A) Compare the relationship of GEORGE and CALLIE to that of CALLIE and SARA. What is present in one and absent in the other, or vice versa. (How do you feel about the character of GEORGE so far? Do you sympathize with him?) Which relationship seems the most “healthy” to you—explain your answer.
B) Is the alternating setting effective? (Pre-incident linear time, post-incident linear time, and so on.) Why, or why not? Consider the challenges this poses for the actors, especially the two women, as well as the effect on the audience, if staged well. (Please don’t exclude a response to this prompt based on relative difficulty…it may prove interesting!)
NOTE: After everyone has posted a comment on the 5th, read the entries and post a second blog entry by August 9th to extend and deepen the conversation.
“Stop Kiss” has a structure far different from any play I’ve read. The scenes alternate between pre-incident and post-incident time giving the play a complexity I wasn’t expecting. At first I found the transitions hard to follow, and difficult to understand; however I’ve come to realize this is just one of the aspects which makes this play unique.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the play jumps from pre to post incident scenes makes each scene that much more powerful. Along with that, each scene seems to stop just as abruptly as the next one starts. It’s almost as if you’re picked up, and then dropped into the action.
...
CALLIE. Come on, put your coat on, let’s go.
SARA. God, what is that smell?
CALLIE. I think someone downstairs was trying to cook something.
SARA. Ugh, you think that smell is related to food? (Callie opens the door for Sara.)
CALLIE. Barely. (They exit.)
SCENE TEN
Sara’s hospital room. Callie walks in and stands at the foot of Sara’s bed. What can she do? She thinks a beat. She remembers. She untucks the sheet and rolls it back so that Sara’s feet are exposed. She looks at Sara — too scared to touch her, then leaves.
(37, 38)
This is one of the best examples of how quickly things change. At first Sara and Callie seem carefree, their only worry is getting away from the smell. Then, you’re placed in the hospital with Sara in a coma. The mood completely different within a matter of minutes.
In my opinion this is a highly effective technique which should be used more often. There’s an element of surprise, which is intriguing. It seems like the unknown is meant to pull the audience into the heart of the play — not just past the surface. Becoming a part of the play is important in all plays, however it’s even more so in “Stop Kiss,” because of the strong emotions and controversial topic.
This further proves how difficult this play must be to perform since there are so many levels of different emotions. Not only the emotions the actors need to feel, but the emotion the audience needs to believe.
The two women have especially demanding roles. Their relationship is the framework of the entire play. In addition, that relationship isn’t entirely clear. There’s the lingering question of what are we? Friends? Lovers? What? They’re the two characters who are the “life” throughout the whole whirlwind production.
I think the main difference in the relationship between Callie and George and Callie and Sara is that her relationship with Sara is very new; Callie just met Sara in the pre-incident scenes, and even in the post incident scenes, their (platonic and especially sexual) relationship is still new; they are still learning new things about each other every time they meet. George, on the other hand, has known Callie forever. They know what to expect from one another, so there is no mystery to the relationship. Probably because of this, Callie seems more interested in spending time with Sara than with George.
ReplyDeleteGEORGE’S VOICE ON MACHINE. Hey Callie, it’s George. Where are you? (Callie starts to pick up the phone, then stops.) Jasmine and Lidia and I are at the Sinatra bar. We’ll be here for a while so come hang out. Bye. (The machine clicks off.)
SARA. I should go.
CALLIE. No no, they’ll be there for hours.
SARA. I’ve taken up your whole––
CALLIE. Are you hungry? We could order in something.
(16,17)
Clearly, Callie would rather spend her time learning about her new friend than just hanging out with her old one. I sympathize with George here, and in the next few scenes, because he can feel himself being pushed out of Callie’s life and there is nothing he can do about it.
I don’t think I have seen enough of either character (especially George) to really have a feel for their personality yet. However, based on just what we have heard from the two of them, it seems Sara is less jaded than George, and that has Callie changed Callie’s perspective on the world a little.
GEORGE. What’s she do?
CALLIE. She teaches up in the Bronx.
GEORGE. Oh, so she’s a nut.
CALLIE. There’s something wrong with us.
GEORGE. Why?
CALLIE. Because that’s what I thought when she told me.
(23)
I think this quote illustrates the difference between the two relationships well because it shows that George and Callie are quite similar and think in similar ways (because they have spent so much time together) while at the same time showing that Callie is feeling the need to change herself (to be more like Sara).
I don’t know which relationship I would consider the most healthy; it seems to me they both have some problems. With Sara, Callie seems more comfortable (at least in the scenes we have read), but it seems Callie has been abandoning her old group of friends to spend all her time with Sara, which is not an indicator of a healthy relationship. At the same time, Callie doesn’t call George when Sara is put in the hospital, which indicates that she either has disconnected with George to the point that she didn’t even consider the possibility that she should tell him what was going on or that she was embarrassed by her new relationship with Sara and didn’t want to share it with her old friend(s).
Overall, I think Callie’s relationship with Sara is just too new to judge against Callie and George’s relationship. Also, because the focus of this play is more Callie/Sara-centric, we haven’t seen enough of everyday life between George and Callie to understand exactly how they relate to each other yet.
Josselyn
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the first half of Stop Kiss by Diana Son, I have to say that it was much more interesting than I had pegged it to be. I just couldn’t put it down! As I read further into Callie’s relationships with George and Sara, there was never a dull moment, and I found myself immersed in their lives until the end of scene 12. It’s interesting to see Callie stumble back and forth between George and Sara because to me I feel like she doesn’t know what she wants. As she explains her and George’s “friends with benefits-like” relationship to Sara in scene three, one can definitely see that she and George have a limited relationship that she expects more from, but George doesn’t.
SARA: Is George your boyfriend?
CALLIE:… George and I… are friends who sleep together. But date other people. Sometimes for long periods of time. We’re been doing this since we were… 20. Although he never likes anyone I’m dating, he’s unabashedly—and I admit I can get jealous when he’s— but at least I try to hide it, I’m pretty good at it too. It’s only after they’re broken up that I— Anyway, we’ll probably get married…Or not (Son.17).
Personally although I find it the whole “friends with benefits” relationship disappointing, I feel that it makes Callie and George open with their feelings about each other. They know that they are interested in one another. They know that they find one another attractive and are open about that through sleeping together, something that is not so present in Callie and Sara’s relationship. With George, Callie is comfortable asking George to stay the night or come over, where as with Sara, they make up excuses for her to stay the night.
SARA: What time is it?
CALLIE: 2:30
SARA: Already? Is the subway OK this time of night?...
CALLIE: Listen you can… you know, you’re welcome to stay…this pulls out to be a sofa bed… you can take a train in the morning, when it’s safe…. (Son.31).
Reading interactions between Callie and Sara, one can see that their relationship was more hidden from one another until they kissed in the park. Every time they interact with one another one can sense a kind of wanting between them, but on the other hand one can also see that both women are unsure of themselves. I also find that limits are more present in Callie’s relationship with George because they currently only expect sex from their relationship, whereas in Callie’s relationship with Sara their actions surprise themselves and others. They don’t know what to expect from one another, which is why Sara currently lies in coma. But I don’t think that what Callie has with Sara is a bad thing. With Sara, Callie is experiencing what it is like to be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t just expect her to sleep with them. Callie and Sara’s relationship is exciting and unpredictable, where as with George the reader already knows what to expect from their relationship.
Personally I don’t like George’s character. I really don’t like men who use women for sex and then try to interject their opinions into relationships that they are not a part of, which is the impression I got from George. I feel that he is a coward that cannot commit to a relationship, and in his poor habit he is just dragging Callie along. Going back to page 17, Callie explains George’s jealousy towards the people she dates, but then why is it okay for him to date other people and Callie not? If he gets jealous of others, then why can’t he just commit himself to Callie? I feel that their relationship has tainted my view of him. To add on, no I don’t sympathize with George because I feel that it is his fault that Callie is choosing Sara over him. He has had many chances to be with Callie, but has blown them because he feels that she is just always going to be there. But she’s not. She has a life too.
