#dramatic literature

It is also undeniable that Shakespeare treats most of his female characters like shit. They are often props and/or tools to further the journey of the men surrounding them. Even when the women are badasses, they are rarely at the center of the stories or treated as though their internal world is important. (I do think there are some exceptions, especially in his comedies, but the trend is still clear)

(I don't mean this as an indictment on William Shakespeare's character. I don't see any value in morally condemning a historical artist when the issue tends to be about the cultural and social issues that enabled them to be successful, issues that often continue into today and are much more important to address.)

All that said, I do believe in death of the author. We as an audience are able and even obligated to take in an author's work and experience it internally. This means that any interpretation is valid and worth discussing (not necessarily correct or even helpful, but at the very least worth discussing). So when people want to talk about Lady Macbeth as a feminist icon, fuck yeah let me get in on that. I believe women (and really anybody who's not a cis het white man) deserve to take media and interpret it however they want. Reclaim fucked up characters and scenarios, take comfort in traumatized stereotypes, project complex internal worlds onto underdeveloped characters. Call villains babygirl, headcanon ridiculous situations, reclaim slurs and toxic stereotypes.

BUT

When my middle-aged white theatre professor decides to pontificate on the strong independent woman that is Emilia from Othello, and how Shakespeare was obviously feminist and his plays are universally relatable.

I shake.

Because. My guy? Did you read the play? (he did, he played Othello when he was in his twenties) Emilia, while definitely an interesting character that offers a fascinating look into the way women were treated at the time, and is a great discussion point for the way Shakespeare viewed women, is still very much a tool to be used in Iago and Othello's story. Not to mention the absolute tragedy that is Desdemona, my personal prime example for Shakespeare's shitty treatment of women. She is a paragon of purity and then brutally murdered just to illustrate a point (and like the moral of the story is a whole separate discussion to have). Othello is an excellent example of how to fuck up female representation (again there are other problems with it, but that's not the conversation we're having here). And if marginalized groups want to look at this story and find power in it, that's wonderful, please don't let me stop you. I simply cannot look at this well off middle-aged white man trying to explain how much Shakespeare respected women with Othello as his base point and not be frustrated.

Emilia was in an abusive relationship and constantly afraid for her life, she did shitty things out of fear and jealousy and when attempting to do the right thing she was murdered by her abusive husband. She was also contrasted with the pure and noble Desdemona as lower class, crass, and willing to bend to the whims of evil. She has a monologue where she argues that women could and maybe even should cheat on their husbands for all the same reasons that men cheat on their wives. It's widely viewed as an incredibly powerful moment- addressing women's sexuality as equal to men's and giving Emilia a moment of power. And while I think that is a valid interpretation, and a better way to stage this scene, you simply cannot convince me that was Shakespeare's intention. The whole tragedy of the play is that Desdemona, wrongly accused of infidelity, is brutally murdered by her husband, who only in learning of her innocence realizes that he's fucked up and then kills himself. Desdemona's dismissal of Emilia's world view is not a flaw in her, it's not naivety or ignorance that must be corrected, it's proof of her purity and goodness. If Emilia is meant to be the one falling into the impurities of the world, a foil to the perfect Desdemona, why would Shakespeare randomly have her make a good point that contrasts his attitude toward infidelity in this show and others? (god don't even get me started on Much Ado About Nothing)

At the end of the day, Emilia is not an empowered female character who takes no shit and is comfortable in her own sexuality, she is a scared, jealous woman who does whatever Iago wants (though unhappily), a tool for him to use to further his plans. And a tool to demonstrate to the audience the depths of evil and deception Iago is willing to stoop to.

From the Digital Quill of Your Ever-Watching Authoress

Dearest Alarwynnites,

It has come to this humble writer’s attention that some of you wish to be summoned with each new chapter, how utterly delightful. Should you desire to be included in the official Taglist of Alarwyn, simply leave your esteemed usernames below. They shall be carefully transcribed into a master document, ready for swift copy-and-paste dispatch with each literary update.

Let it never be said that you were left unaware of the drama, heartbreak, and whispered conspiracies that unfold.

With all the ink-stained affection one could muster,

Yours most faithfully, The Authoress

22 January 1953

The Crucible by Arthur Miller opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York City.

It starred Arthur Kennedy as John Proctor, Beatrice Straight as Elizabeth Proctor, and Madeleine Sherwood as Abigail Williams. It won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1953.

The Seagull by Anton Chekov

Journey’s End by RC Sheriff

Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill

The America Play by Susan Lori-Parks

I turned this in for a grade. For my final. This is my semester final. The prompt was: Make a scene continuing the story of any of the plays we read this semester. I chose Death of a Salesman. My group was very supportive of my choice of scene. I love them <33 sm. This is the final product. We called it Birth of a Fruitcake.

