Comments on: The Play’s the Thing. http://juliastilesblog.com/2009/05/23/the-plays-the-thing/ Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:55:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: paul http://juliastilesblog.com/2009/05/23/the-plays-the-thing/#comment-401 paul Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:04:24 +0000 http://juliastilesblog.com/?p=127#comment-401 As a native New Yorker in the biz who spent almost ten years living in LA I have to say that I sometimes miss the weather, I often miss my friends and I definitely miss the drives to the desert and north on the PCH. I definitely do not miss the driving on the 10 and the 405. Ten years there was probably three or four too many, I grew gloomy and unhappy. When I moved back to my native New York I woke up the next morning, walked down to the corner deli, got a coffee in a paper cup, a bagel and a NY Post, I was instantly happy. As far a my work and the biz I mostly talked to my peeps on the phone in LA anyway as I do now in NYC. When I go back to LA for the work I savor what I truly love about it. But as a New Yorker at heart. As a native New Yorker in the biz who spent almost ten years living in LA I have to say that I sometimes miss the weather, I often miss my friends and I definitely miss the drives to the desert and north on the PCH. I definitely do not miss the driving on the 10 and the 405. Ten years there was probably three or four too many, I grew gloomy and unhappy. When I moved back to my native New York I woke up the next morning, walked down to the corner deli, got a coffee in a paper cup, a bagel and a NY Post, I was instantly happy. As far a my work and the biz I mostly talked to my peeps on the phone in LA anyway as I do now in NYC. When I go back to LA for the work I savor what I truly love about it. But as a New Yorker at heart.

]]> By: Paul Waring http://juliastilesblog.com/2009/05/23/the-plays-the-thing/#comment-336 Paul Waring Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:57:54 +0000 http://juliastilesblog.com/?p=127#comment-336 Oh my goodness...where to begin... Well...I saw Oleanna last night for an acting class of mine, and all I have to say about it is OH MY GOD! You and Bill (Pullman) pull off both Carol and John with such precision! The depth of the characters was so vivid and made it very believable. I was literally at the edge of my chair because I could not stop feeling the emotions that were put out there by the two of you... Now I've seen the film version with William H. Macy, and I've seen the one last night, so if I had to choose the best, without a doubt, it would have to be the one with you and Bill. So what I really want to say is that I thoroughly enjoyed the play and will definitely go and see it again before it leaves the Mark Taper Forum. Paul Waring Ontario, California Oh my goodness…where to begin…

Well…I saw Oleanna last night for an acting class of mine, and all I have to say about it is OH MY GOD! You and Bill (Pullman) pull off both Carol and John with such precision! The depth of the characters was so vivid and made it very believable. I was literally at the edge of my chair because I could not stop feeling the emotions that were put out there by the two of you…

Now I’ve seen the film version with William H. Macy, and I’ve seen the one last night, so if I had to choose the best, without a doubt, it would have to be the one with you and Bill. So what I really want to say is that I thoroughly enjoyed the play and will definitely go and see it again before it leaves the Mark Taper Forum.

Paul Waring
Ontario, California

]]> By: Steve H http://juliastilesblog.com/2009/05/23/the-plays-the-thing/#comment-325 Steve H Sat, 30 May 2009 10:50:20 +0000 http://juliastilesblog.com/?p=127#comment-325 Walcott's reported comments to his student at Harvard certainly seem inappropriate. Interestingly, Nicole Kelby, the Boston student who reported Walcott for harassment in the 90s, has recently written in The Times in his support: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/poetry/article6288023.ece I'd like to think people can change, but it's always going to be a risk for an institution to employ someone with this kind of record. I believe the Oxford post involves no one-to-one teaching with students though. Of course, these accusations were never going to just go away, but I found the anonymous nature of the campaign against Walcott distasteful. Ruth Padel may well, as she maintains, have had nothing to do with the campaign, but once she admitted emailing the information to journalists she appeared complicit. Yes, Clive James' comment is a ridiculous exaggeration. It does highlight, however, the sort of male paranoia that Mamet plays on in OLEANNA. I'm sure every male audience member, whether they find John likeable or not, must identify with his situation. That's what makes his actions all the more uncomfortable. Good luck with OLEANNA. I'll be interested to read about what new dimensions you find in the play compared to the West End production. Walcott’s reported comments to his student at Harvard certainly seem inappropriate. Interestingly, Nicole Kelby, the Boston student who reported Walcott for harassment in the 90s, has recently written in The Times in his support:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/poetry/article6288023.ece

I’d like to think people can change, but it’s always going to be a risk for an institution to employ someone with this kind of record. I believe the Oxford post involves no one-to-one teaching with students though. Of course, these accusations were never going to just go away, but I found the anonymous nature of the campaign against Walcott distasteful. Ruth Padel may well, as she maintains, have had nothing to do with the campaign, but once she admitted emailing the information to journalists she appeared complicit.

Yes, Clive James’ comment is a ridiculous exaggeration. It does highlight, however, the sort of male paranoia that Mamet plays on in OLEANNA. I’m sure every male audience member, whether they find John likeable or not, must identify with his situation. That’s what makes his actions all the more uncomfortable.

Good luck with OLEANNA. I’ll be interested to read about what new dimensions you find in the play compared to the West End production.

