Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Γειά σου νοσοκόμα (HELLOOOOO, NURSE!)

There should be an alternate TV dimension out there which is home to the televised adaptations of theatrical plays and musicals, but only those that look to be stage-bound. For instance, the 1990's version of "Bye Bye Birdie" can remain in Toobworld because it inserted itself into the "television reality". On the other hand, the adaptation of "Into The Woods" would belong in that theatrical TV dimension because it remained in the artifice of the stage.

This TV dimension would have entries dating back to the ancient plays of Greece, which were also produced on TV. One of these was Eurypides' "Medea", from 431 BC, and another would be "Antigone", one of Sophocles' most famous plays, which was completed around 442 BC.

In the timeline of this TV Theater World, those two plays are in the same order, but "Antigone" was a few more years later than "Medea". I'm basing that claim on two specific performances - "Medea" produced in 1959 on 'The Play Of The Week', and "Antigone" which was shown as part of 'Great Performances' in 1974.

Why did I choose these two productions from any others of the same plays? Because they can be linked by a single performance.

Aline McMahon, perhaps most famous nowadays as Trixie Lorraine in "Gold-Diggers of 1933", played the character of "Nurse" in both productions. So Toobworld Central is making the claim that both roles were the same woman, and that after the tragedy in the household of Jason and Medea, she sought new employment in the royal household of Creon.

Not that it was any better there......

The picture here of Aline McMahon is from "Gold-Diggers Of 1933", but 'twill serve.....

BCnU!

2 comments:

Rob Buckley said...

Good Greek, Tobes ;-)

Toby O'B said...

I owe it all to Babel Fish, Rob!