ReplyDeleteOver all I feel that while George may show feelings for Callie, I believe that her relationship with Sara, though violent at the moment, is more stable than what she has with George. To me I think that Sara sees Callie as a person and cares for her. Sara brings her flowers and George forgets her birthday. With Sara, she and Callie share stories and facts about themselves and their relationship hasn’t grown old. It’s growing. Being in a relationship with George she has the impression that one day they will stop being friends with benefits, and get married. She doesn't get that same expectation with Sara, because their relationship is still growing. I also think the reason why Callie has had relationship problems in the past is because while she may be in love with George, she doesn’t know it. She cannot keep her relationships, such as the one she has had with Tom and now with Sara separate from her friendships, such as those with George and the group she has been hanging out with from college. I feel that if she would rid herself of George, she would find herself in happier and more loving relationships, perhaps with Sara.
Scene one of this play had me a little confused but none the less hooked. Often plays I read for school are somewhat boring and uninteresting, probably because it is usually some version of a late 1500 Shakespearean style. Of course I always struggle with keeping who is speaking straight when ever reading plays and usually forget to read the stage cues but for this first section I got along just fine. This play was instantly understandable, interesting, and relatable. The switch between present and future was a tad confusing at first but I believe that this different way of telling Callie and Sara’s story is much more engaging to the reader.
ReplyDeleteThis particular style of writing encourages the reader to attempt to piece the puzzle together and make so many more predictions than usual. Take, for instance, the beginning of the first scene and the ending of the second. The reader hardly knows the characters, setting, or plot and yet they are already beginning to think so much more about the play than if it’s normal timeline had been laid out as usual. “ SARA. I’m Sara. This is Caesar and I can’t believe your doing this” (Son 7-8). Then from awkward first meeting we go to, “ CALLIE. Because, my friend-- if my friend-- DET. COLE. They say she’s out of the woods in terms of life or--” (Son 15). Within a few short pages we are in the midst of a terrible tragedy between two friends. Our minds automatically take in the little information and dialogue we are given and try to figure out what happened from point A to point B. The information is never given in consecutive order, the reader is always having to put two and two together and at least for me, this challenge is fairly fun.
The fact that the scenes skip around is also engaging to the reader because it is almost as if two different stories are being told. Like in a movie where the different scenes go back and forth between two characters. This play can be addicting because if there is a certain setting the reader prefers, whether pre incident or post incident, they will keep reading through the setting they least enjoy to get to the next scene and bits of information are given out during that scenes which are necessary to understand the favored time period. It takes patience to read this play as well as a good memory especially for small detail, but the search for a clear timeline of events sure is engaging.
So far I am not enjoying this play. I don’t think it is written very well because I haven’t seen a lot of character development: maybe that will change by the end of the play. The play jumps around in time, which is fine as long as the author brings it together in the right way in the end.
ReplyDeleteI like George. He seems nice and dependable and he obviously cares about Callie.
“George: You wanna know how fucked up and worried about you everyone is right now?…You wanna know exactly what drink I was making at the moment when I heard your name on the goddamn TV?” (34). George obviously cares: he was freaking out and the moment he heard he went to her apartment as quickly as possible. I don’t think their relationship is healthy though. “Callie:…George and I…are friends. Who sleep together. But date other people” (17). I feel as if friends who have sex but wont commit to one another is a disaster in the making but that’s just my opinion and if this relationship was real I would have no right to judge. If they were my friends, I wouldn’t say anything. I would let them work it out on their own. Also, I don’t sympathize with George. Well, I sympathize with him that Callie didn’t call him to tell him she’s ok, but I don’t sympathize with him that she is now with Sarah (I don’t know if its face book official or not but…). I think if he truly wanted to be more than friends with Callie then he should have said something because now he has lost his chance.
Saying that, I like Sarah too. I think she is sweet and dependable and determined. She wants to change things, which I think is admirable. She competed for a job teaching in the Bronx. She wants to change things for those kids. Sarah came to the city isolated and knowing (sort of) Callie. I am afraid that once she meets other people she is going to leave Callie behind. She will find people who relate with what she is trying to do and not think she is crazy. “ Callie: She teaches up in the Bronx. George: Oh, so she’s a nut. Callie: There’s something wrong with us. George: Why? Callie: Because that’s what I thought when she told me” (23). I think if Sarah and Callie have a longer relationship (If Sarah heals) then I don’t think they would last as a couple. I think they would last for a while and then I think they would look back on each other as a fond memory of when they discovered their sexuality. Of course I could be completely and utterly wrong. I also think this relationship is healthy. They’re discovering something about themselves and may lead to a full-blown relationship. I think that’s important and I think they are both secure adults and can handle the changes they are feeling within themselves.
Shoot I spelled Sara wrong everytime I wrote it- Sorry about that!!!
ReplyDeleteB) When I first stated reading the play Stop Kiss by Diana son, I thought it would be one of those read you have to force yourself to read and push through it without falling asleep, but as a reached the first few pages the intriguing play surprisingly drew me in. One of the main reasons it was so interesting and made me want to read more was the way that the setting changes every other scene. At first I didn’t really know what was happening and what the plot was, which made me want to read deeper. When I first met Sara and Callie I didn’t know what the connection was between them, and I wondered what would happen, or even if Sara was even an important character. Before the true relationship between Sara and Callie is revealed the setting changes from Callie's apartment where Sara and Callie meet, to a hospital room.
ReplyDeleteScene Two: A hospital examining room table buttoning the top button of her shirt. Detective Cole stands in front of her.
DET. COLE: Was he coming on to you, trying to pick you up? (Son 13)
Even though this is only a dew pages into the play, and the setting has just changed dramatically the plot was layer out in front of me. It is obvious that a man attacked Callie, and since the scene before is about Sara it lead me to believe that Sara was some how involved. Also the fact that she was not in the scene led me to suspect harm had come to Sara. The way the alternating setting left the whole middle of the story untold, made me keep turning the pages, and wonder what really happened.
As the play continued the plot thickened and went back and fort from before the incident to after. Its almost as if there is two stories at once, and at the end they will connect and fill in all the missing puzzle pieces. When it was finally admitted that Callie and Sara had kissed the night of the attack, the scene ends, and the story yet again goes back to when they first were becoming friends.
SARA: All right you go next.
CALLIE: So if you were driving down a highway and saw a pothole in the road ahead, what would you do, straddle or swerve?
SARA: Mm, straddle. You?
CALLIE: Straddle
SARA: (About Callie.) Swerve.
CALLIE: Nah-ah. (Son 29)
When I was reading this I knew that they developed some sort of relationship later on, but in this pert of the story they have not yet. Its like me, the reader, knows things that the characters do not even know. When I read it I could not wait to see the characters reactions when they discover their newfound relations. I think that the alternating setting is very effective; both in plot thickening and reader curiosity.
Oh my goodness, a school-assigned play I can actually read not on Sparknotes. Praise the Lord.
ReplyDeleteComing into “Stop Kiss” I was everything but hopeful. I mean, let’s be honest, until about Junior year we’re forced to read a number of plays that most of us can’t (Ashley) so most of the time we are unable to get anything out of it. The second I started reading this play and quickly realized it was in plain English—I was immediately sucked in. This was a feeling all too new to me considering that I’ve never been able to really read any of the plays that have been assigned, much less be unable to put them down.
I found myself praising the normality of this play. This play is very simple with few elements to really twist anything up. There’s basically three main characters, and one of them George is hardly ever there. And the other two, Callie and Sara, have scenes filled with short, surface level, dialogue. The simplicity of all these elements gives reason for the alternating setting.
