Why I Chose The Picture of Dorian Gray …. Tyrell Pickett

     Oscar Wilde (and particularly in The Picture of Dorian Gray) has been an author that I could turn to when I was in need of some clarity on how the world works, particularly during my days in high school when everything seemed to be chaotic and in the midst of a downward spiral.  The languid feel of Oscar Wilde's writing draws you into a waterfall effect of not being able to stop reading once you've begun.   Despite all the side talk and quips laced into his stories, which to my mind gives them texture, there is usually a moral message.

     One tale that I think represents Wilde’s style is Birthday of the Infanta. It is a short story, only about a dozen pages long, about a little mute hunchbacked man who performs at the birthday of the infanta (Spanish princess).  He falls in love with the girl because she is so kind. But he is completely unaware of his own looks.  It is a tale about the harsh realities of the fang-and-claw external world of which we are a part.

     We are not often judged by our intentions, our thoughts or our internal monologue that attempts to set things on the right path after they have been askew.?It is said that everyone is judged within the first few seconds of meeting someone.  If this is true, do those who lack the gentility of features that others possess really have a chance of accomplishing anything in our world?  Do they really have a chance to evolve their 'self' beyond what the callousness of society will permit?

     The only way of approaching this question is to go backwards and undo it.  It is with this in mind that I approached The Picture of Dorian Gray. ?Unlike the hunchback in Birthday of the Infanta, Dorian Gray is in no way lacking in the physical features or the charm desired by society.  In fact he is so charismatic that he draws people to him.  Basil Hallward, the painter, is one of the individuals attracted to him.  Basil sees only the good in Dorian Gray, and acts as his conscience.  However, it is interesting that Basil is also the one who creates the painting that causes the problem in the first place.

     Oscar Wilde often makes statements that allude to there being no such thing as evil or sin, that they are merely interpretations of current situations that do not benefit either ourselves or our beliefs.   And so, without a conscience, without a concept of “good” there would be no evil. This is where Basil comes into play, and why Dorian pushes Basil away. Without a conscience he could do anything he wanted without fear of retaliation.

     On the other side of the spectrum there is the languid, frighteningly magnetic, and unsavory Lord Henry. Unlike Basil, Lord Henry represents the needs of the 'me' inside of everyone.  He introduces Dorian to a world of chaos, self-righteousness, and pleasure.  The charm of Lord Henry is that he doesn't limit Dorian Gray the way Basil does.  Lord Henry's 'evil' does not limit the 'good' posed by other characters.  His evil simply sits by and lets Dorian do what he wants. This is incredibly liberating to Dorian Gray at first, but he can only handle so much of it.

     There are also other characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray that tug at the issue of morality.  Foremost of these is Sybil Vane.  Her name alone lends an insight into her importance to the story.  She is the pretty little flower Dorian chooses to take unto himself as his fiance in order to satisfy his vanity.  She is innocent, naive, and keeps herself untarnished for the sake of polite society.

     The stark contrast to Sybil in my adaptation is Lady Brandon.  Although she is mentioned in the original novel, I have developed Lady Brandon past this as a counterpoint to Sybil Vane.  Unlike Sybil Vane who is young, pure and innocent, Lady Brandon is middle- aged, an almost under-worldly character who is far from innocent. She represents the struggle portrayed by all of the characters in The Picture of Dorian Gray, the struggle against death and the struggle to make one’s mark on the world.

     The question is whether or not we are in control of the lives we attempt to carve out for ourselves.  Yes we all have free will, and can govern large expanses our own lives, but we are always influenced by circumstances as well as the ideas and actions of others.

     When adapting the novel I thought about cutting down the title of the show to Dorian Gray, or just Dorian, but I came to realize that this story is not just about Dorian Gray.  He is the catalyst who weighs out the input from the other characters.   The story is about his picture, the picture that moves, the picture that changes and takes on the attributes of everyone Dorian Gray meets.  Every character is part of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

     Masquers has rated this play as "PG" -- parental guidance suggested. There are two violent scenes.

Friday, June 27, 2008 8:00 PM
Opening Night Special - All Seats $9