]]> By: Backstage Pass » Blog Archive » The Play’s the Thing http://juliastilesblog.com/2009/05/23/the-plays-the-thing/#comment-316 Backstage Pass » Blog Archive » The Play’s the Thing Tue, 26 May 2009 19:11:50 +0000 http://juliastilesblog.com/?p=127#comment-316 [...] On her blog, actress Julia Stiles reflects on Oleanna, just 2 days away from beginning in previews at the Mark Taper Forum, and about the always-jarring transition from New York to Los Angeles. [...] [...] On her blog, actress Julia Stiles reflects on Oleanna, just 2 days away from beginning in previews at the Mark Taper Forum, and about the always-jarring transition from New York to Los Angeles. [...]

]]> By: Julia http://juliastilesblog.com/2009/05/23/the-plays-the-thing/#comment-313 Julia Tue, 26 May 2009 18:04:54 +0000 http://juliastilesblog.com/?p=127#comment-313 I've been following that a bit. I am not sure what to make of it; I do enjoy Derek Walcott's work, but I don't see how "imagine me making love to you" could ever be an acceptable thing to say to a student. Whether he crossed a line, though, is hard to judge so many years later, and with no factual information other than that the student ultimately received a "C." Walcott was teaching poetry, which involves entirely subjective grading. That must only heighten confusion for a student about the teacher's demands. That is not to say I can judge who is right in this situation, but perhaps that both sides are justified in their case. Walcott can claim that he never intended a sexual advance, and the student can argue that that is how she interpreted his behavior. I think Clive James' comment is irresponsible (to put it lightly). Nice that he referenced OLEANNA, but aargh... "All you have to do is stand there, and you are sexually harrassing them." ?????? How is it that the defendants (or perpetrators, to use a harsh word) have become the victims? More important, though, is that it is not okay to say that this happened 20 years ago, let it go. There do need to be standards for behavior upheld, especially in an institution like Oxford. Anyone up for a major influential position is going to have to be vetted, and face scrutiny about their past. I’ve been following that a bit. I am not sure what to make of it; I do enjoy Derek Walcott’s work, but I don’t see how “imagine me making love to you” could ever be an acceptable thing to say to a student. Whether he crossed a line, though, is hard to judge so many years later, and with no factual information other than that the student ultimately received a “C.”

Walcott was teaching poetry, which involves entirely subjective grading. That must only heighten confusion for a student about the teacher’s demands. That is not to say I can judge who is right in this situation, but perhaps that both sides are justified in their case. Walcott can claim that he never intended a sexual advance, and the student can argue that that is how she interpreted his behavior.

I think Clive James’ comment is irresponsible (to put it lightly). Nice that he referenced OLEANNA, but aargh… “All you have to do is stand there, and you are sexually harrassing them.” ?????? How is it that the defendants (or perpetrators, to use a harsh word) have become the victims? More important, though, is that it is not okay to say that this happened 20 years ago, let it go. There do need to be standards for behavior upheld, especially in an institution like Oxford.
Anyone up for a major influential position is going to have to be vetted, and face scrutiny about their past.

]]> By: Steve H http://juliastilesblog.com/2009/05/23/the-plays-the-thing/#comment-312 Steve H Tue, 26 May 2009 11:28:21 +0000 http://juliastilesblog.com/?p=127#comment-312 I'm curious if any readers of this blog have been following the controversy over the Oxford poetry professorship. It's been covered extensively in the UK press and there's a piece in the New York Times today. Puth Padel, the new poetry professor at Oxford, has resigned. Her main rival for the post, Derek Walcott, had dropped out of the race after previous allegations reappeared that he had sexually harassed students at Harvard and Boston universities. Padel recently admitted having passed on the allegations to newspapers. The latest developments are covered at The Guardian newspaper: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/may/26/padel-error-poetry-election The writer and broadcaster Clive James commented on the controversy, also in the Guardian: "I think it's a catastrophe," he says, "because Derek Walcott is a great poet. But what male teacher is going to escape a sexual harassment case? All you've got to do is stand there, and you're sexually harassing them." Does he mean he thinks the claims against Walcott are false? "I don't know, I don't know the case. But it sounds to me like a David Mamet play where you've got an imaginative girl, thinks she's been approached, she may not have been. But who knows? It's a very bad reason to stop a 79-year-old man who has all the qualifications, including [the fact that] he would write brilliant lectures. It means a whole generation's going to miss out on his wisdom. For what? For a couple of cases that have been mouldering for 20-odd years." http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/25/g2-interview-clive-james-television I’m curious if any readers of this blog have been following the controversy over the Oxford poetry professorship. It’s been covered extensively in the UK press and there’s a piece in the New York Times today.

Puth Padel, the new poetry professor at Oxford, has resigned. Her main rival for the post, Derek Walcott, had dropped out of the race after previous allegations reappeared that he had sexually harassed students at Harvard and Boston universities. Padel recently admitted having passed on the allegations to newspapers. The latest developments are covered at The Guardian newspaper:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/may/26/padel-error-poetry-election

The writer and broadcaster Clive James commented on the controversy, also in the Guardian:

“I think it’s a catastrophe,” he says, “because Derek Walcott is a great poet. But what male teacher is going to escape a sexual harassment case? All you’ve got to do is stand there, and you’re sexually harassing them.” Does he mean he thinks the claims against Walcott are false?

“I don’t know, I don’t know the case. But it sounds to me like a David Mamet play where you’ve got an imaginative girl, thinks she’s been approached, she may not have been. But who knows? It’s a very bad reason to stop a 79-year-old man who has all the qualifications, including [the fact that] he would write brilliant lectures. It means a whole generation’s going to miss out on his wisdom. For what? For a couple of cases that have been mouldering for 20-odd years.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/25/g2-interview-clive-james-television

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