There is a bar called “The Crowbar”. What it lacks in width it makes up for in length. It’s set far back into the building it shares with other establishments. The lights outside the bar are warm and soft, the glowing orange of late afternoon. There are silhouettes of the other buildings on the street, and the rest of the building where the bar is located. Inside the outline of the house, there are hanging lightbulbs covered in green glass bulb covers, creating a soft green glow. It’s furnished with a bare bar, with stools lining the right side. Behind the stools, small round tables are scattered throughout the bar. There are dirty glasses and very few chairs actually surrounding the tables. It appears as though the patrons have to steal the chairs they need from other tables. On the left side of the bar, there sits a sparse few bottles of alcohol, all cheap, and glasses for pouring. To the right we see a corner of carpet peeking out from backstage, where the bathroom is located. The forestage is bare, but with a spotlight shining on it for now. Loud incoherent voices are heard off-stage. Bernard exits his home and waits on his patio contemplating if he should go in or not. Biff opens the door to his house and slams it closed while walking to his car.

BERNARD: Hey, Biff! Didn’t know you were home, thought Willy crawled back up.

BIFF: No, just Happy and me, but with the way he's going we're going to get Willy 2.0.

BERNARD: What do you mean?

BIFF: It's. . . Too much.

BERNARD: You wanna grab a drink? It’s been a while, we should catch up.

BIFF: You know what? Yeah. I could use a drink.

The lights on the forestage fade out. BIFF and BERNARD walk to the bar (the main stage)

JASON: Welcome to The Crowbar, fellas. What can I get for ya? [Cleaning two glasses]

BIFF: What’s your poison?

JASON: We got a house special called the Lazarus if you’re interested

BIFF: What's so special ‘bout it?

JASON: It’ll get a good night started.

BIFF: Alright, then, I’ll take a shot a’ that

BERNARD: Make that two, would you?

JASON: You sure you can handle it? [Looking BERNARD up and down]

BERNARD: What? What makes you think I can’t? Why didn’t you ask Biff that?

[BIFF tries and fails to hide a laugh]

JASON: No reason in particular. Just thought there would be a designated driver [Lying through his teeth]

BERNARD: [With exaggerated annoyance] You’re both insufferable. You know what, make that two for me.

JASON: Okay, buddy. [Smiling at BIFF]

BIFF: [He smirks at Jason and nudges BERNARD] Careful, there. Don’t wanna ruin that big brain of yours.

BERNARD: [Pointedly ignoring JASON] A few drinks won’t hurt me. I just won a big case, anyway, the firm won’t care what I do for a day or two.

JASON: [Pouring two shots] here’s one for the big guy and yourself, and I’ll get the next shot in a second. [Cleaning another glass]

BERNARD: So now you know what I’ve been up to, what’s going on with you? What’s with the hat, I thought you were a New Yorker?

BIFF: I was, I was very much a city boy for a while but over the years I came to find out I much prefer the outdoors and more handy work than desks and phone calls.

BERNARD: [He chokes on his drink] You’re a- a cowboy?

BIFF: [Chortling] Something of the sort.

BERNARD: You seem… much more sure of yourself now than you did last time I saw you. At least, before, y’know… [He fidgets nervously]

[JASON raises an eyebrow in curiosity]

BIFF: My dad’s funeral? Yeah… after he died, I realized that he had been controlling how I lived my life- directly, indirectly, what-have-you. But then I realized I had to do something with myself, and I wasn’t about to let him continue to do that from beyond the grave, so… [He trails off, leaving the bar to awkward silence]

BERNARD: Does that connect to what happened at the house? Thought it might have been Happy and Linda but seeing as you are here is there something going on? [He starts to reach for Biff’s hand but stops himself]

BIFF: I came home to see mom. To help her around the house and just to catch up, but when I walked through the door Happy had a briefcase in hand saying he is going to Boston to make some sales, and for a minute there all I see is Willy. I couldn’t handle it. I can’t watch my own brother go down the same path we watched our father go down, so I just started yelling. I knew I should have stopped but it was just too much seeing him like that.

BERNARD: Happy's been pretty serious about succeeding for Willy. He even went to my father to get a job. Even when Charley offered him a high starting position he refused insisting that he be a traveling salesman like his father.

BIFF: And that's what kills me. I should have taken him more seriously at the funeral when he said he was going to follow pop’s dreams. I should have listened more in general. I knew he was unhappy with where his life was going. It's just [He stops talking and lets out a sigh] I’m sorry I just can’t keep talking about this. Let's talk about something more lighthearted. We are two buds reunited after all.

