Night of Cocktails, Dresses, And Torture: It's Party Time
Bailey Triggs
Issue date: 10/29/02 Section: Arts
E: We make it easier by conveying the necessary basics, but definitely leave room for interpretation and thought.
T: Is the ending of the play open for interpretation, or does Pinter have a clear message?
E: There is some interpretation, but you definitely get the point.
S: I think by the end it's pretty clear what the nature of things is for these powerful people.
E: Agreed.
T: So, tell me about your parts.
E: Well, I play a very social woman who knows everything about everybody.
S: Or who thinks she knows everything about everybody, ha! I'm the one who knows everything - a bit of playful contention. My character does the dirty work for the guy running the show. Basically, I'm the right-hand-man of the leader of the government.
E: Well, the thing is, the people at the party probably think that I am just a socialite, but I have more intelligence and knowledge than they give me credit for.
T: Do you think that's a comment on women in power in general or just part of your character?
E: Absolutely. The women are really interesting in the show because some of them are treated terribly and objectified yet they all maintain this subtle dignity. Another issue that the show deals with is freedom of speech. There are subtle references that people make to what's going on "out there." You don't get an explicit explanation, but a really strong sense. You get a strong sense of falseness and you get all these glimpses into the true nature of what's going on and what these people are really thinking. In a way, it's just like parties in general - you put up this image and try to maintain it throughout the night. The thing is, these people aren't so much hiding their personalities as they are ignoring something really big.
S: But for some of these people it's a matter of life and death.
E: Basically, think tension and deceit.
S: If people had thoughts contrary to the power structure, that spells imminent death, so maintaining the mask means survival in this world.
T: Is the ending of the play open for interpretation, or does Pinter have a clear message?
E: There is some interpretation, but you definitely get the point.
S: I think by the end it's pretty clear what the nature of things is for these powerful people.
E: Agreed.
T: So, tell me about your parts.
E: Well, I play a very social woman who knows everything about everybody.
S: Or who thinks she knows everything about everybody, ha! I'm the one who knows everything - a bit of playful contention. My character does the dirty work for the guy running the show. Basically, I'm the right-hand-man of the leader of the government.
E: Well, the thing is, the people at the party probably think that I am just a socialite, but I have more intelligence and knowledge than they give me credit for.
T: Do you think that's a comment on women in power in general or just part of your character?
E: Absolutely. The women are really interesting in the show because some of them are treated terribly and objectified yet they all maintain this subtle dignity. Another issue that the show deals with is freedom of speech. There are subtle references that people make to what's going on "out there." You don't get an explicit explanation, but a really strong sense. You get a strong sense of falseness and you get all these glimpses into the true nature of what's going on and what these people are really thinking. In a way, it's just like parties in general - you put up this image and try to maintain it throughout the night. The thing is, these people aren't so much hiding their personalities as they are ignoring something really big.
S: But for some of these people it's a matter of life and death.
E: Basically, think tension and deceit.
S: If people had thoughts contrary to the power structure, that spells imminent death, so maintaining the mask means survival in this world.
