The play A Street Car Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1947. Needless to say, the plot and dialogues of the play are undeniable work of a genius. It is basically about the conflict of the main characters Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski. Overall, the play was satisfactory. The staff, actors and actresses managed to give justice to the concept of the play. The actors for the roles of Blanche DuBois, Stanley Kowalski and Stella Kowalski gave life to the play. They portrayed their roles well and made the entire play alive and exciting. The conflicts among their characters were given justice by their realistic acting skills. In the play, almost all roles were controversial in nature. For example, Blanche DuBois was married to a promiscuous homosexual while Stanley and Stella were in an unhealthy marriage -- Stella Kowalski being a victim of domestic violence because of Stanleys lack of control whenever he was angry and agitated. All of the required passion in acting out such controversial roles was successfully delivered by the actors.
The stage props and decorations were great. All the things needed to put the play in action were in their proper places. The stage became a sensible representation of the real thing. Moreover, the appearance of the actors was very much suited to the roles that they were playing. The make-up that they wore gave emphasis to their characters and roles. For example, the make up of the actor for the role of Stanley Kowalski was firm and rigid giving him strong features. The same was true for the others. Make-up played an important role in giving emphasis to what kind of character the actors were playing. The make-up artists did a great a job in giving life to the characters.
All the physical and external elements of the play were excellent in quality. The costumes were designed specific to each person. The women characters, especially, have crucial roles. The way they were dressed speak so much about their characterization. The classes of the characters were distinguished by how they were dressed simple costumes for the working class while extravagant and designed-filled costumes for the elites. The costumes used in the play were not all original or specifically created for the play yet the production staff managed to add their twists in the items they have gathered. They turned the dresses as their canvass and re-made them to make them to fit for each character in the play.
All the actors were very effective in their portrayal. Each actor had his accent depending on his role. The whole cast must be given credit for not slipping their accents. They finished the play with the accent that they started. Although they needed to make their voice louder and more audible, they were cautious enough not to lose their presence of mind in maintaining an accent. Furthermore, the audibility and vocal variation were very effective. Even whispers were audible. All lines were delivered clearly. The audience did not have a hard time listening to important lines.
The director of the play managed to put up a good play. He made sure that the set was complete and that the props were at hand for the actors to use. There was not much delay in the beginning of the play which meant that he, together with his cast and crew, was very much prepared. Their preparedness was impressive. On the other hand, the staff and everyone who took part in the behind-the-curtains jobs were very efficient. It was very evident in the actions of the actors. Everyone seemed very relax and just enjoying their moment on stage. The peace of mind that their preparation and efficiency gave them was major factors why they were very comfortable on stage portraying their roles.
Over all, the play was good. It was worth the time of the audience and very entertaining. It was impressive because it was able to gain the appreciation of young audiences in the time of sci-fi Hollywood movies. The play was a justified adaptation of what Tennessee Williams had written in 1947.
1) What was being attempted
Noises Off is a play within a play that attempts to depict the onstage and backstage frolics of a mediocre cast ensemble who are attempting to stage a cringe worthy sex farce. The play attempts to portray the reality of theatre life and the unpredictable nature of staging a performance. It tries to show the audience what really happens behind the scenes and how a playwrights dreams can turn into a nightmare as the play unfolds.
In the play Noise Off the onstage play is a total disaster. Actors forget their lines, rivals attempt to damage one anothers performances, props are mishandled and people miss their cues. The intention is to create a farce within a farce that provides the viewer with an opportunity to view the inner workings of a theatre production in an amusing manner.
2) Were the intentions achieved
I believe the intentions were achieved through two main mechanisms. Through including all the archetypal characters traditionally associated with a farce and then incorporating them into the behind the scenes play, Frayn effectively creates an extremely amusing parody of theatre life. The comedy associated with the sham characters is given an additional dimension and deepens the characatures.
A further way in which the intentions are achieved is through the repetition contained within the storyline. The audience witnesses three versions of the play the dress rehearsal, the play as witnessed by the cast from behind the scenes and the play from the audiences perspective. This helps to achieve the intentions by familiarize the audience with the way in which the play is supposed to be running. By Act III the audience is familiar with the lines the actors and actresses are supposed to be speaking, and the exits and entrances they are supposed to be use, and can therefore enjoy the mistakes the cast make more. The only exception to this is the stereotypical dumb blonde, who carries on her own lines regardless of what is going on around her, causing further issues for the rest of the cast to deal with. As an audience we are to observe how they deal with these mistakes and the hilarious consequences of the decisions they make. We thus gain an insight into what really goes on behind the scenes of a production.
