Blasted by Sarah Kane 11. Audience The performance takes place in what looks like a hotel room, a large bed centre stage, and an en suite to the side, with minimalistic props. As the bed was in the centre, I thought it would be the main focus throughout the play, as I knew this play to be full of sexual desire, also including pain, torture and cannibalism.
I was quite hesitant to watch this play as it had quite a lot of negative reviews, and knowing the play ‘Blasted’ I thought it would have a large amount of controversy, however I expected the play to be strong and powerful as Sarah Kane always wrote plays with many deep meanings.
As soon as the play began the audience were very shocked with what was happening on stage. I for one felt very uncomfortable watching the play, as there was a lot of nudity and rape in the scenes, although this made it seem completely real, for me there is always a limit to how far certain meanings should be portrayed. There also was plenty of torture and pain included in the play, some of which was not impressive to watch, for example…the main character eating a baby (doll). I felt that I could not concentrate properly on the meaning that was trying to be portrayed, as I was shocked at what I was seeing. However the actors were strong at playing their characters and were believable. I also noticed after leaving the theatre the meaning of everything in the play lingered in my mind. Overall I would not like to see this play again.
The last play I saw live was The Full Monty - an Americanised musical theatre adaptation of the 1997 film of the same name. Having loved the film, I was eager to see this alternative version.
Like the film, the play started off small, which turned into something big. The main characters were introduced one by one, helping the audience get to know them first, before throwing them into the main story. What I loved about the characters is how unique they were - they were all funny in their own ways, which made it difficult to pick your favourite!
Many types of theatre were involved in the play, such as singing and dancing, as well as acting itself, which is what I really liked about it - the variety. Whether you're a fan of musicals, dramas or comedies, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
The music amplified the show by a thousand. I'm not a fan of musicals, but this was one to watch! All elements of stage work such as lighting and special effects were used to set the tone for the type of song. For example, slow songs had dark blue lighting and some smoke effects, while more upbeat songs had rapid flashing lights of all colours.
No matter the type of song, or character, their uniqueness had a high quality to them. There were happy moments, funny moments, and some sad moments, and every moment moved you in some way. The characters' dialogue developed over time because of the way that they all change as the story progresses - they start off as 6 unemployed bums, to confident strippers!
I also felt like this was a piece I could relate to, as it is based on the working class - which is why these men decide to become strippers in the first place, to earn some big money. I myself grew up on a council estate, so I know what it's like to live in conditions like that.
I personally very much enjoyed this musical. Utilizing performance skills such as acting, singing and dancing, and stage tools like music, lighting and special effects made it a very unique and enjoyable take on the already-existing film.
As an audience member, I was never bored. There was never really a weak moment, because there was always something to watch - even if it was just a dark blue lighting change to fit the tone of the next scene.
My analysis is of the performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
General discussion of performance:
The large deep thrust stage designed by Tom Scutt had a similar layout to an Elizabethan theatre as there was a balcony at the back of the stage, a trap door in the floor and middle and side entrances. The set was minimalistic but was designed to resemble a castle and the stage had the appearance of a courtroom. The stage was stripped back and bare which made the performance rely on the actors. This however, was very effective as Hamlet often seemed alone and looked lost on the vast stage which reflected his madness, loneliness and grief. As the stage was so large and deep, there was little physical contact between the characters as they had to occupy the majority of the stage which again created a feel of isolation and lonelines.
I found that Hamlet’s soliloquies were very strong moments in the performance as Hamlet showed his intense emotions of grief so the audience could see into his thoughts and tortured mind.
Scenography :
The shallow tiered amphitheatre feel with the deep thrust stage created a sense of openness which worked effectively with the plays theme of grief and isolation. The first row of the audience was very close to the stage which made the audience feel part of the performance. Similarly, some actors entered and exited through the audience which made the audience feel more involved and close to the performers. The main colours in the performance were neutrals, however, blue lighting was used on the ghost (John Nettles) which made him appear cold, whereas, a dim red light was used on Hamlet. This showed a division between life and death. In one of the scenes the colour choice of costumes was significant as Hamlet wore black trousers, a navy top and a black jacket which contrasted with Claudius’ cream suit. This showed their clash of personalities and also that Hamlet’s is troubled and is grieving.
