Comments on: The Price by Arthur Miller – a review http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/ Reflections of a working writer and reader Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:06:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Crista http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/comment-page-1/#comment-131213 Crista Sat, 19 Nov 2011 06:36:07 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/#comment-131213 I appreciate the comment by "AD" about... "Who is right in the play can change deprending on your mood as Miller doesn’t make it clear where reality is. In fact he goes so far as to make it unimportant." Really deep works for the theater (or life) are not meant to be judged in terms of simplistic characters or judgements of right or wrong ... I appreciate the comment by “AD” about…
“Who is right in the play can change deprending on your mood as Miller doesn’t make it clear where reality is. In fact he goes so far as to make it unimportant.” Really deep works for the theater (or life) are not meant to be judged in terms of simplistic characters or judgements of right or wrong …

]]> By: AD http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/comment-page-1/#comment-111862 AD Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:08:25 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/#comment-111862 The Price has become my favorit Arther Miller play. Although I did have to watch it four times before I started to like it. It isn't as depressing as some of the others and it has endless interpretations. Who is right in the play can change deprending on your mood as Miller doesn't make it clear where reality is. In fact he goes so far as to make it unimportant. I'm not even convinced there are two brother. I sometimes think it is the play of an internal conflict and that Walter and Vic are the same person. Maybe Vic is just dreaming of the what if life that we all wonder about sometimes. The Price has become my favorit Arther Miller play. Although I did have to watch it four times before I started to like it. It isn’t as depressing as some of the others and it has endless interpretations. Who is right in the play can change deprending on your mood as Miller doesn’t make it clear where reality is. In fact he goes so far as to make it unimportant. I’m not even convinced there are two brother. I sometimes think it is the play of an internal conflict and that Walter and Vic are the same person. Maybe Vic is just dreaming of the what if life that we all wonder about sometimes.

]]> By: markgorman http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/comment-page-1/#comment-111751 markgorman Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:39:35 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/#comment-111751 A very good preview for me and my wife who are going to see a revival tonight at The Lyceum Edinburgh. I will post a review on my blog in due course. Thanks for this. Very helpful. <strong>jb says</strong>: Let us know when your review is up, Mark. Would be good to hear your impressions. A very good preview for me and my wife who are going to see a revival tonight at The Lyceum Edinburgh. I will post a review on my blog in due course. Thanks for this. Very helpful.

jb says: Let us know when your review is up, Mark. Would be good to hear your impressions.

]]> By: kt o'connor http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/comment-page-1/#comment-110030 kt o'connor Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:41:02 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/#comment-110030 I was lucky enough to see a production of this play in London which featured the late W Mitchell. It struck me after seeing the play that it is far more likely to appeal to an Irish than an English audience. The tortured relationship between the siblings and the difficulty with which the truth about the past is hammered out between two opposing points of view clearly has a great deal of resonance on the island of Ireland. On a personal note, my own father had died not long before the aforementioned performance, so the inevitable stocktaking in such circumstances chimed with my own experience. In any case, this is a great work by a great playwright; I am sure that others will agree with me in the fullness of time. I was lucky enough to see a production of this play in London which featured the late W Mitchell. It struck me after seeing the play that it is far more likely to appeal to an Irish than an English audience. The tortured relationship between the siblings and the difficulty with which the truth about the past is hammered out between two opposing points of view clearly has a great deal of resonance on the island of Ireland.

On a personal note, my own father had died not long before the aforementioned performance, so the inevitable stocktaking in such circumstances chimed with my own experience. In any case, this is a great work by a great playwright; I am sure that others will agree with me in the fullness of time.

]]> By: jenny miller http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/comment-page-1/#comment-83327 jenny miller Fri, 18 May 2007 23:31:35 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/#comment-83327 Saw the play in sheffield - it left me strangely frustrated. Not sure whether it's the play itself, or whether it was the staging of it. The first half is certainly lengthy and somehow cumbersome (could have been cut a bit); and the actress who plays Esther got seriously on my nerves with her mannerisms/body language - always bordering on hysteria, difficult to watch & listen to. Funny, I didn't see Victor as a "cold fish", but probably as quite defensive and rigid. His love & affection for Esther seemed quite genuine - but then again, maybe it's just the same 'loyalty out of guilt' he had towards his father. Theme is quite timeless - guilt, 'Lebensluege', personal choices, denial etc.; but there was something that felt 'dated' about this performance... hum, can't put my finger on it. I got the impression that one of the core statements of this drama was that there are no victims, only people who live in denial of their own decisions and subsequently feel hard done by. Certainly a timeless topic... <strong>jb says</strong>: I think we expect so much more from Miller, and the play just doesn't measure up. Saw the play in sheffield – it left me strangely frustrated. Not sure whether it’s the play itself, or whether it was the staging of it. The first half is certainly lengthy and somehow cumbersome (could have been cut a bit); and the actress who plays Esther got seriously on my nerves with her mannerisms/body language – always bordering on hysteria, difficult to watch & listen to.

Funny, I didn’t see Victor as a “cold fish”, but probably as quite defensive and rigid. His love & affection for Esther seemed quite genuine – but then again, maybe it’s just the same ‘loyalty out of guilt’ he had towards his father.

Theme is quite timeless – guilt, ‘Lebensluege’, personal choices, denial etc.; but there was something that felt ‘dated’ about this performance… hum, can’t put my finger on it.

I got the impression that one of the core statements of this drama was that there are no victims, only people who live in denial of their own decisions and subsequently feel hard done by. Certainly a timeless topic…

jb says: I think we expect so much more from Miller, and the play just doesn’t measure up.

]]> By: Chris Gallagher http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/comment-page-1/#comment-75126 Chris Gallagher Sat, 05 May 2007 09:39:56 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/the-price-by-arthur-miller-a-review/#comment-75126 I'm audiodescribing this show for YTR and stumbled on your review in my research. I'm interested to know if you share my view of Esther's importance to this play. As a character in her own right, I feel that she comes across as fairly thinly drawn; a near-alcoholic who is possibly sexually and certainly aspirationally frustrated. But I feel that she also plays a role similar to Lear's fool. She sees and articulates a reality which neither Victor nor Walter can and as such is the catalyst for their confrontation and the realisation of the irreconcilable nature of their differences. <strong>jb says</strong>: I've only ever seen the play once. I haven't read it. I think Victor is a cold fish and also quite conservative in his outlook. I don't think he loves Esther and wonder if he ever did. She is constantly aware that she is shut out of his life. She is another victim of the brothers' tragedy. Another woman would have left him by now. I'm not sure if she is the catalyst, nor whether she articulates a reality. She brings a different version of the truth to the stage. But is it any more valid than the truths of the other characters? I’m audiodescribing this show for YTR and stumbled on your review in my research. I’m interested to know if you share my view of Esther’s importance to this play. As a character in her own right, I feel that she comes across as fairly thinly drawn; a near-alcoholic who is possibly sexually and certainly aspirationally frustrated. But I feel that she also plays a role similar to Lear’s fool. She sees and articulates a reality which neither Victor nor Walter can and as such is the catalyst for their confrontation and the realisation of the irreconcilable nature of their differences.

jb says: I’ve only ever seen the play once. I haven’t read it. I think Victor is a cold fish and also quite conservative in his outlook. I don’t think he loves Esther and wonder if he ever did. She is constantly aware that she is shut out of his life. She is another victim of the brothers’ tragedy. Another woman would have left him by now.
I’m not sure if she is the catalyst, nor whether she articulates a reality. She brings a different version of the truth to the stage. But is it any more valid than the truths of the other characters?

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