Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: Film Studies

As we move into our film unit, please watch Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. This will conclude our readings of Tennessee Williams' work (at least in class).

For those of you interested, check out these other Williams' films:

Baby Doll (1956)
Suddenly Last Summer (1959)
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) This was taken from Tennessee Williams' novel.
Sweet Bird of Youth (1962)
Night of the Iguana (1964)

Most of Williams' plays (as well as his films) revolve around a central secret: something terrible or haunting or degenerate that a protagonist desperately tries to cover up. Williams' women are often unhappy, the men brutish and insensitive. Oh, where will it lead but to modern American drama!

We can learn a lot about playwriting from Tennessee Williams. A character in pain or conflict lies at the center of his plays. The use of a "secret" allows appropriate tension and rising conflict until a climactic scene reveals the truth. Learn from this.
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About this course!

This course stresses understanding the characteristics & techniques in the literary genres of fiction, poetry, and dramatic writing. This course will continue to build on students’ reading and writing skills begun in previous creative writing classes. Readings and discussions of works by major writers in the field will be examined as inspiration and models of fine writing. This educational blog is designed for the use of the students at the School of the Arts in Rochester, NY.