Shakespeare titles: The Comedy of Errors

David Tennant gets mistaken for his twin
in the RSC 2000 production of The Comedy of Errors

The Comedy of Errors inaugurates Shakespeare's habit of giving nondescript titles to his comedies—think of Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It. This one's even broader, literally generic, having come to mean any story having ironic accidents, mistaken identities, and farcical proportions. Incidentally, the common phrase derives from the title, not visa versa.

Comedy announces the show's genre, but it's Errors that characterizes the action. Late in act 5, as the play's complications are resolved, one of a pair of twins, separated at birth and now reunited, says,

… I was ta'en for him, and he for me,
And thereupon these errors are arose.

The play's Errors are mistaken assumptions, confusions of the mind. In this respect, the title echoes The Supposes, a then-thirty-year-old translation of an Italian play. The writer of that comedy, a Cambridge grad and bankrupt gentleman named George Gascoigne, explicated his title in the play's argument (= a plot summary delivered before the play):

But understand, this our Suppose is nothing else but a mistaking or imagination of one thing for another. For you shall see the master supposed for the servant, the servant for the master: the freeman for a slave, and the bondslave for a freeman: the stranger for a well-known friend, and the familiar for a stranger.

For Gascoigne, a Suppose was a confusion of identity, whether intentional or un-. Most comedies in antiquity and the Renaissance were named for a character or dramatic catalyst. By naming his play for its comic theme, Gascoigne probably provided Shakespeare with the inspiration to title his own comedies whimsically. Shakespeare definitely knew The Supposes; he poached its plot for act 4 of The Taming of the Shrew*.

As for The Comedy of Errors itself, the title of this early-career play doesn't just show that Shakespeare was already approaching his titles with imagination and flourish. It also proves that his ability to coin unforgettable phrases was already fully formed by 1594, the earliest recorded performance of the show.

* The bit about a gentleman hiring a random traveller to impersonate his father—or rather the father of his servant, who meanwhile was impersonating him. 

Theater: Title Bout (July 19)

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 review their titles. Not the shows, just the titles. To read about the content of each show, click through its link to my listing.


THE PARTING GLASS
It's not a glass that sets apart, it's a glass drunk when people part. The key is that the reference is Irish, and so it has a poetic style that more literal English-speakers might miss. It's actually the title to a 18C folk song that you might recognize; it was interpreted by the Clancy Brothers, Bob Dylan, and the Pogues.

THE SILVER TASSIE
Sean O'Casey came up with this title and drama. I haven't read the play (yet), but I'd guess the title refers to a significant prop or metaphor. A “tassie” is a cup or bowl; it's one of those British words with a whiff of archaism. “Silver” adds value, & conjures the image of something like a grail. As titles go, this is a little vague without context but it's unique and therefore memorable.

THE TEMPLE OF THE GOLDEN PAVILION
Even if you don't know this existential novel by Mishima―or the masterpiece of Kyoto architecture that it refers to―you might suspect it's set in Japan or at least the far East. The title has that non-European structure that doubles up on nouns (it's a temple and a pavilion) and ornaments the subclause delicately. The image is lovely, isn't it?

Theater: Title Bout (June 27)

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.


ALL NEW PEOPLE
Ambiguity usually adds to a title, but here it detracts. Maybe it means “All-New” (as in “All-New, All-Different X-Men”)? Or does the title mean to invite only new people, and all of them at that, as if it were a barker? The more it's examined, the less sense this dull title makes.

TRYST
An odd word, mostly because it looks archaic but it's not. It's got the very specific meaning of “romantic rendezvous," which works in this one-word title's favor by setting up a pair of lovers and a clandestine tone. As a title, “Tryst” encourages you to imagine the beginnings of a story, which is what a good title should do.

Theater: Title Bout (May 17)

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.


H4
Is this a Shakespeare play titled for the Age of Twitter? Or would that be H4.1 and H4.2? Then it's the final shot in a cutthroat game of Battleship? Or a more generic grid location? A pun on “age four”? Please drop other suggestions in the comments!

I MARRIED WYATT EARP
I like this title's confessional, slightly lurid mid-20C quality, like I Was a Teenaged Werewolf. Presuming it's accurate, the title also gives us a period and subject: the legendary lawman of Tombstone, AZ.

THE ILLUSION
As generic as this definite-article/noun title is, the topic can easily send a potential audience down an whimsical avenue in search of the theme. After all, isn't all theater just an illusion? Isn't life? In fact, this is an adaptation of Cornielle's 17C drama L'Illusion comique, usually translated as The Theatrical Illusion. The original French title focuses on genre, not medium, and hints at the illusion's delight.

THE LADY'S NOT FOR BURNING
One of the great titles of 20C drama. It's such an odd statement! Just what transpires in this show that requires clarification about who shouldn't be burnt? Witchcraft, probably, but it does inspire the imagination. And the iambic syncopation makes the title so memorable.

ONE ARM
This title wears its subject on its sleeve; it's a play about an amputee. That missing limb has the potential to be a smart symbol as well.

