Last night, Denis and I attended the opening night of Seminar, Broadway’s newest play, starring the amazing Alan Rickman. We both loved, I mean we really, really LOVED this play.
It’s a comedy about a fiction writing seminar taught by Alan Rickman, and if you have ever been in a writing workshop or seminar or have been in any situation where you must reveal something you have created for the scrutiny of others, you’ll be laughing one moment and squirming in agony the next, while watching this play. Rickman is fabulous as the ruthless/borderline sadistic writing teacher who, after glancing at the first sentence, trashes a story that a young woman (Lily Rabe) has worked on for years. Other members of the workshop are played by Jerry O’Connell and Hamish Linklater.
Our friend, Amy Nauiokas, is one of the producers, and she told us that Mr. Rickman is recovering from pneumonia but still insisted on performing on opening night, and we would never had known he was sick, had she not told us. What a pro.
The play really makes fun of how pretentious young writers (and some older writers as well) can be about their work; how precious and special they consider themselves when they carry on about their attendance at Yaddo and McDowell and Bennington, even though they have little or no actual talent. But it’s poignant too, in the end. I won’t tell too much. If you live near New York and can afford the outlandish ticket prices of theater today, try to see this gem.
I love Alan Rickman! I’m glad you guys enjoyed it! Might have to put this on my list! Thanks Ann!
Sorry, Ann. Gotta part company with you on this one. It’s glib and jokey and it’s not much of a play. Ben Brantley got it right.
Really? The thing about Brantley’s review that bothered me was that his main gripe seemed to be about the fact that the characters were able to critique a work based on a few glances at a page. I felt that the device was sort of necessary, the alternative being having to watch Alan Rickman sit and read all night. But actually, as I’m typing this, it occurs to me that in writing workshops that I’ve participated in, we all gave each other our stories one week and critiqued them the next, so the playwright could have easily set it up this way.
Now, I know I could google this, but am wondering if anybody knows why it’s spelled playwright and not playwrite?
No, what Brantley got right was that it was mechanical and formulaic. Terrific cast, but they were just a group of one-liner vending machines and I didn’t detect an ounce of real feeling in the entire piece; I didn’t care about any of them. But I haven’t seen a new play I’ve unreservedly liked since Becky Shaw two years ago, so I guess I am just an old crab. I am glad you guys enjoyed yourselves, though, and hope you have a good holiday.
Thanks CB. Did you see God of Carnage? I’m wondering what you thought of that play.
That play wasn’t one tenth as smart as this one. I will be curious to see what they do to it on film. But overall I am not a Reza fan; don’t find her work clever, particularly funny or even well constructed. Theresa Rebeck is a good writer, but I think her plays all shift gears abruptly and she has trouble coming up with a plausible ending that relates convincingly to what has preceded it. Now get some rest, young lady. It’s a busy week and you need to stay well.
Ann, I’ll tackle your query. The surname Wright – and the associated suffix -wright – are old English and mean “maker.” So, for example, a “cartwright” makes carts, a “boatwright” makes boats, and of course a “playwright” makes plays.
Bonus question: What does a “wainwright” make? (C’mon now, no cheating by looking on Google….)
Wagons! Or Wagon wheels. Damn, I just Googled it 2-minutes ago and now I have no idea. I believe it was wagons.
Thanks Alan, I learned something today. Very interesting.
Excellent! Ah, of course — that makes sense. Good work, Alan
I thought Alan Rickman made the Potter series.
I would pay just to hear him read the phone book.
Oh my, how I love Alan Rickman! I’d love to see that play, sounds fabulous.
I saw him recently on Masterpiece Contemporary (PBS) The Song of Lunch, it was very good.
I too saw him with Emma Thompson in The Song of Lunch and loved them both in it. They are two of my all-time favorite actors.
Me three. Swoon.
MEEE TOO!! i literally freaked out! lol
I wish I were closer to NYC. I love Alan Rickman and it sounds like a great role for him.
Speaking as someone who’s not a writer and hasn’t attended writing seminars/workshops, I agree wholeheartedly. I saw this in previews last week and LOVED it! See it if you can as Mr. Rickman and the entire cast give wonderful performances.
You are so lucky to be able to have seen this play, Ann. I have been reading about it, and also read a big interview with Alan in yesterday’s Sunday LATimes, you might want to check out.
Wow, I’ve had an uber-crush on Alan Rickman since Sense and Sensibility. I’m too far away to see the play, but thanks to Annie, I now know about The Song of Lunch.
Catherine, I’ve had that same crush ever since S&S! Oh, my. Will have to check out The Song of Lunch too.
Here is the link to the full version of The Song of Lunch…
http://entertainment.time.com/2011/11/18/poetic-television-bbcs-the-song-of-lunch/
We took our Emerson girl to “The Producers” for a graduation gift. Seems like she needs another Broadway celebration re the biz. Christmas? Birthday? Hmmm. Thanks for the idea!
Wow, pneumonia? I’m glad I didn’t know that a few days ago because I’m a worrier when it comes to men, having several brothers who never seem to know when they are sick enough to need to slow down. Men! Poor Alan though, to be sick right before opening night. Such pressure. Alan did make the HP series and Song of Lunch was brilliant, heartbreaking and hysterical too. I love how Alan creates euphoria everywhere he goes with his talent and his sexiness!
Hi,
Alan Rickman is hilarious! Loved him in love sctually, hitch hikers guide, hp! Grtz, Sabrina
Ann, in answer to your spelling question…
The term is not a variant spelling of playwrite, but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder (as in a wheelwright or cartwright). Hence the prefix and the suffix combine to indicate someone who crafts plays. The homophone with write is in this case coincidental.
