Show and Tell Post 3: 9 to 5!

I read this musical recently because I learned that Theatre Baton Rouge was doing it. I still am not exactly sure how I feel about it, but it certainly was not boring. As I continued to read the plot I kept saying to myself... really?!? A lot happens in this musical. For those of you who have not read it, and are reading my blog post which is late (hey Dr. Fletcher), the plot follows a "horrible bosses" storyline. That movie and this play have many similarities. This play contains the asshole boss who discriminates against beautiful women and does not appreciate anyone. Clearly, the employees are all unhappy. I absolutely loved the songs about how the three women wanted to kill their boss. They were creative and tied into the story well. As I read this play I tried to come up with a Unifying Principle. I just kept returning to the reasons why people put up with terrible jobs. People work so they can play. All of these women are willing to work hard so they can eventually be happy. Even their boss wants to be happy and he believes that he can be through controlling everyone else. The play wants things to resolve themselves. The moments that make the play speed along are the pleasant moments you want to go on forever. The shorter moments that move quickly are the conflicts that we want to be resolved. Everything in this show points towards happiness. The Unifying Principle for me is get happy. The story and characters are trying to become happy as things progress. This is a cute play with great music.

Drowsy Chaperone

I think one of the things that is most interesting about The Drowsy Chaperone is the contrast between the play world and the play within a play world. The world with the Man is a world with many real worldly troubles. He enjoys to forget about his "real life" problems and escape into the roaring 20s world in the Drowsy Chaperone. I think this idea of forgetting about our problems is something everyone can relate to. The world of the musical is much larger than life, in fact it is much larger than the life of the Man. Although some of the characters may be trying to escape, their problems are ones of a different time. Also, they often use songs to determine changing opinions or worries. This is a feature that is only feasible in the world of the Drowsy Chaperone. The importance of the man is to take us in and out of this fantasy world. It allows the audience to be slightly more separated from the world of the Drowsy Chaperone. The audience can easily compare with similarities and differences to modern times without simply getting caught up in the catchy musical attractions.

Three Viewings

I kept struggling to find a connection no one else found; however, all of the connections seemed fairly obvious to me. I believe this was on purpose to blatantly point out the connections between all of these different people. Aside from the funeral home which ties this play together, Margaret Mary attended all of the different funerals.

A more interesting connection, or pattern, I found between the three monologues was held within the structure. In each of the monologues, some surprise is revealed near the end of the piece. For example, throughout most of Tell Tale, the audience believes that Emil is a nice man with a innocent, yet large, crush on a woman. Little does anyone know until the end of his monologue... he is married! The opinion of Emil is immediately altered. Similarly, the second monologue (thief of tears) begins the monologue sounding like a creep. Mac frankly sounds like a terrible person when she talks about stealing things off of corpses, specifically her own grandmothers. At the end of the monologue, she begins to speak sentimentally about grandmaw. By the end of the monologue, the audience has a new, softer opinion of Mac. Finally, in Thirteen things about Ed Carpolotti, the action follows a similar structure. However, this time change in character is not about Virginia. Moreover, the surprise involves the subject of this monologue, her husband. Throughout Virginia's entire story she is telling the audience how her husband died and left her to deal with debt and secrets. However, at the end of the monologue you find out he set everything up to help out Virginia. Everything worked out because he loved her and wanted to care for her. It was a very sweet outcome.

I also thought it was interesting that the last two surprised the audience with sweeter endings than they originally bargained for. This was a neat change from the first monologue.    

On the Verge

This play has many different ideas that could be used for posters and taglines. For my poster, I would like an image of one of the iconic items that they mistakenly name as something else. For example, I think a very interesting poster would be a huge image of cool whip with a quote from the show underneath. For example, it could say "Noxzema!" underneath. I believe this poster would be cute, funny, and also attract an audience simply out of curiosity. I think an accurate tag line for this poster would be exploring the known. These three women begin to gain knowledge as they travel through time and space. So as they travel and explore, they do know more. This also plays on the idea that this show is filled with tons and tons of pop culture references. Therefore, as an audience we see these ladies literally exploring the known. They are viewing many things from our own recent history.  