SHAKESPEARE'S SLAVE
A bit of poetry that Will might appreciate. Every vowel sound is long, with the “ay” echoing across the gap of the “ee”, making it three stressed syllables, and the sibilant “s” acting as glue. As for content, this title conjures a ironic character from the imagination: a slave owned by one of the most compassionate depicters of human nature.

WTC VIEW
The reference to the Twin Towers helps to date this play's period, but so, cleverly, does the allusion to that lapsed style of classified ads. It's a play about an apartment search and roommate situation, with the heavy portent of the terrorist attacks implied as well. Does 9/11 figure in? Even if not, that reference has been activated.

Theater: Title Bout (May 10)

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.


CRADLE AND ALL
A quote from the rhyme “Rockabye Baby”. It's an astute reference, since it alludes only obliquely to the grisly fate of that nursery baby. Hopefully, the play itself deals as darkly with the theme of new parenthood.

DESPERATE WRITERS
This title's awfully bland and only kind of functional. It conveys its subject but nothing of the tone.

JUMP
An imperative verb can be okay, as one-word titles go. But even if this one accurately describes the show's content, it's way too common a title to work well. Plenty of songs have used it (see especially Van Halen and Criss Cross), and a quick check on Wikipedia shows that it's also been used for a movie, a TV show, a TV episode, albums, a funk band―and this very show, a Korean martial arts performance!

A LITTLE JOURNEY
Probably not a jukebox musical about the '70s/'80s rock band. “Journey” is a conventional structure for a tale, which suggests this play won't be too experimental in form. That “Little” is kinda cute, but journeys are short, not little.

MANIPULATION
Abstract nouns like this make weak titles, especially when they're unambiguous. Manipulation promises intrigue and subtextual motives for its characters, but it's also terribly pretentious.

NARRATOR 1
A meta title! Is the show named for its protagonist? Is the subject a duel between Narrators 1 and 2? As promising as that sounds, it also suggests that the show features the device of direct address, which I abhor as undramatic.

THE SHAGGS: PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD
The deliberate misspelling of slang with several meanings (among them, longish hair and casual sex), the long, grandiose subclause: if this sounds like a 1960s rock band's album, that's because it is. Only rock cultists will recognize the reference though, to an execrable sister-act that Frank Zappa and later Kurt Cobain dug.

WOMAN BEFORE A GLASS
The words might be generic in other situations instead summon up an image that's enigmatic and compelling. Who is the woman? Why is she looking in a mirror? Or is she in front of a glass cup, and what's in it and why is that significant? 

Theater: Title Bout (February 8)

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.


THE BODY POLITIC
Refitting a phrase for your own ends can be clever, if your work's content adds irony. But the danger is that, on its own, your title will look dull. “Body” gives this writer space to maneuver, offering several readings (even a hint of sex!), while “Politic” slips the  work's subject in.

THE DIARY OF A MADMAN
Gogol's short story, sometimes published without a definite article (Russian doesn't use them). A problem here is that diaries make for poor drama―even worse than letters, which at least imply a pair of characters! Of course, it does promise us a madman! So do you change the title, keep it for the Gogol reference, or change it to Gogol's Madman?

GOOD PEOPLE
On the face of it, Good People is too gentle to thrill. But something about its flatness suggests a struggle, that its people fall short of being good or that their goodness isn't enough.

IN YOUR IMAGE
A good prepositional phrase extends beyond itself to imply an entire sentence. In this case, the use of the second-person implies even more: a pair of characters. To add more to the puzzle, In Your Image inverts a Biblical allusion, “Let us make Man in our image,” says God(s) in Genesis. It's a bit compelling but also amorphous and a little pompous to boot.

INVASION!
Gotta love that exclamation point! It gives this one-word title an extra kick, turning it into some '50s sci-fi B-movie.

THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
This title stinks of nostalgia. It's pretty clearly a show about a winning sports team. But unlike In Your Image above, the preposition refers to the clause (i.e. it's a demonstrative pronoun), which makes it a little solipsistic. That's where the nostalgia comes from.

THINNER THAN WATER
Here, the title creates irony by reversing a standard turn-of-phrase. It also cuts the cliché's opening, which makes the reader do a little work. Presumably, the show's about the weaknesses and frustrations of the family bond. But to its credit, the imagery is strong: water, like air, can literally be thin. But by cutting the first half of the cliché & leading with "thinner than", the metaphor of thinness comes as a surprise.

Theater: Title Bout (February 1)

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.


A PERFECT FUTURE
An optimistic title generally gets rendered ironic by a work's content. Hopefully, the arc of disillusion is traced by a character as well as the audience. But while this title covers the basic structural narrative, it doesn't point beyond that to content, themes, etc. It's good journeyman work but generic.

LA BARBERIA
Hey, that's not English! Our polyglot country doesn't extend far into the theater community, which is pretty damned segregated. Here's a good start: a Latinate word that's very similar in English. So a squeamish ticketbuyer might say, “Oh, this show's about a Hispanic barbershop!” and pluck up courage to see the show.

