Reading week 1

Reading – Week 1

O’Donnell, D (2006). ‘A Suicide Site Guide To The City.’ in O’Donnell, D. Social Acupuncture. Toronto: Coach House Books

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·         Very autobiographical play, especially through specific dates, times, place.

·         Written a long time before it was performed, but said as if it was made up on the spot. However it doesn’t hide the past or the knowledge of it. It acknowledges and plays with the fact that during writing it he is lonely, but somehow simultaneously surrounded by people because the words will be heard by people. There is a link between the past and the present and future.

·         It is potentially very funny. It sees the humour in random or bad things. It is light hearted at times. He talks about himself as an actor, an actual person, not a character within a play. He is not acting. He also talks about the technicians, however I’m not sure how if it was written several years before being performed. Does he know he is going to use these technicians? Are they actually called that or is he lying to us?

·         It is very dark at times. It shows the dark side in him, and the potential for the dark side in any of us. The suicide, the molesting, the weirdness, the drugs, violence and potential anarchy. He is seemingly unstable and highly emotional. Shows the potential dark side in anyone and everyone with examples in the play, like murder, homicide, terrorism, willingness to create anarchy and mayhem, guns, knives, drugs, weed, cocaine etc.

·         Very very political and socially aware. Not absent from contemporary issues like Otto Vass, September 11^th terrorist attacks, Presidency and War in Iraq. Political movements and class system. Talks about internal/American class and politics system, but also the worldwide issues.

·         He plays lots of characters and things, but brings it back to self and story. Breaks down the monotonous monologue by playing other people and changing the dialogue.

·         Very clever use of technical, like Sound effects, light effects, gunshots, mime to sound etc.

·         Plays with the audience’s assumptions, especially at the start and the end, with the guitar, the hat passing and the man outside.

·         Use of placards and songs, though not at the same time or the same way, the songs say one thing, the placard another.

·         Uses direct address to the audience.

·         Simple props, costume, set, sound and lights.

·         Makes the audience question performance and truth. Is this really a man telling us his thoughts or a clever use of staging and acting to lull us into a false sense of security?