Drama Appreciation: Ruined

Ruined: A Production by Hannah Lindquist

As the director of this play, my first step was to decide my overall idea or “vision” for the production. After having read the fantastic play Ruined by Lynn Nottage I got a better idea of what I wanted to stand out the most to the audience. Personally, I wanted to convey the culture of this society in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the life choices they were forced to make. In order to this I realized I would want to research more about life in this specific location and time period to see what clothing was common as well as basic accessories and housing. Reflecting back on the new information that I learned I realized that set design as well as costume designs would be especially crucial. Essentially I wanted to do Lynn Nottage’s outstanding play justice to what I think she would have wanted the audience to experience.

Given the tropical location noted in the play as being in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I wanted to choose a location with at least a moderately similar atmosphere. Therefore I chose the Regency Freeport Theatre in the Bahamas to stage my production of Ruined. Even though this theatre is not an outdoor one, I believe that the atmosphere of the location would enhance the performance. Another reason I chose this particular theater was because according to the information I read, this theater is known for it’s productions of culturally themed events, especially featuring Bahamian, West Indian, and North American playwrights. Therefore I believed this theater would be very open to the unique culture in Ruined.


Since most of the action in the play revolves around Mama NadI’s place, this is what I would want the set to emphasize. I would want the set to indicate the lifestyle of the people living in this certain time period in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Therefore, very simple furnishings, modern, but everything worn and used. The set would also be used to indicate the mood of the production; somewhat melancholy but with a hidden spirit of hope underneath the surface. Certain essential props would include the pool tab mentioned several times throughout the play as well as a bar and stools. Although the main set up would revolve around the bar area in Mama Nadi’s place, it would also need to be versatile enough for the scene between a few of the characters that takes place in the girls’ bedroom. Overall I would want the set design to appear authentic and captivating enough the keep the audience intrigued with out distracting them from the actual play. Keeping with the theme of the set design, I would want the costumes to be authentic and modern as well. From what I gathered from the book the characters appear to live in a somewhat poor and slightly desolate area but in a modern time. The girls living in Mama NadI’s place, essentially a brothel, would be dressed in skimpy clothing but nothing too elaborate. (I thought the picture below looked like what I imagined Josephine would wear) The men’s costumes would vary depending on what their character was portraying. For example Jerome Kisembe, the rebel leader, would probably be wearing a uniform resembling a modern soldier. Whereas the diamond merchant Mr. Harari, would have a more professional dress, but still worn and used.. I would want the costumes to be very indicative of the character’s status and occupation.
The light design would be another huge focus of this production. Since some of the scenes take place outside and some take place inside, the lighting would clue the audience in to the subtle changes. I would want the lighting to be mostly natural, if at all possible. Most of the light could come of out the overhead lights in Mama NadI’s place as well as from side lamps. To indicate an outdoor scene the overhead lights would be on very bright to align with the bright sun in the Dominican Republic of Congo. These would be the major uses of the light design in Ruined.







For as much as possible, I would want the sound for Ruined to be natural. My main reason for this is because Lynn Nottage wrote all of the songs in the play accompanied by music from Dominic Kanza, so I would want to use these orginial songs for my production. I feel that these songs improve the dialogue better than any underscore could. However, for particular scenes like the outdoor scenes, for example, I would want certain sound effects to be used. I might use background music to represent the sound of soldiers approaching in the distance or subtle background music playing inside Mama Nadi’s bar. Overall, I would want the sound to be a simple addition to the play that would allow the focus to remain on the dialogue. (Below is a video I found that portrayed some authentic Dominican Republic music that I thought I could use for some parts of the play.)



Overall I think that this approach to creating a production of Ruined would yield a spectacular and exciting play. Because I loved how Lynn Nottage portrayed the story of Ruined in her play, I think that other people watching the production would appreciate it if I kept my own production of Ruined as accurate as possible. Even though I do not think my “production” of Ruined will ever become a reality, I think that this experience in thinking and creating ideas was a very interesting process. I believe that with the concepts I have learned, I would know at least be able to appreciate the processes that real directors go through as they sit down to create a production.









Works Cited:

Nottage, Lynn. Ruined. New York City: Theatre Communications Group, INC, 2009. Print.

"Regency Theatre Online." Freeport Players Guild Regency Theatre Online. 2008. Freeport Players' Guild, Web. 13 Dec 2009. http://www.regencytheatregbi.com/.

