Every week, I compose listings on the week's new plays for Metromix NY. I'm often disappointed by the titles that playwrights choose for their work, so I'm reviewing their titles now. Not the shows (I haven't seen them yet) just the titles. To read about the content of each show, click through its link to my listings on Metromix NY.
GOLF: THE MUSICAL
A marketer's title, as dull as the game it identifies. At least the juxtaposition of quiet, focused sport with extroverted, spectacle-driven theater implies a sense of comic surrealism.
LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS
I'll bet including the word 'Christmas' boosts sales of any item. But here it's presented with the excitement of a dictionary. And 'looking' is a dull activity that fails to capture a potential ticket-buyer's interest.
THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN
The savvy culturista will recognize the title of one of Germany's greatest movies; obviously, this drama adapts it. Even if you don't recognize it though, from the surname you can guess that it's set among Germans. It's a generic surname, while the given name is uncommonly Catholic. 'Marriage' is almost a state of existence, suggesting a long span and a full arc.
THE RED SHOES
Another film title, a classic of British cinema. Red shoes are almost an archetype, really. The color suggests passion (at least in Western Civ); the accessory may be sexual (think fuck-me heels) but they also ground a person. Red shoes, then, suggest an emotional storm or instability. Adding a definite article almost seems to imply a curse upon the wearer.
GOLF: THE MUSICAL
A marketer's title, as dull as the game it identifies. At least the juxtaposition of quiet, focused sport with extroverted, spectacle-driven theater implies a sense of comic surrealism.
LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS
I'll bet including the word 'Christmas' boosts sales of any item. But here it's presented with the excitement of a dictionary. And 'looking' is a dull activity that fails to capture a potential ticket-buyer's interest.
THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN
The savvy culturista will recognize the title of one of Germany's greatest movies; obviously, this drama adapts it. Even if you don't recognize it though, from the surname you can guess that it's set among Germans. It's a generic surname, while the given name is uncommonly Catholic. 'Marriage' is almost a state of existence, suggesting a long span and a full arc.
THE RED SHOES
Another film title, a classic of British cinema. Red shoes are almost an archetype, really. The color suggests passion (at least in Western Civ); the accessory may be sexual (think fuck-me heels) but they also ground a person. Red shoes, then, suggest an emotional storm or instability. Adding a definite article almost seems to imply a curse upon the wearer.
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