Fires in the Mirror

When I first read this play, I was also confused by the seemingly random monologues that didn't have to do with the event per say  However, these monologues were chosen for a reason and should be performed to maintain the integrity of this show. These monologues give the audience a sense of the world that was before the Crown Height events took place. These monologues answer questions about both racial communities, as well as their relationship with each other. You get a taste of everyone's daily life. If you didn't have stories from all sides before the murder, then after the murder you would be more likely to take a side or be persuaded by one group. This production allows you to view this event as a grey event, not black or white. It allows you to question everyone involved without choosing a side. Finally, some of these monologues are the funniest in the entire play. Once people begin discussing murder it becomes very difficult to make the play light or funny at all. These opening monologues allow the audience to be entertained and lifted up before the heavy subject matter begins.

Show and Tell Post 2

Most recently, I read Proof by David Auburn. This was written in 2000 and premiered on Broadway the same year. It also won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony for Best Drama. I had to read it for directing class and it was actually my first time reading this play.
This play deals with the delicate balance between brilliance and insanity. I really enjoyed reading this play.
The protagonist is a young woman named Catherine. We learn that her father was a genius mathematician who also suffered from mental illness. This information sets the stage for the play. We immediately begin to search for signs of Catherine following in her father's footsteps.
I loved the motif's of perseverance. Catherine follows in her father's footsteps in order to prove her work, despite her fears of where it will lead her. Catherine continues despite worries from her sister and father's protege. She worries that she will follow in his footsteps; however, she does so unknowingly most of the time. I enjoy the contrast between the intelligent characters and characters of "average" intelligence because there is a constant war between intelligence and common sense. This is part of Robert's downfall. This push and pull between being smart and unstable is what keeps this play moving and interesting.

Detroit

1. A huge example of ambiguity in this play is the question of who the characters are. There are a lot of questions unanswered about Sharon and Kenny. Who are these mysterious new neighbors? How are they moving into the suburb with low level jobs and previous addictions. A lot of things do not add up with this couple. Similarly, a lot of questions about the action in this play are unanswered. Short and outlandish clips of action make the story hard to fully piece together; however, it is clear this choice is intentional. 
2. I am struggling to write about the irony because almost nothing in this script is concrete enough to be considered a reveal to the audience. For example, we infer that Sharon and Kenny may be lying about who they are; however, I am not sure if this hint is considered irony. I do like the connection between all of the injuries and the relationships disintegrating  this is irrelevant but it is a connection I wanted to touch on. Perhaps other examples of dramatic irony occur during the discussions between the ladies and men. Some of the information they divulge their significant others are unaware of. 
3. One of the largest reality checks in this play occurs in the final Act when Ben and Mary finally discover that Sharon and Kenny are not who they seem. This is a clear moment where an outside character is informing Ben and Mary of a fact. It is interesting that these reality checks stand out. This fact says something about this play world and how vague it is. 
I think that ambiguity is most crucial to this story because it makes the story more encompassing. This story takes place in a unstated city with couples that could be like anyone else. The less details, the more poignant this story is. The way it was written, Detroit makes a huge impact on readers. The audience can relate to this story and the horrific thought that this story is not far fetched.   

Water by the Spoonful

The significant moment I have chosen to talk about is in Scene 7. However, more specifically it is the first exchange between Odessa and Elliot. Not only does the moment finally reveal the connection between Elliot and the other characters in the story; however, it also provides a nice contrast between Odessa and Haikumom. We already knew that Odessa was different than her online personality, but this is the first time we see it affect her real life. She shirked her responsibilities with her real son to be a mother to everyone in the chat room. She truly sees the chat room members as her children. Haikumom is Odessa's chance to be the great mom she never was. Unfortunately, this need makes her shirk her duties to her actual kids. This moment is crucial in showing this scripts dissonance. Odessa's different worlds are colliding and things are not going well. This moment shows her struggle to balance her different lives, and also ties together all of the different story lines. 

