The Blue Room
Encyclopedia
The Blue Room is a 1998 play
by David Hare
, adapted from Der Reigen written by Arthur Schnitzler
(1862–1931), and more usually known as La Ronde
.
Reigen was meant as a dramatic expose of the decadence of the Austrian society. Schnitzler, being a doctor approached the decadence of society from a medical point of view, studying the journey of Syphilis
through all classes of society. The title Reigen would be best translated as 'round-dance' or 'roundelay'. This refers to the daisy chain of sexual encounters, which also determines the format of the play. It is divided into ten scenes and each scene holds two characters (always male and female) and their sexual encounter. The following scene contains one character of the previous scene and a new one. A has sex with B, B has sex with C and so on; until in the tenth scene the circle closes with J having sex with A.
Hare's major difference from the original piece is the idea of performing it as a two-person show. Hare states himself that he was not the first person to do so. In 1981 when the theatrical rights fell temporarily out of copyright several stage versions were crafted and performed.
Otherwise Hare's adaptation is not far from the original.
The characters:
Syphilis or any other sexually transmitted disease is never explicitly mentioned in either Schnitzler's original or Hare's adaptation. Scene VI contains the only reference to this when the politician is concerned about 'hygiene' having just slept with the model.
Sam Mendes
had asked Hare to adapt Schnitzler's Reigen.
The Blue Room was first performed at the Donmar Warehouse
, London on 10 September 1998 with Nicole Kidman
and Iain Glen
as actors. It was directed by Mendes, designed by Mark Thompson
, lit by Hugh Vanstone with music by Paddy Cunneen. The production was a commercial success and later moved to the Cort Theatre
in New York (with the same cast), but received mixed reviews.
London critic Charles Spencer
's review for the Daily Telegraph concluded with the now iconic phrase, "It's pure theatrical Viagra."
Kidman's brief nudity, the short flash of her buttocks
on a semi dark stage caused a hullabaloo and brisk ticket sales.http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,286188,00.html Iain Glen's full frontal nudity while cartwheeling attracted far less attention.http://www.leisuresuit.net/Webzine/articles/blue_room.shtmlhttp://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,286188,00.html Several reviewers commented on the best seats to view Kidman's nudity.http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,286188,00.htmlhttp://www.leisuresuit.net/Webzine/articles/blue_room.shtml
The 1950 movie La Ronde
by Max Ophüls
was based on Reigen and has influenced many stage adaptations, including The Blue Room.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by David Hare
David Hare (dramatist)
Sir David Hare is an English playwright and theatre and film director.-Early life:Hare was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex, the son of Agnes and Clifford Hare, a sailor. He was educated at Lancing, an independent school in West Sussex, and at Jesus College, Cambridge...
, adapted from Der Reigen written by Arthur Schnitzler
Arthur Schnitzler
Dr. Arthur Schnitzler was an Austrian author and dramatist.- Biography :Arthur Schnitzler, son of a prominent Hungarian-Jewish laryngologist Johann Schnitzler and Luise Markbreiter , was born in Praterstraße 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian...
(1862–1931), and more usually known as La Ronde
La Ronde (play)
La Ronde is a 1900 play by Arthur Schnitzler. It scrutinizes the sexual morals and class ideology of its day through a series of encounters between pairs of characters . By choosing characters across all levels of society, the play offers social commentary on how sexual contact transgresses...
.
Schnitzler's play
Having completed the play in 1900 Schnitzler did not intend it to be performed, even calling the series of scenes 'unprintable', he intended them to be read by friends. The play was too sexually explicit to be performed at the time. Subsequently it was read and then performed in private. Its first public performance in 1921, under the now accepted title Reigen, was closed down by the Vienna police—Schnitzler was prosecuted for obscenity.Reigen was meant as a dramatic expose of the decadence of the Austrian society. Schnitzler, being a doctor approached the decadence of society from a medical point of view, studying the journey of Syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
through all classes of society. The title Reigen would be best translated as 'round-dance' or 'roundelay'. This refers to the daisy chain of sexual encounters, which also determines the format of the play. It is divided into ten scenes and each scene holds two characters (always male and female) and their sexual encounter. The following scene contains one character of the previous scene and a new one. A has sex with B, B has sex with C and so on; until in the tenth scene the circle closes with J having sex with A.
