This week's book is Acting Lessons by Kathryn R. Blake.
Blurb: He was a strict and demanding college professor, turned
professional director, who excelled at giving acting lessons. She was his shy
and uncertain former student who became a professional actress under his
tutelage. They fell in love, married, and won two Tony Awards before tragedy
struck and a simple kiss ripped them apart.
After a six month separation, Peter Thorton decides to take matters into his own hands by making his famous wife, Kate, an offer she wouldn't refuse. Plainly put, he wants her back and he intends to do whatever is necessary to achieve his goal, even if it means giving his stubborn, willful leading lady a daily reminder over his knee that she promised to obey him.
After a six month separation, Peter Thorton decides to take matters into his own hands by making his famous wife, Kate, an offer she wouldn't refuse. Plainly put, he wants her back and he intends to do whatever is necessary to achieve his goal, even if it means giving his stubborn, willful leading lady a daily reminder over his knee that she promised to obey him.
This book follows the production of Kiss Me Kate for a college summer stock and it was fun to learn so much about the inner workings of a theatrical production. I'm guessing that Kathryn R. Blake has some experience in that regard and she used it well.
Here are some questions, but as always, feel free to jump in with your own thoughts.
Was his anger justified? Or was Kate a bit at fault for not talking to him about it in the first place?
2. During their separations, Kate spent a fair amount of time with a man named Thomas. I thought he was pretty high handed when he called the police and had Peter arrested, but otherwise, I liked him. Was anyone else just a little sorry that Kate didn't choose him?
3. Did anyone else have a sudden urge to go see a play after reading this? It sure made the theater sound exciting.
4. Peter admitted that he didn't tell Kate about the spanking scene in the play before she agreed to do the show because he was afraid she wouldn't agree. Was Kate's anger justified or should she have read the script before she agreed to do the show?
5. I bet many of you were in a play in high school or college or even your first grade class production of something. Care to share what you remember about it?
Have to confess I haven't read the book yet. Whether the failure to mention the use of contraception is justified really depends on what their goals were. Were they trying to have another baby? If she was using birth control then that would be really bad. Terribly dishonest. But I wonder why would they not discuss birth control in the beginning?
ReplyDeleteKate definitely should have read the script!
In the 4th grade I was in a classroom play in which I played a fig tree. In the 6th grade, there was a boy in my class who'd been in my 4th grade class. He remembered me and my role. He always called me "Fig Tree."
Ironic that you now write in a genre which includes 'figging'. Coincidence? I think not!
DeleteROFL, Celeste!!
DeleteOMG, you hit the nail on the head with number 2, Celeste!
ReplyDeleteI adored Thomas!
I mentioned this already to Kathryn, and I'll say it again.
I think Thomas would make a great lead character for another story.
This man was so kind and caring and compassionate. But what set him apart, was his willingness to try to learn about spanking and discipline.
He would be such a great main character in his book, showing him stumbling through trials and attempts at DD. He has the right temperament, and would be perfect!!
I also really appreciated that he backed off, and did not interfere when Kate and Peter decided to reconcile.
I really liked him!
I had the same thought about a book for Thomas. I hope one is in the works? Is it Mistress Blake?
DeleteI'm here I love your questions Celeste and I want to answer them all, but I started to do it here and your web site kicked me out. It must not have liked what I was saying. So, I'm going to draft my answers off line, then come back and paste them in.
ReplyDeleteI also want to let others know we're having a discussion here, so they can join in if they want. Several readers have pointed out the same issues you have, so this will give me a chance to air my thoughts. You may be surprised.
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ReplyDeleteLooks like I was repeating myself. I'm going to take this one questions at a time. The first one has pushed a lot of buttons and for good reason.
ReplyDelete1. Kate suffered a miscarriage before their separation. After they got back together, she used contraceptives but didn't tell Peter. She had been so devastated by losing a baby that she did not want to risk conception again. When Peter found out, he was pretty mad. Was his anger justified? Or was Kate a bit at fault for not talking to him about it in the first place?
Even I have to admit that this one is tricky. I think they were both wrong and right at the same time. Kate admitted she did want children at some point, she just wasn't ready for them right then. Peter knew waiting would only exacerbate her anxiety, so he didn't want them to do anything that would prevent a pregnancy, since she did want children eventually, but he wasn't going to deliberately try to get her pregnant either.
Personally, I think Peter should have respected her wishes. I can agree with him that using birth control could do Kate more harm than good, but I think he should have at least withdrawn if he refused to wear a condom. What neither of them knew was by the time they had their discussion, any prevention would have been too late.
Still, Kate was wrong to expose Peter to chemicals without his knowledge, and she knew it. However, she also knew he'd made up his mind and discussing it further would only end up in an argument she couldn't win. Because deep inside Kate knew he was right. And that was the sticking point.
If she never wanted children she could argue with him that she had supremacy over her own body, but a part of her did want children, she just couldn't face another failure.
But the only way you can get over a fear of failure is to keep trying, which Kate knew but couldn't admit even to herself.
So, even though I think Peter had a right to be angry with Kate over her deceit, and Kate was wrong to sneak behind his back, Peter should have respected her wishes. I'd love to hear what others think.
Interesting! And isn't that how life is---hardly ever a clear right/wrong answer. You were a brave woman to take on the birth control/whose body is it issue.
Delete2. During their separation, Kate spent a fair amount of time with a man named Thomas. I thought he was pretty high handed when he called the police and had Peter arrested, but otherwise, I liked him. Was anyone else just a little sorry that Kate didn't choose him?
