I found “The Philadelphia” by David Ives to be very amusing. At first, I had trouble understanding the concept of the play, but then I realized it was basically about how we don’t always get what we want. Mark seems to feel extremely out of place, considering that he is being denied everything he asks for. Al considers this being stuck in a Philadelphia, which means having to deal with what life has to give you, even though it is not what you are asking for. Eventually, we find out there is a way of manipulating this by asking for the wrong things in order to get the right ones. Meanwhile, Al seems to be stuck in L.A., which is what keeps him calm and collected. Ultimately, these being stuck in these cities is like being stuck in a state of mind; to the author, Philadelphia is just odd, while Los Angeles is like being on a “cosmic beach”. Throughout the play, I noted how the characters state of mind change throughout the discovery of things. The characters adapt to their surroundings in order to make the best out of the situation. I think Ives converts a complicated and interesting concept into an amusing play, which kind of places the reader out of reality. The dialogue was entertaining and developed well throughout the play. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this play!
Reading the play “Gas” was a bit confusing in the beginning. The first time I read this play I kind of felt like he was doing a one act play like in UIL for high school but after re-reading I understood it more. You can feel his rage and how furious he is just through the text. He’s ranting. While working at the gas station the thought of his brother comes to mind. The gas station has made him realize that were pretty much just sending American troops to war, shedding American blood for gas. I see war the same way today as the way it might have been back then. A lot of people tend to join the military because they feel like they’re not “smart enough” for anything else. I think by this man being at the gas station he realized that gas is a needed necessity for our everyday lives but how necessary is it? Is it that much of a necessity that he’s willing to lose a brother over it? All in all, I feel like it was an epiphany.
I honestly thought the play was hilarious and very entertaining given how different it felt from all the other plays I’ve read so far. From the onset, I was curious as to why Al seemed to be so optimistic and cheery despite the dreary interactions he had at the beginning. When I found out later on that he was also in one of these “cosmic” spaces, along with every other character, it all clicked into place and I enjoyed the play even more for the twist. It felt nice seeing a play that did not try to take itself too seriously or try to inject forced humor into its scenes. Moreover, using locations like Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Baltimore to describe how life reacts to the characters was in my opinion very entertaining and comical. Every stereotype associated with each location basically lent themselves to the jokes and added to the comedic worth of the piece. Speaking of which, most of the jokes were on point and came in with perfect timing – there were a few, however, that went over my head the first time around however before I read the piece again. Finally, I just want to say that the personalities of Al and Mark complimented each other very well – even the waitress brought something to the table (sorry…). Overall, the piece felt fresh and funny, and most important of all, relevant despite some of the aged references. If I had to change anything, it would probably be to add a bit more exposition. Who are Mark and Al to each other? To me, they seem like they would be two people who belong in different social circles or groups. Old friends from work maybe? This is just a small change though.
Yesenia Betancourt The Philadelphia I found “The Philadelphia” very interesting and amusing to read. At first the play confused me a lot, but then as I kept on reading I started to understand what was going on. Al helps his friend, Mark, figure out that he is in a “place” and everybody is in one. I liked how Ives twisted the story around into Al being sucked into Marks Philadelphia when Al was in Los Angeles. It jerks Al into a different outlook on his situation. I really enjoyed the dialogue because it has a nice pace and it sounds natural. The dialogue reveals information about the two characters while also sounding like a conversation that two friends would have. There is no excessive amount of information that would not be needed between two friends. This play made me think that everybody probably is in a “place”. Depending on what “place” it is that person will have a different outlook on their life, whether it is the frustration of Philadelphia or the laid back attitude of Los Angeles.
When I read the title "The Philadelphia", I thought it was going to be something historical or informative about the state, but it was not. There is some second hand meaning that lies within the text that explains this. Al keeps referring to Philadelphia as “A Philadelphia”. I also thought that he was referring to a movie or some production, which may not be such a bad idea. He even tells Mark that physically he is in New York, but metaphysically, he is in Philadelphia. For example, he says, "Because in a Philadelphia, no matter what you ask for, you can’t get it." This gives us something that we can relate to. I get a sense that Al knows what he is talking about by way he explains it to Mark, but Mark on the other hand is lost and confused. Nonetheless, this screen play is enjoyable to read and it plays out like a comical movie.
