Scan barcode
readwithria's review
This would be far more entertaining live, but I’m not sure that I would seek it out
brownpaperhag's review against another edition
3.0
Hmm! Owners is one of my favourite plays, Traps I’ve already forgotten, the next two were underwhelming, and Cloud Nine didn’t really need the first act but was interesting as a kind of precursor to The Nether.
reading_racoon69's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I thought it would be funnier… it was definitely funny, but… idk I guess I was thinking I’d be laughing out loud like in top girls.
It was good, but I prefered too girls much more.
I know that caryl Churchill’s plays are not meant to be entertaining, but instead insightful and observant. But yeah, idk guess I was pretty entertained by top girls and had too many high hope for cloud nine
All in all I think that it was the such high expectations of absoluting loving cloud nine that made me kinda disappointed, but it was definitely still very good…
Honestly sometimes I just didn’t know what was going on
Loved the calling of the goodness scene, the “Harry, I love men” [proceeds to incubate contact] “IM SO DISGUSTED AND DEFINSTLY DIDNT SPEND THE LAST 20 min TALKING ABOUT MANLY RELATIONSHIPS LIKE THEYRE SO HOT” . Also the [proceeds to ask everyone’s hand in marrige]. Shoutout to Ellen.
It was good, but I prefered too girls much more.
I know that caryl Churchill’s plays are not meant to be entertaining, but instead insightful and observant. But yeah, idk guess I was pretty entertained by top girls and had too many high hope for cloud nine
All in all I think that it was the such high expectations of absoluting loving cloud nine that made me kinda disappointed, but it was definitely still very good…
Honestly sometimes I just didn’t know what was going on
Loved the calling of the goodness scene, the “Harry, I love men” [proceeds to incubate contact] “IM SO DISGUSTED AND DEFINSTLY DIDNT SPEND THE LAST 20 min TALKING ABOUT MANLY RELATIONSHIPS LIKE THEYRE SO HOT” . Also the [proceeds to ask everyone’s hand in marrige]. Shoutout to Ellen.
Content Warnings
Minor: Pedophilia
c__s_dy's review
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dkrane's review against another edition
4.0
Captivating dreamlike reality. Kind of precursor to Heart's Desire later in crazy multitude of what, to the characters, are very real realities. Shades of Cloud Nine's challenges to family structures, too.
floneill's review
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
petrichorandcoffee's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
lilyconstanti's review
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
losethegirl's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
While this book was a read for class, it felt like something I would've picked up on my own. That being said, I didn't love it. It felt like it was attempting to do and be too many things at once, and the critiques it was trying to make fell flat. The gender critique was interesting, but the race critique fell by the wayside.
Knowing that this play was written by a white woman furthered the discomfort with her critique of race and colonialism. The feminist critique was reminiscent of Shulamith Firestone -- pushing sexual boundaries as far as possible to encourage people to find a healthy middle ground. In spite of this, it felt like the play went too far.
A lot of the humour felt like it was punching down, using the gender bent casting as a joke rather than an opportunity to carefully examine gender roles in a meaningful way. The race bent casting just seemed offensive and like a deliberate attempt to keep people of colour out of a play set in Africa. The incest for shock value fell flat as well. I recognize that the show was designed to be full of shock and discomfort, but it didn't play well ultimately.
That being said, there's something to be said about the innovative way that this play is staged, and the fact that it's definitely a product of its time and second wave feminism. It's useful as a catalogue of how feminism has evolved, but I don't think I'll be recommending it or picking it up again any time soon.
Knowing that this play was written by a white woman furthered the discomfort with her critique of race and colonialism. The feminist critique was reminiscent of Shulamith Firestone -- pushing sexual boundaries as far as possible to encourage people to find a healthy middle ground. In spite of this, it felt like the play went too far.
A lot of the humour felt like it was punching down, using the gender bent casting as a joke rather than an opportunity to carefully examine gender roles in a meaningful way. The race bent casting just seemed offensive and like a deliberate attempt to keep people of colour out of a play set in Africa. The incest for shock value fell flat as well. I recognize that the show was designed to be full of shock and discomfort, but it didn't play well ultimately.
That being said, there's something to be said about the innovative way that this play is staged, and the fact that it's definitely a product of its time and second wave feminism. It's useful as a catalogue of how feminism has evolved, but I don't think I'll be recommending it or picking it up again any time soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Incest, Misogyny, and Pedophilia
earth_to_haley's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25