A Peculiar Position by Scribe (Show and Tell Project)

A Peculiar Position is a farce in one act by Eugene Scribe and J.F.A. Bayard. I could not find much else concerning the history of this play as it is one of his least well known writings. It can be found in the book Camille and other plays edited with an introduction to the well-made play by Stephen S. Stanton. Scribe himself was born in December of 1791 and is well known for perfecting the well-made play.
     Although A Peculiar Position is only one act, it follows the well-made play model. To sum up the plot of the play, Carlo and Barbara are lovers, but Barbara's mother will have nothing to do with Carlo since he is a soldier. Luckily for the two Carlo is stationed close by and can visit during his free hours. We learn from Barbara that her mother has chosen her a suitor in the form of Pepito who is described as a "nasty mischief-making, tattling, babbling fellow." (Page 1 of the script.) In order to fend off Pepito's advances, Barbara states that she is married, which sends him in a fluster. The countess arrives and her predicament is that her husband is to be arrested, and she can't have that. Champignon arrives to sell his wares, but the countess first eyes him with suspicion. Once it becomes clear that Champignon means no ill will towards the duchess, he leaves, but the duchess switches his passport without his knowing. Upon his leaving Barbara declares Champignon as her husband to flabbergast Pepito. Later the major Lascari arrives to arrest the Duke. Champignon denies being the duke or an accomplice, but his papers tell a different story. As such he takes it upon himself the guise of the duke, wearing his clothing, and eating his food. At dinner the duchess continually has to stomp his foot in order to not give the situation away that he is a married man playing royalty. At some point it is believed that Champignon has tempted to woo Barbara and Carlo takes it upon himself to defend her honor with a duel. Champignon of course refuses the duel. The major shows up and it seems that Champignon's execution is eminent. The major reveals that he has new orders to release the duke, and Champignon is let free to be in the arms of his wife.
     Scribe does not go any further into the story of Carlo, Barbara or Pepito. The last we see of the characters is Carlo telling Champignon that he is ordered to be executed on account that he is supposedly the duke. The love triangle is never resolved in the play, which is an interesting choice since the situation was only used as a plot device to further along the action of the play. I think it noteworthy the use of passports in the play. I do not believe that papers had a photographic identifier on them, but were all words. With Champignon being close in stature to the Duke it makes it very convenient to change out his passport to both shift the focus to Champignon so that the Duke is not being looked for, as well as to give the Duke means to leave the country without being observed. This of course puts Champignon into a rather peculiar position as he states multiple times throughout the play.

The Glass of Water

     The interactions between the Duchess and Bolingbroke at the end is very peculiar. The entire time they are at each other's throats in order to achieve their goals. But when Bolingbroke finally wins the Duchess makes a confession of affection towards Bolingbroke, they kiss each other, and then slap each other before bowing and parting ways. I can understand a love-hate relationship forming between the two and the mental connection formed, but the kiss-slapping seems a bit extreme for those of noble birth, even if they are in private company.

Second group Comments

 Eurydice (Sue)

http://icesk8prosue2130.blogspot.com/2013/11/eurydice.html?showComment=1383730062959#c4581397345203656285

Love! Valour! Compassion!(Sue)

http://icesk8prosue2130.blogspot.com/2013/10/love-valour-compassion.html?showComment=1383730369081#c6292688453343069312

The Children's Hour(Sue)

http://icesk8prosue2130.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-childrens-hour.html?showComment=1383730602423#c824767394581117961

The Glass of Water(Sue, you're such a wonderful student.)

http://icesk8prosue2130.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-glass-of-water.html?showComment=1383730862256#c7272700344323016462

Eurydice (Laura)

http://purplesummer2130.blogspot.com/2013/11/eurydice.html?showComment=1383749221615#c6226218868855195647

The Children's Hour

     There are plenty of plays that might be considered culturally sensitive material to display publicly. The Children's Hour could very well potentially be that sort of play if you are not careful about the context of the play. In today's culture it is becoming increasingly more acceptable to be a lesbian, but fifty years ago our culture was much different. In major psychological theory of the time it was thought that gayness was a mental illness that could be cured. They were viewed as mentally ill. In modern culture the psychological viewpoint has shifted to saying that if a mindset differs from the individuals worldview and causes stress, then it is a mental disorder. The play dates itself by having the mindset that being a lesbian is an unnatural happening and that anyone who is, or could possibly be a lesbian, was dangerous. It also lends the trope of the "tragic lesbian." That is the lesbian character who ends up dying, usually by killing herself, because she can't reconcile her feelings in society. I think that this play would not be as well accepted as it was in the past due to its treatment of lesbians. However I do not believe that this play would have any significant negative effect as long as it does not signify that the values of the play are still carried out in society today.
     There are plenty of plays that we probably shouldn't reproduce today, for instance the Octoroon. Although it was a good play, it would hold no cultural satisfaction and would probably be ridiculed and cursed upon if played in today's society due to the blatant racism inherent throughout the play. It had its time and place, but it would not be handled well today on stage.

Love! Valour! Compassion!

     The truth gathered from Love! Valour! Compassion! would be that homosexuality was commonly accepted as a norm, that as long as you have good sex things will be alright. The main thing about this play is that it does not follow a linear timeline but rather skips around. By skipping around the storyline, it gives an impression of one thing when in reality something else is happening. For instance at first we think that the encounter with Ramon and Bobby is coincidental or possibly unplanned. Later we find out that it was planned since the beginning. Despite that, there are no major consequences for cheating for any of the characters  except for possible regret. In the case of Ramon, he is actually rewarded with Greg's last solo, something any dancer at that point would probably kill for. So it turns out good things happens to those who do wrong. But really in the end we all die.
    The play did say something about goals though. It made a statement that said there are some things worth fighting for, like benefits against AIDS. Even if it means doing something ridiculous and silly, there are things worth striving for despite everything that has happened to us and what we've been through.
     The fact that this play is also played on a bare stage gives effect to the theatricality of it. Truth is not so concrete as in other well-made plays. It is something that can be molded or shaped. Truth becomes what the beholder wants it to become on the stage.

Eurydice

      The first quote I would propose as a theme for the play Eurydice would be the line by Eurydice's father on page 231 where he says, "It is a long time to be sad." The context of the quote is that Eurydice has lost her memory due to being dunked in the river and she wants to know the name of her mother and siblings. In order to escape sadness, characters in the underworld can bath in the river. Orpheus does not get this luxury in his life. The play would expand more on the idea of being eternally sad and emphasize it when Eurydice has to leave the underworld and the dad goes to take another dip into the river in order to quench the pain of his loss. It is also a long time for Orpheus to be sad over his loss of Eurydice since he is so young and has the rest of his life waiting for him.
     The second quote could be, "she talks the language of dead people now." This is a line by one of the stones shortly after Eurydice comes to the underworld and is unable to speak intelligibly. The director could play with the difference between the interactions of the dead and of the living. The immense power of song over death is another idea that could be played with in this production.Through the power of his music Orpheus was able to transcend the bounds of death for love. In the end though it was for naught since Eurydice had to return to the underworld.
      As far as poster design goes, the first could be of Orpheus playing his lyre and nature weeping with Eurydice under ground next to a river with a string room. The second could be an image of Eurydice in the underworld unable to talk with the stones behind her.