Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Mar 10, nadia notabookshelf rated it really liked it Shelves: for-class-or-prof-recs , theatre. Reason does not help me. It tells me that the law under which I'm being judged is a wrong and unfair law, and the system under which I'm suffering, a wrong and unjust system.
Drawn from various sources, including the trial itself, Gross Indecency offers insight into a potential answer to this question. Well worth listening to.
Aug 04, Emma Getz rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorite-plays , drama. Fascinating theatrical examination of the trials of Oscar Wilde but also a beautiful analysis of the way we analyze and moralize art.
It really shows how much Wilde changed the way we think, the way we read, and the way we identify. The documentary element is fascinating and I hope this trend in theatre continues. Jun 04, Grace rated it really liked it Shelves: books-i-own , theatre.
It heartbreakingly tells that story of the three trials of Oscar Wilde and the narrative surrounding him, through excerpts of his works, newspapers columns and trial records. The afterword by Tony Kushner really goes it all together as he discusses the legacy Wilde has left.
Jul 20, elle buss rated it really liked it Shelves: plays , lgbtq , memoirs-biographies , social-issues , Oct 09, Henry rated it it was amazing Shelves: queer-lit , historical , books , play. New goal: star in this play. Mar 01, Rachel C. This play covers three trials involving Oscar Wilde - the first was a libel suit brought by Wilde against the Marquess of Queensberry the one who came up with the boxing rules , who was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas; the second was brought against Wilde for "gross indecency with male persons" and ended in a mistrial for a hung jury; the third was the retrial and ended with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two years imprisonment for Wilde.
I was a bit distracted by Kaufman's This play covers three trials involving Oscar Wilde - the first was a libel suit brought by Wilde against the Marquess of Queensberry the one who came up with the boxing rules , who was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas; the second was brought against Wilde for "gross indecency with male persons" and ended in a mistrial for a hung jury; the third was the retrial and ended with a guilty verdict and a sentence of two years imprisonment for Wilde.
I was a bit distracted by Kaufman's device of having multiple narrators reading out the citations for things being said by the characters, but I ultimately enjoyed this romantic and poetic play. I should like to see it on stage someday. It's amazing that love can sprout and grow even in the most inhospitable soil: "It is beautiful, it is fine, it is the noblest form of affection.
There is nothing unnatural about it. It is intellectual, and it repeatedly exists between an elder and a younger man when the elder man has intellect and the younger man has all the joy, hope, and glamour of life before him.
That it should be so the world does not understand. Oct 15, Rae rated it it was amazing Shelves: plays. This was such a fun read. Harrowing, of course, but to read Wilde's famous wit, his incredible retorts, and his amazing timing was such a pleasure.
The structure of this play hits all of my hallmarks for good theatre. I love minimalist sets, I love actors being used in multiple roles, and I love walking away from a play feeling like I've learned something. This is a play I would direct in a heartbeat - the writing is so strong and the stylistic foundations the playwright has outlined are perfect.
Definitely worth reading and I can only hope to see it performed someday. Fantastic writing, due in no small part to the genius of the subject. Jul 12, MJ rated it really liked it. Wilde filed a lawsuit against Queensberry for criminal libel.
The defense ended up denouncing Wilde's art and literature as immoral and Queensberry was acquitted of the case entirely. This was after Wilde decided to withdraw his case against Queensberry after the first trial. As a result, the Crown under Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, felt compelled to prosecute Wilde based on the evidence gathered against him and these proceedings finally led to Wilde being imprisoned to 2 years with hard labor.
Gross Indecency is a stage play created to depict all 3 of the trials of Oscar Wilde which led to his ultimate sentencing. While reading this, I felt that he inadvertently brought about his own downfall. There was a point in the trial when he could no longer answer the prosecutor on whether or not he had kissed Walter Grainger, aged 16, one of the gentleman he befriended and became close with. A list of other men were then announced by Queensberry's lawyer to testify against Wilde and it seems that they readily provided their testimony, betraying his trust outright.
Queensberry had the better lawyer from the start - one who knew right away how to use Wilde's own literature and "friends" against him. The Picture of Dorian Gray was used in the court to portray Wilde's own character as a flawed and immoral man. He was picked apart so savagely and was left humiliated by the end of it.
It was a cruel age where homosexuality was considered a misdemeanor. An interesting point though - I can see why Queensberry's lawyers together with Wilde's lawyers agreed to drop the case. From Queensberry's point of view, he had proven Wilde to be without morals, having what he calls as "disgusting" behavior and thoughts about men.
But I think the Crown taking it up against Wilde was entirely on a different plane or thought. Expand the sub menu What to Hear. Expand the sub menu Digital. Expand the sub menu Theater. Expand the sub menu VIP. Expand the sub menu More Coverage. Expand the sub menu More Variety.
Switch edition between U. Asia Global. To help keep your account secure, please log-in again. You are no longer onsite at your organization. Laurie Stone, The Nation. The perversion pumping through Gross Indecency is not homosexuality, but Wilde's refusal to save himself. Kaufman contemplates the lengths people think they have to go to get love, love that feels like a devotion to the other but gets played out more like devotion to devotion--or frustration Having cobbled up the piece from an array of bios, court documents, and historical accounts, Kaufman sets up a panel of actors to flash the quoted material.
It's pointless Kaufman's achievement is to make history immediate and Wilde's dilemma plangent Kaufman links Wilde's choice of a lover too selfish to value him to his choosing a fate that will destroy him.
Wilde emerges as a man who doesn't feel guilty of public crimes but of private ones. David Richards, Washington Post. Under the guise of a fop with a green carnation on his lapel, Wilde was--and remains to this day--a veritable revolutionary, defying traditional authority, inverting accepted values and spurning convention's dreary ways.
Kaufman's play make it evident that Wilde's writings were as much on trial as the man's conduct. Degree Programs Theatre B. Four-Year Plan. Theatre B. Four-Year Plan, Performance. Undergraduate Minors. Theatre M. Distance Program. Degree Resources. Audition Resources. A Christmas Carol: You Can Unmute. Gross Indecency.
Her Sister. FAQ Attending Performances.
0コメント