Quills.

Rating:
Summary: This is a terriffic, memorable and important work
Review: Doug Wright, one of the leading voices of his generation, has written a seminal, timely evocative and haunting play. It deals with many enormous issues including art, freedom of expression, the vagaries of relationships, and the place of individual responsiblity. Rather than be mouthpieces of normous themes, the characters are richly drawn, compelling and all to human. He deals with these issues however in a mordant, witty and dramatic manner, and delivers a vastly entertaining work. Bravo

Rating:
Summary: Disturbing, but somewhat compelling and clever.
Review: I bought this one because I'm a Kate Winslet freak, and it's of course being made into a film in which she will star. :) (Along with Geoffrey Rush, Joaquin Phoenix, and Michael Caine.) I'm very curious now to see how it will translate to film, because it's incredibly violent and sexual and well, shocking, disturbing, gross, dark, gory, etc. However, it is at times amusing and wry, with a sort of underlying satire and social commentary, which I think ultimately redeems it despite all the seemingly gratuitous violence and gore. And obviously certain things work better on stage than on film, so I'm sure it'll go through some major changes en route to the screen. I'm hopeful for the film - hey, if Kate's in it, it can't be that bad. ;) But, it's definitely not for everyone, and certainly not one for kids or the squeamish (myself included, actually), and it's by far the oddest and most disturbing and far out thing Kate has done yet or prolly will ever do. But, it has definite possibilities and potential, and with a top-notch cast and Philip Kaufman ("Henry & June," "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," etc.) directing, it could be quite brilliant. Anyway, check this one out if you're a Kate fan, or even just into somewhat cutting-edge (no pun intended) horror theatre. Or a fan of the Marquis de Sade, I suppose. Just don't expect a happy ending, to say the least!

Rating:
Summary: This is a terriffic, memorable and important work
Review: I got this short story/play becuz i am interested in all of Kate Winslet's future movies, as the books tend to be wonderful. This story was quite different then what i expected it to be! It is a very graphic detailing of what can happen when you try to censor a artist, and what means this artist can take to get his point across. I would recommend this book..but only to those who are not easily offended by blashemy of God and other religious sects...and who also are not offended by pornographic references! It will be quite entertaining to see how this movie is made!

Rating:
Summary: Taking over the asylum
Review: The Marquis de Sade, locked away in Charenton lunatic asylum because of his licentious habits and scandalous literary works, continues to write. Madame de Sade, distressed by the way her husband's reputation is sending her own into free-fall, begs the asylum's director, Dr Royer-Collard, for help. Together with the pious Abbe Coulmier, Royer-Collard deprives the Marquis of his ink, pens and paper. The Marquis must resort to ever more desperate stratagems in order to continue writing, with dreadful and peculiar consequences for both himself and his zealous censors. Where the original Marquis pulled out all the Gothic stops in his massive... well, organ... Wright flings them across the room and, cackling fiendishly, hooks up a loudspeaker or two as well. The dialogue is witty and ironic, and is used to perfection in contrasting the put-upon but sardonic Marquis with his rational, moral, enlightened and increasingly desperate jailers. Constantly writing, taunting his tormentors with their own self-righteousness, calling them things like "my little kumquat" and never, ever giving up, the Marquis is a true writer's writer, and Quills is a hilarious, captivating Grand Guignol, entirely worthy of its depraved, indefatigable and (perhaps just a teensy weensy bit) romantic hero. You might also be interested in Maurice Lever's fine hefty biography of the original Marquis - perhaps Quills isn't so far from the truth after all.

Rating:
Summary: Great Play
Review: The PLay is well written and pretty good. It is not like the movie though, so if you are looking for something like that you'll be disappointed. There is no romance between the abbe and Madeiline at all. It is mostly about the Marquis and what happens when the Doctor tries to stop his writing.