In the case of this play I think that the setting does exactly what it’s supposed to do. It adds the element of something interesting. Without the quick alternations just reading the play would be boring, and can you imagine watching it? I think it would have very little to offer as a show without the stimulation of sudden changes. But that’s just it: this play would be very difficult to carry out. If the changes were not sudden, and the audience was kept waiting for a long period of time, I think it the effect would be lost.
When you only read the play you can go straight to the changes, they happen in your mind very quickly and you’re able to set up the scene in an instant. In the actual play there would have to be set and wardrobe changes. In Scene Two Callie’s character would have to go from a casual conversation in her apartment with Sara in Scene One, to beat up and fragile Callie after being attacked on the street and ending up in a hospital examination room.
Scene Two
A hospital examination room. Callie is sitting on an exam table buttoning the top button of her shirt. Detective Cole stands in front of her.
DET. COLE. Was he coming on to you, trying to pick you up?
CALLIE. He was just saying stuff, guy stuff, stupid kind of--
DET. COLE. What did you do? (she folds her arms protectively across her stomach, like it’s tender)
Callie goes from comfortable to scared and frazzled, and the set goes from her apartment to the hospital. Reading this play and responding to this prompt is getting me really super excited about seeing “Stop Kiss”. I feel like I’m going to love the actors and respect them for being able to carry this type of alternation out flawlessly. And I know it will be flawless, because this is the type of play where if you don’t have it down perfectly, you don’t have it down at all.
The play Stop Kiss focuses on two relationships that the character Callie has. One is with George, a man she has been on and off having sexual relations with, and the other is Sara, a woman who is a new to the city and met Callie through a series of friends. When Callie first mentions George to Sara, you get a sense that she is very comfortable around him. She says that him and her other friends must be someone’s “science experiment in overdependency”. She continues on to tell Sara that her and George will probably end up getting married. On the other hand, when George asks about Sara to Callie, you get the feeling that Callie would almost rather keep the two separate.
ReplyDeleteCALLIE: I’m meeting someone for dinner.
GEORGE: You have a date?
CALLIE: No!
GEORGE: With who?
…
GEORGE: [about the door bell ringing] You don’t ask who it is anymore?
CALLIE: It’s her.
GEORGE: You thought it was her when you buzzed me in.
CALLIE: You’re right, that was a mistake… OK. Please leave now.
You see that in both impressions, Callie doesn’t make commitments to the other. She doesn’t call going out with Sara a date even though she’s taking her out to a very nice restaurant. She also doesn’t say she has feelings for George even though they have on and off been having sex for a very long period of time. While reading, I noticed Callie’s extra effort to make each relationship seem as casual as possible to the other person. Because of this, you see George fall deeper and deeper into his interest in not only Callie, but what is going on with her and Sara. This, while Sara is confused wondering why Callie is constantly choosing her over her friends.
I think Callie is stuck trying to choose the warm familiarity of George or learning new perspectives with Sara. She’s known George forever and she can almost count on him and her always coming back together. She’s afraid to let go of that because she’s used to having him not that far out of reach. Sara, however, has opened her eyes to not only a new part of town, but to a side of herself that Callie feels she can’t reach without Sara’s presence. With this said, I think that George is a healthier relationship
, but her relationship with Sara can help her growth as a person.
ReplyDeleteJosselyn
ReplyDeleteAfter reading through everyone’s responses, a few of common themes were present. Whether commenting on the impact alternating settings had on readers or differences in Callie’s relationships with George and Sara, I found that when combining the relationships with alternating settings it made the play completely different from many plays we have read in other classes. As Kylie mentioned, Stop Kiss by Diana Son is not at all like the Shakespearian plays of the 1500’s. No, unlike those plays, I found as I read the beginning scenes of Stop Kiss that it was set in our time and focused on issues that are current. It was because of this that I was then able to understand the emotions of the characters and the dilemma’s that they faced; Callie as she watched over Sara as she struggled in coma, or George’s jealously as Sara began to eclipse him in Callie’s world. To me it was all making sense, not just because it wasn’t written in Old English, but because as a reader living in the same time as Callie and Sara and also being in friendships with those who are happily a part of a same sex relationship, I began to understand the characters, especially Callie and Sara, as if they were friends of mine, not just lines on a paper.
Going back to the impact the alternating settings had on the relationships, as Elizabeth mentioned in her post she noticed how the pre-incident and the post-incident scenes makes the play a unique and complex read. I agree, I also liked how Son had decided to make the scenes shift back and forth between times. I think that if she had decided to just write the play like a novel, aka: and then Callie did this, and then the next day she did that, the depth each relationship had wouldn’t exist. Though I do agree with Sydney that there isn’t a lot of character development, there is relationship development. As the scenes begin with Callie meeting Sara for the first time, then to Callie explaining what happened to Det. Cole, and then showing the relationship that Callie shares with George, though it does skip around a lot, it shows the changes in their relationships bluntly.
Lastly I would like to focus on one more reason why I like the alternation of Stop Kiss. I think one of the reasons I became hooked so fast, was because as a reader, Son gives you information that the characters don’t have. It’s like you’re Det. Cole trying to figure out what really happened that night in the park. As others have mentioned, because the reader knows what is going to happen before Callie or Sara does, it makes reading the play surprising and intense. It’s like reading an episode of Unsolved Mysteries or CSI, but we are reading from the view of psyche or the villain. In part that is a main reason why I have enjoyed Stop Kiss so much is because instead of just sitting down and reading a dry play, as readers we are instantly thrown into a crime investigation and are relied on to pick up the clues as we find them in order to help Sara and Callie.
The first scene in “Stop Kiss” is just what it needs to be. Intriguing, entertaining and just the slightest bit confusing. While reading scene one I figured that the plot would eventually unfold, revealing the background stories of Sara and Callie, the situation they were in, why they were saying the things they said, etc. However, I quickly learned that that’s not the way this play works. Rather then have you get to know the characters by staying in the current time frame or going backwards, which is pretty common, they jumped forward rapidly, showing what you assume to be the end. However, these assumptions might be incorrect. That’s my favorite part about this play, the way you know what happens at the end but you still don’t know what happens at the end, what really happened, not just the facts.
ReplyDeleteIn the first scene there are very few clues that lead to the conclusion that Sara and Callie will get together. I did notice one though,
“Callie: I hate my sister.
Sara: The one who-
Callie: Yeah!
Sara: I hate your sister too. (Callie gives a surprised smile; Sara does too. They hold it just a beat longer than normal, then Sara looks away.)”
I think this short interaction between them gives a little bit of foreshadowing into the future, but not enough so that you can predict everything.
Scene two jumps to Callie getting interviewed by Detective Cole. When I first read this scene I figured that the play had just left out a part in the story, that the current scene would eventually explain and fill in the missing pieces. This isn’t the case, instead of this scene flashing back to a story, its flashing forward. I think by this point in the play you definitely know that there’s something going on between Sara and Callie. I read through scene two a little confused but still expecting some sort of flash back, it didn’t happen. Instead I got scene three, which starts with Sara and Callie having a conversation related to the conversation that Callie had with the Detective.
“Sara: I mean that’s the way I am with the kids
Callie: Sure, with kids its OK
Sara: Why just them? Listen, every day when I walk past this park this guy, he’s all cracked out, says something to me, you know, something nasty and I just lower my head and walk on by.
Callie: Yep.”
I automatically assumed that this was after Callie and Sara got attacked. Then I remembered the Detective and Callie talking about how Sara was in a coma. I didn’t get it at first but then I realized what was going on. I think the point I’m trying to get across is that it is so easy to make assumptions when your reading something that jumps around and I think this plays time sequence does a lovely job of making you question those assumptions. I also like the idea that there is so much you don’t know about the characters, like for example Mrs. Winsley. When the Detective is questioning her there are lots of answers that seem like there is a story behind them. There are a lot of those types of things in this play and I think it’s partly due to the time sequence. I think this alternating setting would be difficult for actors to portray though, because in a play that goes from start to finish the actor knows the same thing that the character knows throughout the entire play, they discover new things together. But in a play like this the actor knows more than his or her character knows, and he has to conceal it until his character is ready to know it too.