The lighting system:
As well as the contrasting blue and red lighting used on the ghost and Hamlet to show a division between life and death, blue lighting was used to light the edges of the stage to signify the cold which showed the scene was set outside. However, the middle of the stage was lit for indoor scenes. An effective square spotlight was used on Hamlet when he delivered his soliloquies which made him seem trapped and isolated which reflected his grief and possible madness.
Costumes: The costumes designed by Tom Scutt were plain with neutral colours, but were modern. The costume for the ghost, however, was a long cloak covered in dust which made him seem phantom like and inhuman. This also made him stand out from the other characters.
Actor’s performances:
John Simm portrayed a very emotional and intense Hamlet. He often crouched or lay or sat on the stage. Hamlet fell to his knees when seeing his Fathers ghost to show his shock and grief. Similarly, Michelle Dockery portrayed a sad and quiet Ophelia through her still physique and minimal actions which showed her depression. Barbara Flynn however, portrayed a motherly, light hearted Gertrude. John Nettles showed Claudius’ high status and power through his confidence and strong body language.
Function of music and sound effects:
During night scenes airy music was played which created a dark atmosphere. Eerie sound effects were used when the ghost was on stage to add to the spookiness of the scene. An echo sound effect was also used for the ghost to show he is not human.
Pace of performance:
The pace of the play seemed to increase throughout the performance. Although in the first half of the play, the pace was slower, this was effective as the tension built up gradually so that the fight scene at the end of the play was a very dramatic climax as the actions were larger, the costumes were brighter and the dialogue was louder. This created excitement in the audience which contrasted with the slower opening to the play.
The last play I saw was "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen at the Lowry theatre in Manchester.
Question 6
A) The actors portrayal of the characters within the play were very individual and unique as opposed to being monotonous under one director, this was due to that fact that some characters had been miscast due to age and experience and did not perform to the same degree as others. In particular Nora who was played Emma Cunniffe was really out of place and role, giving a performance that was not believable and not portrayed in a way to hold the audience's attention. In a sense of conventionality though, all of the actors employed a very naturalistic and stanislavski method of acting.
B) The relations between the actors on the whole was quite good. But again with some characters being miscast, this does not help the chemistry on stage to expand and make the audience believe what they are actually performing.
C) The relation between the actor and role all varied. With Dr Rank and Torvald giving excellent performances and embodying their characters to make the audience believe in them as characters and actors. However again Nora failed to emotionally connect with her character and therefore made it harder for the audience to believe that she was at one with the character.
E) The quality of voices were all excellent and delivered with clarity, tone, emotion when needed and volume.
The last piece I went to see was Hamlet by Shakespeare.
it was set in the present day with Hamlet being constantly watched over by Cornelius's new police state.
a)I feel that as with any Shakespearean piece pace is crucial as well as rhythm I felt all the actors showed pace although Rory Kinnear's opening monologue was a little shaky The ghost slowed the piece which I think worked really well as is it a crucial part of the plot and the ghosts calmness and the effective way he paced his delivery drew the audiences attention.
b)one of the main attractions of the piece was the moving walls which allowed different rooms to be created which I thought was very effective the gap between scenes was therefore very short allowing for the piece to maintain speed generated from a previous scene.
c) the piece had broken pace which I felt was a good thing certain flowed really really well others were slower which added another dimension to the piece as if the piece had been steady i feel it would have made boring as in Shakespeare it would have been very easy to have one rhythm for all the actors through out the piece thankfully they didn't so it was a very enjoyable piece.
Expressionism on the role of the actor can be quite a change from the other genres of practice. Expressionism breaks the Stanislavsky’s role of naturalism, therefore making it difficult to learn and adjust for actors of the modern day. This art form is so much more complex as the main aim is to express an intense emotional effect as well as physical. It is a very abstract art form, therefore even the process of creating an acting piece is very different from the 'normal' approach e.g. Stanislavsky's naturalism. Actors might find this more challenging as it covers many more aspects.
