Wednesday, March 12, 2014

My POV of Autumn Leaves a monologue by Don Nigro

It's 1927 and Jessie, who is a young woman in her twenties, speaks to the audience. There is the sound of ticking clocks, which is a definite Nigro trademark. This monologue gets into the theory that "loss of innocence" is a type of death. So, since Nigro begins with imagery from Autumn Leaves by John Everett Millais we ascertain that he's making a point about young girls losing their virginity...which ties into nature..the seasons...etc...there is a lot of symbology.

Then Jessie mentions her brother (actually half-brother) John Rose and the plot takes a surprising turn. If you are familiar with Don Nigro's work you should already be acquainted with John Rose. Here Nigro mentions another great artist, Edvard Munch, who is quite different from Millais. The comparison of Jessie to a girl standing in a Munch painting could foreshadow steps into darkness. Munch's work often has a nightmarish quality which is apparent on the surface. While Millais' work is crisper on the surface and can contain more hidden meanings.

Also an interesting fact; Edith Piaf did an interpretation of the legendary Jacques Prévert song by the same name...Autumn Leaves. So here we begin to discover the layers Nigro has effortlessly woven into this seemingly patched together monologue. That is one of Nigro's trademarks...his work frequently comes across as being written with no specific destination in mind...as if he doesn't know what he is doing. And maybe he doesn't know, but in the process the more that I uncover within his work the more that I am impressed by the results. The historical references, the alliterations, the gentle touch, how he guides the actor into different states of being ever so softly.

Nigro also mentions that John Rose was in King Lear, then later he mentions the term Jacobean play, King Lear was a Jacobean play as far as I can tell. In this monologue it is always autumn, because we are hearing a story told by a ghost who is trapped in the autumn leaves. Everything is circular here and begins where it ends and ends where it begins. There is no specific destination in mind, it is like an odyssey of interconnected clues and hints to the actress. I would recommend this monologue to a young woman in her twenties mainly because there are a lot of subtle nuances that would challenge her. And of course the more that you read of Nigro, I think the more you will respect him. Although rather underrated, he is definitely a reliable source for actors today. His work is rich with history, yet modern...a difficult combination to come by.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Too Much

This is too much for me to carry.
I'm trying to do what people expect of me, but I am losing touch quickly.
I go to an Italian restaurant that serves pasta and wine looking for a job.
They ask me to work for free to see if I can do the job.
I am the only busser in the restaurant.
My first night is a Friday night.
There are a million things to do.
But what I remember are strange moments.
I polished and separated steak knifes from regular knifes and soon there was a huge stack of sharp steak knifes resting in a white napkin in the tray.
I went away to do something and when I came back they were all gone, an empty space.
The next day I went back to work and there they were again.
My mind is not friendly to me at work.
I swept and mopped the downstairs room with the promise of talking to the owner about getting the job.
I felt closer to the staff.
Then I had to wait while a wine tasting class took place.
We tried a $100 bottle of wine.
Then I finally got to talk to Curado.
He said he wasn't sure if I had the blood for it, but he would need to try me some more (for free).
I walked to the bus stop and nearby was a pack of homeless people smoking pot all of them high.
I was freezing in the snow and I felt like the last two days had been torture: trial and tribulation, suffering.
I am fragile and it's too much for me.
I can't maintain a full schedule of meetings every week and take the bus all over while working in a position usually filled by a hispanic male.
I don't want to quit.
I need to make money, I have no money.
So, try something else Anna, it will be okay.
The thing is it is never okay.
So, I probably won't go back to the restaurant simply because it's too much.
I am not strong enough for that.
I tried.
I hate failing.
I don't like Boulder, it's too hard and cold.
I'm losing.
I'm an artist and it doesn't pay.
I guess I'll drop the weight, because I can't stay this way.