I have been looking at the Blue Room (and at a remove Reigen) from a negative or critical point of view. The origin was clearly a salacious criticism of late 19th century sexual excess and behaviours, mostly of the upper class. In fact, class was very much the issue. But there was also the lurking danger of transmitted diseases. Almost divine retribution. Hare's version came after the worst of the AIDS crisis, but nevertheless he continued the references, however veiled.
But I have been approaching Blue Room from the point of view of the sadness of humans looking in all the wrong places for love, validation and significance and doing so in a judgmental way. Humans live in the shadow of the surety of death. We seek all sorts of escape - often in keeping mind-numbingly busy to avoid the looming void. But what of the flip side of this? of hope springing eternal. Of stepping out of the drudgery and the hum-drum into a blissful moment of nakedness with another. [***GOSH*** hopeful ] Of temporarily being transported, transposed, empowered? What of the experience of the "little death"? There is something brave and transcendant about that experience.
(DV) . . . . a cynical reading of class hierarchy? a critique of vanity, of inauthenticity . . .
but persistently hopeful, optimistic
immensely transcendant - as is the view into the gaping may of the nightmare of contemporary life
at moments our play should give us reason to stand back, turn around, and walk away
and at other moments
desire to jump in with both arms and legs forward
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