Look What They've Done To My Book, Ma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, I cannot believe what they have done to one of my all-time favorite books, "We Have Always Lived In The Castle," by Shirely Jackson. The poeitc nature of the title speaks of a lyrically written novel of two sisters leading an almost agoraphobic existence in a house isolated from the villagers. It tapped into not only some of Shirley Jackson's own issues, but some of mine--I would love to live away from this dumbed down, technological, capitalist crap world. Unless that capitalism comes directly to ME, which so far it has not!!!!!!!!!!

It was drmatized sometime in the late 60s, by Hugh Wheeler, who went on to write the book for the classic "A Little Night Music," and starred Shirley Knight and Heather (yes, she who was Louisa Von Trapp) Menzies as the Blackwood sister, Constance and Mary Katherine, otherwise known as Merricat. It did not have a successful run.

Now the Yale Repertory Theatre has had the temerity to turn this into a musical, which it does not really need to be. BUT if it had been handled in a chamber sense, like Polly Penn and Peggy Harmon with their "Goblin Market,' it might have stood a chance, enough to cop MY interest, loves!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alas, the hacks responsible for this travesty--they are not even worthy to name--have made this gothic story of psychological and famileal entrapment sunny and wholesome in ways that have been compared to, so help me, "The Donna Reed" show!!!!!!!!! What is Americz thinking? I mean, can't they get their musicals RIGHT??? First we get in-your-face garbage like "Spring Awakening," "American Idiot" and "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson," now we get dehydrated gothicism manufactured as third rate Rodgers and Hammerstein. What is wrong with people these days; even more, what is wrong with Yale's Theater Department? An august body that once produced the likes of Meryl Streep is now pandering to sanitized nonesense trying to pass itself off as art, by riding the coattails of a genuinely artistic work, while desecrating it at the same time. Sweeties, it ALMOST makes "Miss Saigon" look good, not that I would wish it on ANYONE. But, honey, when creators do not understand the nature of the property they are trying to adopt, or intentionally go against that property to reinforce their own Tea Party-like personal vision, then theatrical creativity and innovation go out the window.

Which is pretty much what The Times said in its review. But if more stuff like this is even ALLOWED to be produced, we are in serious trouble. The makers of this piece of crap deserve, not to be haunted by Shirley Jackson from the grave--that would be too good for them--but to be collectively stoned, in the style of her "Lottery," by a bunch of Theater Queens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, get ready to toss that topaz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!