COMPULSION
That's a fifty-cent word! This writer's got weighty theories about human behavior and has written a drama to investigate them. Hollywood used Compulsion for a 1950s courtroom drama based on the Leopold & Loeb case, to give you some idea of how heavy the word is. Wonder if this is an adaptation?

THE HALLWAY TRILOGY
Someone, maybe a comedian, observed that hallways aren't actually rooms, they're just the space between rooms. So maybe this title means to be existential. Regardless, a triptych about hallways doesn't sound like a thrill. Each play in the trilogy does have its own one-word title. Though as a group they're cryptic, as distinct titles they're a good collection. There's Rose: a flower freighted with symbolism (both Christian & romantic) & a given name besides. Then Paraffin: a rare, fun word that can refer to a common wax (on candles & crayons) and also to kerosene. Part three is Nursing: a gerund―always good, see next entry―that could be caring for an invalid or feeding a baby.

INTERVIEWING THE AUDIENCE
Gerunds tend to work well in titles because they imply an action in the present moment. But interviewing is rarely a thrilling act. Plus, we could stay home & watch it on TV. Finally, even a hint of participation will break the deal for many potential audience members.

THE MAN WHO ATE MICHAEL ROCKEFELLER
This title's fantastic: very specific and memorable. It sets up two characters in a unique relationship. The first complex clause, “The Man Who Ate” adopts the convention of a case-study. That lulls the reader, so that the cannibalism shocks all the more. And the name “Rockefeller” has baggage of its own, implying the filthiest of rich families in America. By extension, the title promises a sort of comeuppance.

MY SCANDALOUS LIFE
This title also follows a conventional form, though it's closer to memoir than case study. As such, it implies a character, one who would call his or her own life “scandalous”. The tenor of the word suggests a perverse pride, even narcissism, which is reinforced by the “My Life” format. Ironically, by following convention, the title belies its subject's claim to scandal.

NEXT
Interesting as one-word titles go. The word looks forward and implies momentum. Also, isolated as it is here and without a referent, it has almost a sinister tone that causes us to wonder, “What is next?“

VIEUX CARRE
A second foreign language in one week! French for “Old Square”, the phrase is another name for the French Quarter in New Orleans. So the title is presumably the play's setting, and it underscores the exotic quality of the location.

THE WII PLAYS
'Wii' being the game console. FYI, I like how the name implies fun (“Wheee!”) and a relationship (“we”). The misspelling is whimsical and probably smart branding. The two lower-case I's look like an abstract pair of kids (the dots representing noggins). So props to Nintendo. This show's title trades on the product, of course―if you don't know what a Wii is, maybe this isn't your show―but it also subtly puns on “play” as both a unit of drama and a verb involving games. Ironically, in this case the console plays the game, not the people!

A WORLD APART
“Apart” does the heavy lifting here. The title could mean that two characters are alien to each other at some point in the play's arc. Or it could mean that the protagonist sees his or her life collapse. These are broad brushstrokes and somewhat introverted in tone. Though it doesn't seem like much, A World Apart has a story to tell.

Theater: Title Bout (January 11)

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.


AMERICAN SEXY
An iteration of the convention 'stick “American” before a word to make it resonant' (see American Buffalo, American Idiot, etc.). What makes American Sexy a cut above the rest is that it uses an adjective instead of a noun.

CYMBELINE
Following the practice of his era, Shakespeare (or his producers) (or the editors of the First Folio) name this show for its most regal character―even though he's not particularly central. Not a great one frankly, especially since the Folio perversely calls it The Tragedie of Cymbeline when it's no such thing.

FLIPZOIDS
A funny, nonsensical title, which works for & against it: easy to notice, hard to remember. It sounds like a 1980s toy imported from Japan.

THE MISANTHROPE
Characterizing the title character (rather than naming him, which wasn't Moliére's style anyway, Tartuffe aside) as a misanthrope is dodgy from a marketing point-of-view. But it's great from a dramatic one & especially a comedic one. You expect a caustic work full of personality clashes &, ultimately, probably, unhappiness.

ROOM 17-B
A title after the setting rather than the protagonist. There's a portent to this one―it's a little like Room 101 in 1984. But the randomness of the number & the subdivision of the room adds a bureaucratic confusion to the setting.

SCREENPLAY
Surprisingly, Wikipedia only lists one movie with this name, & it's a porno. Doollee also lists only one other playscript with this title (AR Gurney). So most writers, or their producers, know enough to stay away from such a bland, generic title.

THREE SISTERS
This production of Chekhov's classic drops the standard definite article, which is okay because Russian doesn't use articles at all. Its absence does make you stop short. With or without “the”, this title has always sounded a little like a fairy tale to me.

THE WHIPPING MAN
It sounds like a 18C portrait, full of detail but also slightly allegorical. It also has echoes of a 'whipping boy', the surrogate for a naughty prince who's too high-born to receive the punishment he deserves. So does this title refer to the person whipping or the one being whipped? A good script will play upon that ambiguity…

WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS
A modern version of As You Like It? Maybe it's the contemporary style, maybe it's the 'public'―but this sounds more like pandering than Will's titles did. But it could also be a show that examines & critiques the title subject. Not a great title, but its ironic fold adds a layer or two.

