Male Nudity And Theatre #2!

[13788]

TragicWhiteKnight: A spin-off. Interesting posts on the original thread, focusing more on the role of the actor changing the script/nature of the play to suit his conditions by calling it irony. So, instead of looking at actors, I'll ask a similar question of the writer.

Do you think the issues of being well-endowed can be addressed in the medium of theatre? I don't mean nudity in general, inferences, or symbols but as the entire purpose of the play. Or would the subject matter just be seen as bragging, elititist or lacking in real dramatic potential?

Similarly, would such a play be undermined or bolstered by male frontal nudity? Prosthetics, real or clothes on for dignity?

This questions a little less hypothetical than the prequel given I am something of a playwright (...nearly something..), and was wondering if the issues of size could be expanded beyond a story of jealousy.

 

[Pecker]

[quote author=TragicWhiteKnight link=board=relationships;num=1058986746;start=0#0 date=07/23/03 at 11:50:06]Do you think the issues of being well-endowed can be addressed in the medium of theatre?  I don't mean nudity in general, inferences, or symbols but as the entire purpose of the play.  Or would the subject matter just be seen as bragging, elititist or lacking in real dramatic potential?

Similarly, would such a play be undermined or bolstered by male frontal nudity?  Prosthetics, real or clothes on for dignity?[/quote]

On the first point, any mention, suggestion or hint of a character's size would probably get snickers or guffaws from the audience, so it would have to be played for comic relief (too much like this already on TV sit-coms).

On the second, if you're on stage, the audience is going to expect, indeed demand, reality. The attitude these days is to save the prosthetics (i.e. censorship) for film.

 

[13788]

gigantikok: nice to meet a fellow almost-playwrite aswell. Hehe. My honest opinion in regards to material about well endowed penises in theatre is that it would be VERY hard to pull off... for many reasons.

First off, by nature alot of people are immature and when they are presented with material that makes them feel uncomfortable, they will begin to laugh or snicker. Pecker stated it well that it would have to be comic relief, but i get the impression you'd want to create a serious story. That would take some damn good writing.

Secondly, good writing and good plays usually are successful because the material within the show relates to mass amount of people in some way. That is why you constantly see love stories and so on. Granted, not everything will relate to everyone, and alot of times it is simply the themes of a show that draw someone in. Revolving a story around a large penis could only really achieve a small following from people that actually know what life is like with a large penis, unless you were to revolve the story around some other aspect of the character and simply include the fact that he is well endowed. Kinda... like Boogie Nights. It really wasn't about his penis, it was about his life. SO, because many many many people don't understand the issues of being well endowed, and since many people wouldn't look deep enough to see what the penis might symbolize... I think alot of people wouldn't relate. So, in short, it very well could be seen as elitist, bragging, or lacking in real dramatic potential.

Thirdly, I don't know if the theatre is ready for full frontal male nudity... hell, hollywood still isn't. You are beggining to see more directors play around with the idea of male nudity (i.e Red Dragon, 28 Days Later), but for the most part, it still isn't socially accepted. Stage is even more intense that film, and I just don't think the audience would accept a naked man on stage... let alone a well endowed naked man. They'd sit through it, they'd try to enjoy it, but their experience would be ruined because deep down they'd be thinking "Sheesh, I can't believe that guy was naked".

So, all i am saying is due to certain reasons, it would be very difficult to write a serious play bringing up the issues of the well-endowed with a legit, acceptable nude scene. If you feel you can write it, and pull it off, by all means go for it, buddy. I'd try, but i wouldn't want to steal your idea.

 

[13788]

AnonyMs: I am all for subtlety. Why not put on a creatively written theatrical production where the man is endowed in some other area that the society in the play regards as sexually desirable? The same points could be made with out being so pointed as "I have a large penis."

 

[13788]

gigantikok: you can make the character have a desirable ass. Women go nuts over "cute" asses and I never understood why. Seems like you can't do much with a guy's butt.

 

[B_DoubleMeatWhopper]

[quote author=gigantikok link=board=relationships;num=1058986746;start=0#4 date=07/23/03 at 16:23:13]Seems like you can't do much with a guy's butt. [/quote]

Speak for yourself!