A play with alternating present and future scenes has to be able to explain to the reader what happens in the middle. It’s creating a story within the story without even telling the reader what exactly happens. It lets the reader think for them self and make up a scene using their previous knowledge about the actors and the environment. Plays that have this help draw the reader in and make reading and or watching the play much more enjoyable. As for the actors however double scenes must be very difficult. They would have to transition quickly from one event to the other. Each scene especially in Stop Kiss by Diana Son, has different environments and feelings. Callie and Sara have different feelings toward each other in the beginning scenes than they do at the end. In the beginning their relationship is shaky and awkward. You can tell they want to be friends but it is hard for them to open up. Callie: “Just… let me get rid of this stuff. (Callie gathers and armful of junk and heads towards her bedroom. As soon as she turns her back, Sara sits up and pulls out a large key ring full of sharp pointy keys and a candlestick from under her as she silently mouths ‘ow’” (Son 8). This awkward and uncomfortable attitude toward each other changes throughout the story. After the unwritten future scene, you can tell that they love each other, and they feel comfortable around each other. When Callie was talking to Det. Cole she was saying that she wanted to be there for Sara. “Callie: ‘Because, my friend—if my friend—‘ Det. Cole: ‘they say she’s out of the woods in terms of life or—‘ Callie: ‘But if she wakes up—‘ “ (Son 15) Obviously something must have happened at the park that made this strong connection between these two women, and you are able to judge this because of the difference in language they use at the beginning and end of the story.
ReplyDeleteMatthew
ReplyDeleteB
Starting reading this play after hearing about it from several of my classmates I didn’t know what I should think about the play. The way the play was described made me think the play was going to be similar to some chick-flick where someone finds true love in am unlikely place; but as I read I found this wasn’t typical, it was confusing. I have always been an instant gratification loving child. I want to know what is coming next all the time in every book which I read. This play is different. I am having some trouble reading it but not because I don’t like the play I love the play and, for lack of a better phrase, awkward moments; and the way the author uses scene changes to enunciate these moments adds to my love of the play. My favorite of these scene changes so far comes from scene one to scene two because it gave me that instant gratification of what is going to happen later into the play.
start of scene one
Callie’s apartment. Callie puts on CD. Something ’70’s and great to dance to like The Emotions’ “Best of my love.”* She ceremoniously closes the blinds in her apartment, making sure each blade is turned over. She locks the front door and puts a piece of black tape over the peephole. As the vocals begin, Callie lip-syncs to the song with the polish of someone who has their own rivate karaoke often. The phone rings. Callie turns off the CD like a busted teenager and pick up the phone.
start of scene two
A hospital examination room. Callie is sitting on an exam table buttoning the top button of her shirt. Detective Cole stands in front of her.
The change from the start of the play to an instant finale brought me farther into the play. Leaving the rest of the play to my imagination. I started out not liking the play but as soon as the second scene came I fell in love with the characters of Callie and Sara and their story with barely knowing them or their story at all.
As Zoe points out, the major difference in George and Callies’ relationship and Sara and Callies’ is the time they have known each other. However, while it is a significant part of their relationship, I disagree that the thing Callie enjoys most about her new relationship with Sara is getting to know someone new. I think that the important thing about the new relationship is that Callie can be herself.
ReplyDeleteCallie and George certainly have a good relationship. They have known each other since college, and know everything about each other. The thing is, since they have shared the same circle of friends for so long, neither has had the chance to grow or change who they are since they met. Both have got in a habit of doing the same things and acting the same way around each other they always have. This group dynamic works, and the dependency it creates has kept Callie and George close friends, but at some point Callie didn’t want that routine anymore. In some long term relationships, both parties can change and grow with the circumstances, but in George and Callies’ relationship this was not the case. I believe that’s why Callie was grateful for the opportunity of a clean slate with Sara:
SARA: …were those friends from work?
CALLIE: Oh no…No, George – the guy on the phone – Lidia, Jasmine,…Rico, Sally, Ben – we were all friends in college and now we’re stuck to each other. I think we’re someone’s science experiment, we just don’t know it. A study in overdependency. (Son 17).
Even after spending a small amount of time with Sara, Callie admits that she and George are together because they have been friends for so long. Callie is ready to start over and be herself, because over the years she became trapped by George. With Sara, Callie can say anything she wants and not worry her history. She can act the way she wants to act without having to worry about stepping out of her and Georges unspoken routine. When Callie is with Sara she is truly herself, because, in getting to know Sara, she had nothing to lose. Sara was just “that friend of a friend of a…” (Son 23) who Sara happened to fall for.
Because Callie can truly be herself in front of Sara, I would say that their relationship is healthier. Sara and Callie are more authentically open with each other, since George and Callie believe they already know each other as well as they can.
Also - I do sympathize for George, because it would be devastating to feel like you were losing someone so important in your life, but I think he could make more of an effort to understand why Callie needed Sara.
ReplyDeleteThe Main characters in "Stop Kiss" have a complicated but quickly developing relationship. Sara and Callie seem to quickly be growing closer while Callie and George's relationship seems to almost be deteriorating due to Sara and Callie's developing relationship. Sara and Callie's relationship seems to start from them being acquaintances who quickly become friends too them being near a full on relationship. Callie and Sara quickly discover that they can trust each other.
ReplyDelete"Callie. And the Bronx?
Sara. OK These kids – you know who i was when i was their age? I was the kid who had the right answer, knew i had the right answer but would never raise my hand. Hoping the teacher would call on me anyway. Those are my favorite kids to teach. And here? Now? I've got a classroom full of them."
Here Sara trusts Callie with the reasoning behind why she chose to work at a school in the Bronx. This is just one example of the various details about each others lives that they share throughout the first half of the story. It shows that they trust each other to at least the level of close friends. In addition to this it is obvious that they become closer due to the act of them sharing a kiss before Sara is beaten by that man. On the other hand Callie and George had a close relationship at some point in their lives seeing as she say's that they we're on and off "friends with benefits" since they were twenty. however this suggests that they never really had a "real" relationship that was more than physical. Despite this George does seem to care for her.
"Callie. I'm not in a coma.
George. What?
Callie. Sara's in a coma.
George. How do i know that?
Callie. What was i --
George. How do i know anything but what i see on the god-damn --
Callie. What did you want – me to call you from the hospital?
George. Yes!"
George shows that he does in fact care for Callie here through his obvious worrying and his slight anger at Callie for not telling him she was safe. Despite this the feelings between the two seem to be one-sided at the moment as Callie's interest has shifted to Sara over George. Out of these two relationships it seems that Sara and Callie's is much healthier considering Callie seems to have lost interest in George and because they never really had a full on relationship.
When I was about to start reading Stop Kiss I wasn’t too excited. I was expecting a storyline of two people finding true love as the story trudges along. I didn’t really think much of the play other than that until I started reading. The way that the story unfolded was nothing that I have ever read in a play before and I found it interesting. It was at some points hard to understand just what was going on which made it hard to really get into the story at some points.
ReplyDeleteI have only seen a couple of storylines that have used the interesting way that the story unfolds in the manner that Stop Kiss does. On most occasions it was the downfall of the book or movie. Yet when this is used properly it can become a fantastic piece. I thought it was a cool design and thought it was a great use in Stop Kiss during many scenes.
The best example is at the very start of the play. During scene one you are simple introduced to these two women, Sara and Callie, which you don’t really know anything about except that one owns a cat and works at a school in the Bronx while the other doesn’t like jazz and owns the apartment. It is a simple scene with simple conversations that seemed to jump around. Then scene two started and made a jump into the future. At first I didn’t quite understand what was going on but realized that Sara was the one who was in the coma and was attacked.