The story was very interesting. I liked how you got to know a bit about Al in the first couple of sentences. You could tell what type of person he was and his personality. The narrator did a good job giving the characters personality. I felt somewhat bad for Mark since he was getting use to New York. What he was going through was culture shock. I experience it before when I travelled to different countries. Its only normal to experience it. The story overall was funny to me. Mark had a bad day, but it got better in the end with the help of his friend Al.
This was perhaps one of the strangest, yet most interesting plays I have yet to read. The first two sentences portray Al as a shameless flirt who tries to woo the waitress with fancy words and compliments, yet it starts to change as the play progresses. The appearance of Mark and their interactions truly exacerbate what I believe is Al’s true personality, a carefree man who places no thought on certain events and the consequences they carry until it’s too late.
Now, at the beginning, I was confused with the dialogue. Too many phrases made no sense at all, and had Mark not made his timely appearance to get everything explained to him by Al, I believe it would’ve been detrimental to the overall play.
Perhaps Ives meant for the dialogue to be that way, a confusing compendium of opposites and peculiarities, so that, when the audience reads/watches it, they are thrown into their own “Philadelphias”.
I found the play “The Philadelphia” pretty amusing all the way through. I myself have felt like some days the world is purposely conspiring against me and although Mark’s situation is an extreme version of what usually happens to me I usually have the same reaction. I really enjoyed the fact that they used cities to symbolize their state of minds. Al is calm and collected in LA while Mark is miserable in Philly. Even the Waitress confesses that she has been “in Cleveland all week.” It’s easy to believe that the world is out to get you when your having a bad day but if you think about it just changing your perspective can turn the day around. Towards the end I really liked the way Al went from being the chill one to ending up in Philly also. It seemed like since Mark began to accept the fact that today he was in Philly so he should enjoy it. I really enjoyed this play because it took a complicated idea like the way a person’s state of mind varies every day and made it into a concrete concept. When you’re having bad day it seems like it’s completely out of your control but in this case accepting it and manipulating the idea of being in Philly, for example, can really make it more enjoyable.
This was an interesting play to read and analyze. When Al starts explaining what a Philadelphia is, that’s when it gets a bit confusing, but it keeps you entertained and makes you want to keep on reading. I thought it was hilarious yet really weird but that’s what made it so interesting. At first, when Al was ordering weird types of food I was confused but then when it is explained that everyone is in a cosmic place of their own everything just makes sense. As my other classmates have mentioned in their responses; depending on which location they were that’s the way they were feeling. I just thought it was great because we all have our off days, where nothing seems to make sense; it just feels weird and you don’t know how to explain it.
"The Philadelphia" was a pretty easy and fun read. The way in which Ives uses stereotypes of certain cities to describe the 'place' in which each character is at is very clever and amusing. I also like how Mark and Al balance each other out, Mark is panic and stress while Al is a little too relaxed considering his circumstances. The play flowed really nicely and naturally it was pretty engaging because it felt like a conversation you would overhear just simply walking around. It doesn't reveal much about the characters but I don't really think it is necessary to reveal much, on the contrary I think revealing more would have ruined the idea this play is following and it would not have had the same comic effect. It's a bit confusing at first but I liked that little things were slowly revealed as the play progressed. I have to admit that although I enjoyed reading this I didn't really like it, I have read that others found a point behind it but to me it felt really pointless. It was not a bad play at all it just wasn't something I would normally like reading, I feel that this is one of those plays that one must watch to fully appreciate its potential.
The play itself was very intriguing, especially when Mark and Al begin talking with one another. With all the sketchy stuff happening to Mark I was curious to know what Al's reply would be. Being stuck seems to be a theme conveyed throughout the entirety of the play. Al himself knew what it was like to be stuck in a place that he named A Philadelphia or even A Cleveland. I guess what this play symbolizes is that everyone is somehow stuck until you find your own version of Los Angeles or your cosmic beach. You can also be like Mark and accept where you are and learn to thrive with where you are at. Also finding your own cosmic beach has its consequences, once you linger too long you forget what you left behind for such a paradise. I feel that's what Al went through, a sudden realization that not everything is rainbows and butterflies, you have responsibility whether you realize it on time or not. Either way I enjoyed the play.
I read the play "The Philadephia" by David Ives and I have to say I really enjoyed it. At first I was confused as to what Al could be so cheery about since he was getting bad service and food at the diner he was at, eventfully he talks about how people can fall into different cities or certain states of mind basically and he was in Los Angeles. His friend mark on the other hand was in Philadelphia where nothing ever goes your way and you have to ask and do the opposite to get what you really want. I thought this was really amusing and a creative way to explain how people are stuck in certain states of mind and how to cope with it or get out and that one thing can turn your once cheery LA mood into Philadelphia...
