<html><body><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div abp="168"><br abp="169"> If I had to sit through another production of Pippin, I think I might consider suicide.</div><div abp="170"><br abp="171"></div><div abp="173" data-marker="__HEADERS__"><br abp="197"><br abp="198">So much is just a matter of perspective.... one teacher I have to work<br abp="199">with had said we could/should never do Pippin, because it encourages<br abp="200">suicide. A couple of colleagues and I had to scratch our heads for a<br abp="201">bit... what suicide? What is she talking about? A different show,<br abp="202">perhaps? Then we realized she was referring to the ending, where the<br abp="203">Leading Player encourages Pippin to "give the audience what they want"<br abp="204">- a big, splashy finish...... by jumping into the firebox. I never,<br abp="205">for even a second, thought of that as "suicide," nor did I stage it in<br abp="206">that sense - the show is about illusion, "magic" - and what others'<br abp="207">expectations may be, versus what our individual hearts want... I<br abp="208">cannot believe for a second any audience member walks away from the<br abp="209">show thinking, "Gee, that was great, and thought-provoking. I think I<br abp="210">shall go out in a ball of flame, as one of the characters suggested."<br abp="211"><br abp="212">-- <br abp="213">Jon Ares<br abp="214">www.arescreative.com<br abp="215">http://backstagethreads.com<br abp="216"><br abp="217">____________________________________________________________<br abp="218">For list information see <http://stagecraft.theprices.net/><br abp="219">Stagecraft mailing list<br abp="220">Stagecraft@theatrical.net<br abp="221">http://theatrical.net/mailman/listinfo/stagecraft_theatrical.net<br abp="222"></div></div></body></html>