Dorothy Parker

Last night I read a short book with three of Dorothy Parker’s short stories in it. They were Big Blonde, The Sexes and Dusk Before Fireworks. All three amused me equally. I really liked the “reality” in them. The women characters and the way they thought or acted was very realistic. The way that she portrayed relationships was also very realistic.

Dorothy Parker was a critic, satirical poet, and short-story writer. She started her career as Vanity Fair’s drama critic and moved on to the New Yorker’s theater and book reviewer. She published many books throughout her time and even wrote some films for Hollywood. She also wrote two Broadway plays.

After researching her biography and finding out that she was a “Jersey Girl” I think that explains the realistic humor in her books and stories.

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Vagina Monologues

Yesterday I went to go see the Vagina Monologues for my second time. I really liked the first time I saw them. I think that the people did a good job of expressing what each monologue meant. I was kind of disapointed with the people that did it last night though. Tarrant said it was the first times she’s ever laughed during "My Vagina was my Village". That specific monologe is not meant to be laughed at. And I was also disapointed with "Reclaiming Cunt".

Hamlet Starring Mel Gibson

After seeing this movie, I really like the idea of Hamlet as a movie. Ethan Hawke as Hamlet might as well find every copy and burn it because no one can beat Mel. He seemed to find the balance between showing Hamlet’s insanity and pain. Ethan could not find that balance. I found his performance filled more with blankness. He portrayed Hamlet as shy to let the world know how he feels. But that’s not Hamlet’s character. Hamlet has no shame because he’s trying to revenge his father’s death. He’s trying to show everyone the wrongs that are happening right beneath their noses. Hamlet’s character doesn’t care what anyone thinks about him. It seems to me as if he wants them to see him as insane. Mel Gibson nailed Hamlet.The rest of the cast was awsome. I loved the castle that the story took place in. The whole movie was done really well.

Hamlet The Movie Starring Ethan Hawke

Last night I watched Hamlet starring Ethan Hawke. Over all I like the idea of a Hamlet movie but I feel like the director didn’t do his job very well. I’m not sure that Ethan Hawke plays a very good Hamlet. I did like however that Opheleaa was played by Julia Stiles and Bill Murray as her father. The thing that I thought the movie most lacked was the insanity behind every line. All of the characters acted as if what Hamlet said when he was going insane was normal. And Hamlet himself just didn’t seem convincing at all. I also thought it was kinda weird that Hamlet and Ophelea had a lot to do with films and photography.

Hamlet The Play

Yesterday, October 19, 2005, I went to see William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Directed by Dr. Mikell Pinkney at the Nadine McGuire Pavilion Black Box. This is the second Shakespeare play I’ve seen at UF’s College of Fine Arts and I think that they did an excellent job.

I hadn’t read Hamlet before, which I know is kinda pathetic, but it was cool because I didn’t know what to expect. I knew that Hamlet would be haunted by his father’s death but that is pretty much all the knowledge I’d collected about this particular play.

Joshua Price played Prince Hamlet. I think that he did an excellent job. Especially when Hamlet went mad, I found it very amusing. My other favorite characters were Ophelia, played by Alison Miller (she was also in a Midsummer Night’s Dream,) and Lord Polonius who was played by Holan Carey.

The costumes and set were also amazing. They had stairs and the top of the stage wrapped around the sides so that they could go off stage. The stage was also very small and very close. The actors/actresses did an excellent job keeping the audience’s attention.

Hamlet was my first tragedy. This was my second play at the College of Fine Arts and I’m very interested in seeing more plays that they do. This season looks a little dull but maybe if I go see a few plays they will surprise me.