I thought that "The Philedelphia" by David Ives was kind of amusing, because of the twist it had. I've never actually read a play before, so this was a treat for me. Overall I liked both of the play scripts we were assigned to read.
When I first started reading I was somewhat confused. I couldn't understand why Al was excited to be ordering food that didn't sound very appealing. I mean, who looks forward to eating calves brains and pigs feet? As I continued to read, and Mark made his way into the scene, I started to understand the concept of the play more. The message that I got from the play was that everyone has good days and bad days. Although I may wake up in a Philadelphia one day, it is my choice to change my state of mind and travel to sunny LA. The play was very easy to read and understand. I thought the way the play was written was creative and comical.
Ives does a remarkable job of revealing the personalities of his characters through dialogue alone. As soon as Al speaks, the reader can tell exactly what kind of person he is, and the manner in which Ives personifies the city Los Angeles through his character is very clever. Al’s state-of-mind is humorously depicted as being on a “cosmic” beach, whereas his friend Mark is trapped inside a Philadelphia, where nothing gets done. Physically, Mark is in New York, but mentally, he is in Philly, and this separation of physical and metaphysical spaces is an inventive way to represent how our mind and physical body are on different planes of existence. The concept of juxtaposing states-of-mind with the stereotypes of these cities is executed well, and the manner in which Mark readjusts to his dilemma uniquely demonstrates his willingness to change his outlook on the dreaded situation. Conversely, Al’s outburst toward the end of the play may be representative of how malleable our our personalities actually are, and how another person’s mood or perspective can inadvertently affect our own.
I found the play Gas by Jose Rivera to be very interesting. I liked how the play is mostly just a man rambling his thoughts and fears to the audience. I also liked how descriptive the young man was at describing his brother and how even though he was the sensitive one, he's the one at war. Him ranting at a gas station makes the connection between war and the need for oil. He even questions his necessity for it to possibly find justification for the position his brother is in. The spilling oil and him seeing blood in it meant to me either his brothers death or the many soldiers that have died at war for oil.
While reading this play it took a major turn on me from what I thought was going to be a casual dinner conversation to a series of events that take place in a state of mind; to the point where a character asks the opposite of what he really wants. It blew my mind in a way. I really liked how the author made it a point to explain everything through the dialogue of the characters, but then again it is a play so it isn't that surprising. I also liked the stereotypes the author used that pertained to the cities. What I didn't like so much was the ending of the play and how it just leaves a major cliffhanger; it confused me in a way. Overall it was a humorous play and I couldn't help but smile when Al gets upset at Mark for supposedly passing on "The Philadelphia".
After reading the play by Jose Rivera, "Gas" I began to realize that Cheo has a deep hatred towards our political system. He views George Bush as the mastermind and the one to blame behind the actions that our troops are undertaking on the other side of the world. Cheo being the "cool guy" he claimed to be as he referred to his brother as the softly of the family, undergoes tribulations when he no longer receives letters from his brother. "For the first time in my life, I want a lot of people I don't hate to die 'cause I know one of them could kill the man I love the most in this fucked up world." Just like I, Cheo has a deep underlying passion of anger towards what's going on. Just the fact alone that the troops that are protecting our nation can't have communication with their own families speaks volumes upon how corrupted our system is and how it's going to continue to do so for many years to come. Are you serious? Troops can't even say where they are located, how many men are in their group, etc. yet these are the same individuals fighting for our right to live in freedom. All the families of these troops want is the reassurance to know how their soldier is doing. Is that too much to ask for is what Cheo is fighting for so desperately to be answered. "I NEED MY CAR TO GET TO WORK SO I CAN PAY THE RENT AND NOT END UP A HOMELESS OERSON!" This is the now domino effect that us Americans are blindly participating in. Because we have a constant desire for fuel, we send troops overseas for our right to that mineral, because with that fuel we have the ability to drive our vehicles to go to work to earn an honest living to pay for the home were trying to live in. It's a constant cycle that's not only speeding up, but being recognized as a way of life. It's now becoming the norm but the blind don't realize that. Cheo has a major epiphany when the nozzle he was using to pour gas into his car was now pouring out what seemed to him to be human blood. At the moment he realized that he too was participating in the same actions as every other person was and now knows that a simple routine gas pump was costing the lives of others around us. Maybe not someone he knows directly but someone was paying the price regardless.