This is a great way to start a play I feel. It is very effective for me at getting me hooked to the story of it all. It makes me wonder and imagine all the ways that this could have led up to that moment and makes me wonder even more what will happen even further in the future with Sara, Callie, and the man that attacked her.
The way this is all done must be somewhat tough for the actors and actresses I would imagine. The theme of scenes five through seven are much different making all the people acting has to change moods between each scene. I think that if they do this very well the audience would enjoy it very much. From having Callie go from being surprised to see George, to being interrogated, to playing cards and getting ready for bed. It is a challenge but with a good effect.
George and Callie’s relationship seems…well, not like much of a relationship at all. As Callie describes, “George and I…are friends. Who sleep together. But date other people. Sometimes for long periods of time…we’ll probably get married” (Son 17). It seems to me that Callie has latched herself to George more than she knows. The fact that she and her other friends are so close after so long is a good thing, but in the case of her and George, their relationship is too undetermined to be stable. If neither of them can commit to being in a serious relationship together—not just a physical one, but an emotional one—than they should break it off. Callie seems like she’d be willing to be with George for a long time, but George really only wants to be with Callie when he’s not with someone else. To George, Callie is just a filler—not exactly a good way to build a relationship. Alternatively, Callie and Sara seem to be much more receptive to each other’s feelings. Their relationship is almost antipodal to Callie and George’s—whereas the latter is lacking in solid commitment, Callie and Sara’s feels more confused, less well defined. For example, at the end of scene 8, when Callie was talking to George: “…When what I really wanted to do was plant her a big, fat, wet one. Right on the lips. Nothing confusing about it. (Son 35)” Callie’s repressed feelings caused a different sort of strain between the two of them: one of not being able to describe your feelings for someone, because of the uncertainty and doubt in your own head about those feelings. It’s a tough place to be, for sure, but it’s better than what Callie and George have going. Callie and Sara have an understanding of each other that George lacks—that deep personal link, going beyond circumstance or even reason. Honestly, George just sounds like another typical guy who’s focused on one thing in a relationship.
ReplyDelete--SP
In the play Stop Kiss by Diana Son, it’s set up so the scenes alternate from the pre-incident to post-incident. In scene one, the two main characters Callie and Sarah first meet and make plans for Callie to show Sarah around the neighborhood. The next scene jumps ahead to Callie talking to a detective about her and Sarah being assaulted after leaving a bar. This left me in confusion until scene three, when it went back to before the assault.
ReplyDeleteThe way that this play is set up, to me, makes it more interesting. How I know the beginning and I know the end, but I don’t know what happened in between. Plays usually aren’t set up this way, so when I read it, it made me want to keep reading to get the whole story. The story itself is not so interesting if it is presented normally: with the story unfolding event after event. But this way, the story is mysterious and keeps the audience in suspense. This makes a normal, not so exciting, storyline into and intriguing one.
I feel that this play would probably be harder on the actors than the audience, because they would have to go back and forth to before the incident to after the incident, which is a big emotional change to go through. For the audience (or at least for me) reading or watching this play would be easy enough once they understood what was happening. But with the actors, especially the one who plays Callie needs to transition her personality drastically between scenes. In one scene she can be laughing and hanging out with her friends and in the next she can be crying because of her friend being in a coma. I know that if I was an actor (which I’m not) that part would be one of the hardest to play because of the harsh emotional changes.
Overall I like this play a lot, the way the play is set up helps me stay interested in it and so it’s not a boring read. I would probably want to see it as well.
At first the alternating setting was confusing because I didn't understand that the scenes were alternating between two different time lines It made the first few scenes very confusing until I finally realized it in scene twelve (I understand that we were only supposed to read up to scene eight). At first I beloved that Sara had been attacked multiple times and the play had a linear time line I believe that for an audience this play could also be very confusing because (unless you know the play) it would take you a few scenes to understand that time line is alternating between post and pre-incedent events. If this play was very well done and staged well it would be very interesting this could be done in several different ways like using different lighting schemes to portray the difference. Requiring the audience to figure out about the two time lines could potentially take away from how much of the play the audience understands. This could also have the reverse effect requiring the audience to pay even more attention to the play. I can understand why the alternating time lines could be very challenging for the actors because of having to display emotions in one scene and then having to display another set of emotions for something that is completely different from what they were in the previous scene. A major problem for the actor playing Sara would be that she has to go from being bused to being completely normal. Having to go through that change almost every scene must be very frantic.
ReplyDeleteThe play Stop Kiss by Diana Son revolves around a love triangle. Unlike a stereotypical relationship involving two women and one man, one of the women, Callie, is at the center. Callie is confident in her sexuality and her future until meets Sara, describing her relationship with her “friend,” George, as such: “We sleep together. But date other people. Sometimes for long periods of time. We’ve been doing this since we were . . . 20. Although he never likes anyone I’m dating, he’s unabashedly—and I admit I can get jealous when he’s—but at least I try to hide it, I’m pretty good at it too. It’s only after they’ve broken up that I—Anyway, we’ll probably get married” (Son 17).
ReplyDeleteOnce Callie gets to know Sara better, however, things change. Callie begins to spend less time with George in favor of Sara. Callie takes Sara on a date that George complains she would never take him on. Even though their relationship is still in its infancy, the two women reach an emotional level that I do not think Callie has reached—or is able to reach—with George: Callie is able to admit to Sara that she is jealous of George’s girlfriends and that she eventually believes that she will marry George.
As Callie slowly moves on from George, some would view him as the injured party. I disagree. George has had every opportunity in the world to make Callie exclusively his and yet he continues to date other people. They have been sleeping together since college, but there is no sense of commitment, no declarations of love. I think this is unhealthy. The relationship seems shallow, dishonest, and unfulfilling.
I believe Callie is looking for something deeper and more meaningful. She wants honesty, acceptance, and fidelity. She was willing to settle for less, but now that Callie has found what she was missing, I doubt that she will want to give it up.
Throughout the scenes that callie and george or sara were involved in the apartment I couldn't help but imagine then in jerrry's apartment from Seinfeld (I know not the most intelligent thing I could compare it to but). As I thought I this the vision became more clear and george was Elaine more like a old flame that may have gone out but they are still great friend even there conversation are sometimes pretty stale and boring. They are very comfortable with each other and are always capable of being around each other even if there maybe they would rather be somewhere else. Callie's relationship with Sara is more complicated and sadly does not fit into my Seinfleid comparison you can tell very early possible even the first scene that both girls are very interested in the others story and even by the fifth scene you can tell they already care about each other after just two conversation. Callie is trying on the different outfits and she says that this is something sara would wear. I to me this shows she has already took a strong liking even if she was worried she might be a "dud" in the first scene. I am looking forward to seeing how this relationships grow throughout the play
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to say which of Callies’ relationships is healthier because of how different the two friendships are. One is based upon a longer more fulfilled friendship while the other is in an entirely different stage. Callie and Sara are new friends–their acquaintance fueled by the excitement and opportunity that comes from meeting new people. In the relationship between Callie and Sara, Callie sees the opportunity not only to be herself (as mentioned by others), but also to reinvent some of who she is. The new relationship provides a haven for a more current expression of a person. Old relationships, like Callie and Georges’ sometimes hinder development of new characteristics. This can often be due to familiarity, an aspect of old friendships that in addition to stifling development can also cause conflict.
ReplyDeleteCALLIE: How do I know anything but what I see on the goddamn–
GEORGE: Yes!
CALLIE: What would I say? On a pay phone. In the hospital…
GEORGE: Come and get me. That’s what you could’ve said.
(Son 34).
With familiarity comes expectation. The apparent conflict between George and Callie seems to be caused because George feels hurt by Callies’ apparent neglect towards him in the time of crisis. This anger or resent may be a result of changes in Callie. Underneath this anger I believe that George feels worry for the condition of his relationship with Callie, not wanting things to end his anxiety about the situation might have been perceived as anger and aggressive nosiness. Yet the nature of their relationship, and George's actions have kept Callie from feeling truly connected to George.
