Hot 'N Throbbing
Encyclopedia
Hot 'N Throbbing is a 1994 one-act play written by Pulitzer Prize
-winning playwright
and Yale University
professor Paula Vogel
. The play is a confrontational statement on the intersection of pornography
and domestic violence
which includes adult language, violence and full frontal male nudity.
on March 28, 2005, and closed April 17, 2005. Directed by Les Waters
, the cast included Lisa Emery
(Charlene), Elias Koteas
(Clyde), and Suli Holum (Leslie Ann).
It was previously produced at the American Repertory Theater (Cambridge, Massachusetts), directed by Anne Bogart
(1994) (The Boston Herald, April 18, 1994), at the Kitchen Theatre Company (Ithaca, NY), in fall 1996, and at the Perishable Theatre (Providence, RI), in April–May 11, 1997. (Providence Journal-Bulletin, April 17, 1997)
against him because of past domestic violence. When Charlene refuses to admit him, Clyde forces his way inside and she ineptly shoots him in the buttocks. Now sobered and incapacitated, Clyde's wound is tended to by Charlene and they take the opportunity to reminisce about old times (as well as the play's ideas about heterosexual relations) and reach an apparent reconciliation in which Charlene lets Clyde spend the night. Clyde explains that he came to his former home after patronizing an adult bookstore and failing to pick up a prostitute because of a lack of funds. As a final sex scene begins Clyde flies into a fit of rage and strangles Charlene with his belt.
. A corollary subject is Vogel's indictment of attempts by pornographic film companies owned and operated by women to create positive alternatives to mainstream pornography. This is evoked by a flash-forward scene involving an adult actress who, despite believing that she is participating in a production utilizing one of Charlene's scripts, turns out to be the victim of a snuff film
. Also discussed is the dysfunction of modern family relationships, the craft of writing, and adolescence.
Johnette Rodriguez, in her review in The Phoenix (Providence, RI) (April 24 - May 1, 1997), writes that "she [Vogel] ponders many questions about male/female relationships, about families and about American society, all related to an observation she makes in the introduction to the published version of the play: 'obscenity begins at home.' "
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
professor Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel is an American playwright and university professor. She received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, How I Learned to Drive.-Early years:...
. The play is a confrontational statement on the intersection of pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
and domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
which includes adult language, violence and full frontal male nudity.
Production
Produced by the Signature Theatre Company, the play opened Off-BroadwayOff-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
on March 28, 2005, and closed April 17, 2005. Directed by Les Waters
Les Waters
Les Waters is a notable British theatre director. He has served as associate artistic director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre for the last six years.-Career:...
, the cast included Lisa Emery
Lisa Emery
Lisa Emery is an American stage, film, and television actress.Emery was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the daughter of an aspiring actress from Charlottesville, Virginia and an advertising executive who worked in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania...
(Charlene), Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
(Clyde), and Suli Holum (Leslie Ann).
It was previously produced at the American Repertory Theater (Cambridge, Massachusetts), directed by Anne Bogart
Anne Bogart
-Biography:She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bard College in 1974, followed by a Master of Arts degree from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1977. She served as Artistic Director of the Trinity Repertory Company for its 1989-90 season...
(1994) (The Boston Herald, April 18, 1994), at the Kitchen Theatre Company (Ithaca, NY), in fall 1996, and at the Perishable Theatre (Providence, RI), in April–May 11, 1997. (Providence Journal-Bulletin, April 17, 1997)
Characters
- Charlene; a middle aged single mother who writes feminist pornographic screenplays
- Calvin; Charlene's fourteen year old son. Calvin is a bookish voyeur.
- Leslie Ann; Charlene's sexually precocious daughter who dresses in clothing more suggestive than considered appropriate for a girl of fifteen.
- Clyde; Charlene's violent and alcoholic ex-husband
- The Voice-Over; an actress to stand in for Charlene's inner monologue and to enact her screenplay's contents onstage
- The Voice; an actor to stand in for the inner monologue of other characters, primarily Clyde.
Plot synopsis
The central action of Hot 'N Throbbing revolves around the arrival of Clyde late on a Friday night, drunk and intending to proposition Charlene despite a restraining orderRestraining order
A restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
against him because of past domestic violence. When Charlene refuses to admit him, Clyde forces his way inside and she ineptly shoots him in the buttocks. Now sobered and incapacitated, Clyde's wound is tended to by Charlene and they take the opportunity to reminisce about old times (as well as the play's ideas about heterosexual relations) and reach an apparent reconciliation in which Charlene lets Clyde spend the night. Clyde explains that he came to his former home after patronizing an adult bookstore and failing to pick up a prostitute because of a lack of funds. As a final sex scene begins Clyde flies into a fit of rage and strangles Charlene with his belt.
Themes
The play is a statement in the vein of thought which attributes domestic violence to the direct influence of pornography. This is in contrast to ideologies such as sex-positive feminismSex-positive feminism
Sex-positive feminism, also known as pro-sex feminism, sex-radical feminism, or sexually liberal feminism is a movement that began in the early 1980s...
. A corollary subject is Vogel's indictment of attempts by pornographic film companies owned and operated by women to create positive alternatives to mainstream pornography. This is evoked by a flash-forward scene involving an adult actress who, despite believing that she is participating in a production utilizing one of Charlene's scripts, turns out to be the victim of a snuff film
Snuff film
A snuff film is a motion picture genre that depicts the actual death or murder of a person or people, without the aid of special effects, for the express purpose of distribution and entertainment or financial exploitation. For-profit snuff films are generally regarded as an urban legend, whose...
. Also discussed is the dysfunction of modern family relationships, the craft of writing, and adolescence.
Johnette Rodriguez, in her review in The Phoenix (Providence, RI) (April 24 - May 1, 1997), writes that "she [Vogel] ponders many questions about male/female relationships, about families and about American society, all related to an observation she makes in the introduction to the published version of the play: 'obscenity begins at home.' "