Coming from a close group of friends, many of which chose to join the military, I find this play extremely relatable and relevant, at least to me it is. I can relate to all the mixed emotions Cheo came to express; being with a sense of pride but mad at the same time. Also always being hung up on the possibility that your friend/brother you care about so much, who is risking his life for tangible "things" half a world away may never make his way home from deployment. And by this I don't necessarily mean due to death, many soldiers return different people from war. Many come back with some form of trauma, which changes them. When a couple of my buddies came back from Iraq after being deployed, it became apparent that they had changed. From the way they talked to you to the way they carried themselves, their demeanor and temperament was totally shifted. This is closely related to how different Cheo notices his brother is becoming, even right after bootcamp; no longer the spastic soft individual from before. I also appreciated the obvious irony behind the internal battle brewing within the narrator and how it ultimately all drew roots from the very gas he paid to pump into his own car. Thus I believe that last scene, where he is shocked to see blood coming out the gas pump, serves as testimony to the guilt which now begins to overtake him; his brother pays with his blood for this now common "luxury".
"Philadelphia" by David Ives was fast paced and well worded to deliver a complex message (that your state of mind influences your reaction to certain situations/events and can amplify or exaggerate them) in simple terms. One thing that distracted me from my enjoyment of the play, however, is that there were a few mistakes sprinkled throughout the play. The most glaring was the moment when Mark was speaking and instead of "MARK" being written the dialogue was "spoken" by "HAIRDRESSER" ... A character that did not actually exist in the play. The rest of the mistakes were really small "your" instead of "you" and "don't" written as "don't/'t" etc. The mistakes didn't bother me a /great deal/ but they certainly distract.
Damaris Cantu
ReplyDeleteI found “The Philadelphia” by David Ives to be very amusing. At first, I had trouble understanding the concept of the play, but then I realized it was basically about how we don’t always get what we want. Mark seems to feel extremely out of place, considering that he is being denied everything he asks for. Al considers this being stuck in a Philadelphia, which means having to deal with what life has to give you, even though it is not what you are asking for. Eventually, we find out there is a way of manipulating this by asking for the wrong things in order to get the right ones. Meanwhile, Al seems to be stuck in L.A., which is what keeps him calm and collected. Ultimately, these being stuck in these cities is like being stuck in a state of mind; to the author, Philadelphia is just odd, while Los Angeles is like being on a “cosmic beach”. Throughout the play, I noted how the characters state of mind change throughout the discovery of things. The characters adapt to their surroundings in order to make the best out of the situation. I think Ives converts a complicated and interesting concept into an amusing play, which kind of places the reader out of reality. The dialogue was entertaining and developed well throughout the play. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this play!
Reading the play “Gas” was a bit confusing in the beginning. The first time I read this play I kind of felt like he was doing a one act play like in UIL for high school but after re-reading I understood it more. You can feel his rage and how furious he is just through the text. He’s ranting. While working at the gas station the thought of his brother comes to mind. The gas station has made him realize that were pretty much just sending American troops to war, shedding American blood for gas. I see war the same way today as the way it might have been back then. A lot of people tend to join the military because they feel like they’re not “smart enough” for anything else. I think by this man being at the gas station he realized that gas is a needed necessity for our everyday lives but how necessary is it? Is it that much of a necessity that he’s willing to lose a brother over it? All in all, I feel like it was an epiphany.
ReplyDeleteAndres Sanchez 20229480
ReplyDeleteTHE PHILADELPHIA by David Ives
I honestly thought the play was hilarious and very entertaining given how different it felt from all the other plays I’ve read so far. From the onset, I was curious as to why Al seemed to be so optimistic and cheery despite the dreary interactions he had at the beginning. When I found out later on that he was also in one of these “cosmic” spaces, along with every other character, it all clicked into place and I enjoyed the play even more for the twist. It felt nice seeing a play that did not try to take itself too seriously or try to inject forced humor into its scenes. Moreover, using locations like Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Baltimore to describe how life reacts to the characters was in my opinion very entertaining and comical. Every stereotype associated with each location basically lent themselves to the jokes and added to the comedic worth of the piece. Speaking of which, most of the jokes were on point and came in with perfect timing – there were a few, however, that went over my head the first time around however before I read the piece again. Finally, I just want to say that the personalities of Al and Mark complimented each other very well – even the waitress brought something to the table (sorry…). Overall, the piece felt fresh and funny, and most important of all, relevant despite some of the aged references. If I had to change anything, it would probably be to add a bit more exposition. Who are Mark and Al to each other? To me, they seem like they would be two people who belong in different social circles or groups. Old friends from work maybe? This is just a small change though.
