This play was a very quick read. After reading it, I'm not really sure if I like it or not. One thing that I am sure of was that while reading the play I felt sorry for Vivian, not just because she had cancer or that she was dying, but because she was alone. She was at time and place she definatly needed someone there with her, holding her hand until the end. Even though she came out as being very tough, deep down she really wanted someone to be there with her - or else she wouldn't have made her monitor go off (by pinching it) to get Susie's attention.
One aspect about the play that really caught my attention was that while going through cancer it made Vivian think about how hard she was on her students. I guess in some way, having Jason as a docter (I guess he was more like an intern) was kind of like pay back.
The one thing that I thought was so awful was the part when her heart stopped. Jason didn't even care about What Susie was trying to tell him. Even though Vivian was a great professor to him, all he cared about was that she was research. I understand that he's a doctor and you can't get attached to people, that was so heartless. I was kind of glad that they couldn't bring her back, it served Jason right.
I wouldn't mind seeing the movie. I know you can always picture a movie going on in your head but sometimes it's nice to be able to actually see it (for example reading As You Like It, and then going and seeing it).
Posted by SueMyers at April 26, 2004 2:51 PMI totally agree with you, Sue. Although I sympathized with Vivian at the end, I suppose it was sort of fitting, since she herself wouldn't have cared about anything except the research.
Posted by: Johanna at April 26, 2004 7:48 PMMaking her monitor go off for attention makes me think that she was deprived of any emotional responses from other humans for a long time. That's some sort of psychologial problem when you tamper with your health just for attention... I can't remember what it is; I had psych too long ago :^)
Anyway, I hope maybe the play would be performed somewhere locally so we could see it. I know I'd like to see it on stage!
Posted by: Karissa at April 27, 2004 1:35 PM