We are currently discussing 'motifs', any certain form of repitition through either lines, images, or even patterns of text. Unlike in 'Conduct of Life', the scenes in 'How I Learned to Drive' are not so very abrupt within transition from one to another, they have more of a pattern- more of a Gear/Car related transition that works between each scene. These 'directions' that Vogel is taking, I would like to think of then as a motif, a certain pattern kept up with throughout the course of the play.
Some of these 'gear transitions' do repeat, such as 'You and the Reverse Gear', this is repeated quite a bit in fact. I believe these are placed where the story seems to take a transition back a few years. The last 'gear' is 'Driving in Today's World'. This takes more of a personal and intimate touch, L'il Bit is no longer being given a command or instruction, but rather she is literally driving today in her own world. The use of these gear transitions was very creative, I love how they not only related with L'il Bit literally learning how to drive, but L'il Bit growing up as a young women and coming into her own. With both driving and growing up comes the obstacles and struggles, as well as the maturity and growth and eventual realization of yourself and the world around you. These gears as motifs were basically a foreshadowing of L'il Bit and her life as we watch it unfold.
Last night, I spent my Friday night being a typical single college girl watching 'P.S. I Love You' while eating with my besties Ben & Jerry. This movie always tears me apart, I mean waterworks. In the movie, Hilary Swank's character, Holly, keeps getting these beautiful love letters from her deceased husband (he planned it before his death duhhh) and he always ends them with 'P.S. I Love You'. Now after about the third or so letter, you know what to expect at the end of each, but I feel like knowing that almost draws you in more as you watch it! This motif was such a beautifully placed and exceptionally moving one. Although it was expected, it really made the flow of the story just beautiful and very personal. At the closing of this movie, Holly receives her last letter. At the end of the letter, it reads 'P.S. You know what'. I love how they changed it up a bit! I mean we all know what, but it just makes him have that much more voice and wraps up the story very nicely!
Yes, a motif is very different in a fully realized production over than in a script. Within a script, the reader is reading and taking in everything on his own and putting the pieces together by what they see in their head with what they are exactly reading. The motif would be much more noticable to catch and realize. When watching a fully realized production, there are many different distractions that may get int the way of discovering the motif itself. The full production coming together is a combination of many different fields: technical to emotional. The motif may not be as clear here.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Prompt 4 on Vogel
In Vogel's play, 'How I Learned to Drive', very controversial and uncomfortable situations take place. In order to almost counteract and sort of sway away from the uncomfortable audience, a male and female Greek Chorus were added to play as more comical and lighter characters. The two main characters, Li'l Bit and Uncle Peck are the only two characters not portrayed by the Greek Choruses. Having a set of characters, such as the Greek Chorus, gives the extra detail and sort of establishes the full story. The characters' interaction with L'il Bit or Uncle Peck give us an idea as to how they react around others and not just around each other, which is good to observe. Vogel could have simply written the play with only L'il Bit and Uncle Peck. This, without the Greek Choruses, would leave out very important pieces of the story. With the choruses, the audience finds out that both the Mother and Aunt Mary know (or are at least very suspicious, Other characters, such as the teenager girls at her school, prove just how much more mature (physically, mentally, and emotionally) that L'il Bit was as a young girl. With the presence of these Greek Chorus characters, the audience gets to peek a bit more into the personal relationships of L'il Bit and her family, as well as Uncle Peck. The Greek Choruses also can break that slight awkwardness that an intimate scene Uncle Peck may have with a young L'il Bit. Overall, the Greek Choruses are very vital to the storyline and how the audience actually understands it.
I'm just very curious as to the fact that Aunt Mary knows from the get go what exactly is going on between L'il Bit and her husband, yet refuses to stop it herself. She insists on waiting it out and relies on her patience. I'm just confused as to why Vogel didn't give Aunt Mary more of a backbone. She knows what is going on and how it is not right, but insists on leaving it be. I thought about this for sometime and eventually came to some conclusions. This family, as mentioned, never really seemed to have the best of luck with men. Both Grandma and Aunt Mary still (technically) have the men present in their lives. Although not very happy, this is still good to them. They tend to act a bit more reserved and conservative than L'il Bit's mom, who is without a man. These women remain more reserved and held back. Just like them, when around a man (Uncle Peck), L'il Bit generally gave in and did what Uncle Peck told her to do. I believe both Aunt Mary and Uncle Peck have fallen out of love, possibly never even were in love. But I find it interesting how Aunt Mary can sense the love she is lacking between L'il Bit and Uncle Peck and simply refrain from tampering with it. Vogel wrote her as a very selfless and easily manipulated character. This type of women is not what Uncle Peck had ever wanted, but he had strived for a more fire-minded or fire-headed one, like L'il Bit herself.
