On the Verge Blog

My idea of the poster would be very simple. I would choose three different leaves and lay them side by side on a white background. The three leaves would represent Mary, Alex and Fanny. Mary gets a large maple leaf, Alex gets a bright green Ivy leaf, and Fanny gets a classic Oak leaf. I want them to be side by side but sort of fanned out like cards would be. I think each leaf represents something about the woman, and it is up to the audience to figure that out. I feel that Mary's stability and personal drive is symbolized by the strong and "branch-y" maple leaf. Alex, the most lively of the bunch and the youngest would have the ivy leaf. I like that it gives it some allure due to the fact that it could possibly be poisonous. I think Alex's spirit is captured by the fast growing Ivy. Fanny, the most conservative and traditional of the bunch, is represented by the Oak leaf. Oaks are meant to live for a long time and grow very large with thick roots. Fanny is very rooted and is also the onlyone that is married. The back ground of the leaves would be just a simple off-white. The title and playwright would be across the bottom.

To me, Mr. Coffee seems like an omnipotent character. He only seems to appear to characters when they are in times of struggle. I would think of him as sort of a God-like figure or perhaps the character's inner conscience coming through. He seems like a guide or semi-angel.

The Drowsy Chaperone Blog

The Man’s presence in the Drowsy Chaperone is in my opinion what makes this show timeless. He serves as narrator and commentator and also helps move the show along. Without him, this musical might get off track or become just another “cliché” musical. I think that choosing to have The Man on stage for the duration of the show places importance on his character. Even though the show isn’t about him, it kind of is. At first glance, the Man seems to be just a narrator, but as the show progresses, he reveals more about himself. He becomes a character; though in a different way than the make believe characters of The Drowsy Chaperone. He controls the rhythm of the show as well, by interrupting and commenting sometimes along with the record. The Man directly controls the build of tension and release I feel. Even he doesn’t realize that he holds the key to this timeless musical. The choice of the playwright to include him is what makes this musical stand in category all its own. I think the reason he is included is because he serves as a mirror for the audience. We get to see him re-live all of his glory days through this recording, and then realize that The Man represents the entertainment lover in all of us.

Blog Comments 3

COMMENTS FOR BCP 3.


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Comments for Blog Checkpoint 2

The Glass of Water- commented on EmpressEllie's blog

Noises Off- commented on Gracie's Theatre 2130 blog

Water by the Spoonful- commented on Le Blog d'Analyse de Manuscrit de Shelly

Buried Child- commented on Garrett's Theatre blog

Detroit- commented on Dora Pereli's THTR 2130 blog

 

Detroit

I think that in Detroit by Lisa D’Amour, the overall tone is set by the intimacy the reader has in the lives of the characters. Throughout the play, they are constantly revealing surprising and vulnerable details of their past. What seems like an average couple quickly becomes a quirky couple to say the least.

When the big bomb is dropped, that Ben hasn’t really been building a website, it is a reality check of sorts. The entire play is filled with these reality checks, big and small, and the reactions of those who experience them.

I think that she chose to name the play Detroit because of two reasons. The first is because it is a metropolitan city that people have heard of, which gives it a generic, relatable quality. However, another thing that the name Detroit carries with it is a certain reputation. The city is known for its poverty and crime rates. This can create and uneasy air and the feeling of suspense. It goes to show that everyone is not who you think they are.
       

A Spoonful of Water

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In A Spoonful of Water of by Hudes, I found one particular moment that I felt revealed a lot about the characters. Scene 7 is the very first time that Odessa and Elliot encounter each other. Up until this point, we have been focusing on Haikumom, Odessa’s online personality. We have gotten to know that she likes to mother everyone in the chatroom, but slacks on her duties at home with her own, living son.

The connection between Elliot and Odessa provides a nice contrast between the true Odessa and Haikumom. The reader can pick up on cues that Haikumom is kind if a false reality, one that Odessa wishes were true. She likes feeling needed by the chat room family, but ignores her actual child. This is the first time the reader sees those choices affect her in real life. Haikumom is Odessa's escape where she can be the loving and nurturing mother she never was.

This scene feels like a breaking point, where Odessa is being forces to see her fake world and real world collide. She can no longer escape from reality.

       

Buried Child

Buried Child, by Sam Shepard may appear to be realistic at first glance. However, as the play progresses, the audience is thrown for a loop when some things that occur are very out of the ordinary. The overall tone that I got was that most of the occurrences were possible, but the lining up of certain events is very ambiguous.  The play opens on a house with two characters, Dodge and Halie. They seem “normal” but as the show goes on, we realize that they are not living in a normal world.