Images Cited:

Image#1: Unknown Artist. Retrieved from The Tutor Guild. Web.
http://www.tudorguild.org/ruined-lynn-nottage-pr-1769.html

Image#2: Unknown Artist. Retrieved from Facebook.Com. Web. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=310603&id=8570719019



Image#3: Unknown Artist. Retrieved from the Chicago Tribune. Web.
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/the_theater_loop/images/2008/11/19/ruinedb.jpg

Image#4: Unknown Artist. Retrieved from Premiere.Com. Web.
http://www.premiere.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/list/20-hottest-sex-scenes-of-all-time/15.-monster-s-ball-2001/447684-4-eng-US/15.-Monster-s-Ball-2001_imagelarge.jpg

Image#5: Dan Brady. Retrieved from flickr. Web. http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbrady/2068433063/

Image#6: Joan Marcus. Retrieved from Playbill.Com. Web. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/126106-Ruined-Nottages-Play-About-African-Atrocities-and-Human-Hope-Opens-Feb.-10



Video: Cre8ivmind. "Dominican Republic Music and Images". 09 June 2009. Online Video Clip. Youtube. Accessed on 14 December 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wzTfYV7jgg

Dramatic Appreciation: Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

As I attended Daytona State College’s Romeo and Juliet last Sunday, the matinee show, I enjoyed comfortable seating as well as a close up view of the play. The play took place in a thrust stage which provided a full view of the production. As I watched the performance take place, I noticed how different watching a production live is compared with watching a film. Though Romeo and Juliet, being a very popular Shakespearian play, has been performed live numerous times just like it has been made into film productions many times; there is quite a different feeling and experience seeing it live versus watching it already made.

One of the biggest differences in watching a live production is the actors and actresses facial expression, as well as their emotions and their movement. In Romeo and Juliet in particular I found that these elements were very different from the performance I watched at my school compared to both the Romeo and Juliet film produced in 1968 as well as the one made in 1996. In a film, we the audience are only able to see what the director of that film wants us to see. In a live performance, however, we can focus in on whatever we choose. For example, in many of the scenes involving Romeo and Juliet in the live performance, instead of focusing only on Romeo or Juliet when they were talking, I would look at some of the supporting cast members like Mercutio, Benvolio, or the nurse and watch the expressions they showed. Watching Romeo and Juliet live I felt like I was able to pick up on a lot more of the undertones and hidden meanings that occur quite often in Shakespeare due to the subtle queues I was able to observe only from this live actors, that I completely missed while watching the film.

The sound effects, background music, and props were another huge difference I observed in watching Romeo and Juliet live compared to watching it in film. Firstly, in the film version there is more of everything---more music, more sound effects, and more props. Secondly, everything is much more staged and unnatural. In the live performance of Romeo and Juliet I saw, the only music and sound effects I noticed took place to notify a change in scenes, accompanied by the dimming of lights. Props were sparse---a bed here, a chair there. Swords were used but nothing too fancy, just enough to get the point across. The only permanent piece of stage equipment was a balcony constructed with steps leading up to it, which also doubled as a wall when it needed to be. However, I found that this lack of extraneous additions allowed to help the audience focus more on the performers and the way that they interacted with each other.


Overall, experiencing a production live is drastically different than watching a movie. Though there may be cool special effects or catchy music in the movies, there is definitely a lack of intimacy in movies that only live performances can provide. Live performances are always unique, there will never be two identical performances of Romeo and Juliet, like the one I viewed last Sunday. I felt much more a part of the performance I viewed than I have watching any film version of Romeo and Juliet. Just being there seeing the citizens of Verona in their old-fashioned dress, hearing the Shakespearian dialogue, feeling the floor move as a group of members from the Montague or Capulet court enter the stage, made a very interesting performance that I was happy to be a part of.


















Here is a comparison of a similar scenes from both the live and filmed version of Romeo and Juliet. The main focus here being the different amounts of props, background music, and focus, not the quality of the acting.











