowing it to shine and live on stage as the playwright intended. Of course actors and directors who aren't as smart or skilled who take this on in the future can fail to do so. Such is the case with any great play. To make a case against August alone for something that would be true for any play seems awfully ignorant.

Updated On: 4/27/08 at 11:44 AM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 5:10pm

I know Chris Jones personally (he taught my theatre history class) and I can tell you first-hand that he is a very smart guy and that his opinions are very valid. That said, I thought the article was a little weird because it felt a bit insulting towards Tracy Letts. But really what I think Chris was going for was a piece that was about how great the cast is--in other words, how great Chicago actors are. He loves Chicago theatre and just wanted to write a "rah-rah" article about its actors, that's all.