It is also tough to judge which one is healthier at this stage in the play. The relationship between George and Callie has obviously hit a turbulent point but in many relationships these points of conflict often lead to more wholesome relationships. That being said the conflict must be resolved constructively. If George and Callie are able to understand each other’s situations and move forward they may be able to foster a different, possibly better relationship in the future. Although at this point the relationship seems to be escalating torwards a less positive outcome. At this point Sara and Callies’ young relationship is filled with uncertainty. It is difficult to predict how Son will play the rest of the relationship out. Obviously the egregious act that the two of them experienced will have some effect on how they view eachother. I think that the adversity that the two are overcoming will bring them closer together and ultimately help to forge a stronger relationship. Callie has found someone with who she can express a truer more gratifying version of herself. It seems that Callies’ desire to be accepted, understood, and loved will act as a protagonist as the play progresses.
Gabe
Many people seem to agree that this play is intriguing. This group of people includes me. For Emily it’s the alternating scenes, Kylie, the modern twist, and Ashley the straight forward dialogue — no tricks. No matter what the reason is, it’s a fact.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading through the posts, I also found interesting ideas I hadn’t thought about before. For example Emily points out that the reader doesn’t really know what’s going on at first. Who are the characters? What are the connections? It sort of sets the reader up to want to keep reading — the intrigue. Once I thought about this idea, it made sense and explained exactly how I was when I first started reading the play. From the very beginning the scene is short, and you’re not given much background to go on. Added to that, there are the alternating pre and post incident scenes to piece together. It’s as if the playwright want to wrap you into the play before you realize what’s happening. It’s one of those things that catches you off guard, although at the same time incredible.
This play is not the same as “some version of a late 1500 Shakespearean style.”
Responding to what Sydney wrote, I think that Sara and Callie could in fact have a strong relationship. They already know each other so well, and they seem to have a personal connection with each other that they haven't had anywhere else. Each of them has something to offer: Callie needs a more stable/consistent relationship, and Sara is trying to adapt to life in New York. However, I can imagine that it may be difficult to continue a relationship like that if it has become public. It's one thing to be together, but it's another entirely if it's known to the world. I think that this could prove to be a major challenge for the two of them: how to cope with Sara being injured. I think that if they can weather such an incident, it will show just how strong their relationship can be.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Where did all the fish go?!
After reading all the comments I notice a similar reaction to the play. Most of everyone will agree that this play is enjoyable and because of the transition from before and after the incident this play is unique and just as good because of it. I agree with Elizabeth when she says that because of the way that each scene is told from pre to post incident that it makes the scenes more powerful. I enjoy learning specific info piece by piece and putting it all together and even having room to hypothesize what might happen later.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Kylie when she says that because of the layout of the play it encourages the reader to piece together certain aspects of every scene when you know very little about the characters, plot, or setting and yet can imagine much more about the play. If the story was laid out normal and progressed overtime I don’t think I would be thinking to myself all these different ways it could all play out as much as I am now. The scene changes draw you in and make you wonder what is to come. It’s an interesting idea that if written correctly can have an amazing effect on the reader.
Another interesting idea that people notice is how the relationship between the characters along with the scene changes really make this a unique play. While it is easy to make a standpoint between whose side you’re on in the relationship, I found it a more complex and fun read learning certain things about the characters one step at a time but never truly understanding who they are.
All in all I find this play to be a good and straight forward yet complicated read. So far the way this play has been written has been working well. I hope that the author has ended it well and worked the pre and post incident scenario to their advantage.
The comments about which relationship is healthier have really made me think about it for myself. I didn’t bother deciding which relationship I thought Callie should choose, and before reading all of the comments I didn’t have much of an opinion on the matter either. I agree with what Sydney said 100%. She mentioned both of the relationships Callie has with Sara and George to be healthy in their own ways. Healthy with George because he knows her and cares for her, and healthy for Sara because it’s a growing experience for her. “They’re discovering something about themselves and may lead to a full-blown relationship. I think that’s important and I think they are both secure adults and can handle the changes they are feeling within themselves.” While I can agree that both the relationships are healthy in some way I would hope that Callie chooses Sara. If she’s been having a friends with benefits thing with George for a couple years obviously one of them is unable to commit and I sense she feels stuck. That situation going on for a long period of time isn’t healthy and only hurts those involved. Callie is ready for something fresh and new, and Sara is just that. They’re both discovering a part of themselves and for Callie that could ultimately free her from George.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the second prompt, I agree with what most other people have already said: the structure is unique and keeps the play interesting. Specifically, I liked what Kylie said about the fact that because the timeline is non-linear, the reader/audience is able to fill in the intervening events between the scenes for themselves. I also liked what Ashley said about the contrast between the relative simplicity of the language, characters, and plot and how these things worked with the complicated order in which the scenes are presented. I think neither of these parts would work without the other because the play would be either too simple (boring) or too complicated (confusing).
ReplyDeleteIn response to the second prompt, I actually disagree with a lot of what people have said so far. For instance, Josselyn said, "... in scene three, one can definitely see that she [Callie] and George have a limited relationship that she expects more from, but George doesn't." I did not read scene three that way at all. Obviously, Callie and George do have a limited relationship, but I didn't read Callie as (necessarily) having any more or less interest in George romantically than he has in her. We haven't seen a lot of George and we haven't heard his side of this from him, so I don't think it's fair to assume that it is George's "fault" that the two of them are not together.
On a similar note, I completely disagree with some of what Karleen wrote: "George has had every opportunity in the world to make Callie exclusively his and yet he continues to date other people." Again, I did not read George's character that way at all. Yes, George and Callie have been having sex despite not being in a committed relationship with one another, but I don't see why it is George's responsibility to "make Callie exclusively his" in this situation. To me, this view of their relationship (which many others described as well) strikes me as almost a little sexist because it assumes that the woman is the victim (being used by the man) when I don't see much evidence of that in the actual text.
Personally, I agree with Jared's Seinfeld comparison; Callie and George's relationship read as a lot like Jerry and Elaine's. Neither party seems more or less "to blame" for them not being together romantically; they have just decided mutually to be friends (who occasionally sleep together). Like Sydney, I sympathize with George because he is losing a friend, not because he has "lost his chance" at a romantic relationship with Callie.
After reading everyone’s comments a few stuck out to me. The first is Elizabeth’s, where she says that the alternating scene change: “…is a highly effective technique which should be used more often. There’s an element of surprise, which is intriguing…” I agree with this because I felt that when I was reading it the sudden change in scenery from a happy scene about two girls meeting to a scene after they had been assaulted and in the hospital was a major shock. It left me confused, but also intrigued by what happened. This in turn kept me reading longer than I planned to.
ReplyDeleteAlso there was Jonathan’s response which made me question the method of the play. I understood after the second scene that it was jumping back and forth. But if you were in Jonathan’s case and you didn’t understand what was happening, and you thought it was still in linear form, then it would get very confusing fast. So I understand that if you weren’t familiar with the formatting of the play, you may not appreciate the full dramatic experience of it.
Another response that stuck out to me was Kylie’s. I don’t know if she meant to point this out, but I thought it was curious how she talked about the jump between scene one and two. She quoted a part of the play when Sarah and Callie met for the first time and being complete strangers, to the second scene where Callie says: “Because my friend-if my friend…” This quote points out that the two women do become very close, which in turn, made me want to read more to find out how that happened. I never noticed that until Kylie pointed it out.
While reading the comments i noticed a few ideas popping up repeatedly. The first I noticed was the idea that Callie and Sara's relationship was more healthy than the relationship Callie has with George. This seems to be believed mainly because they have had a friends with benefits style of relationship for years. This made me wonder though if a relationship that is purely physical should even be considered a relationship. After all despite the fact that George does care about Callie and that Callie seems to have partially latched herself onto him despite an apparent lack of actually caring for him they really just used each other. To me a relationship can only exist between two people who really care about each other, not two people who are simply using each other.