Expressionism's main affect is to have to an intense emotional affect on the actor. This could affect the actor in numerous other ways such as physically and mentally. In todays society raised under a naturalistic style of acitng, actors today would have a greater deal of difficulty approaching these methods. Expressionism would have a far greater impact on an actor than it would have done 80 years ago, when expressionism was far and widely spread. It would also delve into the real of being un naturalistc and performing in a style that would be not comfortable as such to them. Emotionally an actor would have to comprehend ideas and views outside of the natural world and see points of view differently. This is why expressionism is such a powerful tool and techinique to use as it allows actors to see objects from a different point of view.
Attended a film play at Broadway cinema a few weeks ago hoping to blog about it. Unfortunately i don't think the film matched the critirea of the pavis questionaire.Film is called "something about Kevin" Finding it difficult to write about so will be viewing a performance shortly.
Expressionism gave actors at the time a massive freedom to explore without restrictions of previous naturalistic styles of performance, to possible look outside the box. To rebel against theatre as it was at the time. Expressionism was vastly varied, could be quite grotesque introducing dream like states, inner turmoil, heightened physical and mental emotions. For the actor this must have been an exciting time with no rational plots or characters, interpretation of performances were limitless. I feel Expressionism has been vital in art and has come a long way from the early 1900 were it was first introduced with “murder the women’s hope “ it has now evolved were certain manifesto’s or ideas can be cherry picked from that time and recreated and developed through ours, allowing new growth and interpretation. After watching the Resistible rise of Arturo Ui I saw many varied uses of expressionism throughout the performance from the masking of characters, dark strong bold props, futuristic scenery styles, with a burlesques feel.
Private lives is a comedy based on a divorced couple (Amanda and Elliott) that discover they are honeymooning with there new spouses (Cecil and Victor) in the same hotel in adjacent rooms. They see each other again after many years apart, there love was rekindled and they ran off to Paris together leaving there new spouses behind. There relationship prior was full of passion based on a complexed love and hate pattern, living with out each other seemed impossible but living with each other was disastrous. They vowed this time would be different and this cycle would not rear its ugly head again. The fast pacing, witty language of the performance holds your focus, the use of the full stage capture a natural rhythm between each character. There was a high use of melodrama fitting for the time, In particular scenes they showed certain similarities in personality traits through mimicking heightened behaviours between the more highly strung characters Amanda and Elliott and the more timid characters Cecil and Victor. The performance was so full of energy with exact timing. There was full use of props and varied actions with purpose which kept you engaged. The natural flow of the conversations intrigue you, also creating pitch perfect dialogue between them. This piece was extremely coherent but at times I was lost by the comical humour from the era in which it was written, also when the movement and action of the piece slowed down my focus also slightly became distracted. But for most I fully enjoyed.
Brecht’s style of performance is expressionistic, we know this because there was no fourth wall actors spoke directly to the audience. What I found disturbing about the performance were all the actors face’s were painted and highlighted in black and white. This enhanced the extremity of the style of the performance and also a sign of expressionism. Expressionist theatre is not naturalistic.
Personally I think the quality of the Chicago accent the actors were imitating was not very clear and words were often lost from hearing through out the performance. To me this lacked professionalism.
I was sat on third row from the front of the stage. First scene the white based protective no smoking curtain was down. The audience was greeted by a very loud and bold female actor who presented what the play of Autoro ui was about she spoke directly to the audience, this is also a form used in expressionism, this style of acting has know fourth wall. The actress stood close to the edge of the stage and paced comfortably up and down. This was a good use of stage and kept the audience’s attention. Characters entered the stage from the left and right wings presenting them selves this kept the audience alert.
Through out the performance lighting was mainly a dull background light red or blue this created a very cold dark atmosphere. The only scene that seemed bright was set in Dogsboroughs house. The bright yellow lighting to me represented wealth after he took on the contract from the cauliflower trust. There was also a projected image on the back of the stage of the docks that he could look out to from his living room window. I think the props used were very affective the huge front door to Dogsboroughs house that was lowered from sealing during scene change was very strong and bold and block like. Lay out of the props on stage; nearer centre stage a table, two chairs stage left, telephone on a stand and stage right a vase on a stand. This abstract setting gave the audience the feelings that we had been invited to observe Dogsborogh’s conversation in his house other signs of expressionisum were displayed in the props used. Scene changes were amazingly organised and quick. The props used were symbolic they looked heavy and bold but were light weight and easy to move. Dogsborough’s bar was created a large glass shelves were lowered from the sealing and the bar its self was on wheels easily rolled on and off stage
The piece i have chosen to talk about is a piece of dadaist art work. whereby a man is staring at a wall with picture frames hanging but nothing is on the photo. This caught my eye as the image of the man staring at nothing seemed to just be reinforcing the dadaist theories. However one could interpret this as being as the man is seeing more than a white canvas - "what isn't he looking at?" rather than "what is he looking at" - again supporting the daft and nonsensical theories.
