This paper is a critique of a production of The Last Night of Ballyhoo, a play written by Alfred Uhry, which was performed and produced by the Ball State University Theatre. Gilbert L. Bloom directed the production and was very successful with producing a truly entertaining, comedic play with an important message about the personal dilemmas that we as individuals with different beliefs and values must encounter in our daily lives.
All elements of the production were wonderfully implemented making The Last Night of Ballyhoo quite a success. The performers were perfect for the roles in which they were cast. For example, Lala’s (Erin Rae Lengkeek) character is supposed to be a romantic dreamer and very childlike. The actress who portrayed
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Not only did it help to aid in giving the viewer an idea of the setting of the play, but also aided in the over feel and mood of the production.
The technical aspects of the production such as scenery, properties and costumes also played a keynote in the productions success. The scenery was fabulous it truly made the play. It was very realistic and extremely vibrant. Almost the entire play was performed in one setting, except for the railcar and dance scenes. The house, the main setting, was magnificent with painstakingly placed detail in every corner. All elements in the house matched wonderfully, for example the furniture, the photos on the wall, the telephone and even the trash can. Little bits of detail were everywhere adding to the beautification of the set, for example the lace decorations on the chairs, the etched glass above the front door and even the Christmas tree.
The properties also were wonderfully used, for example Lala’s photograph of Scarlet O’Hara, which she proudly displayed upon her arrival home from the movies. Many other properties were used though out the play such as the luggage in the boxcar, the candles on the dinner table and the umbrella given back to Reba (Lynn Downey) from their previous cook. There were a lot of properties used in the production, all which aided in the success of the production.
The costumes were also quite beautiful and wonderfully tailored to each character. The many different
I know that it is a small stage so you couldn’t do much to it, but I wish they at least put up an actual door instead of a pretend door so that you could distinguish between houses. In the end I really did like the play because it kept me interested and wondering on what was going to happen next. My boyfriend came to the first half of the play, but then had to go to class for the second half. Since the ending caught me so off guard I had to tell him what happened in the second half. The play was like a delicious dessert that you could not just stop halfway in; you have to keep enjoying it until the very end.
Props and sound effects were not the only major influences for this greatly constructed play, but also the
Therefore the costuming in this play was outstanding. There was a lot of effort put into making the costumes for this play. I enjoyed the three musketeer
The first thing my eyes were drawn to was the show poster because of it’s scientific look. It led me to believe that the play’s focus was on science and theories. The designs used also led me to believe that you needed to know about science to watch the play and the title on the poster seemed to me like it was handwritten which made me think that this play was going to be a play that had elements of a lecture and that one of the characters would be a teacher. Going into the house and sitting down the thing that stood out to me was the set. It looked very spacy and galactic which gave me a feeling of excitement and curiosity. I believe that the set played a huge role as far
The scenes and props complimented the attire of the performers, blending together create a magnificent display. The scenery was realistic enough to afford the viewer an escape into depths of the show. The setting was beautiful and the structures almost lifelike, excepting the absence of a front screen door. It seems that almost all plays and television shows I have viewed neglect this detail. The stage lighting played a key role in the show by setting the mood of the performance during soulful, pensive songs. In contrast, the lighting proved to be a detriment by overbearing the performance of the artists, in that one’s attention was drawn to the glare of extreme quantities of makeup rather than the actions of the characters. This was most notable during the final portions of the production.
There were several props used within the play which were significant for example, the toy guns which were used frequently, suggesting that there was a theme of violence and crime in Vernon God Little. This ties in with the beginning of the play, in where the character Jesus shot 17 students. Another important prop used was the black telephone used by Vernon and Taylor.
The Stage Manager, which is known to the narrator, also shows up in many different scenes as a character. For example, he comes into a scene as Mr. Morgan the drugstore owner who serves ice cream to Emily and George. The play had a lot of objects that were not presently there, the characters did their best trying to symbolize what it would be like using those objects. An example,
The production elements of the show were magnificent. The costumes were great and helped to establish the childlike quality of the show and characters. During the transitions, the characters wore clothing that would best suit a child in play. The
I really enjoyed the background characters. They did a great job in bringing every scene to life and getting
The set and props where very compact and were built and moved on and off by the cast because they are designed to be transferred by one person. The props where all cleverly done, for instance they made a bridge out of three ladders, a train out of four boxes and a house from just one door. The door I thought was one of the best props used because the cast managed to make a fairly small stage appear huge just by moving the door and pretending each time that it was a new room every time they passed through it. At one point in the play Richard and Pamela ask the scottish landlords for a sandwich and they come back with a loaf of bread cut in two with one slice of lettuce in the middle, this was such a simple idea but made a big deal and a laugh out of it
The stage background was very realistic and rustic. They made the house in the background seem very real. Not only that, but they didn't have too many props on the stage. They also placed the props on the whole stage, then the props weren't all clustered together. The costumes that the actors were wearing were very minimal. I feel that they did a good job putting the whole scene of the play really well. Also the actors were very good with expression and trying to use up the whole stage and as many props as
A Christmas Carol is one of the most iconic play as it displays an abundance of successful components. From acting, to stage directing, scenery, costumes, and lighting, the production portrays all those significant aspects. Throughout the process of the play, the plot and acting was incredibly engaging and dramatic. As for the stage directing, all props and cues are organized and well constructed. As for the costumes, scenery, and lighting, all elements was focused on the theme of the play; this created a remarkable environment for the audience to settle on.
The setting of the play helped to develop the mood. First of all, the abundance of props brought the story to live successfully. For example, the bed and door created the forgotten, quiet feeling in the old man's room. Next, the floorboards were lifted up so it actually looked like the
The lighting of any production is the most important part in my thought. the lighting puts you in the mood that you have to be in, in order to fully understand that part of the show and to actually live it like they do. For example, when they were in the park and it was raining, they had their umbrellas, and the background effects of rain made it really seem as if it was raining in the theatre. The lighting was always focused on every part of the stage, especially on those who were the main parts in that scene.
I was not expecting the costumes to be as eccentric. Even though they were matching the characters’ role and personality, I felt like they were too wacky and did not go well with the play.