The Play's the Thing: Difference between revisions

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| Season      = 4
| Season      = 4
| Episode      =  17
| Episode      =  17
| Airdate      =  
| Airdate      = 1999 March 15
| Production  =
| Production  = #V0620
| Writer      =
| Writer      = Ashley Gable & Thomas A. Swyden
| Director    =
| Director    = Christopher Graves
| Guests      =
| Guests      = Ted Raimi (Joxer); Jennifer Ward-Lealand (Zehra); Alison Wall (Minya); Mark Hadlow (Milo); Peter Muller (Dustinus Hoofmanus); William Davis (Kaelus); John McKee (Keanu Rivus); Stephen Hall (Therax); Mark Nua (Cleon); Eduardo de Campos (Sophocles)
George Port (First Critic); Polly Baigent (Paulina, "Xena"); Denis Hoskins (Second Critic)
| Episode list = [[List of Xena episodes]]
| Episode list = [[List of Xena episodes]]
| Prev        = [[The Way (Xena episode)|The Way]]
| Prev        = [[The Way (Xena episode)|The Way]]
| Next        = [[The Convert (Xena episode)|The Convert]]
| Next        = [[The Convert (Xena episode)|The Convert]]
}}
}}
A con artist persuades Gabrielle to put on one of her scrolls as a play as a scam. (Homage to "The Producers".) Will it be a success or a failure?  Will it convey Gabrielle's message of peace, or simply sell out for lots of dinars?  Will the con artists get their come-uppance?
==Lesbian humor==
During the revised sex-and-blood version ("Faster, chakram! Kill! Kill!"), the scene between Gabrielle & Xena in the hot tub is a big sexploitation subtext joke:
:"Xena": "Wow! I'm really wet!"
:"Gabrielle": "Oh! Oh, me too!"
At the end of the episode, Minya runs up hand in hand with Paulina:
:M: Gabrielle, I wanted to thank you!  I never would have met Paulina if it wasn't for you!  In fact, the two of you made me realize something deep down about myself that, I guess I always knew, but just didn't dare admit.  Yes— I'm a ... thespian.
Minya and Paulina look at each other lovingly & run off arm in arm.
:X: Oh.  Hah.  Congratulations.  You managed to touch ''someone''.
:G: That's not exactly what I had in mind.  I wanted to change violent people into people of peace, not actors.  ... That is what she said, right?  Deep down she's a thespian? 
:X: Yeah, um— that's what she—said. Yeah. Why? What'd you think?
:G: Thespian—
The two keep talking and dialog trails off as they walk off through the village.
==Intertextuality==
Critics watching the play talking to each other:
: Critic 1: The play's not bad.  I just don't buy that Xena.
: Critic 2: There's the opening of "Buffus, the Bacchae Slayer" across the street.
Returning the favor from the Buffy season 2 episode "[[Halloween (Buffy episode)|Halloween]]" (October 1997) in which Willow mentions Xena. The writers, Ashley Gable and Thomas A. Swyden, were also writers on Buffy.
Homage to "The Producers" (1968)
==Disclaimer==
"Although no great literary works of art were harmed or plagiarized, a few thespians stole some scenes during the production of this motion picture."


{{DEFAULTSORT:Play's the Thing, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Play's the Thing, The}}
[[Category:Xena episodes]]
[[Category:Xena episodes]]

Latest revision as of 15:17, 19 March 2007

Xena: Warrior Princess episode
“The Play's the Thing”
Episode no. Season 4
Episode 17
Guest star(s) Ted Raimi (Joxer); Jennifer Ward-Lealand (Zehra); Alison Wall (Minya); Mark Hadlow (Milo); Peter Muller (Dustinus Hoofmanus); William Davis (Kaelus); John McKee (Keanu Rivus); Stephen Hall (Therax); Mark Nua (Cleon); Eduardo de Campos (Sophocles)

George Port (First Critic); Polly Baigent (Paulina, "Xena"); Denis Hoskins (Second Critic)

Writer(s) Ashley Gable & Thomas A. Swyden
Director Christopher Graves
Production no. #V0620
Original airdate 1999 March 15
Episode chronology
← Previous Next →
"The Way" "The Convert"

List of Xena episodes

A con artist persuades Gabrielle to put on one of her scrolls as a play as a scam. (Homage to "The Producers".) Will it be a success or a failure? Will it convey Gabrielle's message of peace, or simply sell out for lots of dinars? Will the con artists get their come-uppance?

Lesbian humor

During the revised sex-and-blood version ("Faster, chakram! Kill! Kill!"), the scene between Gabrielle & Xena in the hot tub is a big sexploitation subtext joke:

"Xena": "Wow! I'm really wet!"
"Gabrielle": "Oh! Oh, me too!"

At the end of the episode, Minya runs up hand in hand with Paulina:

M: Gabrielle, I wanted to thank you! I never would have met Paulina if it wasn't for you! In fact, the two of you made me realize something deep down about myself that, I guess I always knew, but just didn't dare admit. Yes— I'm a ... thespian.

Minya and Paulina look at each other lovingly & run off arm in arm.

X: Oh. Hah. Congratulations. You managed to touch someone.
G: That's not exactly what I had in mind. I wanted to change violent people into people of peace, not actors. ... That is what she said, right? Deep down she's a thespian?
X: Yeah, um— that's what she—said. Yeah. Why? What'd you think?
G: Thespian—

The two keep talking and dialog trails off as they walk off through the village.

Intertextuality

Critics watching the play talking to each other:

Critic 1: The play's not bad. I just don't buy that Xena.
Critic 2: There's the opening of "Buffus, the Bacchae Slayer" across the street.

Returning the favor from the Buffy season 2 episode "Halloween" (October 1997) in which Willow mentions Xena. The writers, Ashley Gable and Thomas A. Swyden, were also writers on Buffy.

Homage to "The Producers" (1968)

Disclaimer

"Although no great literary works of art were harmed or plagiarized, a few thespians stole some scenes during the production of this motion picture."