Okay, so I haven't actually read Oedipus Rex... -- Saturday Night You Bull Sessions

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Date Posted: 20:08:15 01/15/06 Sun
Author: Hillary
Subject: Okay, so I haven't actually read Oedipus Rex...
In reply to: Jim Bevan 's message, "You like the Marx Brothers? You are my dream woman!" on 15:11:42 01/15/06 Sun

But I'm familiar with the story.

I'm having difficulty figuring out how you intend that Seth would play Oedipus. Sometimes his language sounds antiquated and melodramatic, sometimes it sounds normal. And he certainly is informal in the beginning.
And the beginning is funny, but in terms of setting the tone for the sketch, it's this high energy/slapstick thing that turns into a back-and-forth.

I'm having difficulty identifying exactly what I think the problem with this sketch is. But I've concluded that I'd really have to see it, because how funny it would be would depend on how it was done. Although, for one thing, occasionally the text seems a little too smart for its own good. You always have to watch out for that with parodies like these, and I think the solution (assuming you have to appeal to a general audience, which you do for SNL) is not to rely solely on inside jokes and witticisms. (Like, the swollen foot thing. Even an audience that knew nothing about the classics would get that and probably find it funny.)

I mean, the one thing a mainstream audience is likely to know about the Oedipus story is that he...well, you know. This doesn't really use that until the end.

It's especially hard to visualize since SNL never does anything like this. (Stuff this ancient/classical, that is. The only one I can think of was the one with Steve Martin as King Tut.) With all things classical, a lot rests on the actors to bring the characters to life, more so than contemporary stuff.
But Seth and Amy are a great choice for this, I think, because they have great chemistry. However, I don't know how they would work with this kind of material.

P.S. I don't know if you are familiar with Tom Lehrer, but he did a great song about Oedipus.

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Replies:

Thanks for the feedback, Hillary -- Jim Bevan, 20:59:41 01/15/06 Sun