ReplyDeleteI agree, Thomas was stepping over a line when he had Peter arrested, but he really thought Peter could be brainwashing Kate. She had said some things about her former husband that worried him deeply. He believed Peter had abused her and she suffered from Stockholm Syndrome, so he wanted to get her away from the man as quickly as possible. However, I also wanted Thomas to be a viable alternative for Kate.
He loved her enough to venture into areas that were way outside his comfort zone in order to make her happy, but because he loved her he could never really give her what she needed. Thomas would always listen to Kate and do what she wanted. So, if she wanted to go on a diet, even if she was already underweight, he would help her go on a diet. That's what I tried to show with their breakfast scene. He catered to Kate's wants even if it wasn't what was best for her.
Also, Thomas would never want to hurt Kate, so he would never make her do something because it was best for her if she didn't want to do it. Thomas would always respect her decisions. So, when it came to spanking, if Kate said she didn't want to be spanked for something she did wrong, Thomas might argue that according to the guidelines he needed to spank her, but if she cried or told him she didn't want him to hurt her, he wouldn't do it. He could never go against her wishes in that way, even if that was what she needed.
So, in my mind, Thomas was not a good fit for Kate. However, I do think he deserves a happy ending, so I'll see if he might behave differently with another woman. Perhaps one that pushed his buttons enough that he stepped up and took control. We'll see.
Great answer. Maybe that's why I liked Thomas, he is an indulger not a discipliner. :)
Delete3. Did anyone else have a sudden urge to go see a play after reading this? It sure made the theater sound exciting.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I tried to bring my love of theater into this book so readers who were avid theater goers could enjoy it as much as those who have never seen a play. A fine line to tread. I needed to explain the different stage directions Peter gave without boring readers who already knew stage right from left. I also wanted their ad libs to fit within the character of Taming of the Shrew. I guess I carried it off.
You certainly did!
Delete4. Peter admitted that he didn't tell Kate about the spanking scene in the play before she agreed to do the show because he was afraid she wouldn't agree. Was Kate's anger justified or should she have read the script before she agreed to do the show?
ReplyDeleteActually this one worried me, but for a different reason. There aren't too many drama majors who aren't already familiar with the musical, so I thought readers would have difficulty accepting that Kate had never seen it. (I do have a lengthy backstory on how her college roommate, who was a drama major, introduced them because Kate was literally throwing up every time she had to stand up and speak in front of an audience. She didn't become a drama major until Peter convinced her to switch, and she wasn't a regular theater-goer, so I thought I could get away with stretching the reader's credibility a little.)
As for signing on to do a play she hadn't read first, I don't think that's unusual given Kate and Peter's past. He'd often had her doing projects that she had little foreknowledge of before getting involved. Even though she became a professional actress, she followed his lead in that respect until she lost her second baby and he gave her the space she claimed she wanted and needed. That was where Peter fear he failed her the most. He should have gotten in Kate's face and forced her to face her emotions instead of leaving her in peace and letting her withdraw from life. It's hard, because he was suffering grief from the loss as well, but mostly guilt since they'd been arguing when she lost the second baby.
Was Kate's anger justified? Yes and no. In a way Peter felt Kate had to have known there was at least a potential for spanking in The Taming of the Shrew, and he told her Kiss Me Kate was a musical based on actors putting on the play, so his guilt was one of omission. He wasn't going to point out he would be spanking her on stage, because he knew how she'd react, but if she'd asked he wouldn't have lied, either. For Peter, that scene was a non-issue. He knew he'd need to work Kate past her fears as he had with her public speaking issue, so he wasn't concerned. He was a good teacher, even if he had a low patience threshold at times, and he wouldn't let Kate go on stage feeling insecure and uncomfortable.
5. I bet many of you were in a play in high school or college or even your first grade class production of something. Care to share what you remember about it?
ReplyDeleteThough this is really a question for others to answer, I'll share one of my experiences. To set the scene, let me say this occurred during an amateur production of West Side Story, and I'll need to paraphrase here since I don't have a copy of the script to get the actual lines. (BTW, I did work from a copy of Kiss Me Kate's script for Acting Lessons) Anyway, back to my story. During the final scene, when the two rival gangs square off, Chico kills Tony, Maria's lover, by shooting him.
Distraught, Maria cries out "How many bullets have you got left, Chico?" She wildly points out members of his gang, saying. "One for him? One for him? And one left for me?" It's a very tense and emotional scene when it's done well.
Unfortunately, in this production the prop person forgot to put out the gun, so Chico had to strangle Tony to death. Yup. So, Maria, who had to give her line, ad libbed, "How many fingers have you got left, Chico? One for him? One for him? And one left for me?" Doesn't quite carry the same emotional impact, does it? Ah well, that's amateur theater for you. Full of surprises.
Wow. Quick thinking on her part, though. Too funny!
DeleteI am so sorry but I haven't read this yet. I really love Kiss me Kate so it is on my list to read. I will address the contraceptive issue. If you are in a marriage or serious relationship, you need to be completely honest about such an important decision. For me the fact that it was understood that they were trying to have a child makes her dishonesty wrong. If she wanted to wait however she should absolutely have the choice to do that. Healing from a miscarriage is difficult, so her sorrow and fear is understandable. She has the right to use protection, but needs to communicate honestly.
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this now!
I LOVE Kiss Me Kate and Taming of the Shrew. I haven't been in a play since my freshman year (Once Upon a Mattress) in high school, but one of my favorite things is "tech week" - the week my dance company spends in the theater before a show. Everything about the theater is magical to me-- the lights, the lingo, the grand drape and I love that this book was set in this environ!!
ReplyDelete