Another piece of art which also drew me to it was a cartton sketch of a man with a speech bubble quoting "dadaism is stupid" - having an almost sense of irony on the given statement and that the impact of the statement upon itself is that dadaism is not meant to make sense and that the quote is reinforcing that but the sarcasm behind it will make viewers say "isn't that clever" due to its double entrendre.
Marcel Duchamp’s version of Mona Lisa was one of Dada’s works, he painted a moustache and goatee on her face, simply because the original Mona Lisa was no longer accredited as a painting any more, it was known to be on cards, mugs, postcards and posters, therefore losing its statement. In doing this Duchamp’s version of the painting also became very famous and the same thing happened, it was also printed on mugs, posters etc. The point of the Dadaism is to mock the modern world and things they considered priceless, such as the Mona Lisa.
Heartfield's Dadaist art work "Hurry the Butter is all gone" 1935. This piece mocks Nazi leader Herman Goring comments through the food shortage. He discusses the importance of Germany’s military and weapons instead of the importance of food he stated "Iron has always made a nation strong, butter and lard have only made the people fat". This piece shows a family sitting around a table with swat sticker wall paper and a portrait of Hitler. Mum, Dad, Brother Grandparents baby and even dog all eating metal objects including bicycle handle bars and the baby chewing on an axe. What I loved about this piece was how bold and in your face it is, highlighting the disgust of Nazi views. This is a powerful piece. Heartfield had always been a creative artist and had strong political views but Dadaism influenced him to become more experimental than his earlier work.
Blasted by Sarah Kane
ReplyDelete11. Audience
The performance takes place in what looks like a hotel room, a large bed centre stage, and an en suite to the side, with minimalistic props. As the bed was in the centre, I thought it would be the main focus throughout the play, as I knew this play to be full of sexual desire, also including pain, torture and cannibalism.
I was quite hesitant to watch this play as it had quite a lot of negative reviews, and knowing the play ‘Blasted’ I thought it would have a large amount of controversy, however I expected the play to be strong and powerful as Sarah Kane always wrote plays with many deep meanings.
As soon as the play began the audience were very shocked with what was happening on stage. I for one felt very uncomfortable watching the play, as there was a lot of nudity and rape in the scenes, although this made it seem completely real, for me there is always a limit to how far certain meanings should be portrayed. There also was plenty of torture and pain included in the play, some of which was not impressive to watch, for example…the main character eating a baby (doll). I felt that I could not concentrate properly on the meaning that was trying to be portrayed, as I was shocked at what I was seeing. However the actors were strong at playing their characters and were believable. I also noticed after leaving the theatre the meaning of everything in the play lingered in my mind. Overall I would not like to see this play again.
The last play I saw live was The Full Monty - an Americanised musical theatre adaptation of the 1997 film of the same name. Having loved the film, I was eager to see this alternative version.
ReplyDeleteLike the film, the play started off small, which turned into something big. The main characters were introduced one by one, helping the audience get to know them first, before throwing them into the main story. What I loved about the characters is how unique they were - they were all funny in their own ways, which made it difficult to pick your favourite!
Many types of theatre were involved in the play, such as singing and dancing, as well as acting itself, which is what I really liked about it - the variety. Whether you're a fan of musicals, dramas or comedies, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
The music amplified the show by a thousand. I'm not a fan of musicals, but this was one to watch! All elements of stage work such as lighting and special effects were used to set the tone for the type of song. For example, slow songs had dark blue lighting and some smoke effects, while more upbeat songs had rapid flashing lights of all colours.
No matter the type of song, or character, their uniqueness had a high quality to them. There were happy moments, funny moments, and some sad moments, and every moment moved you in some way. The characters' dialogue developed over time because of the way that they all change as the story progresses - they start off as 6 unemployed bums, to confident strippers!
