[DOC] Dear Brutus by J. M. Barrie in Arts-Photography

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. One of best of BarrieBy Sarah E. ClarkLove this play with its haunting provocative theme.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Modernized version of Shakespeares MidsummerBy Cameron BartlettThough Midsummer is classified as a Comedy. it more aptly shares the characteristics of Shakespeares Romances. From Wikipedia here is the common description of a Shakespeare Romance:"A redemptive plotline with a happy ending involving the re-uniting of long-separated family members;Magic and other fantastical elements;The presence of pre-Christian. masque-like figures. like Jupiter in Cymbeline" and in this case characters from Greek legend.Another important quality is that the setting of the play is not set in the real world. but in the realm of the imagination. FAIRYLAND.I believe that Barrie was trying to not make comedy or tragicomedy. but was in fact trying to recreate the genre of a Shakespearian Romance and was trying apply that genre to Modern theater. If that is indeed the case. then "Dear Brutus" can be seen as a modernized retelling/adaption of Shakespeares Midsummer.This is exactly the interpration of the production a few years back at the Nottingham Play House where the play house produced both shows in the same night. Not only that. but the same company used the same actors for both productions.Among the cast wereGareth Thomas: Theseus of Athens. King Oberon. and Mr Dearth from Dear Brutus.Sandra Duncan : Hippolyta. Titania. and Alice Dearth.Martin Herdman: Buttom. Matie the butler.Veronica Leer: Puck. Dearths daughter MargaretJustine Mitchell: Hellena. JoannaSarah Hadland: Hermia. Lady CarolineWhen one looks at the roles associated with characters from both Midsummer and Brutus. one begins to see that perhaps this was Barries original intention all along.First off there is the obvious crossover with Barrie making his character Lob in fact Puck from Midsummer. In both stories it is Pucks actions. or mis-actions. that create the plot that characters are thrown into.There is the similarities of the characters of Mr. Dearth and Alice Dearth with Oberon and Titania. In both marriages there exist a fight. Both fights involve a child of sorts. Alice (also name of the main character in Barries Alice sit by the Fire) is the representation of the modernized woman and socialite. Mr. Dearth is the picture of the failing artist whos one regret is that he has never had a child.Both stories involve mix ups and mismatches between lovers. This is seen in Purdie. Joanna. and Mabel.In the second Act Mr. Coade paints Mrs. Coade as the ideal and perfect love and woman. Similar to how Hippolyata would be viewed as the perfect woman by Theseus. Also in Shakespeares story the two oldest characters. in antiquity terms. would be the characters of Theseus and Hip. Is it conciedense then that the Coades are the oldest couple in the play?Last there is character of Bottom and Mattie. Bottom in Shakespeares play would be classified as the low character and the fool. Mattie is butler in the play and is socially the lowest member of class in the cast of characters. There is also a lot of attention paid to him just like there is in the character of Bottom. Mattie can be seen as the fool in the story by the remarks that he has made that if he were born in higher class he would not be a theif. Bottom in Shakespeare goes through two transformations. he gets turned into an "Ass" in the woods and then he transforms. with makeup. into the character of Pyramus. The whole point of Matties transformation from low class to high class is that no matter which class he is born under he still is who is. and is a "fool" in thinking otherwise.I think it is important to read the work by Barrie in this light. And hopefully the play can be revived as more awareness is made between its connection with Shakespeares work. Comparing the two plays together and the themes inside of the plays would make a perfect class assignment.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A wonderful storyBy The Reviewer Formerly Known as Kurt JohnsonJ.M. Barrie. the author of the wonderful Peter Pan stories. wrote this play in 1917. and it clearly shows a much freer tone than those plays that I have read that were written during the previous Victorian era. In this play. a group of people. strangers for the most part. are invited to an unusual midsummer stay. Each person present has a secret regret. a path that they wished that they had taken. When. on Midsummerrsquo;s Eve. a magical forest appears. each enters and get a chance to see the people they might have been had they taken that other path.This ldquo;tragicomedyrdquo; is quite a wonderful story. I first picked it up with some trepidation. as some plays are rather too bare boned. However. Mr. Barrie included many notes and sidebars that make this play read just as easily as any prose story. It has quite an interesting lesson. and yet is very entertaining. I hope that I am able to find this play being performed somewhere. as I certainly enjoyed reading it. I think that you will enjoy reading it. too.