 The characters Dodge and Halie have lines of communication that are blurry. Often, they talk but it appears that they aren't actually hearing what the other one is saying. Even at times other characters do not seem to acknowledge them, even if they are their own family.
       It is definitely a theatrical production, though it might not come off that way at first. Everything is just slightly off reality. Several things when I read the play I found “fishy.” Some things that the characters said were directly contrasted by something else in the show later on or previously. The ambiguity for me caused some confusion, but I think I would understand better if I saw the show.

Noises Off

Most of Noises Off ‘s charm can be summed up in one word: "miscommunications". A way that is more theatre-specific that is used in the play is the motif of missing cues. With so many intertwining relationships, both onstage and behind the scenes, the hectic tangle of the web of a show is cleverly complicated.

The play within the play, Nothing On, is truer to their actual actions in the show. This show they are performing also has a lot to do with dealing with relationships and confusion. In Noises Off, the actors make several entrances and exits, and it really has to be seen to understand the confusion that creates. This is a classic farce show. It seems like a circus. I think “theatre people” enjoy this show because of its realistic viewpoint on the play production process. Often it is more interesting what is going on offstage than onstage. And, despite all the chaos, the actors in the play know the show must go on, and do their best to hold it together.

I think a tagline for this show could be “We're having big dramas back here!” said by Belinda. The truth is, there is always drama within drama, and all we can do is do our absolute best to keep our head above the water in the chaos.

Sribe Glass of Water

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In The Glass of Water, I believe that Bolingbroke is the protagonist.  Scribe kind of gives Bolingbroke an omniscient presence throughout the show. In one way or another, Bolingbroke can manipulate others to benefit himself. Not in a malicious way, but in a way that he can come out on top. Some characters’ allegiances change, but Bolingbroke always gets what he wants. Those who are close to him fare well by association. I feel that Bolingbroke is the instigator of the events that occur. In one way or another he always finds away to advance himself no matter what event has happened.

Scribe paints Bolingbroke as the one character who doesn’t have a stake in the fire. He is only concerned with himself, and his emotions are not involved. He moves the plot along and everything circles back to him. Most of the play is centered on events that Bolingbroke incites and it as if he planned it all. Not everything unfolds exactly the way he intends, but he makes sure to capitalize on occurrences.

Show and Tell Blog 1

The play I have chosen to write about is The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. I am currently involved in  this production and have studied the script rather a lot. It is based off of a book titled the same and written by Murial Sparks. The novel was turned into a play by Jay Presson Allen performed in London. It has won many awards including a Tony. It was also adapted into a screenplay where the lead was played by Maggie Smith. It has been produced numerous times and was even at one point made into a TV mini-series. Some of the shows most notable performances were in London and the film version that won an academy award. Most of this information I have gathered from listening to the director and designers talk about the history of this production.

The basic plot follows two types of relationships, the relationship between teacher and student and also romantic relationships. The play follows the influence of one extreme teacher over her students, called "The Brodie Set." Not only does it show how much of an effect a teacher can have on her students, but also the semi-brainwashing Brodie imparts on her favorites. 

It also focuses on Miss Brodie's love life, with one love pursuit pulling her to a traditional life and another to a more adventureous path. Brodie teaches her students ideals of Hitler and Mussolini and is considered by many to be a fascist. This label is ultimatley her demsie as she gets fired from the school for being a radical. Her romantisized idea of life fills her girls and everyone around her with a sense of danger and excitment. She gets a little carried away and is banned from the school when she is ultimatley betrayed by one of her favorite students.

One dramaturgical choice that I loved was the use of historical and geographical references. She references Giotto and Italy to further paint a picture of her romanticized view of life. No one can deny that Jean Brodie is a passion filled woman, but the question comes up that should so much opinion should be passed on to such young children with impressionable minds. I like the use of her allusions to what is going on at the time (Scotland, the 1930-1950’s) because it really sets the stage and lets the audience know Brodie’s education level.

The second choice is the progression of age of the little girls. The theme of time passing becomes prevelant with the aging of the school girls. It is determined at the end of the play that Miss Brodie is actually “past her prime” Even though Miss Brodie pours her heart and soul into these little girls, she misses out on her own life because of it.

Hornby Blog

One motif that occurred again and again in Conduct of Life was all of the written-in pauses. The playwright must have made the choice to create some kind of affect on the way the lines are delivered and received by the audience. 

My first thought was that it is to create an uneasy sense of not knowing what is going to happen next. The motif does intend to foreshadow the choppiness of the scenes and how all of the actions are not necessarily strung together all nice and neat. Forcing the audience to listen and stay on the edge of their seats creates suspense. 

When Nena is tortured, in a sense she never knows what will happen next. The audience experiences the same emotion with the abrupt scene shifts and actions that seem to come out of nowhere.