I'm just very curious as to the fact that Aunt Mary knows from the get go what exactly is going on between L'il Bit and her husband, yet refuses to stop it herself. She insists on waiting it out and relies on her patience. I'm just confused as to why Vogel didn't give Aunt Mary more of a backbone. She knows what is going on and how it is not right, but insists on leaving it be. I thought about this for sometime and eventually came to some conclusions. This family, as mentioned, never really seemed to have the best of luck with men. Both Grandma and Aunt Mary still (technically) have the men present in their lives. Although not very happy, this is still good to them. They tend to act a bit more reserved and conservative than L'il Bit's mom, who is without a man. These women remain more reserved and held back. Just like them, when around a man (Uncle Peck), L'il Bit generally gave in and did what Uncle Peck told her to do. I believe both Aunt Mary and Uncle Peck have fallen out of love, possibly never even were in love. But I find it interesting how Aunt Mary can sense the love she is lacking between L'il Bit and Uncle Peck and simply refrain from tampering with it. Vogel wrote her as a very selfless and easily manipulated character. This type of women is not what Uncle Peck had ever wanted, but he had strived for a more fire-minded or fire-headed one, like L'il Bit herself.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
The Conduct of Life
In 'The Conduct of Life', the audience is left with a lack of detail and information on the characters or overall story. Maria's writing delivers more of a raw and tension-filled story line, with short yet gripping scenes. A certain dramaturgical route that was selected to take dealt mainly with empathy. It is quite difficult to relate or have any connection to a story unless there is some sort of emotion pull or somewhat relatable circumstance. Maria chose to stage this story in a more personal, intimate, and very raw fashion. For example, the more personal scenes with the dialogue between Olimpia and Nena are very likely to draw the audience in closer and certainly spark some empathetic connections from the audience. Maria could have completely cut those heart-felt scenes out, but chose to keep them and stage them near the end of the story. This way, the audience gets a full picture of just how beautiful of a person Nena is and really has them (as spectators) picking a side. Nena, being only 12 shows great wisdom far beyond her years, " ...And if someone should treat me unkindly, I should not blind myself with rage, but I should see them and receive them, since maybe they are in worse pain than me." I believe that Fornes decided to put these more lengthy and internally based monologues in the script because it really gets the audience feeling confident in the story line and how they feel about it. They pick a side and wholeheartedly support it. When setting a play on more of a raw and emotional manner, the playwright risks a bunch but also has the ability and potential to gain even more. By going on this sympathy-drawn route, Maria, I believe, has the power to gain the complete and utter vulnerability, emotions, and consciousness of the audience. With this raw and very extreme emotion, the characters have those powerful words to work off of from. These haunting monologues make for a very memorable and heart wrenching story line and set of characters. Overall, I believe how Maria is telling 'The Conduct of Life' is just about as raw and real as it should be, and that is moving.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Trifles
In Susan Glaspell's one act play, 'Trifles', lies a very mysterious plot and some very interesting and emotional characters. If the department decided to take on this play and give it a more simple and abstract take, I feel that it would be quite successful. I am always drawn to abstract plays, as a spectator and actor, because I almost add the details and other characteristics to the set and the characters myself. This take on the play does give the audience a bit more freedom with their imaginations, and also gives them a deeper look at the raw emotion and words spoken and channeled throughout the production. This proposal would give the audience a more simplistic and different take on this piece of work.
There are also some cons this proposal would end up facing as well. As much as I love the abstract take on shows, I do not feel that it would be the most beneficial and fitting take. I feel like this play is based around this old lady, her dead husband, and a very creepy house. Mrs. Hale even states, "...I stayed away because it weren/t cheerful..." Clearly this house is not a home. I feel that while doing an abstact version of this show, you are almost dismissing a chunk of the emotion the audience could end up feeling. Without the upstaging of very intricate costumes or lively set pieces, the audience can surely grasp the emotion the characters are bringing through. I do feel, though, that it would be more entertaining with a beautiful set,costumes, and props, especially considering the small time limit. With that little bit of time you have with the audience, why not fully transform the world around them?
Overall, yes, I can see a production of 'Trifles' set out in a very abstract way. I believe this performance would have the potential of being simply outstanding, but I think it would take some very hard effort. I just personally feel, a very detailed house and some specific costumes would put the audience more into the 'world of the show', rather than outside of it.
