Spanish dramatis, writer and poet Pedro Calderón de la Barca died #OTD in 1681.
His plays have been divided thematically: religious comedies (La devoción de la cruz), historical-legendary (El sitio de Breda), comedies of intrigue (Casa con dos puertas, mala es de guardar), comedies of honor (El médico de su honra), philosophical (El gran teatro del mundo), mythological (Eco y Narciso) and sacramental acts (A Dios por razón de estado).
«¿Qué es la vida? Un frenesí.
¿Qué es la vida? Una ilusión,
una sombra, una ficción;
y el mayor bien es pequeño;
que toda la vida es sueño,
y los sueños, sueños son».
"What is life? A madness.
What is life? An illusion,
a shadow, a story.
And the greatest good is little enough:
for all life is a dream,
and dreams themselves are only dreams."
La vida es sueño (1635)
~Pedro Calderón de la Barca (17 January 1600 – 25 May 1681)
"The spirit of truth and the spirit of freedom — these are the pillars of society."
The Pillars of Society
Norwegian Dramatist & Poet Henrik Ibsen died #OTD in 1906.
Ibsen is renowned for his pioneering work in realism, a movement in theater that sought to depict everyday life & societal issues with honesty and accuracy. He moved away from the romanticized and melodramatic styles that dominated the 19th century.
22 May 1602: Philip Henslowe's diary records £5 paid to 'antoney monday & mihell drayton Webster, & ye rest in earnest of a Boocke called sesers falle' #otd#theatre#London (BM)
22 May 1602: Philip Henslowe's diary records £5 paid to 'antoney monday & mihell drayton Webster, & ye rest in earnest of a Boocke called sesers falle' #otd#theatre#London (BM)
Hi Masto, I'm home. The day began with the wind and rain which had me wanting to listen only to The Cure during my commutes and while I was prepping for class. Can the eyeliner be far behind. I jest. My eyes are far too sensitive for eye makeup these days and all of my fancy eye makeup palettes are going to waste.
It was an okay day. Another Drama Lab with my Oral Literacy MA Students. Their big project for this semester is connected to The Lady's Not For Burning. My approach to Oral Literacy is Oral Literacy x Pop Culture x Performance Studies. I'm enjoying it! I always enjoy teaching performance as it takes me back to some of those roots (I did two years of a performance studies x literature PhD before I defected fully to lit to be a Gothic scholar)
I have just discovered that the Baltimore Rock Opera Society exists, its current show is A Computer That Loves: And Why Not To Build One, "a original universe-spanning sci-fi rock opera epic with a big (and heavy) heart."
I was cast in a play at the Lafayette Civic Theatre Play Festival! I will be playing an aging stoner, like totally typecast, man.
I also wrote one of the plays which will be presented as well. If you want a double-dose of seeing your good pal Scotto do creative comedy stuff, then mark your calendar for the last weekend in June.
Guest speaker: Scottish actor & playwright Matthew Zajac, who will be also performing his critically acclaimed play THE TAILOR OF INVERNESS – the first performance of this play in France
British novelist, dramatist, short story writer, poet and critic Hall Caine was born #OTD in 1853.
Caine's most famous work is "The Manxman," published in 1894. Caine's other novels include "The Deemster" (1887), "The Scapegoat" (1891), "The Eternal City" (1901), and "The Christian" (1897), among many others. He also wrote several plays, including adaptations of his own novels for the stage.
Judi Dench proves again that she's not remotely lovely or fluffy, as she's often portrayed.
ICYMI - she professed a wish to have Harvey Weinstein's name "tattoeed on her bum" during a promotional interview for Philomena, broadcast on Kermode and Mayo's Film Review podcast.
I know #MeToo hadn't risen to prominence at that time, but given his behaviour was widely acknowleged to be "an open secret in Hollywood", it's extremely unlikely she wasn't aware. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/14/judi-dench-trigger-warning-people-should-avoid-theatre/ #Theatre
French poet, dramatist, and novelist Jean Aicard died #OTD in 1921.
He was associated with the Parnassian movement, which emphasized formalism, craftsmanship, and the use of classical mythology and historical themes in poetry. He was also a prolific playwright and novelist. One of Aicard's most famous works is the novel "Le Roi de Camargue" (The King of Camargue), was published in 1872.
"Cigales, mes sœurs,
Qu'importe à nos cœurs
La richesse des granges pleines?
Pourvu que nos voix
Sonnent par les bois
Quand midi flambe sur les plaines?
...
Par les froids hivers
Nous n'allons pas vers
Ceux qui n'ont pas la voix ou l'aile;
Dès qu'a fui l'été,
Nous avons été...
Mais notre gloire est immortelle."
Chanson des cigales
~Jean François Victor Aicard (4 February 1848 – 13 May 1921)