Buried Child

The start of this play is slightly misleading. We see a normal American Family and you expect another American Dream story. However, in this play, the idea of the American Dream gets totally re-framed  Furthermore, as the play progresses, you realize how different this play world actually is. At the start of play we receive hints that things may not be as they seem. We begin noticing more and more mysteries regarding this family and their behavior. Tilden brings vegetables onstage that his parents swear cannot exist. Things then get even crazier when no one even recognizes Vince. You quickly begin to realize that everyone in this play world is a little bit mad. This concept that everyone is unstable is interesting because it makes you as an audience member question everything said by the characters within the story. You are never quite sure who to believe and if you can believe anyone at all. Even characters like Vince end up losing more sanity as the show progresses; therefore, the audience really can never be sure of what is going on. On a larger scale of the entire script, Shepard intentionally leaves questions unanswered in his script. This ambiguity is a choice which separates this play from those such as Glass of Water and Noises Off. For example, no one is ever sure what lies in the back yard. Multiple characters argue for either side: some say there is life back there and others say there is nothing. However, vegetables are brought onstage. Where did Tilden even get them? This question makes the ending when Tilden brings the "buried child" onstage one huge "HUH?" 
We are never sure who the child is, where is came from, and who made this family go nuts. 

Noises Off

I think a motif in this show is a broken record. This "broken record" idea is explored on both the large and small scales in this show. Some characters need to be constantly reminded of certain things. For example, the word sardines is always being repeated. This sets the audience up to be expecting the return of the sardines. Similarly, the plays structure is somewhat of a broken record. Each Act begins at the top of Act I of this show that they are putting on. Although, these take place at a different time, each act automatically follows a similar outline. Finally, the broken record motif is taken literally when Brooke, not knowing what to do next or how to improvise, simply repeats her lines over and over again no matter what is happening around her. 

I think that "doors!" would be a good tagline for the show. It is said over and over again, reflecting my idea of the broken record. It also references the well made play convention, which is brought back in this play which is essentially a well made play. The doors are separating the two worlds; however, they are often forgotten about. This allows for the combination of these two worlds quite frequently. The separation between the stage and real life is not as successful as the actors would hope. This is what creates so much of the chaos and misunderstandings. These doors surround most of the action of the play. 

Glass of Water

This play was interesting because as I continued to read, my answer for who the protagonist was constantly changing. I kept bouncing between the couple and Bolinbroke and other characters, etc, etc. I think the problem with finding one protagonist in this play has to do with the many secrets and shenanigans. The plot is so think with action and information, many characters are critical to the show. I don't think that stage time necessarily dictates the protagonist either. Bolinbroke is constantly on stage keeping the action moving; however, none of the action actually revolves around him. I would venture to say that the actual protagonist is Masham because you are rooting for things to work out for him. Although I believe he is the protagonist, I would also like to add that I don't think the protagonist is a good question for this play. I believe this play relies heavily on characters outside of the action. These characters are who actually keep the play moving, such as Bolinbroke. 

Comments, Comments, Everywhere! (Checkpoint 2)

Here are my comments for Checkpoint 2:


http://adamplanche.blogspot.com/2013/04/glass-water.html?showComment=1366018277951

http://austinthtr2130.blogspot.com/2013/04/prompt-ten-detroit.html#comment-form

http://austinthtr2130.blogspot.com/2013/04/prompt-nine-water-by-spoonful.html?showComment=1366018618260#c5659394043272147257

http://thtr2130sh.blogspot.com/2013/04/buried-child.html?showComment=1366018826688#c7717623462972123129

http://gracietheatre2130.blogspot.com/2013/04/wow-noises-off-isso-crazy.html?showComment=1366019055110#c1409100454859196842

http://samcosby2130.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-dramaturgical-choices-made-by.html?showComment=1366019270175#c8681282122748373564

Show and Tell Post 1!

The musical (yes, musical) I have chosen to do my Show and Tell on is The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown (2002). It premiered Off-Broadway in 2002 starring Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott, and was just recently revived this year. Here is the link to Jason Robert Browns website where he has information on how to read/listen to/perform his shows. 

http://jasonrobertbrown.com/projects/the-last-5-years/

This musical tells the story of a young man and woman and their relationship. However, the story does not completely take place chronologically. In the beginning of the show, the girlfriend Cathy is telling her point of view on the end of their relationship. The boyfriend, Jamie, starts at the beginning of their relationship. The plot covers their entire story, from their first date until the end, which you know from the start is ultimately coming. 