3) Was the attempt worthwhile
The play was funny and interesting. It provides an insight into theatre life and gives the audience a view of what really goes on behind the curtains. Although the action is fascicle and over the top, you can gain snapshots into the working life of the production crew and the director and can empathize with the ways in which hours (even years) of hard work and dedication can go so spectaculary wrong.
The attempt to portray the play within the play and the reality of what goes on behind the scenes is potentially more worthwhile for people who have experience in staging a production. There will be elements of the story that they can relate to and they will thus be able to associate more with the content and the jokes.
At times the story can be slightly confusing as you going back and forth between two different storylines that are being played out on the same stage. However, this is precisely what the objective of the play is and, providing you can keep up with the story, the result is hilarious.
I recently attended a performance of The Nuthouse Improvisational Comedy Troupe and was truly impressed. This was my first time ever seeing live improv and, before I entered the theatre that evening, I really didnt know what to expect. However, by the end of the performance, I had gained a new respect for this unique art form, and I hope to have the opportunity to be a part of an improvisational theatre experience again in the near future.
The Nuthouse Improv Comedy Troupe is made up of a small group of WSU student performers, led and directed by Mike Coletta. On the performance I attended, 10 of the groups performers or players were a part of the show. All of the performers are very talented and funny, but Mike Colettas performance, in particular, really stood out.
Although the performance is totally improvisational, The Nuthouse relies on what they call improv games in order to give the show some structure. For example, in one game, the director invited one of the members of the audience to interrupt the actors and ask them to change a particular line in a scene. This kept all the actors on their toes, and it was fascinating to see how the performers think on their feet and come up with totally imaginative new scenarios. All of the improv games were entertaining, but I especially enjoyed watching the performers create new, unique characters right before my eyes. Usually, in a typical play, the actor just maintains one character, but to see people shift from one character to another, gave me a greater appreciation for the craft of acting. It takes a great deal of skill, self-assurance and creativity to be able to inhabit the persona of a new character in mere seconds.
What I liked most about the show is that it was a very interactive experience for the audience members. Instead of just sitting in your seat being entertained, the improvisational aspect made it possible for the audience to actually be a part of the show itself. This not only helps keep the audiences attention, it also makes them think. Some modern entertainment, like big-screen, blockbuster movies, do a great job with special effects, but they dont really ask anything of the audience. The story is already figured out, so the viewer does not need to think about what he or she is watching. They just sit in their seats and wait for the message to be spoon-fed to them. But, part of what makes great art, great, is the ability to make the vieweraudience think about the question the art is posing. Perhaps the improvisation I witnessed at The Nuthouse performance wasnt deeply philosophical, but it did, at least, make me think. And, that is a good thing.
There was very little I didnt like about The Nuthouse Improv performance. The players really did an amazing job at communicating with the audience while still staying focused and in character. But, if I had to pick one thing that I didnt care for, it would have to be that some of the audience members got so carried away and laughed so loudly that, at times, it became a little distracting and it was difficult to hear the cast. I think that is probably the kind of criticism the performers of The Nuthouse would like to hear. The fact that they were able to get the audience so involved and excited is a tribute to their skills and comic abilities.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy that is rife with paradoxes and inversions. These traits are especially exemplified by two main characters of whom the story also revolves around John Worthing, J.P. (also known as Jack) and Algernon Moncrieff. Jack is a simple country lad that perceives issues of life quite casually while Algernon is a cynic whose views of life are dandiasic and formal. Indeed the two, as will be demonstrated later on, clash insofar as their respective perceptions of the major themes in this play are concerned.
Jacks place of residence is in the countryside where he lives with Cecily who under his care. According to Jack it is Cecily who compelled him to create a fictitious brother by the name of Earnest who lives in the city. Jack would then frequent the city of London just to pay this brother of his a visit (The Internet Movie Database). In the course of these visits, we are meant to believe, Jack meets Gwendolen to whom he introduces himself as Earnest. Gwendolen, apparently, is impressed with the name Earnest more than any other thing of Jack. On the other hand Jack loves Gwendolen and would really like to marry her. In time Algernon learns of Jacks double life and sees an opportunity to exploit it to his advantage. This he does by, paradoxically, taking on another life as Earnest.
