Tuesday
The Vibrations Beneath Us
When I work, my first step (after reading the play of course) is usually finding music that stimulates my creativity. For this play, I immediately knew that avant gard music would help me find the instability of the world this play depicts. Jerry is a punch, a stomp, a bang; Jerry is a fierce and unpredicateable drum beat that hypnotises its listeners; He scares them and draws them in all at once. This piece is a great musical representation of Jerry's impact on the world, and specifically on Peter's world. He comes in quietly enough- a little odd but apparently harmless. Then, he breaks the mold of a pleasant Sunday in the park and shatters Peter's life as he has always known it. Pay special notice to the siren sounds, the sharp pops that sound like gunshots, and all the other rhythms that paint an image, not only of Jerry and his actions on Peter, but of a city- dare I say, New York City. Let this music spark your artfull perspective on this world we aim to create. It is an odd world, but it is all based in raw truth- much like the truth that Jerry sought and died for.
The Zoo Story- A Search for More
There are those who do not sit still and let life be. These people always need more and want more. They desire the superficial to fade away and pure uncensored passion and excitement to define every day. Jerry is one of these people, and just as Jerry hypnotises, angers, disturbs, and ultimately changes Peter's life, Albee uses this play to do the same things to the audience. The quote below expresses this sentiment quite beautifully and is a message that I hope we can instill in audiences.
"...because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!"
One the Road by Jack Kerouac: Part One, Ch. 1
"...because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!"
One the Road by Jack Kerouac: Part One, Ch. 1
http://www.somethingnew.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/explosion.jpg
Filthy but True
honest; REAL
Forgotten; Avoided
http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2008/0804/crane_belfast.jpg
We're All Animals
Animals play a dominant role in The Zoo Story and can inform you greatly about Albee's message. Jerry is a caged animal (like a dog in rooming house) and Peter is a domesticated cat. Let the animal images below incite you to explore the gritty animalistic behaviours that are suppressed within all humans.
ALONE; STRANGE
(Jerry)
Central Park Images
Below are pictures of Central Park that display the odd juxtaposition of nature and synthetic human creations that we want to point out in the design elements (specifically scenic design) in this show.
Central Park is a key figure in this text because not only is it the setting, but it also serves as a sort of metaphor for the way Jerry sees life. Jerry feels out of place in a false world where people never really live. Central park, much the same, seems out of place in the middle of a huge city lacking raw nature. Interestingly enough, though, there is another layer to this metaphor. Central Park, while it may appear to be the most natural element of the city, it actually was created after the city was erected and came about in order to satisfy the desires of elite members of society to keep them fashionable as compared to Parisians. While these metaphors are not the most significant aspect of the show, it is an interesting thing to think about when looking at Albee's purposes.
Central Park is a key figure in this text because not only is it the setting, but it also serves as a sort of metaphor for the way Jerry sees life. Jerry feels out of place in a false world where people never really live. Central park, much the same, seems out of place in the middle of a huge city lacking raw nature. Interestingly enough, though, there is another layer to this metaphor. Central Park, while it may appear to be the most natural element of the city, it actually was created after the city was erected and came about in order to satisfy the desires of elite members of society to keep them fashionable as compared to Parisians. While these metaphors are not the most significant aspect of the show, it is an interesting thing to think about when looking at Albee's purposes.
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