Product Description

Just in time for its Broadway debut this fall, after sold-out engagements in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Washington, Master Class is Tony award-winning Terrence McNally's homage to Maria Callas, inspired by a series of master classes she conducted at Juilliard "A play of notable wit, humanity, and insight."--Philadelphia Inquirer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #676373 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 51 pages

Customer Reviews

Oh, if only there was an audio tape to go with this script!
When Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington listen to Maria Callas sing "La Mamma Morta" in the film "Philadelphia," I am sure most viewers did recognized neither the aria nor the diva. If the name of Maria Callas is mentioned it is as likely because she was Aristotle Onassis' mistress as it is that she was one of the world's greatest opera singers. In 1971 Callas returned to the stage to teach master classes at Julliard, which were transcribed and collected into a book edited by John Ardoin. A quarter century later Terrence McNally was inspired by those lectures to write his play, Master Class," which may do as much as anything to restore Callas to her rightful spot in the history of opera as anything since her death.

McNally's great conceit in this play is to make the theater audience the members of the master class. The house lights never go completely down during the course of the play, allowing Callas to lecture (harangue) the audience along with her master students who she puts through the wringer, usually reducing them to tears. The play uses an accompanist, two sopranos and a tenor to play and sing the music, while Callas comments on both the meaning of the texts and their performances. When she performed on stage the key description of Callas was that she was "dramatic" as a singer. In this play McNally tries to make it clear why this is true, for even if the diva can no longer sing, she retains her total understanding of each piece under discussion.

Because Callas is talking about music in general and various arias in particular, there is certainly a missing dimension to this script. I am serious when I say it would be nice if there was an audio tape of the arias that you could play while Callas talks about them (e.g., Verdi's "Macbeth"). Unfortunately, I am ashamed to admit my opera collection is inadequate to the task of putting together my own tape. But it is certainly fun to listen to those particular works as they are discussed. Not as good as actually seeing this play in performance, but that is unlikely to happen since it requires not only someone with the commanding presence of Zoe Caldwell but several singers like Audra McDonald. This is a fascinating portrait of a person who was as dynamic a personality as she was a performer. As much as I enjoyed reading this play, I have to lament the fact that reading it deprives me of the musical dimension that is at the heart of "Master Class." If you enjoy opera, musical theater or the creative process of the performing arts, this is a wonderful play for you to read.

Wit, compassion, and flair all in one!
This play is a true masterpiece. Whether Callas was actually as she is portrayed in this play makes little to no difference (it's called dramatic license). _Master Class_ offers one of the strongest characters ever created for the stage, a character who encompasses a large spectrum of emotion. Maria Callas is witty, funny, harsh, genius. She "has a look" that is truly brought to life within the pages of this play, but which refuses to be bound there!

Do Your Homework First
Although the play itself was entertaining, I found it confusing, because I knew nothing about Maria Callas. Before I reached the end of the play, I could make almost no sense of her long, emotional flashback narratives. I plan to do research on the woman and reread the play, and I advise others to do so as well. As a singer I appreciated the depiction of Maria Callas and her students as artists who want to have something special that other artists can envy and strive for. Every artist experiences the wish to be different from those who possess the same dreams, and this play shows that truth. The sarcastic dialogue etches for the reader a distinct picture of Maria's character in the play. (Whether or not it is accurate to her true personality, I cannot tell.) I appreciate this play for its accurate portrayal of the struggling artist, but I am sure I will appreciate it more after I have done my homework on Maria Callas.