All right, Going back to the last class one thing that interested me was when Dr. Mitchell-Buck mentioned that the America scene was different in the play than it was in the movie. Specifically that in the play the America song was done only by women. I found that interesting so I looked it up on youtube. And to no surprise, Dr. Mitchell-Buck was right.
I find this interesting because it creates a different mood and feeling than that of the movie's scene. In the movie the song is sung as an opposition between the male gangsters and the females. While both a united by a racial identity, they seem clearly divided over their feelings about America. This gives the gang more of a motive and makes them more sympathetic. However the theater version has the opposition and support for America singularly in the hands of the girls. By doing this it removes the gang dynamic but creates a more unified feeling for the Puerto Ricans as a whole. Instead of dividing the complainers and supporters along gender lines, it makes the it difficult to tell who supports and who opposes America. It makes the Puerto Ricans able to see both sides of America. To be fair it could be argued that the movie version does that as well, but by making it one group both singing for and against America this group seems more unified in their opinions of America as a whole.
The movie version though I feel is stronger though because the song gives the Sharks more of a motive and empathy, as well as allowing better banter, because of the gender dynamics.
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