Algernon, unlike Jack, lives in the city of London. He also would like to visit the countryside without arousing any suspicions and so he creates this invalid friend of his known as Bunbury that he frequently pays a visit. He calls these visits bunburying. It is under the guise of one of these visits that he introduces himself to Cecily as Uncle Earnest. In the course of their conversation Cecily reveals to Algernon her long-held adoration for Uncle Earnest-in her fantasy Earnest had already proposed to her and therefore there was no need for Algernon to request for hand in marriage. She is especially attracted with the name Earnest. She would like to marry Algernon particularly because of this wonderful name.
In the end all these is brought to the open. It becomes clear that both Jack and Algernon have been living double lives just so as to achieve their own personal ventures. However, it is determined ultimately that Jacks real name is actually Earnest and that Jack actually been living a sincere life throughout the play he has been both Earnest and earnest without knowing. In light of this development Jack says that It is such a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that he has been speaking nothing but the truth (ACT III). This can be contrasted to the remarks he issued after Algernon had asked him if he told Gwendolen the truth about his double life. He had replied My dear fellow, the truth isnt quite the sort of thing one tells to a nice, sweet, refined girl. (ACT I).
Actually both these statements speak volumes about the theme of this play with its paradoxes and inversions a play that seems to portray the very character and philosophy of the playwright. In the The importance of being earnest Oscar Wilde is true to his is literary philosophy of art for arts sake and through the character of Algernon, Wilde brings out his obsession with dandyism and formalism (Sparknotes).
Oscar Wilde explores the issues of marriage, morality, deception, class, dandyism and others in a manner that is uniquely artistic. Indeed, his views on these issues are somehow unconventional unlike Victorian eras conventions.
The essay website, Sparknotes, gives a myriad of themes that are explored in this late nineteenth century play. These include the themes of morality, inventiveness and deception, class and dandyism. But it is the theme of marriage that features extensively in the play.
The play is mainly about the ideal nature of marriage. Marriage is such a critical aspect of human life, and how humanity perceives it goes a long way in either making it a success or failure. These perceptions differ in two of the plays main characters Algernon and John Worthing. While Algernon is of the opinion that marriage should be a serious and formal social arrangement, Jack believes that marriage is something pleasurable that should not be capped with formalities. In the first Act their divergent perceptions on marriage play out when Algernon equates marriage to business and Jack counters by stating that marriage is something that borders on pleasure (Sparknotes).
And whereas Algernon believes that marriage is such a serious undertaking that should not be marred with some smugness, deception and white lies, Jack believes that for marriage to be romantic one cannot avoid deceptions or even the flirting that irks Algernon. It is paradoxical that in the end it is Algernon who has really been deceptive while Jack has been telling nothing but the truth.
The play also explores the issue of what is moral or not moral in the Victorian society. In fact it is as though Wilde satirizes the very notion of morality during this period. At one point Algernon is of the opinion that it is the duty of the lower class to set moral standards for the upper classes. Issues of morality are also dealt with when Jack disagrees with Algernon on whether some few white lies are harmless in a relationship.
The play also addresses the significance of class stratification as far as such occasions as marriages are concerned in the Victorian society. Lady Bracknell does not only warn Algernon not to speak ill of the Society, she is also concerned with the cadre of that person that should marry her daughter. She seems to suggest that any class less than the upper class is unacceptable. To her, you may not be a member of the Society by association, but you can always be a qualified member if you meet certain conditions like financial superiority as she tried to get from Jack.
The author uses certain stylistic devices to pass across his central message. Sarcasm is one of them. The very title of the play is a sarcastic. Actually it is sarcastic that the author should talk of the importance of being earnest when those who succeed as in Jack and Algernon are not really earnest. Jack wins Gwendolens love first and foremost because he has personified himself as Earnest. And so the importance really lies in being Earnest rather than earnest.
The writer also uses motifs. Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the texts major themes (Sparknotes, 2010). Talking of repetition the word Bunbury appears most times as it illustrates the deceptive action of the two main characters Algernon and Jack.
Puns are also quite common in the play. When the author talks of Jack who is neither Earnest nor earnest only to be found to be both eventually, that is a clear illustration of a pun. The same applies to the joke by Lady Bracknell that Jacks origin was in a Railway terminus. This according to Sparknotes is one of the complicated puns in the play.
The play is also full of inversions of thought, situations, and character (Sparkontes, 2010). For example it is a clear inversion of a common marriage clich when Algernon quips that divorces are made in heaven as opposed to marriages are made in heaven. Jacks regret that he has been leading an honest life without knowing is clearly an inversion of morality.
However, it is the women who clearly portray inverte roles, at least as far Victorian practices with gender roles are concerned. Lady Bracknell for example takes up her husbands role of interviewing Jack while the two young ladies, Gwendolen and Cecily take charge of their romantic lives rather than their parents. All along the men watch passively (Spark notes, 2010).