Hare's adaptation
Hare's adaptation transfers the action from Vienna to 'one of the great cities of the world, in the present day'. The characters change accordingly, the soldier becomes a cab driver, the parlour maid becomes an au pair, etc...Hare's major difference from the original piece is the idea of performing it as a two-person show. Hare states himself that he was not the first person to do so. In 1981 when the theatrical rights fell temporarily out of copyright several stage versions were crafted and performed.
Otherwise Hare's adaptation is not far from the original.
The characters:
- The Girl (Irene) (Scene I & X)
- The Cab Driver (Fred) (Scene I & II)
- The Au Pair (Marie) (Scene II & III)
- The Student (Anton) (Scene III & IV)
- The Married Woman (Emma) (Scene IV & V)
- The Politician (Charles)(Scene V & VI)
- The Model (Kelly) (Scene VI & VII)
- The Playwright (Robert) (Scene VII & VIII)
- The Actress (Scene VIII & IX)
- The Aristocrat (Malcolm) (Scene IX & X)
Syphilis or any other sexually transmitted disease is never explicitly mentioned in either Schnitzler's original or Hare's adaptation. Scene VI contains the only reference to this when the politician is concerned about 'hygiene' having just slept with the model.
Sam Mendes
Sam Mendes
Samuel Alexander "Sam" Mendes, CBE is an English stage and film director. He is best known for his Academy Award-winning work on his debut film American Beauty and his dark re-inventions of the stage musicals Cabaret , Oliver! , Company and Gypsy . He's currently working on the 23rd James Bond...
had asked Hare to adapt Schnitzler's Reigen.
The Blue Room was first performed at the Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
, London on 10 September 1998 with Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
and Iain Glen
Iain Glen
Iain Glen is a Scottish film and stage actor.Iain Glen was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and trained at RADA where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal. He was married to Susannah Harker from 1993 to 2004; they have one son, Finlay...
as actors. It was directed by Mendes, designed by Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson
Mark John Thompson is Director-General of the BBC, a post he has held since 2004, and a former chief executive of Channel 4...
, lit by Hugh Vanstone with music by Paddy Cunneen. The production was a commercial success and later moved to the Cort Theatre
Cort Theatre
The Cort Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 138 West 48th Street in the Theatre District of midtown Manhattan in New York City...
in New York (with the same cast), but received mixed reviews.
London critic Charles Spencer
Charles Spencer (journalist)
Charles Spencer is a British journalist. He has been the drama critic of The Daily Telegraph since 1991. In 2006, Compton Miller of The Independent wrote in a profile: "This convivial ex-alcoholic is best remembered for his description of Nicole Kidman's nude scene in The Blue Room as 'pure...
's review for the Daily Telegraph concluded with the now iconic phrase, "It's pure theatrical Viagra."
Kidman's brief nudity, the short flash of her buttocks
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
on a semi dark stage caused a hullabaloo and brisk ticket sales.http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,286188,00.html Iain Glen's full frontal nudity while cartwheeling attracted far less attention.http://www.leisuresuit.net/Webzine/articles/blue_room.shtmlhttp://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,286188,00.html Several reviewers commented on the best seats to view Kidman's nudity.http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,286188,00.htmlhttp://www.leisuresuit.net/Webzine/articles/blue_room.shtml
The 1950 movie La Ronde
La Ronde (1950 film)
La Ronde is a 1950 film directed by Max Ophüls and based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1897 play of the same name. The title means "the round-dance".The film was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Writing and Best Art Direction...
by Max Ophüls
Max Ophüls
Maximillian Oppenheimer — known as Max Ophüls — was an influential German-born film director who worked in Germany , France , the United States , and France again...
was based on Reigen and has influenced many stage adaptations, including The Blue Room.