I had seen a production of this show before and wanted to read the lyrics and listen to the score again to fully re experience this play. What I find most interesting about this production is the choice to have the story being told from backwards to forwards, while simultaneously being told from the beginning. You get all sides of the story this way. Even more interesting, is this choice from Jason Robert Brown allows the play to not be a cryfest the whole time. Even though this relationship does not work out, there are happy moments from both characters up until the end of the show. This show is also written to be performed simply: not requiring in depth work from all tech elements of performance.    

Hornby- Motifs!

Constantly throughout How I Learned to Drive, there is a motif of compromise. This compromise mirrors Lil Bit and Peck's relationship and how it is not black or white. Their relationship is 3 dimensional with both characteristics of a healthy relationship, as well as characteristics of a dangerous one. The little compromises they share throughout the story matches this nicely. For example, in the first scene, Lil Bit gives Peck hard limits for how he should touch her and he must obey. Also, later in the play Lil Bit promises to spend time with Peck if he agrees to stop drinking. Both of these examples nicely reflect the give and take of the two characters' relationship.  

There is a motif of location in zombie and post apocalyptic films. These type of films usually take place in or near large busy areas. For example, in Dawn of the Dead (both the original and remake), the story primarily takes place in a shopping mall. This location and the zombies in the film combine to reflect the dangers of consumerism.  I believe motifs are stronger in full productions because all of the elements can be utilized to outline the motif more fully.

How I Learned to Drive

When I first read this play a long time ago, I did not read the stage directions and honestly payed no attention to the Greek chorus. I imagined each character as a different person and imagined everything that was said was being done. However, as I reread this play for this class I payed more attention to little details and enjoyed it even more than the first time I read it. 
I believe that the chorus is an important and effective choice for this script. The chorus playing every other character but Lil Bit and Peck allows Lil Bit to talk about other relevant stories in her life. However, it also forces the story to always return to Lil Bit's relationship with Peck. It makes the statement that Peck is the main influence in this story very clear. It prevents any minor characters, such as the mother or grandmother, to overshadow Lil Bit and Pecks conversations. 

I really enjoyed the choice of Vogel to pantomime ALMOST every action in the play. Throughout the play, Lil Bit and Peck pantomime all inappropriate gestures. Even Lil Bit entering the shower is pantomimed and she remains clothed. I did not understand at first why Vogel did this. This lack of interaction with them separated the audience, in a way, from the horror of pedophilia that was taking place. Then, as the plot is continuing, I almost began to develop a little bit of empathy for Peck. He stopped drinking, seemed to take care of her, etc. However, at the end of the play, Vogel chose for Lil Bit and Pecks first interaction to be truly staged. As Peck takes advantage of the 11 year old girl, no pantomiming involved, the audience gets shocked into remembering that nothing about this relationship is normal. It leaves a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach and justifies every part of Lil Bit's reaction to Peck in their last meeting and then his inevitable death. I think Vogel chose to do this to emphasize this first meeting and make it the most important.

Overtones

This play's theatrical world is a very interesting one where two of the characters on stage are the primal parts of the other two characters. This outward personification of our inner truths complicates blocking and dialogue logistics on stage. How real are these two people? Do they have any limits? We discover as we read the play that both Hettie and Maggie, who are Harriet and Margaret's counterparts, can be both heard and seen as normal characters. However, it appears to be dangerous to be seen so they cover themselves in one way or another. The stage directions stage a thin cloth, but it could be anything from a mask to a cloak. In my opinion, as long as there faces are covered they are safe from being detected. The dialogue states that Hettie must be covered so the stage directions are not necessary to discover this. Furthermore, we learn that these inner selves can talk to their outward selves AND the others respective inner self. This bothered me at first because I did not understand why they could talk to one part of the other person and not the other. What I ended up deciding is that they were having conversations through body language that may have differed from what the refined self was actually saying. In our world this contradiction happens all the time and primal selves love to point it out. I felt like the play handled these characters their rules to being on stage well. I did not think they were broken at any point because they were never specifically outlined fully at any point. Their language on stage made the play both humorous and a more poignant commentary on interactions at this time, and even on interactions still today.