Friday, January 25, 2013
Trifles Prompt Response
The proposal to stage a more theatricalized version of Trifles is, in my opinion, a very bold move, and one that I don't think would work very well. The thing that I like most about this play is its naturalism; the way it honestly depicts the gossip of a small town through the dialogue of Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, and the true-to-life representation of a small country home. My Grandparents live in Dodson, Louisiana, and upon reading this play I was immediately reminded of visiting them and hearing my Grandmother and Aunt whisper in another room about some new scandal about someone in town. Granted, the subject matter of the play is (hopefully) much darker than any of the gossip my family deals with, but I still can vividly picture the way the women talk and act. However, I believe the dialogue should be reinforced by the naturalistic scenery of Mrs. Wright's kitchen. The two women discover the truth through the details overlooked by the men, and I feel that if there are no real "details" to be found onstage, then this concept is lost. The significance of the little things, the "trifles," if you will, is very important to the script as a whole, and, if lost, ruins the play.
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Sam, I agree with you that a theatricalized version of this play would not work, because the woman need the kitchen and such to discover evidence, and without it, the audience would be confuse. Although playing devils advocate, you made a point about how the play should be about the little things, or the "trifles". In that case, shouldn't a theatricalized version be a good choice because it would not include material things, but instead, just the actors and a couple of simple set pieces. Just an idea to think about :)
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