Word: 18th
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...which he is best known, Denis Diderot defined satire as a work "dictated by the spirit of invective." The American Repertory Theatre's staging of Diderot's Rameau's Nephew may have other elements besides that of invective, but the cynicism and nastiness with which the title character skewers 18th-Century French society provide most of this play's merriment. Rameau's Nephew skillfully combines old-fashioned satire with modern expletives, and while this production is saddled by the occasional annoying technical gag, as a game of wicked dialogue the results are delicious...
Diderot's spiked dialogue helps, of course, but it is largely Geidt's dry voice and haughty demeanor which keep us interested. He's a John Houseman of the 18th Century, able to deflate the ego of Rameau's nephew without having to look him in the face. The philosopher also has a knack for preempting our own views of Rameau's nephew, "I believe you have brought the art of debasement to new heights," he declares, "I think I liked you better as a musician than as a moralist...
...what failures! Garcia Marquez, like so many modern Latin American writers, sees the continent as a vast and howling tragedy. Bolivar, a Venezuelan aristocrat educated in the liberalism of 18th century Europe, vainly tries to plant progressive ideas in a New World dominated by Spain, a nation bypassed by the Enlightenment...
...think they're a total anachronism. They go back to 18th century England, when the rich all dressed in fancy black tie and gown for dinner every night while the poor were starving in the street. That's one thing Gorbachev and I agree on. He won't wear a black tie either. I don't go to functions where they wear dungarees and sweat shirts either. I just...
...discuss anything which strikes his fancy at the moment. If he can sneak the first assumption past the grader, then the rest is clear sailing. If he fails, he still gets a fair amount of credit for his irrelevant but fact-filled discussion of scientific progress in the 18th century. And it is amazing what some graders will swallow in the name of intellectual freedom. This piece first ran on June...