vision

i'm working on my first pre-drafted blog about an experience I had last night in the emergency room at Northwestern. everything is good. everyone is fine. the experience however is one that will baffle me for years to come and maybe with all your help we can solve this thing...

until then, I want you all to know that at charlierose.com you can watch full episode of his show. I frequent the site often, but admit that I haven't been on in ages and in fact am sad to say that i haven't caught the show in ages. so, I went to the site this past weekend and saw the phenomenon of online video once again content me that what I do in my life is worth while (and maybe one day will be somewhat profitable). Sufficed to say, Harold Pinter's interview with Charlie was on the top of the list having just been aired a day or so before I came to the site. I sat in front of my computer for an hour (I do more on a regular basis) and watched these two amazing men conversate.

much was talked about Pinter's work and his political views. He and Charlie surely do not get along when it comes to Pinter's view on America. Pinter believes as much of us do that Americans as a whole have an unjustified ego and are quite bullying in their point of view. Charlie still has hope for America, whereas Pinter is content in his distopian vision.

Two interesting quotes or thoughts came out of this for me besides the piece as a whole and I wanted to share.

The interview was very retrospective and Charlie showed Pinter's expansive reach by rolling clips of other great men and women talking about Pinter on Charlie's show. Stoppard, Mendes, Pinter's wife, etc. all had much to say in conversations they had with Charlie about Pinter. Mamet also spoke and this is how he encompassed Pinter's role in theatre, "Pinter took the narration out of drama and put the poetry back." There is no argument that the best writers of today follow Pinter in his role. i don't think I would have the guts to write what I do unless I had such a role model to follow.

The second point I want to share is when Charlie asked Pinter why he doesn't write a play about the war in Iraq. Aside from not writing anymore plays, Pinter said this, "It is not what is in my vision." Kind of like the old saying, "Write what you know." Pinter fully claims to not being able to write a play about certain topics. Of course, much of his work is extremely political and we can go back through countless works and parallel what is going on in Iraq with the action, subjects and characters of his plays, but to write a play about this subject is just not something he is capable. I started to write here, "even he is capable", but Pinter fully believes that it is not his role to write such a play; it is another's role. He talks about Hare who rights on the subject with much admiration.

You can learn a lot from a dodgy old rascal like Pinter; and Charlie too. I did.

A final side note is that when asked about theatre today and writers today, Pinter mentioned one name, Conor McPherson. Currently, Signal Ensemble Theatre is doing The Weir, McPherson's first play with more than one character. Gift Theatre did The Good Thief this past summer. Chicago ain't that bad I say...

just don't go to the emergency room with an emergency.