When one develops a play, there are many things that are taken into consideration. What message are they trying to convey, who is their targeted audience, what props and materials should be used to set the desired tone/imagery, etc. Ten minute plays such as “Tape” by Jose Rivera may actually be so short, that they end up lacking major components such as well-developed characters and plots. In the play “Tape” we are introduced with an unspecified person and unknown attendant. From the start of it all, there seems to be a bit of tension, but we don’t know exactly why. This is all fine but if the play had gone on longer, the readers would’ve had a chance to become more absorbed in the meaning, thus being able to relate. We find out somewhere
Knowing we would only get about fifteen minutes with each set of characters kept me on the edge of my seat begging them to get their happy ending before time ran out. This unique dimension of the play was so different than anything I had ever experienced watching any other performance and the actors embraced it beautifully.
The use of the dramatic element of tension is most evident when Lewis and Nick have a disagreement about the play and the mental patients. Nick’s attitude towards Lewis’ fellow actors enrages him revealing that he deeply cares for them and considers them friends. The dramatic action revealed in the stage directions would impact the audience because Nick is suppose to be Lewis’s Best friend but he betrays him. It is shocking to see men who were once friends, now fighting in such a short period of time over one silly
The play is episodic. Tension builds throughout each scene so that the audience can see the deeper mystery and bigger
Suzan-Lori is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. Innovative and occasionally controversial and she is one of the most highly acclaimed African-American woman playwrights in contemporary theater. Reading the excerpts from Suzan-Lori Parks’ essays actually helped me because her main purpose in her writings is to guide newcomers (play writers) by offering some background information and ways to help on how to appreciate plays. Such as the Element of Style essay which is intended primarily for the new generation of theater makers. One thing that I liked the most about her way to guide new playwright that she never tells you what to add or not what to add in your plays. The only thing that she really emphasizes is that a playwright should ask themselves why they feel whatever they are writing have or should be a play? According to Parks “ the words “why”, “have” and “play” are key. If you don’t have an answer then get out of town. No joke. The last thing American theater needs is another lame play.” (Pg. 7) One thing that we should always do about playwriting is not to take anything for granted.
The idea of the play is “a director who left the kids… on their own,” said Fiona Connelly, actor, “And they try to put together as many plays as they can because they have a whole crowd waiting… and they have no idea what the play they were supposed to be doing was so they just find a bunch of scripts and throw something together.”
This past week, I had the opportunity to experience a magnificent play called Born Yesterday by Garson Kanin. This performance was the third of three plays I saw at the Arizona Repertory Theatre. The other two plays were Epic Proportions by Larry Coen and David Crane and Hands on a Hardbody by Doug Wright. These were the first plays I have been to, not only while attending the University of Arizona, but in my generation as a teenager. All together, these performances were amazing and have brought a newly improved insight to my perception of theatre. The hard work and dedication by the actors, directors, producers, cast members, and sound developers were absolutely incredible and I have tremendous respect for their efforts during the overall sequence of producing the plays. The most recent performance I saw, Born Yesterday, can be described and reflected on through various topics such as lighting, sound, directing and producing.
Novels and plays are two different forms of literature that are both capable of delivering similar messages. A novel is a type of literature that is meant to be read and excite the imagination as is shown in the novel “The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse.” On the other hand, a play is another form of literature that is meant to be acted and is based on conversations as is displayed in the play “fareWel.” Although both of these forms are uniquely different, they both are connected by the fact that they each are capable of telling a story and include a sequence of events. Therefore, a novel and a play may seem like total opposites yet they have the capability to produce similar messages to the readers.
The day my group and I received our assignment, we agreed to portray a play that seems easy to perform. The play in which my group and I had a strong connection with is Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. We performed the end of Act 1, Scene 1 for various reasons. The act contained various emotions, intriguing dialogue, various literary devices and a deep perception of social relationships.
The Player’s Passion Everybody knows that in order to put on a show, you must have actors. Okay, so there could be (and probably are) plays out there that do not require actors, but for the most part you need people to act as the characters in your play. The Player’s Passion by Joseph Roach takes an in depth look on how acting works and what drives people to want to act.
The audience is able to instantly understand what is happening in a scene and how it impacts on what has happened and what is occurring in present time. The play uses its style perfectly with its use of extended dialogue to convey meaning and tell the story. The audience can get lost in its story as there are no confusing abstract themes to throw them, everything the story is about is laid out before them and this helps with understanding the dramatic meaning as the dramatic meaning is very serious and realistic, just like the storytelling style.
The play had an interesting concept of combining two popular pop-culture pastimes; a post-apocalyptic future and the obsession of artifacts in an increasingly fragmented pop culture. A stumbling block about the play was that it lacked a solid plot, which traditionally, would be the backbone of the story. However, by splitting the play into three very separate parts, the message or the story board became detached and caused even more bewilderment. During its running period, it felt as if there were three separate plays built on randomness. The first scene lacked material, for the basis of it was recalling a Simpson’s episode in the midst of an apocalypse. Having told to watch the particular episode beforehand, I attempted watching it but only prevailed halfway. It was definitely a regretful decision as the humor was embedded in recalling what went on or
The play Our Town was something so unique and simple, but it somehow found a way to relate with everyone. Its simplicity seemed to be a hit or miss with many audience members. It was one of those plays that you relate so much with it you enjoy its minimalistic nature, or you find it too typical and boring. I happen to be among the group that found this play to be very appealing. I feel that at many times, little to no scenery and props make it hard to visualize the scene of a play. However, with Our Town the addition of a stage manager to give an explanation of each scene made up for that entirely.
From act one through three there needs to be the developing great characters, constructing wonderful dramatic or funny scenes, and keeping the
Throughout the play, I enjoyed the role of music used to set a comic atmosphere and replace the dialogs during comic scenes (e.g. when they chase each other around). I also thought that they made a good use of light to indicate the moment of the day the scene was happening or to set the atmosphere of the scene (e.g. pink colour during the romantic moments). Lastly, I liked the way the play ended. Even though it was a little messy with everyone running after each other off and on stage, and this policeman coming out of nowhere, which really surprised me; I couldn’t think of a better way to end the play.
The audience is seated, the lights dim, and all of a sudden, through wild anticipation, the music cues as a notification that the show is about to begin. Theater is a creative outlet for the soul to paint a picture towards showcasing a short story. This past weekend, I attended a play at Crabpot Players Theater to observe a parody of one of Shakespeare’s most famous pieces, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As a whole the play was fairly decent, but there were a few minor issues that held the piece back. It is officially time to analyze the good, the bad, and the ugly.