In Intervention, I think a common motif is the reveal of a hurt in a persons’ past. Every episode focuses on the problem, and then what the producers have surmised may be the cause of the problem. By showing pain in someone’s past (we all have it in one way or another) it makes the viewer empathize with the addict and kind of understand where they are coming from.

I think that in a fully realized production it is important that all aspects contribute to the overall theme and motif. The way Intervention does this is by showing lots of young pictures of the addict and pictures of them at happier times. 

Vogel Blog

Traditionally, the Greek chorus was used to speak for all of the ensemble roles. In this case, the chorus is used in every role besides Li’l Bit and Peck. The choice by Vogel to include a small chorus in How I Learned to Drive is necessary to the highlight the relationship between Li’l Bit and her uncle. It makes the two main characters stand out and forces the audience to take notice of the eccentricities of their relationship. 

The spotlight remains on these two characters throughout the entire play and the relationship between the two grows fishier and fishier. The script mentions that Li’l Bit is well endowed in the chest region, thus catching the eye of not only her uncle, but also her peers. What seems kind of sweet and a little unconventional gets steadily creepier and more offensive. This uneasy feeling is heightend by the fact that the chorus remains on course and do not seems as perturbed by it as perhaps they would have been if say, her mother was actually played by an actress. 

All of the car instructions were at first confusing to me, but I liked how despite everything else that was going on, the instructions were a constant. The ending came as a surprise to me, I was not expecting for Peck to be in the car and for her to have (what seemed to me) a positive reaction to it.

Fornes Blog

The ordinary plot line with its exposition, climax, and descending action are not employed in Fornes’s Conduct of Life. Instead, she chooses to leave out key details and leave the audience to speculate over her intentions. 

One of the most thought provoking scenes was the last scene, where her husband accuses Leticia of having an affair. Despite the fact that he is a torturer, and also not being faithful, this question comes way out of left field. Fornes does not provide extensive information on Leticia’s background. This is why it was hard for me to understand the rational behind her refusal to acknowledge what was happening in her very own basement. 

I think that it is titled the way it is because people may try to stick to a specific "conduct of life," by maintaining the status quo. However, things occur that can change people and how they behave. Leticia does have one moment where she calls her friend Mona and mentions the fact that her husband seems “different.” She blames is on his work atmosphere and then proceeds onto a trivial subject. This brief acknowledgement shows that Leticia is aware that something is not right, but doesn’t know how to change it or express herself. Her loyalty to Orlando seems so great for not spilling his terrible secrets, so the accusation at the end of Leticia having an affair seems irrational. This may be because Orlando forced her to admit her infidelity in the same way he tortured Nena.

Glaspel Blog

Trifles focuses on the significance of the little things. With a minimalist set there are few details. The play is all about the small things that the two women discover. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are constanly observing the scene and can pick up on things that may pint them to a different conclusion than the men. 

If there are no details then it will seem like the women are making it up. I don’t think the idea of trifles would work without actual trifles. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters  pick up on little things, details that the men have missed. 

If there is an intricate set with many hidden trifles, the audience can more clearly see something that they too might have over looked. If there are no real "details" to be found onstage, then this concept is lost. This very important to the integrity of the script as a whole, and, if lost, could ruin the concept. It is not an emotion based script, but more a small detail oriented script. The words alone are not enough to propel the play and it is asking too much of an audience to be able to visualize a world that they have no idea what it looks like. 

Gerstenberg Blog

Gerstenburg states in the stage directions in the beginning that Harriet and Margaret were never meant to speak directly to their personified consciences; Hetty and Maggie. She implies that she wants the character to be able to converse with their counterpart, but never have direct eye contact. They may sometimes gesture in the direction of their “primitive selves,” but they should never look at each other in the eyes. 

The idea is that each woman can communicate with two people, their peer and their other self. I think that Gerstenburg chose to have Hetty and Maggie on stage to represent the internal thoughts and conflicts that each character had. It was interesting to me that where some plays have lots of subtext, this play doesn’t require much because their counterpart is pronouncing the women’s inner thoughts. Such a technique was utilized in Shakespeare's plays as asides and soliloquies.

Later in the play, the two conciouses start to address each other, and are a much more honest yet catty version of their “trained selves” Most of the communication between Hetty and Maggie happens only after Harriet and Margaret speak to convey the real way in which have interpreted what the other is saying. Their thoughts seek to manipulate what will be said. What would have ordinarily been a mild and civil conversation takes on a much darker tone when the truths start to spill out, such as poverty and unhappiness in relationships. The audience can see the mounting tensions towards the end of the play. The “primitive selves” even fill what would have been in real life complete silence with loud arguing.

Blog Numero Uno...here goes!