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| Actors in the Steppenwolf Garage Theatre Production in Chicago |
I found the commentary on McCarthy's relationship with the production as the most interesting part of the article. It is easy to forget sometimes that authors do not just hand over their work to be performed as a play or produced as a movie without having some say in that performance (Check out this article about author's feelings after having their books turned into movies: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/hollywood-ate-my-novel-novelists-reveal-what-its-like-to-have-their-book-turned-into-a-movie-6940772.html). For example, in the scene where Black cooks dinner for White, McCarthy had originally scripted the cooking to take place off-stage in order to allow for an intermission. However, the director for the Steppenwolf production thought that an intermission would interrupt the drama and therefore let the play continue for the full-length of time (similar to the movie). Interestingly enough, our class watched the movie with a kind of intermission as the movie was split between two different class days. I wonder if our perception and conversation about the movie would have changed if we had watched it in its entirety at one time.
Luce also discusses the significance of the title "The Sunset Limited." She says that "to ride the Sunset Limited is to take the final journey, to die, to ride west of everything." I think the last description is most interesting, "to ride west of everything." Although "The Sunset Limited" takes place in New York, in reality the Sunset Limited is an Amtrak train that rides West from Louisiana to California. Luce seems to be suggesting that the traveling west of the real train is also symbolic of White's decision to commit suicide.
Triad Stage Production of The Sunset Limite below:
Oh my goodness. I could not have watched that movie in one sitting. This play/movie is just so... "emotional" is the only word I can think of, but what I mean is it calls up all sorts of emotiongs such as anger, confusion, pity, and like that. But I do think it is a story meant to be taken all at once, that way it has a bigger impact on the watcher. I think McCarthy wanted the viewers to be overwhelmed and emotional.
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