Theater: Title Bout (January 4)

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.

THE ANNIHILATION POINT
Sounds like a sci-fi story―and wouldn't you know, it is! 'Annihilation' is actually one of my favorite words, with its root 'nihil' or 'nothing'. And 'Point' has a Newtonian specificity. I imagine the term to be analogous to 'event horizon'. My point is, it inspires a little imagination if you're inclined to faux-science terminology.

BEIRUT
The location of America's first modern encounter with suicide bombers, Beirut might be the prototypical “war-torn Middle Eastern city” for Americans. Savvy historians will also recall the city was once the Paris of the Middle East. So whether the play is actually set in the titular city or not, the word evokes a concrete image. Better than many cities that could be used in titles.

FREEDOM CLUB
I'm not sure about this one. It sounds like a term George W. Bush would've come up with (“Iraq is now part of the Freedom Club, a coalition of freedom-loving nations.”) or, more likely, a right-wing thinktank. And ironically, it also sounds like the policy they'd come up with: beat our enemies with a freedom club.

GREEN EYES
A generic title that tells us nothing whatsoever about the show. Nor is it specific enough to evoke an image or sensation.

GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES
The implication of children getting hurt, and badly, has to be quite a turnoff for ticketbuyers―I admire the playwright's willingness to alienate before the show's even started! Sonically, it's pretty good but not great. The 'g' & 'j' sounds echo one another well, & so does the proximity of the 'r' & 'oo' sounds in 'grue-' and '-jur-'. But it lacks syncopation.

HONEY BROWN EYES
A clear improvement on Green Eyes. 'Honey blue eyes' is more standard (though it makes less sense to me), which adds a small cognitive hook to the title. And there's something smart about honoring the most prosaic eye color with poetry.

THE INTERMINABLE SUICIDE OF GREGORY CHURCH
I like this. Like Gruesome Playground Injuries, it dares its audience to see it. It also takes a classic titling structure―“the (adjective) key action of the character”―and adds dark humor. And paradox too: note that the root of 'interminable' is 'terminate', so it's an ending that never ends!

JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN
Our first 'title = protagonist' of 2011. Ibsen (for he wrote this one) includes the character's middle name. It's an allusion to the Archangel who served as God's messenger (& would blow the trumpet at the Last Judgment). And 'bork' is Norwegian for, uh, 'bark', as of a tree. What's that signify? I dunno.

MEN GO DOWN
This phrase is almost stubbornly ambiguous. Which men? All men? Go down where? To their death, to the seaport, on other men, or what? If it's a quote, it's too obscure to catalog.

THE MILK TRAIN DOESN”T STOP HERE ANYMORE
I'm fond of full-sentence titles. This one implies isolation and decline. A milk train stopped at every podunk station to pick up milk & deliver into the city; obviously, if the milk train no longer stops 'here', it's been abandoned by the outside world.

NEARLY LEAR
A rarity: a clear yet elegant title. This show adapts Shakespeare's Lear, apparently. The triplicate long 'e' leaves no syllable unstressed, while the 'r' & 'l' swap positions from one word to another.

THE NEW YORK IDEA
In the late 19C, the New York Idea referred to the notion that Gotham is the most modern, sophisticated place on Earth. (I believe, but can't prove, that it was actually a term of reverse snobbery by non-NYers.) In circa 1906, Langdon Mitchell took it as the title to his prototypical screwball comedy, which sees rich divorcees celebrating that they can marry for love.

PANTS ON FIRE'S METAMORPHOSIS
Not to be confused with Ovid's Metamorphosis, presumably. Actually, I don't take issue with that distinction. It's the company's name, Pants on Fire, that sinks the title. It's very contempo British theater: past zany to outright inane.

2011 COIL FESTIVAL
I'm not sure what the curators of the Coil Festival intend by the name. 'Coil' isn't an acronym, and it's has no meaning in a theatrical context. I guess it's distinctive & therefore kind of memorable. But mostly it does nothing for me.

2011 CULTUREMART 

Culturemart, on the other hand, has a nice ring to it. It implies that it's a one-stop shop for arts culture. But  there's a tongue-in-cheek tone that's hard to pinpoint, suggesting that the curators don't support the commodification of art after all.

2011 UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL
From experience, I can tell you that this showcase offers more imagination than its title implies. 'Under the radar' is such a cliché that it comes across as crass, clumsy marketing. The curators would do well to consider changing it.

Theater: Title Bout (December 14)

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.


DRACULA
An adaptation of the classic gothic horror novel. If you're going to name your work after a character, better make him or her memorable! Bram Stoker's antagonist is one of the most enduring fictional characters of the 19th century. FYI, the word means 'dragon' in Romanian, & its uncanny, foreign set of sounds contributes to the appeal.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
One of the great titles of all time, largely because the play's content―Wilde's puckish irony & his punning on Ernest/earnest―subverts the title's superficial meaning. The phrase itself suggests a moral parable on a pretty dull subject and it could serve as the message of plenty of lukewarm rom-coms. But imagine the prank on a ticketholder who expects moral rectitude!