Porgy and Bess is an operatic drama by George Gershwin. It was first staged in 1935 (Erb). It revolves around the lives of African American residents in the fictitious place, Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina (Erb) in the 1920s. Among the colorful cast of characters in this ground-breaking all-Negro production (Standifer) is Sportin Life.
Sportin Life, although not a central character in the story, probably contributes the most important pivotal part. His singular objective of running away with Bess, the female protagonist, proved to be valuable in the end. It set up the final scene that would leave audiences wanting more.
So who is Sportin Life The very first time he comes out on stage his character is already defined. In the first act, when Crown and Bess arrived in the scene, Crown immediately approached Sportin Life to buy Happy Dust (Erb). It was clear who Sportin Life is in this community. He is the towns official drug dealer. People who needed a fix knew to come to him. Sportin Life accepted this role comfortably. He never even tries to hide what he does. And to those who are critical about his profession, Sportin Life looks at them with nonchalance.
Bill Kenny in his review of the play in 2009 described Sportin Lifes character as charming and witty. Throughout the play Sportin Life would taunt and challenge other characters, mostly the women. They would be repulsed by him and yet would not entirely shut him out. He just has a way with people. He knows he is charismatic and uses it to his advantage. It takes a great deal to refuse him. Bess almost succeeded but in the end still fell victim to his influence.
It takes a clever person to weave stories and situations to fit his needs. Sportin Life has this talent. He finds a way to make things work to his favor. The time Porgy was questioned about the death of Crown, Sportin Life knew it was time to pounce. He knew Bess would be vulnerable. He was right. He was patient and he got what he wanted in the end.
When Sportin Life decides on something it becomes his singular motivation. From the beginning it was obvious that he was after Bess. He sought every chance he can get to make his feelings known to her. To say the least, Sportin Life is persistent. With Bess he never gave up until she said yes. Every time he was left alone with her, he would persuade her to run off to New York with him. Bess would always say no. However, Sportin Life knows better. He even told her that men in her life come and go but he will always be around (Erb). He knows being relentless will eventually succeed.
Among the many interesting characters in Catfish Row, no one is as loud as Sportin Life. He is not afraid to make his opinions heard, even when it can be offending to others. In one scene he publicly lectures about the advantages of being a skeptic. This caught the ire of Serena who is ever self-righteous.
In another scene he ridicules the fears of his neighbors about the impending storm. In both occasions he was chastised by what he says but does not even show remorse. He simply brushes his neighbors opinions about him.
Sportin Life is opportunistic. He even uses tragedies of other people to his advantage. He knows how to tap the vulnerability of people to win them to his objectives. In many instances he could be felt observing the goings-on at Catfish Row and strikes at the most favorable time. In a brawl he does not join in with the men in fight. Instead he searches an unknowing female companion who fears the situation. He offers her a fix. He is smart this way. He convinces his neighbors they need him more than he needs them.
The resident Happy Dust trader of Catfish Row is also a free-spirited man who does not take anything seriously (Kenny). Life is a game to him. This is probably why he is named Sportin Life. He simply coasts through his days, always trying to get the better off his friends and neighbors. Even his attraction towards Bess is a game. He loves the hunt more than the person.
Sportin Lifes does not build on relationships. He sees others as business opportunities and merely keeps them around as long as he still has use for them. His relationships can be described as superficial at best. When Crown, his most loyal customer, died, Sportin Life just laughed. He did not even have an ounce of grief to offer. In his mind, Crown was his best client but he is dead. It is time to move on to the next.
If it were not for his flaky ways, Sportin Life can be deduced as a very dark character. He can be considered a hopeless case. He is set on his ways and he will not change. He knows he is smarter than most (Kenny) and will not listen to anyone.
At face value there is not one redeeming factor about him. The only thing that draws people to him is his humor. He is mercilessly funny. He is pleasure personified.
Porgy and Bess is a simple story about African American life. It talks about love, determination, and loyalty, among other things. Imbedded in this rich portrayal of the struggles and victories of the residents of Catfish Row is a bright character called Sportin Life.
Sportin Life is playful, unrelenting and irreverent most times. He preys on the misfortunes of others. He is selfish and uses people only to further his designs. He may not be rough but he is equally vicious. He undermines people and manipulates them. He does not care who gets hurt in the process as long as he achieves his goal.