(I wish I could say I knew this off the top of my head, but I Googled it.)
Thanks Catherine. So, I wonder if it was the homophonic (God, I love that word) nature of playwright that kept it in modern usage. Because nobody says wheelwright or cartwright anymore, but we still say playwright. I don’t believe authors were ever called bookwrights, but I wonder if publishers were.
I don’t have a good homophonic answer for you, but I found this on Wikipedia…
If a wheelwright makes wheels, and a cartwright makes carts…perhaps a wrongwright rights wrongs.
That cracks me up.
I’m a professional dieter. Does that make me a weightwright? (I could do this all day. I’ll be here till 11:00 folks, enjoy the veal.)
Perhaps I am a troublewright, as I like to make trouble!
It’s nice to read these interesting comments on the suffix wright, and they leave me rooting for its usage long into the future. I’d never thought of it, but of course it’s from the same root as wrought, another wonderful little language bit.
so happy you’re still living a wicked good life!
I can’t believe you think theatre tickets in New York are expensive! You should come to Perth (Western Australia) on the rare ocasions that we actually get a production of that quality, and see the prices they charge here! In some cases for the good seats you can pay up to $600! Compared to that, your ticket prices are ‘cheap as chips’ and I for one would be ecstatic to be able to pay so little to see Alan Rickman perform!
Wait a minute. WHAT??? That’s a lot of cabbage. Do they have 1/2 price tix on day of performance or anything like that? Crazy.
Depends on the production, the venue etc, but yes, tickets can be incredibly expensive here. But then again so is everything else. There are some shows that have premium seats for $150 but that will depend on the time and day of the performance as well. ‘Family’ shows like ‘Mary Poppins’ will probably be cheaper, while adult productions can be much more expensive especially if they showcase big stars.
StarChilde,
I will NEVER complain about theatre ticket prices in NYC again! $600 per seat!!!! Why so expensive? My family and I just saw Phantom of the Opera and paid that price for the four of us.
Things are very expensive here, because first of all, Perth is the most isolated capital city in the world. The cost of bringing a production here is excessive. Add to that the fact that most runs are only for a few weeks, sometimes less. The cost of hotels for cast and crew are high, etc. Also, if you buy a program (playbill) it can cost anywhere from $20 to $50.
Everything is expensive here. My sister just returned from the US and she said that she could buy jeans there for $50 – the same ones here are $200.
My fave quote about his darker roles is, “Alan Rickman elevates the role of a villain from the plain ol’ bastard to a bastard coated bastard with bastard filling.” My acting prof/coach Cecil Pickett did an impression of Rickman’s Tybalt from Romeo & Juliet that was so spot on it gave me chills.
If you’re a fan of Rickman’s talent but haven’t seen “Revolutionary Witness: The Preacher” – a radical Roman Catholic priest who advocated for an economically equal society from his pulpit – Thanksgiving is a perfect time to indulge in what I consider some of Rickman’s most nuanced, mesmerizing work. Coincidentally, the theme of this monologue, by playwright Peter Barnes & based on the activist Jacques Roux’s original manifesto, harks back to your previous post, Ann, about OWS!
Here’s the link to watch: http://bit.ly/sYgZu6
Oh, yes, let’s not forget the villains. Double swoon.
The Preacher is one of Rickman’s best, I think! He is absolutely brilliant! Rather like his sililoquy in Seminar in the last class session, just spellbinding! If anyone didn’t find that scene riveting they have no soul! Hope Mr. Rickman gets some rest and is well soon! Thanks for the review!
Speaking of what to see on Broadway, I’ve got War Horse and The Book of Mormon on my wish list. Anyone have input on either of these? Am I going to find War Horse too upsetting?
That’s what I get for trying to use proper italics.
I absolutely loved War Horse. It’s emotional for sure, but I don’t put it in a category of upsetting that in any way makes me wish I’d not seen it. In fact I’d see the show again right now if given the opportunity.
Let us know how The Book of Mormon is! As for italics, unless you wrote your comments in Word and then Copy & Pasted them into this field, I haven’t the slightest idea how you accomplished it at all – so no worries for letting the italicized text get “carried away.”
Arliss, I’m torn on War Horse. The previews made me cry. I suspect it will be a sobfest, and so I think I’ll wait for the DVD, so I can sob in private with my box of Kleenex.
On a separate note, I recall posting here last Thanksgiving, directed at Gloria, and recall saying that I hoped that this year at Thanksgiving, we would all still be here, reading Ann’s blog, and would be able to say that we are all thankful that Gloria had successfully beaten the big C.
Gloria, how are you doing?
I wish Ann, her family, and the extended family of all the blog readers here, a Happy Thanksgiving.
Finally spending some time reading Ann’s wonderful blog! Thanks to (and for!) all of you!
I am grateful for Ann’s blog, and all of her wonderful readers, whom I have come to know and appreciate through their thoughtful responses to Ann’s postings. Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to Ann and all the wonderful blog readers! It is a gorgeous day here in CT and I wish everyone a beautiful day surrounded by family and friends.
I got the best gift today. My best friend (from NYC), her husband and their twin babies stopped over to see us this morning on their way to Massachusetts. We have not seen them in a few months and it was such a terrific surprise and the babies…..they just got so big. My eyes started to well up the minute I saw them and their beautiful smiles. The holidays always turn me into such a mush pot!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!!!!!