ReplyDeleteThe second idea that came up again and again was that the unusual scene transitions made the play more interesting. I found this interesting because these transitions did make the play more interesting for me even though i didn't really consider it while reading. Every time it switches and gives you a glimpse of the plays future it makes you stop and wonder what happened to make it to that point. This factor seems to contribute greatly to what makes the play interesting and unusual.
I liked what Simon said about the George and Callie’s relationship being “too undetermined to be stable”, when the phrase seems to describe the exact opposite of a long lasting relationship between two good friends. When I thought about it more though, I realized that there were some serious unknowns between them. Since they felt they knew each other so well, they never really asked questions about their feelings for one another. In order to prolong their friendship, George and Callie kept their sexual relationship casual. This made it less awkward to be around one another, but it also created misunderstandings. Neither shared exactly what they wanted out of the relationship, so they ended up falling into a pattern that worked, but had few boundaries. I’m not saying a relationship needs to have a title, but in this case, the undetermined, casual aspect made it so that neither person felt comfortable asking for a more devoted romantic relationship.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of Sara and Callie, there were also obvious unknowns, but in this case, Callie felt comfortable trying to figure out the unknowns and being clear about what she wanted. I think that made all the difference.
I think I'm the only one who is in favor of George and Callie's relationship. From Callie's growing relationship with Sara, you find out something that Callie doesn't even know about herself; she doesn't know what she wants. With this said, it makes complete sense that George and Callie aren't official. Why would you be with someone when you don't even know what you want first? George cares about Callie enough to stay by her side even though he's completely aware that what she wants might not ultimately end up being him. That sounds perfectly fine by me.
ReplyDeleteI can see where people are coming from when they say that George and Callie have all the chances in the world to get together and their instability makes them unhealthy. I disagree with this because they have enough respect for each other to not make a commitment they cannot keep. The fact that they have realized this shows maturity. I can stay content with this relationship because if the other didn't want to continue the casual relationship, they would just fade away. They haven't reached the point in their relationship where they can openly talk about feelings because they know that if that is discussed it makes them vulnerable to pain.
While reading other’s blogs I realized that a common theme in the relationship that Callie has is the fact that she wants to be herself and start off on a new slate. Rosie mentioned that Callie couldn’t totally be herself around George because she knew him for so long so it was hard for her to grow and change as a person. They already had preconceived notions about each other and it was hard to get rid of them and learn more. For example in scene five George feels so comfortable with Callie (which could be a good thing) that he was able to do what he pleased in her house. “George stretches himself out on the couch, staking a pile of pillow behind his head” (Son 23). Their relationship was so relaxed that he felt comfortable making himself at home and watching her TV. This could be healthy but I believe that it is not for Callie. Callie had an attitude around George that was more on the “not really caring” side. They were at a point in the relationship that it almost wasn’t worth it to tell him new things, and open up. Going out to dinner with George wasn’t a big deal to her because while getting ready to go she “gives up” on trying to look nice for George.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Callie and Sara was much different than that with George. I agree with everyone in that Callie needed a new relationship to boost up her sprits and make her feel excited again. Things were in a rut with George and she needed someone new to open up to and start off on a clean slate with. Callie went out to dinner and the bar with Sara, which seemed like a more exciting night for her rather than watching TV with George. And I think that is a good thing for Callie because it seemed like she needed a change and someone new to hang out with.
Hannah says at the very end of her blog, after talking about the relationships in the play, that Callie’s relationship with George is healthier, but that Callie’s relationship with Sara can help her grow as a person. I don’t understand that at all! In my mind a healthy relationship makes you grow as a person: it forces you to become a better person. With George she will never change, they will date on and off and have sex then get married, but with Sara she’s seeing a new side to the city and shes discovering new things. Shes growing and shes slowly becoming that better person, a different person. I guess that’s my opinion and maybe to everyone else what Hannah said makes more sense.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people have written that this is an ordinary play with only a few twists that they understand. I, personally, enjoy plays like Shakespeare and I think half the fun is figuring out what they are actually saying because they say nothing at face value. So, to me, this play isn’t as interesting but, just like in real life, no one actually says what they mean: a lot of things that Callie, or George, or Sara say seem to have a different meanings that what they say directly.
I liked what Rosie said about how Callie liked her relationship with Sara because she could be herself and I concur. I think that not only does Callie like it because she can be herself but because she is using to find herself: shes using the relationship to discover new things about herself and this new person is not only helping but they don’t know her well enough to question why shes changing because they havnt known each other long enough for Sara to know Callie is changing. I don’t know if that made any sense to anyone but me.
There was one thing in particular that people said that really stuck out to me. In terms of Callie's relationship's, people keep talking about what's "healthy". People have said that George and Callie together isn't "healthy" because their relationship could be described as unstable. I think I'm a little bit confused as to how people are defining healthy. Do they mean that in the long-term picture George is just hurting Callie emotionally? That's what I'm getting from that. Personally, I'm a supporter of Sara and Callie. Something about George just gets me. But it's certainly not because I think it would be "unhealthy" for George to be with Callie, I think its because Sara and Callie really love each other, while with George its just lust. I really don't think it matters which relationship is healthier, I think it matters which one is actually love, and I think that sometimes love can be more detrimental and unhealthier then being with someone who simply doesn't want to commit.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the idea of George and Callie together could be as simple as Anna said, Callie just needed something new. I think there is more to her relationship with Sara then just “mixing it up” but I also think we underestimate the simplicity of meeting a new person and feeling excited again.
I really liked what Rosie said about there being unknowns in both sets of relationships. There are definitely unknowns in Sara and Callie’s relationship because its new and different and just sort of happened, and there are unknowns in George’s and Callie’s relationship because its casual and mostly just sex and neither person is sure of what the other wants. But I think the difference is that in George’s and Callie’s relationship the unknowns are a burden, something neither person wants to think about or discuss; while the unknowns in Sara and Callie’s relationship are exciting and just waiting to stop being unknowns and start being lovely things. I just think that Callie is scared of the unknowns with Sara and with George she feels better pushing them under the rug.
I agree with Sydney that a healthy relationship forces you to grow as a person. I do not think that Callie’s relationship with George does this. It is comfortable; they have been “together” since college. I believe they are afraid of moving on because fully committing to someone else would mean risking getting hurt.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think that they both, at some point, will realize this. Entering into a loveless marriage for the sake of convenience is naïve: in marriages there are more than just two people involved. Marriages join families together, create friendships, and nurture children. If the foundation is not based on love, the fragile web of interpersonal connections will rip apart.
This is not to say that George and Callie could not have taken their relationship to this level. I simply do not see either of them making the effort, which I take to mean, as they do not want a committed partnership with each other.
I want to clarify that they both have had ample opportunities. I resent the fact that my earlier words were misinterpreted. I did not mean to suggest that Callie was—in any way—a victim. Indeed she is an equal partner in this affair. I was attempting to explain why I do not pity George and, for the record, I do not pity Callie either.
Most people have commented that this play has grabbed their interest and they couldn't put it down. I was like this as well. I read it straight through to the end all at once.
ReplyDeleteSydney said that she was not enjoying the play because there wasn't enough character development. I would agree with her about this in the first couple of scenes. I think that it is mainly left to the actors to develop what the character is like and who they are. On the first page it only states the age of the character and that the cast should reflect the diversity of New York City. That leaves it pretty open to interpretation on the part of the actors. I also like how Elizabeth says that having it left unclear makes it more interesting and drags you deeper into the play because you want to know what the connections are.
As Ashley said I also found that this play was a much easier read than some of the other school assigned papers. Having it be in plain english as apposed to some of the Shakespearean stuff that we've had to read was a relief.
