Gerstenberg’s “Overtones” have a very specific set of
rules of the world that are laid out. What’s nice about “Overtones” in
particular, is that one doesn’t have to read the stage notes to understand the
rules. Since the opening scene is Hetty and Harriet talking to one another, it
is easy to see that they are both not physically in the room, that Hetty is in
fact a physical manifestation of her innermost feelings and desires. The veils,
that the primitive selves wear, are another tool to show the audience the idea
of burring one’s true feelings in order to do the “civilized” things. These
veils are used to cover up the woman’s true feelings, emotions, and their
primitive selves entirely. I would also like to comment on the color of the
gowns and how that plays a role in the distinctions between the civilized
selves and the primitive ones. I would argue that the color of the primitive
selves gowns are darker in order to show how they are more passionate beings,
more driven my emotions then the rules of society.
For the most part, I believe
that the rules of the world, such as who can hear and see whom, are blatantly
clear. The only time I find the rules a little confusing is when it says Hetty,
Harriet’s primitive self, and Maggie, Margret’s primitive self, address one
another. I don’t see how inner selves could talk to each other without the
civilized one’s consent, unless talking to one another was more like subtle
looks put into words. I find it interesting that that the inner selves seem to
be more powerful then the civilized selves, yet the consent to being veiled and
stifled. It as thought they know that in the world of civilized people they are
out of place, and wrong. This play does an amazing job of displaying the
cattiness of most women’s minds, but the sugary sweetness of their disposition.
“Overtones” could be seen as an older version Mean Girls.
