Late on December 24th, 2008, Harold Pinter passed away from cancer. For those who do not know, he was a magnificent writer of short stories, plays and screenplays; and also a well-established actor and director. Some of you may remember Jordan Chaddock's 12345 production of Pinter's "The Dumb Waiter," though this is actually not one of his more famous plays. He is most famous for his use of the technique the "Pinter Pause." The man could manipulate silence unlike any other playwright. The reason I am writing this post is because Harold Pinter was a large influence in the beginning of my play writing.
I was first introduced to Pinter and his methods Sophomore year of college during World Theatre and Drama II. Around this time, I had also discovered my knack for writing plays. (Up until then I was mainly a poem and short story kinda gal.) If you have ever read my plays, you will probably notice I use a lot of pauses and silences. My dialogue is very blunt and to the point most of the time, but then I insert pauses to create tension. Three years later, it is still a craft I am perfecting. But my interest in the usage of silence in a theatrical play comes entirely from Pinter. I have always strived to create a similar effect, worthy of comparison to Pinter himself. (Though I doubt such a thing will ever happen.)
I encourage those who are not familiar with Pinter to please look up his plays and read one. He was a briliant writer. It is a sad day for our theatre community to lose such a talented and respected man. And so I grieve...
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