MUMMENSCHANZ
'Mummenschanz' is a medieval German phrase with a tortuous derivation. More generally, mummers are European folk performers in the same loose genre as mimes, clowns, jugglers, etc. So who are Mummenschanz? Swiss hippie performers who draw on that folk tradition. The name is untranslatable, so the word pretty much refers directly to the troupe at this point.

OTHER DESERT CITIES
A slippery title that seems to point away from itself. What desert city is it talking about that it invokes 'others'? It somehow suggests the isolation that's part of a desert city anyhow. It's not a hugely memorable phrase but it is enigmatic.

Theater: Title Bout (December 7)

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.

BLOOD FROM A STONE
I'm never impressed by playwrights who apply clichés without a twist. Hard to say whether this one is reusing the phrase or implying that its tale will actually show people doing the (seemingly) impossible. And at least it's a grisly bit of imagery.

A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES
An adaptation of the Dylan Thomas short story. It's got a nice rhythm: two iambs separated by a X on “Christmas”, which slows the tongue down a bit and thus focuses on the holiday nature of the piece. “A Child's Christmas” treads a nice line between generic & specific, while the location adds further specificity. Despite all that, the title's a little grey & flavorless.

DONNY AND MARIE: A BROADWAY CHRISTMAS
I admit to being impressed that, forty years on, Donny & Marie are still a recognizable draw on first names alone (at least, for an above-30 crowd). Granted that, I guess this is exactly what its utilitarian title implies: an old-fashioned holiday revue.

NEWSICAL THE MUSICAL
This title parodies the decade-old Seussical: The Musical, a musical anthology of Dr. Seuss tales with a pretty memorable title of its own. The flawed rhyme of the original (a hard 's' & then a soft one) is improved here, & the sense of silliness is kept. But the allusion's probably recognized only by Broadway die-hards. Doesn't matter though: everyone can guess that this is a silly news revue in musical burlesque format, so the title does its job.

THREE PIANOS
A dull prosey title. Very modernist: it doesn't care if it alienates you. But it does get a concert setting/subject across.

Theater: Title Bout (November 15)

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.

Theater: Title Bout (October 25)

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.


THE BREAK OF NOON
Playing on cliché is a easy path to a memorable title, though the cleverness may disguise a lack of substance. This repurposing of “the break of dawn” suggests a pivotal moment at its apogee, a climax. Or is Neil LaBute just alluding to Dylan's “It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)”, which opens “Darkness at the break of noon”?

ELEKTRA IN A ONE-PIECE
This title does good work. It suggests that the show is either modernizing a Greek myth or that the myth is a key to the show. It's got a bit of sex in it: the image of a girl in a swimsuit. And the phrase has a good rhythm―especially the vowel sounds, which are short & dull until the sharp 'e' caps it like a stopper.

THE FORTUNE TELLER
Like many titles, this one points at a character. He or she probably isn't the protagonist but a catalyst (at least, that's the standard dramatic role for a prophet). A fortune teller's almost a stock character―you probably imagine the same gypsy crone that I do when you hear the phrase. Not very exciting, but okay around Halloween.

THE MEMORANDUM
Titles, like band names, go through styles and fashions. This one screams post-war Absurdist drama, eg The Homecoming, The Chairs, The Maids, etc. These & The Memorandum strip the drama down to a focal point, ironically a banal one. Incidentally, the original Czech title is Vyrozumeni. No idea whether Czech has direct articles or not (I suppose The Seagull could accurately be called Seagull).

THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
Surprised that Shakespeare doesn't title this play Falstaff? So was Verdi, who knew that the fat fellow would sell more opera tickets. But then, Will didn't title his own plays, someone else did. And in the style of the era, it's a lot longer (see pic). Note that the 1602 quarto gave Sir John top billing. Its the First Folio that called the play Merry Wives, which has a nice rhythm and refocuses attention on the play's clever women.

THE PEE WEE HERMAN SHOW
Like Krusty the Klown's fictional variety hour, The Pee Wee Herman Show winks knowingly at the style of '50s & '60s TV. Think of Ed Sullivan, Laurence Welk, & Bozo the Clown, whose names acted as a brand that let you know what kind of entertainment you'd get. Thankfully, Pee Wee Herman has a name that works in the same way, at least for audiences of a certain age. And that's who this show's aimed at.

PERSEPHONE
Persephone has a classical ring, with its simple declaration that it's treating a Greek myth. If you didn't know better, you might even assume it's a real play by Euripides (it's not). Unless the show springs a twist on you, you know exactly what plot to expect from it.

YORK SHAKESPEARE COMPANY 2010 REPERTORY
Ugh. Utilitarian, made for selling a package of tickets. It attempts to brand the company's name, maybe implying (falsely) that it's a bona fide English troupe from that old theater town.