There are also some cons this proposal would end up facing as well. As much as I love the abstract take on shows, I do not feel that it would be the most beneficial and fitting take. I feel like this play is based around this old lady, her dead husband, and a very creepy house. Mrs. Hale even states, "...I stayed away because it weren/t cheerful..." Clearly this house is not a home. I feel that while doing an abstact version of this show, you are almost dismissing a chunk of the emotion the audience could end up feeling. Without the upstaging of very intricate costumes or lively set pieces, the audience can surely grasp the emotion the characters are bringing through. I do feel, though, that it would be more entertaining with a beautiful set,costumes, and props, especially considering the small time limit. With that little bit of time you have with the audience, why not fully transform the world around them?
Overall, yes, I can see a production of 'Trifles' set out in a very abstract way. I believe this performance would have the potential of being simply outstanding, but I think it would take some very hard effort. I just personally feel, a very detailed house and some specific costumes would put the audience more into the 'world of the show', rather than outside of it.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Overtones
While reading through this very quirky and different short play, I was eventually able to pick up on the breaks and 'rules' each character tended to follow. For example, the two main and more cultured characters are both Harriet and Margaret. These two characters interact with one another and are constantly battling the inner voices and their deepest most inner thoughts. The more inner voices and more primitive sort of characters are Hetty and Maggie.
An example as to how these different rules are set out would be the fact that Harriet cannot hear or even see the Maggie character, and Margaret cannot either see or hear the Hetty character.
You can see just how much the characters Hetty and Maggie end up influencing both Harriet and Margaret in the long run. For example, Harriet had left John Caldwell because she, at the time, had felt like he was far too much of a 'poor gamble at the time'. The character Hetty, Harriet's more primitive self, bashes on Harriet for leaving John and claims that she (Hetty) might have married John if it weren't for Harriet's actions. Hetty influences Harriet to say sort of subtle things that may make Margaret jealous of her current 'braggable' lifestyle. Hetty eventually gets Harriet to mention, "...There are always a great many people buying it at Harper's. I sat in my automobile fifteen minutes this morning waiting for my chauffeur to get it." Harriet originally states at the beginning as to how she is the more educated self and should not act in any rude or inappropriate ways.
Margaret was also very influenced by her other self, Maggie. Margaret and her husband, John, are actually starving and are in need of money. Maggie voices to Margaret how her and her husband are truly hungry and cannot make a living. Margaret continues onto Harriet as if her life is full, rich, and everything is perfect. Margaret was persuaded by Maggie to allure Harriet into buying a painting.
In conclusion, these two women were ultimately controlled by their more primitive and true feelings, their other selves. At different points, even without seeing the staging on print, the audience should be able to tell who can hear who and who can see who. It is written very clearly, and once you have seen the first few pages, you can get a feeling as to who is speaking to who. So, there are no really overall and set rules, but I feel like the majority of the time Margaret and Harriet were both somewhat dependent and controlled by their other selves.
An example as to how these different rules are set out would be the fact that Harriet cannot hear or even see the Maggie character, and Margaret cannot either see or hear the Hetty character.
You can see just how much the characters Hetty and Maggie end up influencing both Harriet and Margaret in the long run. For example, Harriet had left John Caldwell because she, at the time, had felt like he was far too much of a 'poor gamble at the time'. The character Hetty, Harriet's more primitive self, bashes on Harriet for leaving John and claims that she (Hetty) might have married John if it weren't for Harriet's actions. Hetty influences Harriet to say sort of subtle things that may make Margaret jealous of her current 'braggable' lifestyle. Hetty eventually gets Harriet to mention, "...There are always a great many people buying it at Harper's. I sat in my automobile fifteen minutes this morning waiting for my chauffeur to get it." Harriet originally states at the beginning as to how she is the more educated self and should not act in any rude or inappropriate ways.
Margaret was also very influenced by her other self, Maggie. Margaret and her husband, John, are actually starving and are in need of money. Maggie voices to Margaret how her and her husband are truly hungry and cannot make a living. Margaret continues onto Harriet as if her life is full, rich, and everything is perfect. Margaret was persuaded by Maggie to allure Harriet into buying a painting.
In conclusion, these two women were ultimately controlled by their more primitive and true feelings, their other selves. At different points, even without seeing the staging on print, the audience should be able to tell who can hear who and who can see who. It is written very clearly, and once you have seen the first few pages, you can get a feeling as to who is speaking to who. So, there are no really overall and set rules, but I feel like the majority of the time Margaret and Harriet were both somewhat dependent and controlled by their other selves.
Monday, January 21, 2013
The Beginnings of a Blog
Hello all of you Theatre People! This is the exciting start to my blog for Theatre 2130 with the ever so amazing J Fletch! Follow me & let's get to blogging :)
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