Based on mitchells and stephen trasks stage musical hedwig and the angry inch, it accompanies hedwig robinson, a genderqueer east german rock singer. Thematically, hedwig and the angry inch is a story of division and reconciliation. Praise for the broadway production of hedwig and the angry inch. Entrevista artista plastica juliana simoes na tv ufmg 2008. Reading and queering plato in hedwig and the angry inch. One has but to compare postfreudian psychologys understanding of the drives with plato s discourse on human longing here in order to measure the distance between the ancient and modern orientations to reality. Hedwig subsequently develops a relationship with a younger man, tommy, becoming his mentor and musical. Symposium by plato the 1255th greatest nonfiction book. Apollodorus of phaleron tells a friend about a dinner party held in 415 b. How taye diggs is transforming the role of hedwig the new.
Jul 26, 2015 hedwig and the angry inch, currently in an openended broadway run, began life in the early 1990s as a series of monologues and songs by the writeractor john cameron mitchell and the. The text is concerned with the nature of love, as many intellectuals and artists in athens debate the. Aristophaness speech in platos symposium talks about the beginning of the concept of love. The pursuit of eros in platos symposium and hedwig and the. Broadway edition and over one million other books are available for amazon kindle. Hedwig and the angry inch and plato s theory of bisexuality image credit. Hedwig and the angry inch and platos symposium movies. The two worlds of hedwig and the angry inch the dissolve. All is bliss, until tommy discovers the angry inch and also hits the road. He recently appeared in hbos girls as hannahs ebook editor.
Harris is beyond fabulous, holds nothing back and plays it anyway but safe in michael mayers exhilarating production. Singing hedwigs songs, tommy becomes an overnight sensation while hedwig, with his. Kuykendall sorcerer love is the name that luce irigaray gives to the demonic function of love as presented in platos symposium. Hedwig is separated from her biological gender, as well as from male love objects luther and tommy, who did her wrong. Hedwig and the angry inch buy study guide as the first philosophical writing on love in western literature, it is important that in the symposium plato praises male, homosexual love as the purest, real kind of love. Hedwig and the angry inch by john cameron mitchell goodreads. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. A brief animated sequence symbolizing the union of the separated platonic halves leads to the final shot. Hedwig gives him a new name, tommy gnosis, and they write music together. A reading of platos symposium, diotimas speech luce irigaray translated by eleanor h. Hedwig subsequently develops a relationship with a younger man, tommy, becoming. Symposium by plato aristophanes influence in contemporary times. Nov, 2014 this theory is featured and explored in the musical film hedwig and the angry inch 2001, which tells the story of a transexual woman, hedwig, who struggles with her art, music, and search for love.
Talkin broadway sound advice recap for the week of 32619. Symposium 4 fall 2006 5 love and divinity platos symposium paul otake socrates, through diotima, says that every soul is pregnant and the ultimate end every person seeks is immortality. The aim of this commentary is to make platos symposium as accessible as possible to intermediatelevel greek readers so that they may experience the joy, insight, and lasting influence that comes from reading some of the greatest works in classical antiquity in the original greek. Hedwig and the angry inch musical frankfurt synopsis. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system. Look for the on plato s symposium translation for a more literal version, available in a dialogues of plato paperback.
Symposium is central in platos philosophy, since it talks about love and ideas. Hedwig and the angry inch freud uses the myth of the three human figures taken from platos symposium to illustrate the human instinct to need to return to a former state, which he calls the death drive, which, as can be seen by the myth, is fueled by the libido of. The symposium, as plato intended it, succeeds both as a work of philosophy, and as a work of seriocomic theater. Pericles, famous ruler of athens during its golden age, was platos stepfather. See more ideas about hedwig, hedwig tattoo and ink. Hedwig and the angry inch the guide to musical theatre. After judith butlers idea of gender binary as a byproduct of the oppressive practice of heterosexuality, i want to consider the use of plato in the movie not. It states that once there were three sexes, each sex having two heads and four arms and legs.
How taye diggs is transforming the role of hedwig the. The pursuit of knowledge cannot go on forever because the knowledge we obtain is soon forgotten and replaced. The musical follows hedwig schmidt, a genderqueer east german singer of a fictional rock and roll band. Plato was well educated and studied under socrates, with whom he developed a. Griffiths translation is well chosenit is swift an unlabored, perfect for a dramatic presentation. Hedwig and the angry inch and platos theory of bisexuality. In the spirit of freshness, i will focus on one very important section, where socrates relates the words of his. This is the first show of john cameron mitchells australian tour and the debut of this show. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The story draws on mitchells life as the child of a u. The origin of love, based on aristophanes speech in platos symposium. This theory is featured and explored in the musical film hedwig and the angry inch 2001, which tells the story of a transexual woman, hedwig, who struggles with her art, music, and search for love. Plato on love hedwig and the angry inch phl250 aesthetics. Project gutenberg offers 61,805 free ebooks to download.