THAT HOPEY CHANGEY THING
Sarah Palin used this snide phrase as a shot at Obama's 'failure' to change America. I love it―calling a set of ideals a 'thing' somehow demeans them so acutely! I also like the implicit fact that Palin looks down her nose at hope! The playwright likes the phrase too, appropriating it to imply that his or her play will wade into the mud that's getting slung about by our politicians.

Theater: Title Bout (October 18)

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.


AFTER THE REVOLUTION
Here's a title that's pregnant with drama. Most revolutions look alike; it's the actions taken later that distinguish one from another. And of course, 'revolution' can be taken metaphorically, as an inciting incident.

COLIN QUINN: LONG STORY SHORT
Straightforward marketing: Colin Quinn isn't the protagonist, he's the performer. The subtitle is a cliché, maybe a catchphrase. Wouldn't it be nice if Quinn meant it literally though? (In fact, he does: the show's billed as a history of civilization in 75 minutes!)

CRITICAL MASS
A conventional metaphor that's often used without thought to its meaning. “Critical mass” is the amount of radioactive material needed for a nuclear reaction. So “to reach critical mass” is to reach the state required for a fundamental change―a great phrase for a drama (even one that's not about physics).

FUTURA
The typeface? What a funny thing to allude to. Presumably, the show's about printing and publishing. But the root-word ('future') smuggles in a forward-looking theme, while the 'a' suffix adds a modernist edge.

IN THE WAKE
Like 'after the revolution' above, 'in the wake' offers a good deal of dramatic potential. And like 'critical mass', it's so conventional you often forget it's a metaphor. It refers to the wake of a ship, of course, but it's also got a touch of the funereal.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
As I commented last June, this is one of Shakespeare's strongest titles. A casual reader may misread “Merchant” as referring to Shylock―which would cleverly reverse expectations, titling the show after the antagonist & not the protagonist―but he's not a merchant. Instead, the title points us at a minor character, upsetting expectations all around!

PENELOPE
A classical allusion? Penelope was Odysseus' wife who awaited his return for two decades, practicing a stratagem to hold suitors off. In other words, her name's a byword for fidelity. The title itself could be a lost Greek drama―or a modern take on the myth.

PERFECT HARMONY
I can't imagine a duller title for a musical.

PLAY DEAD
An order you'd give a dog, it works as a play title because it carries the implication of acting. To take it further, it suggests the staging of a death/resurrection, which is a fun trope to employ whether it's real or faked.

RAIN – A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES
Wikipedia lists three-dozen songs entitled “Rain”, along with several movies & novels; I'll bet there are plenty of impressionist paintings too. So it's an odd choice to name your Beatles tribute concert after their psychedelic single. Gives you Beatle cred, I suppose.

Theater: Title Bout (September 23)

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.


LA BETE 

The title doesn't allude to La Belle et la Bete (AKA the French fairy tale Beauty & the Beast), but that's an easy mistake to make. But why use the French? It's confusing & pretentious. I'll bet it even drives away potential ticket-buyers. And sadly, I've noticed sites listing this as Le Bete and ignoring the caret over the first 'e' (or, in Metromix's case, unable to find the correct coding). Shoddy titles like La Bete are why I began this column.

BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON
I covered this one Off-Broadway in my second Title Bout ever. But to revisit. This biodrama follows the convention of titling itself after its subject. But the doubling of “Bloody” adds a kick & a rhythm, implying the musical genre. It also adds a touch of shame to the president's name/legacy, which is cool.

DELUSION
One-word titles are better with concepts like this than with names & objects. Delusion isn't thrilling but it's got potential, since delusion can be a powerful motivation, a theme treated with complexity, or the implication of an expressionistic style.

FALL DOWNTOWN FESTIVAL
As usual, a festival gets an ugly utilitarian title. “Downtown” does imply a certain style of theater―which the fest's content delivers―but it's uninspired. And I'll bet there's no Spring Downtown Festival, which would make the “Fall” necessary. If only it were a pun instead.

GATZ
I'm of two minds here. This is a clever way to suggest an adaptation of The Great Gatsby, and it avoids the clumsy convention of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. But it's also esoteric: a reference to Jay Gatsby's real name, which only Fitz-o-philes will recognize without prompting. I'll call it a win, just because a title that makes you think is better than one that doesn't.

IN TRANSIT
Not bad: an open phrase implying a theme and a state of being. But not great either: it's pretty generic, too bland to tempt an audience.

THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE
It's precise, which is surprisingly rare for a title. You can also infer the subject (linguistics) pretty confidently. The slightly technical sound hints at a hard style & possibly scientific or academic setting. But that's all conjecture; there's an enigma to The Language Archive that works in its favor.

A LIFE IN THE THEATER
For a wordsmith, Mamet isn't the best at names. Glengarry Glen Ross has euphony, Sexual Perversion in Chicago has sex. But most of his titles are bland, with this one as an especially dull case. At least we know the genre: a backstage drama.