I also felt like this was a piece I could relate to, as it is based on the working class - which is why these men decide to become strippers in the first place, to earn some big money. I myself grew up on a council estate, so I know what it's like to live in conditions like that.
I personally very much enjoyed this musical. Utilizing performance skills such as acting, singing and dancing, and stage tools like music, lighting and special effects made it a very unique and enjoyable take on the already-existing film.
As an audience member, I was never bored. There was never really a weak moment, because there was always something to watch - even if it was just a dark blue lighting change to fit the tone of the next scene.
My analysis is of the performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteGeneral discussion of performance:
The large deep thrust stage designed by Tom Scutt had a similar layout to an Elizabethan theatre as there was a balcony at the back of the stage, a trap door in the floor and middle and side entrances. The set was minimalistic but was designed to resemble a castle and the stage had the appearance of a courtroom. The stage was stripped back and bare which made the performance rely on the actors. This however, was very effective as Hamlet often seemed alone and looked lost on the vast stage which reflected his madness, loneliness and grief.
As the stage was so large and deep, there was little physical contact between the characters as they had to occupy the majority of the stage which again created a feel of isolation and lonelines.
I found that Hamlet’s soliloquies were very strong moments in the performance as Hamlet showed his intense emotions of grief so the audience could see into his thoughts and tortured mind.
Scenography :
The shallow tiered amphitheatre feel with the deep thrust stage created a sense of openness which worked effectively with the plays theme of grief and isolation. The first row of the audience was very close to the stage which made the audience feel part of the performance. Similarly, some actors entered and exited through the audience which made the audience feel more involved and close to the performers.
The main colours in the performance were neutrals, however, blue lighting was used on the ghost (John Nettles) which made him appear cold, whereas, a dim red light was used on Hamlet. This showed a division between life and death. In one of the scenes the colour choice of costumes was significant as Hamlet wore black trousers, a navy top and a black jacket which contrasted with Claudius’ cream suit. This showed their clash of personalities and also that Hamlet’s is troubled and is grieving.
The lighting system:
As well as the contrasting blue and red lighting used on the ghost and Hamlet to show a division between life and death, blue lighting was used to light the edges of the stage to signify the cold which showed the scene was set outside. However, the middle of the stage was lit for indoor scenes. An effective square spotlight was used on Hamlet when he delivered his soliloquies which made him seem trapped and isolated which reflected his grief and possible madness.
Costumes:
The costumes designed by Tom Scutt were plain with neutral colours, but were modern. The costume for the ghost, however, was a long cloak covered in dust which made him seem phantom like and inhuman. This also made him stand out from the other characters.
Actor’s performances:
John Simm portrayed a very emotional and intense Hamlet. He often crouched or lay or sat on the stage. Hamlet fell to his knees when seeing his Fathers ghost to show his shock and grief. Similarly, Michelle Dockery portrayed a sad and quiet Ophelia through her still physique and minimal actions which showed her depression. Barbara Flynn however, portrayed a motherly, light hearted Gertrude. John Nettles showed Claudius’ high status and power through his confidence and strong body language.
Function of music and sound effects:
During night scenes airy music was played which created a dark atmosphere. Eerie sound effects were used when the ghost was on stage to add to the spookiness of the scene. An echo sound effect was also used for the ghost to show he is not human.
Pace of performance:
The pace of the play seemed to increase throughout the performance. Although in the first half of the play, the pace was slower, this was effective as the tension built up gradually so that the fight scene at the end of the play was a very dramatic climax as the actions were larger, the costumes were brighter and the dialogue was louder. This created excitement in the audience which contrasted with the slower opening to the play.
The last play I saw was "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen at the Lowry theatre in Manchester.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 6
A) The actors portrayal of the characters within the play were very individual and unique as opposed to being monotonous under one director, this was due to that fact that some characters had been miscast due to age and experience and did not perform to the same degree as others. In particular Nora who was played Emma Cunniffe was really out of place and role, giving a performance that was not believable and not portrayed in a way to hold the audience's attention. In a sense of conventionality though, all of the actors employed a very naturalistic and stanislavski method of acting.
B) The relations between the actors on the whole was quite good. But again with some characters being miscast, this does not help the chemistry on stage to expand and make the audience believe what they are actually performing.
