Monday, February 06, 2006

Notes from the playwright

Courtesy of Lucas Hnath, playwright for Hard Lovin' Ever After, here is an excerpt from some of his notes while writing the play:

Why do Jenny and Sam love each other?
Love is too big a word. I don’t like it. Let’s try not to use that word in this play.
The word “love” has lost any meaning. Love suicide.... well I can deal with that because it doesn’t possess the same meaning as love all by its solo.
I actually find the word “like” more compelling. I don’t know if others feel this way.
What do you “like” about me? Oume asks Kume? Or Kume asks Oume.*

I don’t think we need to prove that Oume and Kume’s love is pure. I’m not convinced that it is pure. Who really has pure love? They’re so young. The point is that they’re inexperienced. They don’t know what they’re doing. That’s the tragedy. That’s what is frustrating to everyone around them. Oume and Kume are myopic and there really is no cure for their myopia except to get to that final place where the death moment (maybe?) creates some perspective.

I’m not convinced that the death moment gives everyone a new perspective. Some people yes. Others no.

*Kume and Oume are the lovers' names in Chikamatsu's Love Suicides at the Women's Temple. In Hard Lovin', they are called Sam Nash and Jenny Plummer.

Comments:
You know, in Japan, people don't really use or say the word "love" so much.. "Like" is much more frequently used to indicate you have strong feelings, or even actual "love" towards someone... It's quite strong. For example, you don't say "I love you" when you get off the phone like people here in America do. That's WAAY too strong and weird even between family members... I don't know, so to me, when Jenny says "I like you" it is very strong to me and it strikes me as more true and meaningful than "I love you".
 
That's interesting. We do say it all the time here. It's powerful on occasion, like the first time you use it with a new person, but almost rote most of the time, especially with family members. I don't generally find it meaningless, but it doesn't hit the way it ought to for something that has so much value. (Kinda like cussin'!)
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?