BERNARD: [Clearing his throat after a moment of heavy silence] Right, uh, well… I remember you mentioning there wasn’t anyone… special, in your life at the moment, when we talked. Is that still true?

BIFF: Yeah, I mean, no girl I’ve been with has ever… I haven’t really felt anything “special” with any of them, to use your words, and I really don’t know if that’s ever going to happen. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Why do you ask?

BERNARD: Yeah, uh, no reason… [Very noticeably blushing] Hey, I’ve gotta use the bathroom real quick… watch my drinks, would you? [He exits to stage right and is no longer seen] Why is the bathroom carpeted?!??!?!?!?!?!

JASON: Mind ya damn business! [sliding in] And the plot thickens, tell me how long have you two been doing this dance?

BIFF: [Visibly confused] What dance?

JASON: Oh, come on, you know what I’m talking about. I’ve been around the block with love a couple times before, so I know it when I see it.

BIFF: Love? Me? US? [Now getting upset and panicking] Where did you get that big idea? What’s going on in that head of yours?

JASON: Oh trust me, friend, you don’t want to know. But what you do want to know is that if no girl has given you a special feeling, then maybe it’s not a girl your heart desires.

BIFF: [Defensively] Like Hell it isn’t! Look, I just haven’t… met the right girl, that’s it. [Sounding unsure of himself, as though he doesn’t quite believe it, but is trying to convince himself]

JASON: Like hell it is, my good sir. I see the way you two act with each other, and I see the way ol’ toothpick looks at you, the connection is there. Now are you gonna do something about it or not?

BIFF: The way he… But Bernard’s not… there’s no way!

JASON: Look, pal, I got a queer family member, I’m practically an ace at recognizing a friend of Dorothy when I see one, I must admit. [Now pouring himself a drink]

BIFF: But that’s not… I’m not, I swear…

JASON: Oh, drop the act, will ya?... Hey, you alright there, bud?

BIFF: [drifting away from the bar towards the forestage, not appearing to hear JASON] I don’t know what you’re talking about, I don’t!

JASON: Oh, man… I didn’t realize this was a sore spot for you. Look, I’ll just get you another drink, how about that? [He moves farther down the bar, getting another glass for BIFF ready, glancing at him every so often]

[BIFF has crossed into the forestage fully now. BIFF’s theme plays as HAPPY exits stage right. BIFF joins HAPPY, now appearing much more happy, but still tense, as if he knows what’s about to happen. HAPPY and BIFF begin chatting. They’ve just gotten back from school. WILLY appears from stage left, and bends to pick up a discarded football. He notices the boys making their way to him, and he waves]

BIFF: Pop! Didn’t know you’d be back so soon

WILLY: Got done with business in Brooklyn, so thought I’d have some time with my boys. How ‘bout a game of catch to get you ready for the game on Friday?

BIFF: Sounds good, pop.

[BIFF, HAPPY, and WILLY start to throw a ball around]

HAPPY: Did ya hear about the boy at school?

BIFF: Which boy at school?

HAPPY: David W. and Joseph M.

BIFF: Nah, didn’t hear anything about them. What did they get up to?

HAPPY: Well, apparently, they were caught in the bathroom together doing more than washing hands.

BIFF: That's not that crazy. Linda and Peter were caught doin’ the same just last week.

[At this WILLY stumbles with the ball caught off guard by BIFF’s response. He continues to throw the ball but is noticeably less concentrated on the game]

HAPPY: Yeah, but they have been hands all over each other since spring break. David and Joseph together is just weird.

BIFF: There not harmin’ anyone and in the end-

[BIFF gets cut off by WILLY who now seems to be forcing himself to stay calm]

WILLY: Happy, go inside.

HAPPY: But-

WILLY: [cutting off HAPPY and yelling] I said get in!

[HAPPY looks at him then runs off stage. Everyone has stopped throwing the ball around leaving it on the yard. WILLY walks to BIFF]

BIFF: What was that about, pops?

WILLY: You can't just go about spewing that nonsense.

BIIF: What nonsense? We’re just talking about the guys at school.

WILLY: Do you talk to those fruitcakes?

BIFF: Only a bit. We're all in the same geometry class. And don’t call em’ fruitcakes, they’re my friends. We play ball sometimes.

WILLY: I'll get you switched out of that class, and stop talkin’ to them. They are not your friends, they're just trying to infect you.

BIFF: Infect me with what! They are good people and I won't let ya-

[Cutting of BIFF, WILLY gets closer to BIFF and grabs him by his shoulders]

WILLY: You have to listen to me! I'm just trying to protect you from their illness. You have a good future ahead of you and they are trying to ruin it for you.