Pictures Cited:
Unknown Artist. 18 November 2009. Web.
http://cmcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/webquest/moran/rj.htm
Unknown Artist. 30 August 2007. Web.
http://www.taudiobook.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2900
Unknown Artist. 08 September 2008. Web.
http://media.modbee.com/smedia/2008/09/06/18/940-LIVE_p0909_09e2review.standalone.prod_affiliate.11.jpg

Unknown Artist. 07 October 2009. Web.
http://www.tenafly.k12.nj.us/~dling/Romeo_Juliet_1996_1200_l.jpg

Videos Cited:
Video#1
Poetic Touch. “The Balcony Scene-Romeo and Juliet-1968” 22 July 2009. Online Video Clip. Youtube. Accessed on 18 November. 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nk3cSlop5c&feature=related

Jethro Johnson. “Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene.” 12 September 2006. Online Video Clip. Youtube. Accessed on 18 November 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDa5dLDEQio&feature=related

Drama Appreciation: All in the Timing

All in the Timing

Last Friday, October 9th, 2009, I had the pleasure of viewing the Daytona State College’s production of All in the Timing. Though it wasn’t a completely full house, there was a decent crowd that was lively enough to show appreciation of the production. Once the play started we were all laughing at the funny parts and shocked at the surprising moments. All in the Timing is a very bright and humorous serial structured play, featuring five small stories. Though each of the five pieces have completely different characters and plots, there are hidden morals and important underlying messages in all of them.

The first act was simply structured, yet very intriguing. The spotlight was focused on a round table, occupied by a small girl apparently reading a book. Then walks by a boy who shows an interest in the girl. The entire first act is made up with parts of the scene being repeated over and over again until both the boy and girl say the “right” thing. A bell is dinged to represent the re-starting of a certain part of the dialogue. Both the boy and the girl mess up with what they say to each other, sometimes offending the other with mentions about anything from the author Faulkner, to their taste in movies. In my opinion, the biggest emphasis in this act was on timing. Depending on what both of the characters said and what time they said it, affected the result dramatically.

The second act stars three surprising characters: chimpanzees who are determined to write Shakespeare. There are two male chimps named Milton, and Swift, and a girl chimp named Kafka. There is quite a lot of literary references in this scene, besides the obvious, Shakespeare. There are some quotes of John Milton’s Paradise Lost as well as a quote from the Bible. All three of the chimps have very different personalities .One of the chimps named Swift, for example, questions their existence and why they are forced to submit to their authority, an unknown character named Dr. Rosenbaum. On the other hand, the chimp named Kafka is very content on following orders and going with the flow. This is definitely relatable to characteristics of human beings as well. The overall theme of this scene seemed to be irony. Chimps attempting Shakespeare for a man; men supposedly derived from monkeys, and Shakespeare was written by men. So essentially, Shakespeare was written by monkeys, or in this case Chimps. (Or something like that)

The third act takes place in a classroom setting. A timid, stuttering girl walks into an empty room, with hopes of learning a mysterious language called “Unamunda“. The teacher speaks in a strange but humorous language with some words sounding like English words. For example, one of the words in the language Unamunda, sounds like “Dwight Howard”. Eventually the girl begins to pick up this new language and discovers that her stuttering goes away when she speaks in Unamunda. The climax of this scene is that the man reveals that really, Unamunda is a scam. However, the girl forgives him and they fall in love. The general idea is that all it took was this silly language to unite two people together, even though the language was not “real“. And that you never know what will happen when you go into a classroom in hopes of learning an unheard of language.

The fourth act took place in a café. Essentially the scene is about two characters. One character is stuck in a “Philadelphia” which is a place in which you can only get what you want when you ask for the opposite. The other man is in a “Los Angeles”, where everything is pleasant and peaceful. Even when the man in “Los Angeles” loses his job and his girlfriend leaves him, he is unphased. However, through a turn of fate, the man who was in “Los Angeles” ends up getting sucked into the other man’s “Philadelphia”. Then the reality of his losing the job hits him and the fact that his girlfriend left him. On the other hand, the man who was always in the “Philadelphia” is learning to deal with asking for the opposite of what he wants, and even hits it off with the waitress. In my opinion, the over all theme is that we have to work with what we have. Some days we might be stuck in “Los Angeles“ and other days we might be stuck in “Philadelphia“ but all the matters is what we make of our circumstances.

The final act was about the Russian revolutionist, Trotsky. In my opinion, this act was the hardest one to follow. Similar to the first act as far as the bell dinging the signal for a restart of the scene or certain segment. For the entire story Trotsky is obsessed about how he is going to die. His wife reads to him a certain Encyclopedia from the future that apparently tells how he is going to die. His gardener is going to kill him with a mountain climber‘s axe. Throughout the story Trotsky keeps dying, then the bell rings and the plot starts where it left off, revealing more and more story. However, in the end he still dies. In my opinion, the overall moral of this story was that life is what you make of it, everyone is gong to die eventually so you might as well enjoy it.