C) The relation between the actor and role all varied. With Dr Rank and Torvald giving excellent performances and embodying their characters to make the audience believe in them as characters and actors. However again Nora failed to emotionally connect with her character and therefore made it harder for the audience to believe that she was at one with the character.
E) The quality of voices were all excellent and delivered with clarity, tone, emotion when needed and volume.
The last piece I went to see was Hamlet by Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteit was set in the present day with Hamlet being constantly watched over by Cornelius's new police state.
a)I feel that as with any Shakespearean piece pace is crucial as well as rhythm I felt all the actors showed pace although Rory Kinnear's opening monologue was a little shaky The ghost slowed the piece which I think worked really well as is it a crucial part of the plot and the ghosts calmness and the effective way he paced his delivery drew the audiences attention.
b)one of the main attractions of the piece was the moving walls which allowed different rooms to be created which I thought was very effective the gap between scenes was therefore very short allowing for the piece to maintain speed generated from a previous scene.
c) the piece had broken pace which I felt was a good thing certain flowed really really well others were slower which added another dimension to the piece as if the piece had been steady i feel it would have made boring as in Shakespeare it would have been very easy to have one rhythm for all the actors through out the piece thankfully they didn't so it was a very enjoyable piece.
Expressionism on the role of the actor can be quite a change from the other genres of practice. Expressionism breaks the Stanislavsky’s role of naturalism, therefore making it difficult to learn and adjust for actors of the modern day. This art form is so much more complex as the main aim is to express an intense emotional effect as well as physical. It is a very abstract art form, therefore even the process of creating an acting piece is very different from the 'normal' approach e.g. Stanislavsky's naturalism. Actors might find this more challenging as it covers many more aspects.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteExpressionism's main affect is to have to an intense emotional affect on the actor. This could affect the actor in numerous other ways such as physically and mentally. In todays society raised under a naturalistic style of acitng, actors today would have a greater deal of difficulty approaching these methods. Expressionism would have a far greater impact on an actor than it would have done 80 years ago, when expressionism was far and widely spread. It would also delve into the real of being un naturalistc and performing in a style that would be not comfortable as such to them. Emotionally an actor would have to comprehend ideas and views outside of the natural world and see points of view differently. This is why expressionism is such a powerful tool and techinique to use as it allows actors to see objects from a different point of view.
ReplyDeleteAttended a film play at Broadway cinema a few weeks ago hoping to blog about it. Unfortunately i don't think the film matched the critirea of the pavis questionaire.Film is called "something about Kevin" Finding it difficult to write about so will be viewing a performance shortly.
ReplyDeleteExpressionism gave actors at the time a massive freedom to explore without restrictions of previous naturalistic styles of performance, to possible look outside the box. To rebel against theatre as it was at the time. Expressionism was vastly varied, could be quite grotesque introducing dream like states, inner turmoil, heightened physical and mental emotions. For the actor this must have been an exciting time with no rational plots or characters, interpretation of performances were limitless. I feel Expressionism has been vital in art and has come a long way from the early 1900 were it was first introduced with “murder the women’s hope “ it has now evolved were certain manifesto’s or ideas can be cherry picked from that time and recreated and developed through ours, allowing new growth and interpretation. After watching the Resistible rise of Arturo Ui I saw many varied uses of expressionism throughout the performance from the masking of characters, dark strong bold props, futuristic scenery styles, with a burlesques feel.
ReplyDeletePrivate lives
ReplyDeleteWritten by noel coward in 1930
Discussion of performance
Private lives is a comedy based on a divorced couple (Amanda and Elliott) that discover they are honeymooning with there new spouses (Cecil and Victor) in the same hotel in adjacent rooms. They see each other again after many years apart, there love was rekindled and they ran off to Paris together leaving there new spouses behind. There relationship prior was full of passion based on a complexed love and hate pattern, living with out each other seemed impossible but living with each other was disastrous. They vowed this time would be different and this cycle would not rear its ugly head again. The fast pacing, witty language of the performance holds your focus, the use of the full stage capture a natural rhythm between each character. There was a high use of melodrama fitting for the time, In particular scenes they showed certain similarities in personality traits through mimicking heightened behaviours between the more highly strung characters Amanda and Elliott and the more timid characters Cecil and Victor. The performance was so full of energy with exact timing. There was full use of props and varied actions with purpose which kept you engaged. The natural flow of the conversations intrigue you, also creating pitch perfect dialogue between them. This piece was extremely coherent but at times I was lost by the comical humour from the era in which it was written, also when the movement and action of the piece slowed down my focus also slightly became distracted. But for most I fully enjoyed.