I read that most people, including myself, had a hard time understanding that the scenes were alternating between post and pre-incident events. Most people it seems figured this out sooner than I did though. Once you realize that that is how the play is working you have to rethink all of what you have read so that you can understand what is really going on. I think that this could have been made clear in the script earlier by stating it blatantly in the beginning. This would have cleared up much of the confusion.
Overall I am enjoying this play more that I believed that I would at first. aI believe that those that haven’t finished the play will enjoy the second half.
Side note:
I noticed something fishy.... or rather lacking fish. What happened... get hungry Mr. Chapin?
Sorry, Karleen! I knew you probably didn't really mean it that way, but that's how your original comment struck me so I thought the issue needed to be addressed... Sorry...
ReplyDeleteMatthew Diamond
ReplyDelete(First sorry this is so late my internet shut off at about 5 yesterday and I couldn't get on the Blog)
After reading everyone's posts I seem to agree the most with Billy's second post where he is looking at the different points of view. I agree with Kylie when she says the changing of setting adds to the impact of each individual scene. It was a very nice change from what I am used to reading. As I said before I am an instant gratification child so the sooner I know the plot the better, and with the change in the setting of first two scenes I was able to figure out the plot pretty quickly.
But when I saw it from Johnathan's point of view where he thought the play was linear, I can see how the play would soon become extremely confusing. I believe that if I had not talked to others in my class who had already read the play I would not have understood that the play was not liner and would have been in the same place as Johnathan.
(Not thinking I hit post, I didn't paste the entire piece yet)
ReplyDeleteI did not write my original post on the relationships of George and Callie but I believe the changes in the setting of the story gave me a deeper understanding of the relationships as well. It showed how Callie felt toward Sara where especially after the attack she felt closer toward her; but after the attack she seemed to be drifting father away from George mentally but not physically. The scene changes seemed to help me understand the developments in the relationships better.
I completely agree with what everybody about Callie and George’s relationship being fated, and that it really wont work out in the end. They are both just using each other when they feel like they don’t have anyone else. But the problem with that is sometimes one may want the other, and then other does want anything. In a true relationship they both want each other all the time, and don’t just decide when they wants something and when they don’t. I also agree with Kieran that the growing relationship between Sara and Callie could be love, where as the one between Callie and George is just lust. Maybe before when Callie and George were younger and still in college they might have been in love, but now that they are older they have grown apart and just latch on to each other rather that feeling alone. I also think that they both are at a place in their life where they should be moving on, but they are still stuck with their college friends and old life. I think they need to move on and Sara is starting to help Callie develop her new life. I think that Callie was a little lost in her life, and was kind of sick of everything, like her job and her friends. I agree with Rosie and Sydney that Sara was helping Callie find herself a little bit, and be more who she wants then the girl she was in college, and still is to her friends. Sara being a person who Callie has never met before enables Callie to act like herself around Sara. Sara has no predetermined views and opinions about Callie allowing her to act differently than she does with her old college friends. Overall I think that Sara is the better of Callie’s suitors, and that George is an old flame that needs to be let go.
ReplyDeleteIn this blog response I would like to talk about the opinions people had about the relationships between Callie and George and Callie and Sara. First off, I think it is important to realize that the first time two people meet, they are never themselves. People want to get along with one another and appear interesting and likable so often they will sensor certain actions or comments more than they would with old chums. This is perhaps one reason why Callie and Sara got along so well at first. When Callie and Sara first met they both wanted to be the best person they could be. They could take this friendship anywhere.
ReplyDeleteGeorge and Callie have known each other for a long time. They have been friends, lovers, and enemies. After knowing someone for that long, there is no need to cover up details, or plaster a fake smile on your face. They were able to be themselves with each other and therefore could finds faults and annoyances with each other. It seems like this new friendship in Callie's life has given her something to work at. Her friendship with Sara has given her a whole fresh outlook on life and whereas Callie’s friendship with George and that circle of friends has become a dusty routine of the same old same old, this friendship opens up a window for new and exciting experiences.
As Sydney stated in her blog “I think [Sara] is sweet and dependable and determined. She wants to change things, which I think is admirable. She competed for a job teaching in the Bronx. She wants to change things... She will find people who relate with what she is trying to do and not think she is crazy.” As Sydeny said, Sara is a very interesting and different kind of person than what Callie is used to and I think that Callie is at a point in her life where she wants a change and experience new people and ideas. Rosie also makes and excellent point “The thing is, since they have shared the same circle of friends for so long, neither has had the chance to grow or change who they are since they met.” I think Callie’s new friendship with Sara, and somewhat ignorance of her old circle of friends demonstrates her desire to experience different things, such as a change in sexuality and new views of helping children in less fortunate situations.
Sara and Callie have a long way to go in their relationship. I think they are still in the awkward phase of liking each other in that way even though they haven’t really come outright and said it. Especially since they are both experiencing feelings for the opposite sex for the first time I think the definite dating status might be a little slow to come but as we see in the end, both are working toward that. As I was saying in my last blog entry, the changes and new experiences they bring into each others life is something they are equally ready for in this stage of life. A new teacher in the Bronx breaking free of her protective family and sheltered life in St. Louis, Sara is taking some major risks and finding that this new change of scene is doing her some good. She befriends Callie, a young woman living in NYC who goes through the same boring routine, people, and job all day and is clearly ready for something new and exciting to happen in her life.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Callie is able and willing to take these risks and do something she herself thought she could never do and somewhat looked down on really impresses and inspires Callie. Sara on the other hand admires Callie’s laid back confidence and easy going kindness. Sara’s confidence is much more forward than Callie’s but I always got the impression that it didn’t come as naturally and as easily as Callie’s “Callie. Sometimes I do-- my friend Sheila goes to this club on Wednesday nights and sometimes she invited a bunch of us girls to go. Sara. I’d like to go sometime. Callie. ... Sure... Sara Will you let me know next time you go? ... Sara. Have you ever meet a woman there, that seemed... interesting ... to you? Callie. ... No. Not there. Have you--?” (Son 50). Clearly Sara is confident enough to take a risk, move, get a new job and meet new people but it can sometimes come across awkwardly. Callie’s confidence is much more secure and stable especially since she has been in New York with the same people since collage. She’s always the one making the decisions on when to hang out and where. She’s the one that offers the beer or asks if Sara wants to go out. Sara is the one who is waiting on Callie to make a move, to bring their relationship farther and in the end Callie does. I think Sara is trying to incorporate this kind of confidence into her life especially because she is planning to stay there (at least before the accident) and Callie is trying to incorporate Sara’s kind of confidence into her life so she can experience life to the fullest and take more risks. In a way both have already begun to change and add these aspects into their life just by dating each other and time will only change them more in the ways that they wish.
People are definitely touching upon the idea that human nature is constantly changing. The idea that people are not themselves when they meet new people assumes that the idea of "oneself" is relatively definite. I see a person's character as an ever transforming entity. Emily recognized that Sara influenced Callie's character, and has definitely driven Callie to want to better herself and her life, where as George wasn't driving Callie to do either of these things.
ReplyDeleteMany people mentioned that George and Callie's relationship was not a loving one, and I agree. Yet it is also being contrasted to the extremely positive relationship between Sara and Callie, where Son paints a picture of personal growth, mutual respect, and love. I think this contrast is a conscious choice by the author, made to help illuminate the pros and cons of each relationship.
It is also important to remember that Callie and Sara's relationship is young as well. Kieran talked about how the relationship between George and Callie is lustful. I would challenge that Sara and Callie's relationship is an equally lustful experience. While they do share great mutual respect and admiration the relationship between the two women is also being fueled by their curiosity and fascination with the other. This passion and excitement that comes in the early stages of a relationship is often seen as lust, and while I do believe that the two women are fostering a healthy, longterm relationship, I also believe that they are experiencing a form of lust.