Saturday, July 31, 2010

Higher Things

The thing about that tiresome cliché about the magic of theatre is that, like all tiresome clichés, it's essentially true. It doesn't always work for everyone in the audience or on the stage, but when it works for most, it becomes a specie of rough magic, and on those rare occasions it works for all the roof comes off and something holy is glimpsed.

If it works all the time you're watching Shakespeare or Aeschylus or some such johnny done as it's meant to be.

I offer the conjecture that all art, real art, aspires to such transcendence. And the curious thing is that in the performing arts even the weakest performance can have its moments - which is why so many of those involved keep searching.

5 comments:

Trebuchet said...

That would be a theophany, as the Greeks used to say. *grin*

Daryl L.W.J. said...

Dear Mr. C, I have returned, a mere clerk buried in my books at Oxenford, and perhaps we ought to catch up over a cup of tea?

Brian Connor said...

Good to hear the Clerk is back. A cup of tea sounds just the thing - over which to speak in forme and reverence, words short and quyk and ful of hy sentence.

Timing might be a bit tricky though with fasting month on its way. Drop a line and let's see how things pan out.

Daryl L.W.J. said...

Yes, I thought that might have been a problem. Well, I leave on the last day of September, so pick a date and ask your people to contact my people. (Alternatively, drop an email or text. I think that's the better option, frankly.)

Email: daryllwj@hotmail.com
Did you receive my new hp. number?

Brian Connor said...

Yes, got the number, as you no doubt realise from today's fruitful encounter. Thanks for the e-mail. My people are on task even as we (sort of) speak.