Yesenia Betancourt
ReplyDeleteThe Philadelphia
I found “The Philadelphia” very interesting and amusing to read. At first the play confused me a lot, but then as I kept on reading I started to understand what was going on. Al helps his friend, Mark, figure out that he is in a “place” and everybody is in one. I liked how Ives twisted the story around into Al being sucked into Marks Philadelphia when Al was in Los Angeles. It jerks Al into a different outlook on his situation. I really enjoyed the dialogue because it has a nice pace and it sounds natural. The dialogue reveals information about the two characters while also sounding like a conversation that two friends would have. There is no excessive amount of information that would not be needed between two friends. This play made me think that everybody probably is in a “place”. Depending on what “place” it is that person will have a different outlook on their life, whether it is the frustration of Philadelphia or the laid back attitude of Los Angeles.
THE PHILADELPHIA by David Ives
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the title "The Philadelphia", I thought it was going to be something historical or informative about the state, but it was not. There is some second hand meaning that lies within the text that explains this. Al keeps referring to Philadelphia as “A Philadelphia”. I also thought that he was referring to a movie or some production, which may not be such a bad idea. He even tells Mark that physically he is in New York, but metaphysically, he is in Philadelphia. For example, he says, "Because in a Philadelphia, no matter what you ask for, you can’t get it." This gives us something that we can relate to. I get a sense that Al knows what he is talking about by way he explains it to Mark, but Mark on the other hand is lost and confused. Nonetheless, this screen play is enjoyable to read and it plays out like a comical movie.
The Philadelphia
ReplyDeleteBrenda Salinas
The story was very interesting. I liked how you got to know a bit about Al in the first couple of sentences. You could tell what type of person he was and his personality. The narrator did a good job giving the characters personality. I felt somewhat bad for Mark since he was getting use to New York. What he was going through was culture shock. I experience it before when I travelled to different countries. Its only normal to experience it. The story overall was funny to me. Mark had a bad day, but it got better in the end with the help of his friend Al.
Pedro Cano
ReplyDelete“The Philadelphia” by David Ives
This was perhaps one of the strangest, yet most interesting plays I have yet to read. The first two sentences portray Al as a shameless flirt who tries to woo the waitress with fancy words and compliments, yet it starts to change as the play progresses. The appearance of Mark and their interactions truly exacerbate what I believe is Al’s true personality, a carefree man who places no thought on certain events and the consequences they carry until it’s too late.
Now, at the beginning, I was confused with the dialogue. Too many phrases made no sense at all, and had Mark not made his timely appearance to get everything explained to him by Al, I believe it would’ve been detrimental to the overall play.
Perhaps Ives meant for the dialogue to be that way, a confusing compendium of opposites and peculiarities, so that, when the audience reads/watches it, they are thrown into their own “Philadelphias”.
I found the play “The Philadelphia” pretty amusing all the way through. I myself have felt like some days the world is purposely conspiring against me and although Mark’s situation is an extreme version of what usually happens to me I usually have the same reaction. I really enjoyed the fact that they used cities to symbolize their state of minds. Al is calm and collected in LA while Mark is miserable in Philly. Even the Waitress confesses that she has been “in Cleveland all week.” It’s easy to believe that the world is out to get you when your having a bad day but if you think about it just changing your perspective can turn the day around. Towards the end I really liked the way Al went from being the chill one to ending up in Philly also. It seemed like since Mark began to accept the fact that today he was in Philly so he should enjoy it. I really enjoyed this play because it took a complicated idea like the way a person’s state of mind varies every day and made it into a concrete concept. When you’re having bad day it seems like it’s completely out of your control but in this case accepting it and manipulating the idea of being in Philly, for example, can really make it more enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThe Philadelphia by David Ives
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting play to read and analyze. When Al starts explaining what a Philadelphia is, that’s when it gets a bit confusing, but it keeps you entertained and makes you want to keep on reading. I thought it was hilarious yet really weird but that’s what made it so interesting. At first, when Al was ordering weird types of food I was confused but then when it is explained that everyone is in a cosmic place of their own everything just makes sense. As my other classmates have mentioned in their responses; depending on which location they were that’s the way they were feeling. I just thought it was great because we all have our off days, where nothing seems to make sense; it just feels weird and you don’t know how to explain it.
