ePub The Loves of Krishna in Indian Painting and Poetry by W. G. Archer in Arts-Photography

Review

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Wading Toward The Deep End of the TheatreBy D.W. HawkTurning away from the realistic language and ambiance of his stage plays "Red" and "Ill Eat You Last"; Logan enters unapologetically into a series of true theatrical experiences with "Peter and Alice". Inspired by a real life encounter between Alice Liddell Hargreaves and Peter Davies; Logan allows his imagination a greater freedom in dramatizing the characters of this play than he did when dramatizing Mark Rothko and Sue Menger. "Reality" pulses in and out of this script in fluid scenes while competing for stage time with flashback sequences; dramatizations from "Peter Pan" and "Alice in Wonderland"; and made-up memories. The play becomes almost a shared hallucination -- not only between the two main characters; but between the characters and the audience.Logans script beautifully addresses the differences between youth and maturity; and the emotional cost of journeying between these two points. Hes created several wonderfully affecting scenes; which I believe trained and talented actors would love to have the opportunity to attempt in front of an audience. However; the theatrical language of this script can be difficult to deliver with any believability as the play washes effortlessly back and forth through different realities; and its no surprise that Dame Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw -- neither one a neophyte when it comes to language in performance -- were hired to navigate these dangerous waters. That being said; I cant imagine a director or a designer who wouldnt be excited by the theatrical demands of the script.Structurally; the play meanders a bit -- almost a stream of collective consciousness -- and its tough to get a firm understanding of the trajectory of the script. Instead of a direct line leading from point A to point B across the diameter of the circle; the scenes appear to drift about; exploring the area of the circle in no particular pattern. It leaves me to believe that the experience of watching the play being performed would greatly increase my own appreciation of the play. There are some plays in which the text is obviously the grand foundation of the play (think Shakespeare); but Logan has been brave enough to write a script that demanded the active collaboration of the creative team in order to bring the play to its true potential.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Beautifully written and well thought outBy James J. Hoegerl"All children except one grow up."Seeing as I have always found the histories behind the worlds greatest stories fascinating ; I had a vague idea of what I was getting into when I bought this book .I knew about Alice Hargreaves and the Reverend Dodgson; along with his possible pedophilia. I had knowledge of the sad life of Sir James M . Barrie; including his association with the Llewellyn Davies family. But my prior knowledge could not have prepared me for what I was to discover within John Logans script.Here; Logan has concocted a fanciful; yet realistic; idea of what a meeting between the historical Alice and the namesake of Peter Pan might have been like. The end result is a beautiful and yet tragic character study revealing what the widow Hargreaves and Peter Llewelyn Davies may have felt about the characters that so many have associated them with.Interwoven with their meeting are moments from their lives in which they interact with the two men who made them famous and others. The two interact with their fictional counterparts; who playfully move the plot along. In the end; Alice and Peter prove just how fundamentally different and similar they were.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Reading this script helped me to enjoy Peter Alice; more.By Robert B. MurrayJohn Logan is smart and able. His RED was outstanding and his screenplays are superior to most current writing for film.PETER ALICE is not one of his best efforts. The idea is intriguing but lacks drama. Michael Grandages production inLondon was; I think ;over-produced. Nontheless; I was thankful to have the opportunity of reading the script before seeingthe production. It made my seeing the play more interesting than it might have been.