This is spelled out explicitly in many of the musicals songs, particularly origin of love, which breaks down the idea, put forth in platos symposium, that humans were split apart by zeus and must spend their lives searching for their other half. For in my opinion humanity has entirely failed to perceive the power of love. Internationally ignored hedwig and her angry inch are forced to support themselves by playing coffee bars and strip mall dives. But hedwig and the angry inch caught me totally offguard. Hedwig and the angry inch is a rock musical with music and lyrics by stephen trask and a. This article demonstrates that the film owes a greater ideological. Gender and identity confusion in hedwig and the angry inch.
Hedwig and the angry inch is a rock musical with music and lyrics by stephen trask and a book by john cameron mitchell. Hedwig and the angry inch is one of that rare breed. After judith butlers idea of gender binary as a byproduct of the oppressive practice of heterosexuality i want to consider the use of plato in the movie not. Her pursuit of erotic completion is depicted explicitly in the origin of love, a song based on a creation myth told only in platos symposium. John cameron mitchell is an actor and director who has performed in the original broadway production of six degrees of separation, the secret garden drama desk nomination, and the destiny of me obie award, drama desk nomination. Her pursuit of erotic completion is depicted explicitly in the origin of love, a song based on a creation myth told only in plato s symposium. For my part, it is quite evident that, if i have chosen hedwig and the angry inch as the subject of my contribution, it must be for a good reason.
Christopher gill s translation retains all the drama and humour of the greek, bringing the historical figures to life. Aug 20, 2009 john cameron mitchells film hedwig and the angry inch 2001 traces the sexual and spiritual journey of a partially transgendered rock star searching for her other half. This book is the 1255th greatest nonfiction book of all time as determined by. Hedwig and the angry inch songbook and millions of other books are. Jun 26, 2000 hedwig and the angry inch is a play that needs to be seen to be appreciated. John cameron mitchells film hedwig and the angry inch 2001 traces the sexual and spiritual journey of a partially transgendered rock star searching for her other half. An analysis of the argument of the symposium by plato. In plato s symposium, seven very different men get together for a drinking party symposion in greek, literally drinking together and talk about the definition and nature of love.
Hedwig and the angry inch is a 2001 american musical comedydrama film written for the screen and directed by john cameron mitchell. Hedwig and the angry inch is a 2001 american musical comedydrama film written for the. Following the opening and title song origin of love, john cameron mitchell does an extended monologue contextualising the songs and creation of hedwig and the angry inch, the musical and subsequent film that brought him to wider recognition. First is the concern with the status of both the dialogue and the novels as fiction, i. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this symposium study guide and get instant access to the following summary. Hedwigs search for love is a pursuit for her other half, just like platos idea of love. Hedwig is a drag queen transsexual of the rather vile and unkind variety performing her own songs to uninterested crowds in seafood restaurants in. Awards, obie award outer critics circle award for outstanding offbroadway musical tony award for best revival of a musical. Directed by and starring mitchell, with andrea martin, michael pitt, and miriam shor. There are two foci in plato s symposium and the traditions of ancient fiction. Ten years ago tonight, our first production of hedwig and the angry inch opened at the old english theatre, frankfurt, aka the k52. The pursuit of eros in platos symposium and hedwig and. Hedwig and the angry inch, currently in an openended broadway run, began life in the early 1990s as a series of monologues and songs by. Hedwig s search for love is a pursuit for her other half, just like platos idea of love.
After the huge success of the revival of hedwig and the angry inch on broadway, which i saw four times, i became a hedhead and discovered this 2001 releasean adaptation of the stage book, written, directed and starring the original hedwig, john cameron mitchell. Recent ideological appropriations of platos symposium. The guests decide not to get drunk, but drinking a little and discuss about love. Christopher gills translation retains all the drama and humour of the greek, bringing the historical figures to life. Hedwig and the angry inch the musical germany posts. It is the work of a master, and oddly, it is also a first film. Platos symposium is an essential piece of philosophical literature that concerns itself with the genesis, purpose and nature of love, or eros. Children of the sun chapter 2 yeseunoia call me by. Hedwig and the angry inch is a play that needs to be seen to be appreciated. Richard hunter compares the symposium with the novel in antiquity, especially apuleius metamorphoses and petronius satyrica. The symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of love as a response to beauty, a cosmic force, a motive for social action and as a means of ethical education. This page contains details about the nonfiction book symposium by plato published in 370 bc.