LOMBARDI
Another biodrama with its subject on the marquee. The fame of NFL's greatest coach has tarnished over the decades, as fame inevitably does (he's due for a mention on Mad Men, isn't he? I guess Super Bowl I is next season). But if you're the audience for Lombardi, you recognize the name.

TIME STANDS STILL
You could opine that this phrase is insubstantial―that it merely builds theme or atmosphere, not plot or subject. That it's vague, unless the show's about the nature of time (unlike, though I'd like that). But I like it for those reasons. It's slightly abstract and also poetic, albeit a bit cliché. I've got to admit it's not great but I kind of like it.

Theater: Title Bout (September 9)

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.

ABSOLUTION

This punchy title does a good job of focusing our attention. Viewers know to pay attention to whether the characters earn forgiveness for their transgressions, and whether they deserve it.

BORDER TOWNS

The phrase suggests a cultural flashpoint, with the bigoted nativism of modern American politics. But the use of the plural makes the title more abstract, giving it a hint of postmodern philosophy (“liminal blah blah”). That makes me shy away a bit.

A BRIGHT NEW BOISE

I get a kick out of this title, which sounds like it was invented by a local Chamber of Commerce (“Idaho: we're not small potatoes!”). Knowing the rotten state of the economy & the tendency of drama to portray the American West in a cynical twilight, I'll bet the title's ironic.

BRIEF ENCOUNTER

An adaptation of a Noel Coward drama & its film version by David Lean. Marketers won't love it: it's too generic & doesn't state outright that it's an adaptation. But the title has a repressed tenor—it's not tells us more than it has to about two people meeting—that fits with the show's content.

THE DIVINE SISTER

In this context, 'Sister' suggests a nun. But by calling her 'divine' rather than 'holy', this title gets a little showy and flamboyant. Not bad.

DOWN THERE

Generally, I lump words like 'there' with pronouns as too vague. This one tests my rule of thumb, since I suspect it's using 'there' in a euphemistic way, as genitals or hell. Or maybe not, maybe it's just a basement. A savvy writer will the ambiguity and refer to all these connotations.

EXIT/ENTRANCE

Sounds like a Beckett play, doesn't it? 'Slash' titles feel awfully post-modern & dated in their use of symbols. And Exit/Entrance is also self-conscious about its theater terminology. Still, the writer gets a point for getting the action backwards: this play occurs between the exit and the entrance, not visa-versa.

FRINGENYC ENCORES 2010

I always wonder why The New York City International Fringe Festival is abbreviated FringeNYC. Why not NYCFringe? Either way, the compression into one word is only good in a URL. At least 'Encores' has a theatrical connotation that lifts this above the merely functional.

THE LITTLE FOXES

You can't go wrong with Shakespeare or the Bible. Lillian Hellman quotes The Song of Songs: “Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines | For our vines have tender grapes.” Most theologians (mis)interpret this warning as little foxes being casual sins. But in the context of a love poem, the warning's from a frisky gal to her guy. Either way, the meaning's obscure. I'll admit it, I'm not sure what Lil's going for here.

ORLANDO

I've always liked the name Orlando, it sounds so exotic. This show adapts Virginia Woolf's novel, not the epic romance or the opera based on it. But I'm glad the producers don't call it “Virginia Woolf's Orlando”, not just cuz that's inaccurate (it's Sarah Ruhl's Orlando) but also cuz that sort of marketing is odious. (See also Brief Encounter, above)

THE PROPHET OF MONTO

Speaking of romances, this title sounds like a Gothic novel. Why's it so catchy? Check how it's a pair three-syllable feet, stress in the middle. In both, the first syllable's an 'uh' vowel, the middle one's a short 'o'. In the third, 'Prophet' ends in another short vowel, but the long 'o' of 'Monto' caps the phrase. That's poetry.

THE REVIVAL

This sounds to me like a sequel to The Rehearsal (a Restoration comedy), but I doubt most audiences think of that. 'Revival' has a theatrical meaning & a religious one (the American Christian movement, with its tent meetings). The latter also implies a character arc—will the protagonist be reborn?—something for an audience to watch for.

ROADKILL CONFIDENTIAL

Great title, lots of fun. 'Roadkill' alone is a graphic compound word that's totally American. Then 'Confidential' suggests a true crime exposé (in these cases, it's used ironically). Plus, that enhances the 'kill' in 'roadkill', as if the show's about a killer who uses his car as the murder weapon. Hard to stage, but it sounds awesome!

THROUGH THE NIGHT

A little vague. The allusion's clear enough—that Welsh ballad usually translated as “All Through the Night”. Plus this title has the sense of a journey, either literal or figurative. But as I said, it's vague.

TIGERS BE STILL

An enigmatic phrase, which I simultaneously find mildly compelling & mildly frustrating. I have no idea what this show might be about. But it's also sloppy writing: should we assume the writer forgot a comma? That is, is the phrase an order to tigers, or is it a descriptive phrase about tigers in Black American dialect? The more I look at this one, the less I like it.

Theater: Title Bout (September 1)

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.

(Note: August has been a slow month for new shows. Only two opened last week, & none the week before. So I saved them for this week's list. Enjoy!)

