Space in Cleansed- Chrissie

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Oh hey! You're from the states too! This is cool, as I think most people who post on this site are Europeans, which is cool as well, don't get me wrong, but I just had to comment on the racist thing: I agree with you 100%...there is SO MUCH that underlies our society in this country, that people just do not want to talk about (also why I think David Lynch is such a great artist, he always shows the "underside" of the picture)...and actually, I'll go out on a limb here and even say that I am quite freaked out with all this patriotism that has happened since the horrid events of September 11th...hope I'm not offending anyone saying that...but anyway, I think you're right about the "silencing" thing with regards to Carl and Rod, and you know its such a beautifully sad and very true human thing, that we will use virtually anything we can to create, to express and show love, feelings, etc...and so this "cutting off" is very symbolic I think...ok, I'm thru rambling now!

Archive 1-3-2002

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What a wonderful site this is.

I had to respond to the question: Why does Tinker respond by cutting Carl into pieces? It's very situation specific: First, he makes Carl betray Rod with words and cuts out his tongue so he can't speak anymore. Then, after he watches Carl try to communicate with Rod by writing, he cuts off Carl's hands so he can't write anymore. Then, after he watches Carl dance for Rod, he cuts off Carl's feet so he can't dance anymore. I read this as silencing, that Tinker is silencing Carl in the same way we silence each other, e.g., racism is not a topic we should discuss because it's so incendiary, despite the fact that racism underlies the entire foundation of our country (U.S.). In a way, it seems that Tinker does not want Carl to connect with Rod, though I can't say I've thought that out as well as the reason I believe Tinker is chopping Carl up.

Archive 20-2-2002

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Thanks, Jess. I didn't know that.

Archive 12-2-2002

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I'm sure Tinker is a guard - the others obey him however disagreeable they find his orders; he meets Grace at the entrance to deal with her (only a guard would be allowed to do this); in the original London production, which Sarah would have had an input into, he wore a guard's uniform.

Archive 9-2-2002

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I'm doing pre-production work on this particular play--it doesn't open until June--and the tagline we're using on our postcards for the show is "Be careful what you wish for." I get the impression that Sarah seems to be saying that while love has it's redemptive qualities, it also hurts/scars us deeply.

The university symbolism seems pretty simple to me--every one of the characters "learns" something about himself while incarcerated.

Also, has anyone gotten the impression that Tinker is a patient like everyone else? Thus his comments, "I'm not responsible."

Archive 9-2-2002

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I always assumed that in the universaty complex there was a living area, and like militery bases in the third world a blind eye is turned to activatys like that being set up.

Archive 5-2-2002

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'Woman' is actually a very interesting character.

Is she a paid employee? Or is she an inmate, being punished by being made to do the sex shows?

I think she falls for Tinker from the beginning. She shouts with frustration when he uses her as a surrogate for Grace, because she wants him to appreciate her for herself. When he talks to her as herself for the first time, in scene 19 - because he needs to open out to someone about the loss of Grace - she is sympathetic and gives herself to him.

Archive 2-2-2002

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That's a point. As 'Woman' she's also only body, in opposite to the dead Graham, who is only soul. Compare Psychosis: "Body and soul never get married.' (Or something like that)

I think these two 'opposites' are very important for regarding Kanes work.

Archive 29-1-2002

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On the subject of the 'peep' scenes, I always wondered why the prison camp has sex peepshow booths. Perhaps the dancer symbolises Woman in general as a male fantasy figure (could be why she is called 'Woman' ?)

Archive 28-1-2002

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"Hmmm"...perhaps you are right about this, I might have to go back and re-read parts of it, I guess what I meant in relation to this is that the character of Tinker is closed off emotionally in general and this would seem to be even more so in the "peep" scenes because he is in fact, "looking" at someone that he cannot touch, there is a separation that exists and for me that seems to reflect the emotional nature of his character.

Archive 28-1-2002

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Tinker is actually opening up emotionally in the 'peep' scenes, pretending the Woman is Grace, saying to her what he wants to say to Grace but cannot bring himself to because he knows she won't return his love.

Archive 26-1-2002

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Well, you raise some very interesting points here...I do get the sense that Tinker is more closed off emotionally in the "peep" scenes also, but perhaps this could be because he is not in "control" as much? I mean an underlying motif I see in this play is one of control and manipulation with the character of Tinker.

As for the inside/outside the university world well...I can tell you from my own experience that it is a very insular world, and "power" is wielded as a weapon quite often...tho the power in this sense I mean more as an intellectual/emotional thing, which is really what Tinker does anyway, when you think about it...I mean, how warped must the other characters be to even seek out his approval or trust in the first place you know?

Archive 2-1-2002

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Well yes, though I was acctually refering to a TV show when I mentiond 'Coffee and Cherry Pie', as it had a red room where good and evil coexist...

Archive 25-1-2002

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There's also an analogy to alchemy:

black: the 'prima materia', the material base for the further conversion (--> coffee?)

white: white heat, the first transformation (--> cake?)

red: the ultimate heat, where gold can be achieved, gold stands for the philsosophical union/'marriage' of body and soul/mind. (--> berries?)

Archive 25-1-2002

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Just think of coffee and cherry pie

Archive 24-1-2002