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U3A Play Reading Group
by John Graham - 18:56 on 15 November 2016
Jeanne has put together a list of the plays we have read over the last couple of years, in date order.
We kicked off last year with, 'Blythe Spirit' by Noel Coward, 'View from the Bridge' by Arthur Miller, then Chekhov's, 'Three Sisters'. In April we celebrated Mr. Shakespeare's birthday by individually, choosing and reading any of the man's work, we liked, be it speech, scene or sonnet. We did have a few extra nibbles that the Elizabethan's may have eaten, even dandelions! on that occasion!
Next we went on to 'The Intellectual Ladies' (various translations) by Moliere. Then 'Hobson's Choice' by Harold Brighouse followed by two successive plays by J. B. Priestly, 'When we are Married' and 'An Inspector Calls'. Next we read two Irish playwrights: Sherridan's, 'The Rivals' and George Farquhar's, 'The Beaux's Stratagem',
By now we had reached Christmas, and the RSC's version of 'A Christmas Carol' seemd to be a good idea. We also fitted in a 'Mediaeval Mystery play: ' Mak the Sheep Stealer'. With the New Year came a couple of lighter plays, 'Present Laughter' by Noel Coward and Oscar Wilde's 'An Ideal Husband'.
We had now reached the time to celebrate the 400th. anniversary of the Bard, so read 'Twelfth Night'. Following it with 'A Chorus of Disapproval' by Alan Aykbourn, then another Wilde, the superb, 'The Importance of being Ernest'. Following this came a couple more by Moliere, firstly, 'The Miser' and then a little known one, 'The Impromptu a Versailles'. Next came the 'Cherry Orchard' by Chekhov and lastly we have just finished G. B. Shaw's, 'Mrs. Warren's Profession'.
This long list is sometimes interspersed with various one act plays and also on occasions watching a DVD of the play we are reading
We generally get our own (cheap) copies of the play both in paper versions and on Kindle, sometimes the American ownership of Kidle show itself all too well! Also with the foreign playwrights the various translations cause even more amusement than the author intended! The meetings go very well with members thoroughy enjoying the occasion, and we do have excellent readers, resulting in the state that at present we are at our maximum membership.
Bye for now, Jeanne and John
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