As terrible as he may seem, Sportin Life is a very interesting. He is always driven to accomplishing what he set out to do. Even when things look bleak for him, he never gives up. Bill Kenny said it best when he described the character in 2009. He said Sportin Life is set apart because he is determined and is bound to triumph against all odds.
The dramatic structure of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE can be interesting to look at. The play is a very dark comedy that maintains a number of over the top humor scenes. However, the dramatic structure of the work is not much different from serious dramas that cover the well made play paradigm. Because of this, it is not very difficult to see where in the play ARSENIC AND OLD LACE presents the similar structure. This structure is clearly visible in the opening scene, the obstacles and complications, and the crisis and climax. Each of these components will be detailed as they relate to proper composition of dramatic structure.
The opening seen introduces the characters of Abby and Martha Brewster, and their nephew, Teddy. They are seen interacting with a reverend and two police officers. The purpose of such a dull introduction is to show there is nothing out of the ordinary in the family. This sets up the over the top ironic revelation that Abby and Martha are homicidal murderesses.
The complications arise when Teddy wishes to leave the family to marry but is conflicted when he discovers his aunts have been murdering men as a form of misguided charity. That is, they feel it is their duty to put these men out of their lonely misery. Needless to say, this makes for a number of complications in the drama of the play.
This ties into Mortimers fears that he himself may be insane due to sharing the same genes as his aunts. Plus, Mortimer wants to stop his aunts murder spree without sending them to prison. This crisis eventually ends in the climax where Mortimer
discovers he is not biological related to his aunts who he has convinced to move into a rest home where they will not be able to commit further acts of murder.
Regarding the dramatic structure of the play, some refer to the writing as being episodic while others state that the play is more climatic in its writing. It would seem that the play is far more climatic in design that it is episodic. The reason for this is that the play does not link together a series of scenes designed to present laughs on their own. A common play structure of this nature would be a Neil Simon play. ARSENIC AND OLD LACE does not follow such a paradigm. Instead, it builds to a conclusion that the audience cannot guess.
Mortimers plight is a complex one. How can he stop his aunts murder spree while at the same time protecting them This is further compounded when the obstacle of the madman Jonathan enters the fray. What is Mortimer to do How does he save himself and resolve the situation he is in These are the questions the audience asks and they are indicative of a climatic structure in the writing of the work.
Again, this is because a sense of mystery is built in the development of the play. The audience is not sure how the events will be resolved at the conclusion. Episodic writing doesnt really use this structure. The scenes in episodic writing could almost stand on their own without even being connected to the plot. This is not the case with ARSENIC AND OLD LACE which is most definitely a play that builds to a very clear ending and climax.
Heroic drama, at times named heroic romance is a kind of play popular throughout the Restoration age in England, differentiated by both its subject matter in addition to its rhyme structure, the heroic drama sub-genus developed through a number of workings of the mid to late 1660s. Key developments of this form of drama were Roger Boyles, The Black Prince (1667) and John Drydens The Indian Emperour (1665).Dryden disputed that the drama was a sort of heroic poems for the stage that, as the heroic was to other poems therefore the heroic drama was to other dramas. As a result, he derived a sequence of laws for this sort of play. First, the play ought to be written in epic rhyme. Second, the play should concentrate on a theme that pertains to mythological proceedings, nationwide foundations, or grant and significant subjects. Third, the leading actor of the heroic drama should be decisive, influential, and, similar to Achilles, dominating even when in the wrong. (Wells 166)
On the other hand, tragedy is a type of art based on human being affliction that offers its viewers satisfaction. Whilst most customs have build up forms that incite this ironic comeback, tragedy refers to a precise custom of drama that has taken part in an imperative and exclusive function in history in the self-designation of Western society. Essentially, tragedy has been employed to create genre dissimilarity, whether at the level of poetry generally, where the tragic splits in opposition to lyric and epic, or at the level of the stage show, where tragedy is against comedy. During the contemporary period, tragedy has as well been delineated in opposition to heroic theatre, melodrama, stage show, the tragicomic and heroic theatre. (Wells 165)
Imminently, heroic drama differs from tragedy in that heroic drama normally has a happy ending. In addition, it assumes a fundamentally positive worldview even at what time the ending is depressing. An example of modern heroic drama is Churchill and Ians 1986 drama, A Mouthful of Birds. Drawing its subjects from The Bacchae of Euripides, the drama is a contemplation on ownership, female violence, in addition to mental illness. Therefore, the heroic dramas optimistic worldview appears to fit with modern American culture given that it addresses pertinent issues within the modern American setting by assuming an essentially optimistic worldview even at what time the conclusion is disheartening. (Wells 166)
