Nicholas Barnard Women's Playwrights: The Baltimore Waltz May 20, 2002
1. According to the definition given here are the six qualities of post modernism in The Baltimore Waltz.
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Mixed Media: Slides are used through Scene 19.
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The past concerning the early issues and treatment of what was to become HIV/AIDS is handled with an irreverent playfulness in Scene 2 where medical advice that is given is incorrect and inadequate. Also the whole issue concerning education of the disease as told by the doctor on p. 13 directly mirrors the AIDS epidemic, where gay organizations were left with the burden of educating the populace on AIDS.
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I think the multiple moods of the play are best displayed by Anna's dialogue, she is consistently making comments that are both in a utterly playful mood, but are in a deeper sense cries for help.
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The blurring of the distinction between reality and art is through the whole play but is evidenced in Scene 30 where the doctor says Carl is dead, then Anna goes and dances with Carl, representative of the dance that they have been having in Baltimore with the federal government agencies in attempting to obtain treatment.
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In Scene 19 the characters acknowledge the audience by giving them a slideshow of their “European” vacation.
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The whole play acknowledges and satirizes the issues concerning HIV/AIDS, which was of especial importance to the gay community during the 80s and early-90s.
2. Paula Vogel's satirization of American culture is structured around the medical industry. She directly satirizes the whole AIDS epidemic; specifically she satirizes the “we know lots about this disease, just give us a few more years to figure out how to cure it” attitude that was prevalent in the medical practitioners and researchers working with AIDS. She is also criticizing the endless search for Americans to want to treat any and every ailment with a quick fix, and our desire to go all over the whole world in search of a cure. I think she is also satirizing the perceived stereotype that gay males are extremely promiscuous, by placing this promiscuity in that of Anna's character, where it seems absurd.
3. The form of The Baltimore Waltz is very specific, using lighting and farce to tell as story that never happened.
Only the last scene contains any elements that exist in the “real world.” I don't see this play as being a daydream of Anna's or Carl's, or taking place in another dimension.
I think that this play exists Paula Vogel's homage to her brother and the time they could have spent together. It feels exceedingly sad, and I see it as Ms. Vogel's compensation for not taking the actual trip to Europe with her brother. So I think that this is a dream within the author's head, something that is utterly personal and painful for her. Through the whole play Anna is obsessed with taking care of her needs, primarily with lots of promiscuous sex, as Ms. Vogel was quite self-absorbed when she did not take the Europe trip with her brother. Ultimately, I think that this play is a mixture of dreams and reality of Paula's experiences with her brother, and her grieving method for her brother.
4. I think the third man is society in an overall general concept. Any character except Carl and Anna is played by him. I think it is a metaphor for taking note of the time that we have together with our loved ones, and being aware of the time that the third person takes out of our relationships with our loved ones, and removes our abilities to enjoy life with those who are closest to us.