As we can see, All in The Timing is s very fascinating and diverse play that features many comedic, periodical scenes that certainly keep a person thinking. The cast ranges all the way from chimpanzees, all the way to Russian revolutionists. The themes and tones vary in each of the different story lines and in a way they complement each other. Overall I thought it was a very unique play that kept my very amused while also causing me to think.

Images Cited:

Picture # 1: Unknown Artist. Web. http://www.mymct.org/season.jsp?season=2006

Picture # 2: Newman, Angela. 17 March 2008. Web. http://www.syracuse.com/flags/photo-of-the-day/house_unamunda.jpg

Picture #3 : Unknown Artist. Property of Midland Community Theatre. Midland, Texas. Web. http://www.mctmidland.org/images/PHOTOGALLERY/2006/large/Timing041.jpg

Picture #4: Unknown artist. Retrieved from Fantastic Fiction. Web. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/h1/h9298.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/i/david-ives/all-in-timing.htm&usg=__GMkqTaYf0YiLnFtFFc5lHzj8SIU=&h=475&w=306&sz=23&hl=en&start=11&sig2=R1f6v7RpTlZanMd8jt0B7g&um=1&tbnid=g50le-9EpULt4M:&tbnh=129&tbnw=83&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dall%2Bin%2Bthe%2Btiming%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=aEffSp2pH87clAe9uPg3

Picture#5:Unknown Artist. Web. http://www.grandtheatreco.com/All%20in%20the%20Timing-logo.jpg

Drama Appreciation: Musicals

Musicals

Musicals are a very interesting and vibrant form of theatre. A combination of song, dance, and dialogue create a very dramatic and entertaining performance. As our textbook states, “Music and dance texts can reveal character, set pace and rhythm, create a mood, enliven, and entertain”. Around the world today, musicals are still a very popular theatrical form. Despite the change and progression of entertainment styles such as Blue Ray, Wii, and Hi-Def television, people still choose to see musicals as a fun form of entertainment.
(Felner)
The history of musicals can be traced all the way back to 5th Century B.C. in Greece. Even back then it was very common for the Greeks to incorporate music and dance into their performances. Some musicals were created using already existing songs, others wrote new songs just for the musical. In the 1700’s, two main types of musicals were born: ballad operas and comic operas. The ballad operas were usually created by re-writing original songs by changing the lyrics. These performances could cover anything from satire, comedy, or pastoral intent. (Musicals) The comic operas, on the other hand, used existing music and were usually romantic in nature.
(Musicals101)

American musicals are very popular and plentiful. Many of the most successful musicals here in America are usually featured in Broadway productions. Broadway refers to the “theatre district” in New York City that features many of the most popular musicals. There is a street called “Broadway” that runs through the theatre district, however, there are some Broadway theatres that are not located on this street. Currently some of the productions featured in Broadway include: The Lion King, Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, and Mamma Mia!. There are approximately 40 professional Broadway theatres that can seat up to 500 people. So as we can see, musicals here in America are definitely still a beloved form of theatre.
(Anderson)
Musicals that have been especially successful have been re-created and transformed into film. These musicals-turned-movies have nearly always been a success in the world of film. Some examples of these would be: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the Phantom of the Opera, and Rent. Many times when musical are made into films, the directors will try and add new twists and effects to give the film the same excitement and energy as one would feel if they were actually watching the musical in person. Tim Burton, the director of Sweeney Todd did just this. Released in 2007, this shocking and thrilling musical is perhaps one of the only “R rated” movies of all time. Clever filming techniques, vibrant costumes, and superb acting were all combined factors that made this movie such a success. Though it would certainly be a good experience for everyone to view these musicals in person, for those who cannot, seeing the musicals in a film is an excellent option as well.
(Sweeney Todd)
So as we can see, musicals can be very exciting, interactive, meaningful, and inspirational. Musicals are a world-wide art form that incorporates music, dance, expressions and words to tell stories and ideas. Throughout centuries of time musicals have developed and changed, just like everything else in society. Nonetheless, musicals still remain an important part of the world of theatre. Even though what our culture has deemed “entertaining” over the years has evolved, musicals have still remained a classical favorite.

Here I've compared two similar clips: the first one is from a musical production of Sweeney Todd, the second is the same scene but from the movie Sweeney Todd.

The Musical Production:




The Film:

Sources Cited:
"A History of a Musical." Musicals 101. 2003. Web. 13 Oct 2009. .
Anderson, Mark. "What is Broadway Exactly?." Sports & Music Blog. 06 Sep 2008. Best Show Tickets, Web. 18 Oct 2009. http://www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com/articles/tour-broadway.asp.