 

[B_DoubleMeatWhopper]

[quote author=gigantikok link=board=relationships;num=1058986746;start=0#2 date=07/23/03 at 15:42:35] I don't know if the theatre is ready for full frontal male nudity... I just don't think the audience would accept a naked man on stage.[/quote]

What about Hair? Equus? Oh. Calcutta? Marat-Sade? And there are several other lesser known, but successful, shows that contain full frontal male nudity.

 

[13788]

gigantikok: true, DWM, although i am not so familiar with the other shows you mentioned... i know about Hair. The nudity in Hair is of a collective group of people, men AND women, for about a split second before the curtain closes. I don't think that is along the same lines as what i'm discussing.

 

[13788]

Ineligible: I haven't seen a production of Equus, but the film certainly has full-frontal, underage, male nudity - an important part of a serious, very good, play. I haven't seen Oh! Calcutta!, but it was notorious for its nudity - I suspect it was rather an exploitation play - it certainly got some bad reviews when it opened. However, in my younger days when I could get student discounts I saw several serious plays which happened to include nudity. I remember one called Bent about gay issues, in which a well-hung actor crosses the stage in the nude shortly after the play starts (and is never seen again).

 

[13788]

BiteSize: And then there was Howard Brenton's The Romans in Britain, with anal rape and on-stage masturbation. Caused an uproar among Daily Mail readers but the London theatre-going public took it in their stride, as they do pretty much everything else.

 

[Pecker]

[quote author=Ineligible link=board=relationships;num=1058986746;start=0#8 date=07/24/03 at 02:29:15]I remember one called Bent about gay issues, in which a well-hung actor crosses the stage in the nude shortly after the play starts (and is never seen again).[/quote]

Sort of like the first line of a short story - if it doesn't catch your attention, you close the book.

 

[jonb]

One trend I've noticed: Independent films are more likely to do male frontal nudity, simply because independent films tend to be riskier. Any nudity's an instant R rating, and the entire assumption behind many female nude scenes in Hollywood is that men are more visual. OTOH, indie films are generally not rated (Formerly this was the X rating until porn decided to X-ploit the 24th letter of the alphabet.) and a man's just as likely to be naked for a particular reason in real life as a woman.

 

[Pecker]

[quote author=jonb link=board=relationships;num=1058986746;start=0#11 date=07/24/03 at 12:35:37]...and a man's just as likely to be naked for a particular reason in real life as a woman.[/quote]

Especially on Sunday's when he runs out on the front walk to retrieve the morning paper!

 

[txquis]

I certainly think that the "well endowed and the problems and pleasures of that" could be a part of the story....a part of the character.....but, can that one thing carry the evening?
I am not sure.
I do not think so.

 

[13788]

AnonyMs: i dunno txquis - it certainly carries this board!

 

[txquis]

True.

 

[brody]

Has anyone seen the theatre play "The Inheritance"? I believe there is some nudity in it.
I hope to see a Danish version of the play by Matthew Lopez premiering this month. I have read somewhere that half of the cast are gay.
Here is a photo of the entire cast from the Danish version of "Inheritance".

 

[chrisrobin]

[quote author=gigantikok link=board=relationships;num=1058986746;start=0#2 date=07/23/03 at 15:42:35] I don't know if the theatre is ready for full frontal male nudity... I just don't think the audience would accept a naked man on stage.

What about Hair? Equus? Oh. Calcutta? Marat-Sade? And there are several other lesser known, but successful, shows that contain full frontal male nudity.
[/QUOTE]
and size was never an issue

 

[Pau-Pat]

Has anyone seen the theatre play "The Inheritance"? I believe there is some nudity in it.

I'm going to see the play on Saturday in Munich. Pretty sure there will be some nudity.
Promotion pictures released by the theatre (photographs by Sandra Then):

from the left: Vincent zur Linden, Moritz Treuenfels

 

[brody]

Thanks Pau-Pat. The photos look promising. Enjoy yourself on Saturday.