The Verandah

The Verandah
The play takes place in the summer of 1940 at the Costa Verde Hotel. It sits on a jungle-covered hilltop overlooking the morning beach of Puerto Barrio in Mexico. The play takes place all over the wide verandah of the hotel.

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Critical History

Overall, the play The Night of the Iguana has received good reviews and critics. Of course not all have the same approach or taste for the play, but the play is regarded as Tennessee Williams last great play. the reason for this being the last great play is because critics believe that his more latter plays have been repetitive.

A critic from the New York Times, Howard Taubman writes, "For Mr. Williams, The Night of the Iguana marks a turning point. When compared with the best preceding plays, this work of subtle vibrations reflects a profound change. It goes beyond the elimination of the explosive and shocking gestures, which have given some of the other works fillip of being sensational and scandalous, and reaches into the playwright's attitude towards life."

Still other critics who dislike the play find it similar to previous plays written by Tennessee Williams, " In The Night of the Iguana, T. Tennessee has composed a little nocturnal mood music for muted strings, beautifully performed by some superb instrumentalists, but much too aimless, leisurely and formless to satisfy the attentive ear." Another critic went right to the point saying," The play seems tired, un-adventerous and self derivative.

The play The Night of the Iguana has its ups and downs as does every play written. Some people's view is magnificent, the book itself one a New York Critic's Circle Award. Still others do not appreciate and enjoy the piece written by Williams. An overall summary of the play that many sources gave is that it is a well developed play which has fine literature and is worth reading and watching several times.

5 comments:

  1. It received 4 stars! Would you guys agree?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I guess for that time I would give it 4 stars yes

    ReplyDelete
  3. Haha, I read it with the book while playing the film and they would jump scenes, but nevertheless barely left anything out from the book itself. Williams is a great playwright.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ye thats true, although he doesn't include the opening scene from the film where Shannon is at the church rebuking the people and the at the beginning of the film as well where Charlotte and Shannon are alone in the room, it still pretty much the same. Well written and well directed I would say.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So great that they have a Croatian version of it.

    ReplyDelete