Felner, Mira, Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. , 2006. Print.

"Musicals." InfoPlease. 2007. Columbia University Press, Web. 13 Oct 2009. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/ent/A0834561.html.
"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." The Internet Movie Database. 21 Dec 2007. Imdb.com,Inc.. 18 Oct 2009 .

Picture #1: Unknown. Greek Amphitheatre.
Music of the Ancient Greeks. Web. http://www.aug.edu/~cshotwel/2001.Greeks.htm
Picture #2: McCoy, Patrick. The Phantom of the Opera. Web.
http://www.the-reel-mccoy.com/movies/2005/ThePhantomOfTheOpera.html
Picture #3: Rosenblatt, Josh. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. 21 December 2007. The Austin Chronicles. Web.

Video Citations:

Video#1 : Erekrose. "Sweeney Todd Part 10/27: Pirelli's Miracle Elixir". 08 February 2008. Online Video Clip. Youtube. Accessond on 18 October 2009.

Video#2: lulurollerss. "Sweeney Todd- Pirelli's Miracle Elixir". 23 May 2009. Online Video Clip.
You Tube. Accessed on 18 October 2009.

Drama Appreciation: Blog Post 1

Japanese Traditions

In the world of Japanese theatre, there are many forms and traditions that are incorporated to make exciting plays and performances. There are three popular forms that make up the majority of the Japanese theatre: the Noh, Kyogen, and Kabuki. These forms differ in what elements are emphasized but many of them incorporate beautiful music, elaborate costumes, creative masks, as well as traditional dances.
(Felner)

The Noh theatre was supposedly established by a man named Kanami Kiyotsugu and his son Zeami Motokiyo. It is a very precise and stylized form, created by the incorporations of many ritual and traditional forms. Body language and movement was also a big part of the Noh theatre because sometimes there would be male actors playing a young girl in the play, so how the actor moved and used his body was important to convey the character. Another important element in the play are masks. Interestingly, the only time an actor would wear a mask is if he was playing an old person, a woman, a youth or a supernatural character. If the actor was playing an adult male, he would not wear the mask. Essentially, the Noh theatre is a very subtle and refined form of Japanese theatre.
(Paul Binnie)
Kyogen is another popular form of Japanese theatre. Due to the fact that Kyogen is a more comical form of theatre, it was usually featured in between the Noh plays so that they would complement each other. Few props are used in the play, so it is basically up to the performers to entertain the audience, based on their own skills. Compared to the Noh theatre, there is not as much of an exact point or purpose in the Kyogen performances because their main goal is to entertain.
(Unknown)

Kabuki theatre is basically the polar opposite of Noh theatre. It is very bold, outgoing and exciting. The actually name “Kabuki” is composed of three different Japanese words: ‘ka’ meaning ‘songs’, ‘bu’ meaning ‘dance’ and ‘ki’ meaning ‘skill’. So basically the name in itself gives an idea of what the typical Kabuki performance would involve. Props are used heavily in this theatrical form as well as the accompaniment drums, flutes and other stringed instruments. The video featured at the bottom of the page is a good example of the creative costumes used in Kabuki theatre as well as the incorporation of instruments in the background.
(Kabuki)

As we can see, there are some very interesting and exciting forms of Japanese theatre. From the traditional and solemn Noh theatre, all the way to the upbeat and elaborate Kabuki theatre, there is a wide variety of performances to choose from. After researching Japanese traditions in the theatrical world I would definitely be interested in seeing a performance myself!

Work Cited:

(2008). Kabuki. Retrieved from http://www.japan-zone.com/culture/kabuki.shtml

Felner, Mira, Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. , 2006. Print.

Paul Binnie, . "Japanese Noh Theatre ." Artelino. July 2001. Artelino GmbH, Web. 26 Sep 2009. http://www.artelino.com/articles/noh_theater.asp.

Unknown (n.d.). Kyogen. Retrieved from http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/jkyogen.html


Picture #1
Staud, Frantisek. Noh Theatre. 1998.
PhotoTravels . Web. 26 September 2009.

Picture # 2
Unkown. Le Nogaku. 2005. Japan Photo Encyclopedia.
UNESCO. Web. 26 September 2009.

Picture #3
Unknown. Kabuki. 2009.
Around the Sphere. Web. 26 September 2009.

Video Credit:
Anotherpg. “Kabuki/Noh Theatre”. 27 March 2007. Online Video Clip. You Tube. Accessed on 26 September 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoK3Pa9BK-U