Customer Reviews

Fefu and Her Friends (PAJ Books)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Fefu and Her Friends," by Maria Irene Fornes, is a witty and disturbing contemporary play. A key image from the play occurs early on, when one character talks about the experience of lifting up a stone and seeing the slime, fungus, and worms underneath. "Fefu" is about peeling back the gentile facades of life and seeing the unpleasant decay that lies beneath.

The play, which has an all-female cast, takes place at an elegant New England country house where the characters of the title have assembled. As the women gather to talk in various groupings, Fornes dissects such topics as gender roles, marriage, and educational conventions. Stirrings of insanity, violence, heterosexual frustration, and repressed lesbian desire contribute to the play's unsettling atmosphere. Overall, a memorable work from a grand master of contemporary theater.

Maria Irene Fornes, <strong>Fefu and Her Friends</strong> (PAJ Publications, 1978)

Okay, I will admit it right up front: I have absolutely no idea what is going on in the last act of this play, and I have done absolutely no digging on the web in order to uncover any random "what does this mean?" threads that might be hanging around. I simply let it wash over me and took it based on its merits as a written document. I should probably go looking at some point, because I liked it enough anyway to give it a strong recommend even without knowing what's going on. The characters are crisp, the dialogue zingy, the action surprisingly playful given the overall dark tone here. I don't think this is one you need to "get" in order to enjoy. Take it the same way I did--just admire it for what it is, which seems to be "obtuse". *** ½

(For the record, after I finished writing this, I did google it, and it seems my incomprehension was not nearly as rare as I thought it was.)

this book is a nearly forgotten classic of 70's theatrical avant garde; it is so good to see it in print. Read it. It's a hoot!