Gabriela Montfort
ReplyDeleteThe Philadelphia by David Ives
"The Philadelphia" was a pretty easy and fun read. The way in which Ives uses stereotypes of certain cities to describe the 'place' in which each character is at is very clever and amusing. I also like how Mark and Al balance each other out, Mark is panic and stress while Al is a little too relaxed considering his circumstances. The play flowed really nicely and naturally it was pretty engaging because it felt like a conversation you would overhear just simply walking around. It doesn't reveal much about the characters but I don't really think it is necessary to reveal much, on the contrary I think revealing more would have ruined the idea this play is following and it would not have had the same comic effect. It's a bit confusing at first but I liked that little things were slowly revealed as the play progressed. I have to admit that although I enjoyed reading this I didn't really like it, I have read that others found a point behind it but to me it felt really pointless. It was not a bad play at all it just wasn't something I would normally like reading, I feel that this is one of those plays that one must watch to fully appreciate its potential.
Selena Garza
ReplyDeleteThe Philadelphia by David Ives
The play itself was very intriguing, especially when Mark and Al begin talking with one another. With all the sketchy stuff happening to Mark I was curious to know what Al's reply would be. Being stuck seems to be a theme conveyed throughout the entirety of the play. Al himself knew what it was like to be stuck in a place that he named A Philadelphia or even A Cleveland. I guess what this play symbolizes is that everyone is somehow stuck until you find your own version of Los Angeles or your cosmic beach. You can also be like Mark and accept where you are and learn to thrive with where you are at. Also finding your own cosmic beach has its consequences, once you linger too long you forget what you left behind for such a paradise. I feel that's what Al went through, a sudden realization that not everything is rainbows and butterflies, you have responsibility whether you realize it on time or not. Either way I enjoyed the play.
I read the play "The Philadephia" by David Ives and I have to say I really enjoyed it. At first I was confused as to what Al could be so cheery about since he was getting bad service and food at the diner he was at, eventfully he talks about how people can fall into different cities or certain states of mind basically and he was in Los Angeles. His friend mark on the other hand was in Philadelphia where nothing ever goes your way and you have to ask and do the opposite to get what you really want. I thought this was really amusing and a creative way to explain how people are stuck in certain states of mind and how to cope with it or get out and that one thing can turn your once cheery LA mood into Philadelphia...
ReplyDeleteI thought that "The Philedelphia" by David Ives was kind of amusing, because of the twist it had. I've never actually read a play before, so this was a treat for me. Overall I liked both of the play scripts we were assigned to read.
ReplyDeleteThe Philadelphia-David Ives
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started reading I was somewhat confused. I couldn't understand why Al was excited to be ordering food that didn't sound very appealing. I mean, who looks forward to eating calves brains and pigs feet? As I continued to read, and Mark made his way into the scene, I started to understand the concept of the play more. The message that I got from the play was that everyone has good days and bad days. Although I may wake up in a Philadelphia one day, it is my choice to change my state of mind and travel to sunny LA. The play was very easy to read and understand. I thought the way the play was written was creative and comical.
The Philadelphia by David Ives
ReplyDeleteIves does a remarkable job of revealing the personalities of his characters through dialogue alone. As soon as Al speaks, the reader can tell exactly what kind of person he is, and the manner in which Ives personifies the city Los Angeles through his character is very clever. Al’s state-of-mind is humorously depicted as being on a “cosmic” beach, whereas his friend Mark is trapped inside a Philadelphia, where nothing gets done. Physically, Mark is in New York, but mentally, he is in Philly, and this separation of physical and metaphysical spaces is an inventive way to represent how our mind and physical body are on different planes of existence. The concept of juxtaposing states-of-mind with the stereotypes of these cities is executed well, and the manner in which Mark readjusts to his dilemma uniquely demonstrates his willingness to change his outlook on the dreaded situation. Conversely, Al’s outburst toward the end of the play may be representative of how malleable our our personalities actually are, and how another person’s mood or perspective can inadvertently affect our own.