BOTTOM OF THE WORLD
Not bad. It's not a cliché, though it's reminiscent of 'end of the world' & 'top of the world'. And it is an allusion―to a Tom Waits song, which only heightens the bluesiness of the image.

THE CRADLE WILL ROCK
Another allusion, this one to the sinister nursery rhyme about falling babies. But it does its job cleverly, eliminating the context and drawing attention away from the famous source. The modal form of 'to rock' (ie “will”) brings a sense of either destiny or threat to the title, flipping the usually quiet action of a cradle on its head. It's one of my favorites, actually.

IT MUST BE HIM
What a generic string of words! Only the 'must' has any kick to it. Shakespeare can get away with impersonal pronouns (eg As You Like It), but not many others can. (I'm looking at you, Pirandello.)

ME, MYSELF & I
See previous note. Plus, this grammatical construction of the first-person singular pronoun is a conventional phrase and, in titles, a cliché. I'm not sorry to have the De La Soul track stuck in my head, but it's the best of a dozen songs with the title.

MRS. WARREN'S PROFESSION
Shaw's one of my favorite playwrights, but he's not great at titles. To give you some context, this is one of his best. It uses his favorite tool, misdirection, in a few ways. It pulls our focus off the protagonist (Vivie Warren) to the antagonist (her mother) and then to the conflict between them. And in 1894 England, Shaw is subverting Victorian prudery by using euphemism to draw attention to a taboo subject (prostitution).

UNDERNEATHMYBED
Smooshing all your words together is so '90s, especially if you capitalize the first letter of each word―think of all those websites mid-decade whose ads used that device. Too bad: the phrase itself is okay. It's specific and singular. It has the ominous air of a child's nightmare, yet “underneath” is the grammar of an adult.

Theater: Title Bout (August 9)

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.


AN ERROR OF THE MOON
What a lovely phrase―must be Shakespeare! Yep, it's from Othello & it refers to lunacy. I'm a sucker for allusions to Shakespeare, even the same tired quotes (eg Infinite Jest). Here, an ambiguity: the moon may be the cause of human error, or the moon itself acts against nature. What does the phrase suggest about the show? Madness, mutability, & a writer with a good ear for poetry.

THE NEW YORK CITY INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
What a lot of utilitarian words. “Fringe Festival” is as inseparable a phrase here as “New York City”, cluing us as to what to expect―fringe theater is almost a genre unto itself. In press materials, the unwieldy title is shortened to FringeNYC, which isn't great but it presents the same info with slightly more flourish.

HAPPY IN THE POORHOUSE
A smart bit of poetry. The Ps play off each other well, and the seesaw of long & short vowels add swing. There's a ironic whimsy to the phrase, especially since the poorhouse is literally debtor's prison.

HEDDA GABLER
Ibsen came up with a bunch of good titles, from Pillars of the Community to When We Dead Awaken. Hedda is one of the few where he follows the convention of naming the play after its protagonist. But (spoiler alert?!) in the play, she's Hedda Tesman; 'Gabler' is her maiden name. It's a subtle twist aimed at the attentive viewer.

THE PUNISHING BLOW
A phrase that hangs between boxing idiom and cliché (according to Google, it's a spell in World of Warcraft). Still, “The Punishing Blow” is a good phrase and a good title.

Theater: Title Bout (July 27)

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.


ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIG GAY DANCE PARTY
Generally, you see this sort of overelaborate, comically titillating title at festival shows, especially the Fringe. I admire & commend the impulse to stand out, to communicate the show's tone, and to describe precisely what it delivers―it's the sort of audience consideration that most playwrights ignore (and thus this column!). Maybe one's trying a little too hard, but damn it, it does sound like fun!

THE PIED PIPERS OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE
Now this is a great title: memorable, descriptive, and specific to the show. “Pied Pipers” has a touch of whimsy & makes you wonder who the pipers are. “Lower East Side” has a specific set of attributes―a cool balance of classic NYC ethnicity & 21st-century gentrification―that suggest a rich backdrop. It's even free verse pentameter!

SECRETS OF THE TRADE
What sort of trade? It could be plumbing or prostitution, a swap of athletes or stocks. This title doesn't quite tell you enough to be tempting, but the promise of secrets are always good.

WIFE TO JAMES WHELAN
A clunky one, with no syncopation. The odd grammatical structure guides the attention away from the named character to an unnamed one & to the status of the marriage itself. It's trying to be clever but not quite succeeding.

Theater: Title Bout (July 20)

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.

4PLAY
Very postmodern and Y2K to mingle Arabic numerals with Roman letters. But the number opens space for a puns on sexual foreplay while suggesting that the show is simply playful (“for play”). I wonder if there are four performers in this juggling extravaganza? Hope so.

TRUST
Elvis Costello called an album Trust, and Hal Hartley did the same with a movie, and Wikipedia lists plenty of other songs, TV shows, political parties, etc. Even if this play deals ingeniously with a business monopoly, an arrangement of property for a minor, and the concept of confidence in a person or idea, its title implies lazy thinking.