March 23, 2016

BACKSTAGE

It’s not all backstage, in fact, when

it’s a great play, we are not thinking

about what’s going on backstage.

We’re seeing only what’s up front -

the story, “the play’s the thing” that

catches “the conscience of the king”. [1]

But backtrack a bit - and know it is

backstage - the background of the

Shakespeare who wrote the play -

and where he got his ideas from -

and what his “why” is all about. Why?
Motive? Message? Meaning? Methods?

So yes, appearances matter. But ….

“All the  world’s a stage, All the men 
and women merely players.” [2] 

What really matters is the reality behind 
the costumes and the lines - the story 
behind the story and what happened 
to get someone to create the play 
and the actors and actresses to become
players and make their appearances....

But most of all, we need to sit there and
watch what what happens to Everyman [3]
and Everywoman after the play - after the
bows, after the curtain closes - after all, audience and actors - go through the
seven stages of life backstage - back home.

                                                    © Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

NOTES

[1] Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act  II, ii, 641

 [2] Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II, vii, 139

[3] Everyman, a Middle English, Tudor Period, play - in which God the Father sends Death to summon every creature to give an account of his or her life. Check Google under "Everyman" and you'll find out more about this morality play by an unknown author. Here is one comment from Wikipedia: "The cultural setting is based on the Roman Catholicism of the era. Everyman attains afterlife in heaven by means of good works and the Catholic Sacraments, in particular Confession, Penance, Unction, Viaticum and receiving the Eucharist."

Everyman (play) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyman_(play)

Wikipedia