Man children of the sun was made up of two men, woman children of the earth was two women, and androgynous children of the moon were one of each. Throughout the film, hedwig refers to aristophanes speech in platos symposium. In addition it includes platos symposium which john cameron mitchell partially based. Symposium by plato the 1255th greatest nonfiction book of. The desire for beauty moves from physical to intellectual love. On valentines day 1998, hedwig and the angry inch opened. With john cameron mitchell, miriam shor, stephen trask, theodore liscinski. Hedwig and reception of plato s symposium the 2001 film hedwig and the angry inch resulted from seven years of collab oration between actorwriterdirector john cameron mitchell and musi. May 16, 2007 but hedwig and the angry inch caught me totally offguard. Hedwig and the angry inch, the best rock musical ever rolling stone follows the journey of internationally ignored song stylist hedwig schmidt, victim of a botched sexchange operation, as dazzlingly recounted by hedwig nee hansel herself in the form of a lounge act, backed by the rockband the angry inch, and transported to the. Symposium by plato aristophanes influence in contemporary.
After judith butlers idea of gender binary as a byproduct of the oppressive practice of heterosexuality, i want to. A transgender punkrock girl from east berlin tours the u. Plato, symposium california state university, northridge. Hedwig and the angry inch, a musical film about a queer punk rocker, alludes to a part of platos symposium in which aristophanes narrates a mystical origin of love. Based on mitchell s and stephen trask s stage musical hedwig and the angry inch, it accompanies hedwig robinson, a genderqueer east german rock singer. What started out as a four week run, ended up running on and off for three years with shows in germany and the uk. An xml version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer perseus any modifications you make. Review by david cote transitioning from child star to adult gay icon, sitcom prince and socialmedia wizard, neil patrick harris always seemed to be a cultural rock star. Hedwig with speeches in the symposium to reveal a rich correspondence of ideas between film and dialogue.
This is one of platos most known dialogues, dating back to around 380385 bc. Singing hedwig s songs, tommy becomes an overnight sensation while hedwig, with his new band the angry inch, launches her own tour. Hedwig and the angry inch is an everyday tale of gummi bears, betrayal, a botched sex change operation, and the quest to find true love. The beauty of mitchell and trasks show is that it takes the strangest of bedfellowscamp, punk and pathosand blends them into something unexpectedly poignant. Name binding sales rank lowest new lowest used published. Platos symposium is one of the most loved classics from the ancient world, a work of consummate beauty as both philosophy and as literature, most appropriate since the topic of this dialogue is the nature of love and includes much philosophizing on beauty. He wrote, directed, and starred in the film adaptation of hedwig, which won prizes at the berlin.
Brilliantly innovative and oddly endearing, hedwig and the angry inchinspired by platos. Look for the on platos symposium translation for a more literal version, available in a dialogues of plato paperback. The criterion collection criterion collection new bluraydvd 2001 film based on the stage musical written by john cameron mitchell and stephen trask. I figure any movie advertised as the next rocky horror has to have something going for it. There are two foci in platos symposium and the traditions of ancient fiction. I have never seen it in performance, but after listening to, and liking, the recent broadway cast album i decided i needed to know the story and what the heck was going on. This outrageous and unexpectedly hilarious rock musical tells the story of hansel schmidt, a slip of a girlyboy from communist east berlin who becomes hedwig robinson, the internationally ignored song. On one level the book deals with the genealogy, nature and purpose of love, on another level the book deals with the topic of knowledge, specifically how does one know what one knows. Inside hedwig and the angry inch background and analysis by scott miller she makes her entrance like a star dying to be born goosestepping through the audience with the arrogant aplomb of marlene dietrich and jim morrison. The song the origin of love, based on aristophanes speech in plato s symposium, explains that human beings were once round, twoheaded, fourarmed, and fourlegged beings. The foundation of platonic love and affection in platos symposium anonymous college. This brings to mind the taoist concept of yin and yang, along with carl jungs idea of animus and anima, though trasks lyrics are drawn from homosexual greek philosopher platos symposium. Socrates and aristodemus will attend a banquet at agathon, with aristophanes, appolodore, pausanias and eryximachus.
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