Brecht’s style of performance is expressionistic, we know this because there was no fourth wall actors spoke directly to the audience.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found disturbing about the performance were all the actors face’s were painted and highlighted in black and white. This enhanced the extremity of the style of the performance and also a sign of expressionism.
Expressionist theatre is not naturalistic.
Personally I think the quality of the Chicago accent the actors were imitating was not very clear and words were often lost from hearing through out the performance. To me this lacked professionalism.
I was sat on third row from the front of the stage.
First scene the white based protective no smoking curtain was down.
The audience was greeted by a very loud and bold female actor who presented what the play of Autoro ui was about she spoke directly to the audience, this is also a form used in expressionism, this style of acting has know fourth wall.
The actress stood close to the edge of the stage and paced comfortably up and down. This was a good use of stage and kept the audience’s attention. Characters entered the stage from the left and right wings presenting them selves this kept the audience alert.
Through out the performance lighting was mainly a dull background light red or blue this created a very cold dark atmosphere. The only scene that seemed bright was set in Dogsboroughs house. The bright yellow lighting to me represented wealth after he took on the contract from the cauliflower trust. There was also a projected image on the back of the stage of the docks that he could look out to from his living room window.
I think the props used were very affective the huge front door to Dogsboroughs house that was lowered from sealing during scene change was very strong and bold and block like.
Lay out of the props on stage; nearer centre stage a table, two chairs stage left, telephone on a stand and stage right a vase on a stand.
This abstract setting gave the audience the feelings that we had been invited to observe Dogsborogh’s conversation in his house other signs of expressionisum were
displayed in the props used.
Scene changes were amazingly organised and quick.
The props used were symbolic they looked heavy and bold but were light weight and easy to move.
Dogsborough’s bar was created a large glass shelves were lowered from the sealing and the bar its self was on wheels easily rolled on and off stage
DADA -
ReplyDeleteThe piece i have chosen to talk about is a piece of dadaist art work. whereby a man is staring at a wall with picture frames hanging but nothing is on the photo. This caught my eye as the image of the man staring at nothing seemed to just be reinforcing the dadaist theories. However one could interpret this as being as the man is seeing more than a white canvas - "what isn't he looking at?" rather than "what is he looking at" - again supporting the daft and nonsensical theories.
Another piece of art which also drew me to it was a cartton sketch of a man with a speech bubble quoting "dadaism is stupid" - having an almost sense of irony on the given statement and that the impact of the statement upon itself is that dadaism is not meant to make sense and that the quote is reinforcing that but the sarcasm behind it will make viewers say "isn't that clever" due to its double entrendre.
Marcel Duchamp’s version of Mona Lisa was one of Dada’s works, he painted a moustache and goatee on her face, simply because the original Mona Lisa was no longer accredited as a painting any more, it was known to be on cards, mugs, postcards and posters, therefore losing its statement. In doing this Duchamp’s version of the painting also became very famous and the same thing happened, it was also printed on mugs, posters etc. The point of the Dadaism is to mock the modern world and things they considered priceless, such as the Mona Lisa.
ReplyDeleteHeartfield's Dadaist art work "Hurry the Butter is all gone" 1935. This piece mocks Nazi leader Herman Goring comments through the food shortage. He discusses the importance of Germany’s military and weapons instead of the importance of food he stated "Iron has always made a nation strong, butter and lard have only made the people fat". This piece shows a family sitting around a table with swat sticker wall paper and a portrait of Hitler.
ReplyDeleteMum, Dad, Brother Grandparents baby and even dog all eating metal objects including bicycle handle bars and the baby chewing on an axe. What I loved about this piece was how bold and in your face it is, highlighting the disgust of Nazi views. This is a powerful piece. Heartfield had always been a creative artist and had strong political views but Dadaism influenced him to become more experimental than his earlier work.