I found the play Gas by Jose Rivera to be very interesting. I liked how the play is mostly just a man rambling his thoughts and fears to the audience. I also liked how descriptive the young man was at describing his brother and how even though he was the sensitive one, he's the one at war. Him ranting at a gas station makes the connection between war and the need for oil. He even questions his necessity for it to possibly find justification for the position his brother is in. The spilling oil and him seeing blood in it meant to me either his brothers death or the many soldiers that have died at war for oil.
ReplyDeleteAdam Rivas
ReplyDelete"The Philadelphia" by David Ives
While reading this play it took a major turn on me from what I thought was going to be a casual dinner conversation to a series of events that take place in a state of mind; to the point where a character asks the opposite of what he really wants. It blew my mind in a way. I really liked how the author made it a point to explain everything through the dialogue of the characters, but then again it is a play so it isn't that surprising. I also liked the stereotypes the author used that pertained to the cities. What I didn't like so much was the ending of the play and how it just leaves a major cliffhanger; it confused me in a way. Overall it was a humorous play and I couldn't help but smile when Al gets upset at Mark for supposedly passing on "The Philadelphia".
After reading the play by Jose Rivera, "Gas" I began to realize that Cheo has a deep hatred towards our political system. He views George Bush as the mastermind and the one to blame behind the actions that our troops are undertaking on the other side of the world. Cheo being the "cool guy" he claimed to be as he referred to his brother as the softly of the family, undergoes tribulations when he no longer receives letters from his brother. "For the first time in my life, I want a lot of people I don't hate to die 'cause I know one of them could kill the man I love the most in this fucked up world." Just like I, Cheo has a deep underlying passion of anger towards what's going on. Just the fact alone that the troops that are protecting our nation can't have communication with their own families speaks volumes upon how corrupted our system is and how it's going to continue to do so for many years to come. Are you serious? Troops can't even say where they are located, how many men are in their group, etc. yet these are the same individuals fighting for our right to live in freedom. All the families of these troops want is the reassurance to know how their soldier is doing. Is that too much to ask for is what Cheo is fighting for so desperately to be answered. "I NEED MY CAR TO GET TO WORK SO I CAN PAY THE RENT AND NOT END UP A HOMELESS OERSON!" This is the now domino effect that us Americans are blindly participating in. Because we have a constant desire for fuel, we send troops overseas for our right to that mineral, because with that fuel we have the ability to drive our vehicles to go to work to earn an honest living to pay for the home were trying to live in. It's a constant cycle that's not only speeding up, but being recognized as a way of life. It's now becoming the norm but the blind don't realize that. Cheo has a major epiphany when the nozzle he was using to pour gas into his car was now pouring out what seemed to him to be human blood. At the moment he realized that he too was participating in the same actions as every other person was and now knows that a simple routine gas pump was costing the lives of others around us. Maybe not someone he knows directly but someone was paying the price regardless.
ReplyDeleteComing from a close group of friends, many of which chose to join the military, I find this play extremely relatable and relevant, at least to me it is. I can relate to all the mixed emotions Cheo came to express; being with a sense of pride but mad at the same time. Also always being hung up on the possibility that your friend/brother you care about so much, who is risking his life for tangible "things" half a world away may never make his way home from deployment. And by this I don't necessarily mean due to death, many soldiers return different people from war. Many come back with some form of trauma, which changes them. When a couple of my buddies came back from Iraq after being deployed, it became apparent that they had changed. From the way they talked to you to the way they carried themselves, their demeanor and temperament was totally shifted. This is closely related to how different Cheo notices his brother is becoming, even right after bootcamp; no longer the spastic soft individual from before. I also appreciated the obvious irony behind the internal battle brewing within the narrator and how it ultimately all drew roots from the very gas he paid to pump into his own car. Thus I believe that last scene, where he is shocked to see blood coming out the gas pump, serves as testimony to the guilt which now begins to overtake him; his brother pays with his blood for this now common "luxury".
ReplyDelete"Philadelphia" by David Ives was fast paced and well worded to deliver a complex message (that your state of mind influences your reaction to certain situations/events and can amplify or exaggerate them) in simple terms. One thing that distracted me from my enjoyment of the play, however, is that there were a few mistakes sprinkled throughout the play. The most glaring was the moment when Mark was speaking and instead of "MARK" being written the dialogue was "spoken" by "HAIRDRESSER" ... A character that did not actually exist in the play. The rest of the mistakes were really small "your" instead of "you" and "don't" written as "don't/'t" etc. The mistakes didn't bother me a /great deal/ but they certainly distract.
ReplyDeleteForgot: Andrea De Llano 202-89-361
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