BIFF: They’re not ruining anything, you're just being cra-

[WILLY slaps BIFF and as the sound rings out the sound of a glass being set down on the bar can also be heard]

WILLY: I'm doing this for you. Remember that.

[WILLY walks off stage. BIFF walks back to his seat at the bar holding the cheek that WILLY slapped. In front of him is now a drink]

JASON: Here's some water. You looked a bit out of it, so I thought you should refresh yourself.

[BERNARD exits the bathroom and crosses back to the bar. He does a double-take when he sees the state BIFF is in. He takes a seat cautiously]

BERNARD: What happened? Did Jason give you another Lazarus?

BIFF: Is it true?

BERNARD: What are you talking about? Did something happen while I was gone?

BIFF: I was jus’ thinkin’ about what our friend Jason said, and was just wondering are ya a homosexual?

[JASON pauses behind the bar, where he was previously nervously cleaning glasses. He slowly sets the glass down, placing the cloth back down on the counter. He’s clearly listening, but BIFF and BERNARD don’t seem to notice]

BENARD: I don’t know what you’re saying. I have a wife.

BIFF: We both know what you were like when you were younger. Why do ya think that Willy didn’t want you around all that much? He knew and he was just tryin’ to protect me.

BERNARD: Willy was never trying to protect you. He was just trying to control you. I thought you’d realized that by now.

BIFF: Maybe he wasn’t right about being a football player, but in the end he just wanted what was best for me.

[BERNARD moves towards BIFF, starting to put his hand on his shoulder when BIFF smacks his hand away]

BIFF: Keep your hands away from me! [He swings and punches BERNARD in the face. BERNARD stumbles back, holding his face. BIFF brings his arm back to strike BERNARD again while he’s still shocked]

JASON: Hey! Hey! Break it up, the both of you [Grabbing the back of their shirts] Now I have a strict no fighting rule in my bar, so if you keep this up I’ll have Bruce handle this. Now he won’t kill ya, but he’s completely fine with traumatic brain injuries.

BIFF: Stay outta this, scarface!

JASON: Alright, get the hell out of my bar!

[BIFF and BERNARD are tossed out of the bar. They move to the alley way that is located in the forestage]

BERNARD: What the hell was that for?

BIFF: First time getting kicked out of a bar?

BERNARD: It isn’t funny, I liked that bar, and we fought! [He gently pokes his cheek to assess the damage, and winces]

BIFF: Sorry ‘bout that. Life’s just been so messy recently.

BERNARD: Seriously, what’s going on with you? You looked like you'd seen a ghost when I got back. And don’t give me some half-assed excuse– you can’t just punch people out of nowhere!

BIFF: I kinda have seen a ghost. Ya know how Willy had those outbursts talking to people who are not there and all, well I kinda had one for myself.

BERNARD: What did the old man say?

BIFF: Happy and me came back from school and were just playin’ a game of catch with Willy when Happy started talking about the incident in 10th grade.

BERNARD: You are gonna have to be a bit more descriptive. I wasn’t very social in high school.

BIFF: Just two guys were caught in the bathroom and Willy just went crazy at the thought of me bein’ around them. Even slapped me. I got the message from him and started avoiding anyone who Willy wouldn't like. Even you.

BERNARD: That's why you stopped talking to me?

BIFF: Yeah, sorry about that. Even after he died I wanted to reach out. I wanted to start talkin’ to you again, but I thought that you hated me, that you stopped liking me.

BERNARD: Look, I loved you, and I don’t think I ever stopped.

BIFF: But… you have a wife?

BERNARD: Appearances. We both… swing a different way.

BIFF: Oh.

BERNARD: Yeah. Oh.

BIFF: And the kid? Your son?

BERNARD: We’d both wanted a kid for awhile, and we’re real good friends, even if we’re not… in love. It’s not like we’d be able to raise one with people we loved, so why not?

BIFF: I see.

[They stand in awkward silence for a moment, before BIFF speaks up]

BIFF: Why don’t I take you back to where I’m staying? Uh, patch you up, and maybe… talk?

BERNARD: Talk? [He gives him a small smile]

BIFF: I’ve spent my whole life hiding an important part of myself. Maybe it’s time I gave someone a look into the real me.

BERNARD: I’d be honored.

BIFF: Oh, don’t get a big head about it.

BERNARD: I don’t know, Biff. [He steals the hat from off BIFF’s head, putting it on his own] Seems about the same size as your’s.

BIFF: [He smirks] You know what the rule is, right?

Fin.