Kent State University presented a beautiful production of Intimate Apparel that revealed the struggles of finding love and keeping love alive. The story focused on Esther Mills, an illiterate black seamstress in 1905 lower Manhattan, as she is longing to find a husband. Through an acquaintance she starts writing to a man from Panama with the help of her rich white client Mrs. Van Buren. George ends up coming to America and two are wed, even though Esther’s heart belongs to Mr. Marks, a Jewish fabric seller. George ends up not being the man from the letters, and takes money from Esther and leaves her for gambling, alcohol, and whores. Esther, after losing so much, still fights on and keeps sewing. I left the show feeling a deep connection …show more content…
Isabella Trevino did a fantastic job at creating intimacy with her scenic design. This was the first show I have seen that didn’t perform set changes in-between scenes, which allowed the show to flow smoothly. The idea of having very room on stage at the same time, also tied in with Polanco’s main theme of intimacy. In act two, when Esther found out that George was having an affair with Mayme, I found myself looking over at “Panama” and thinking about how wonderful George was in the letters in act one, and trying to realize why he was being so terrible to his wife now. It allowed me, as an audience member, to relive previous scenes from earlier in the show. The only downfall with zero scene changings, was the clutter on the stage was sometimes a little hard to see past. I was sitting stage left right next to the saloon, and sometimes I couldn’t see the actors past the bed posts on Mayme’s bed.
Another scenic design that Trevino portrayed, was the delicate details of the flooring in each room. Before the show started, I just assumed that the play was taking place in one house, but the usage of different flooring allowed the audience to realize that each corner was a completely different building. The subtle design of the “dirt” in the saloon and the cleanliness of the floor in Mrs. Van Buren’s boudoir was a very nice touch. The flooring was probably very helpful to the actors, because it forced them to stay within their area, and this helped the audience discern which room the scene was placed
...ition to costume, language and dialogue is what fixes the atmosphere and the action. In a manner very similar to Shakespeare, Calderón weaves description of the scene and of what is occurring into the main thrust of the play. In this sense, he is more than a poet, he is a dramatic craftsman who predominantly through his verse alone, creates a drama in its own right. All the clues to the plot and its themes lie in the text; the use of staging, costume, music and props can be used to enhance what lies in the script. What they give to the play is a fuller and more entertaining dramatic production. Thus, if used sensitively and intelligently by a director, these factors can increase the dramatic power of the work. The primary focus, however, remains the language, which relies on a high standard of acting in order to do justice to the subtleties of the play.
The dynamics were played out excellently by the use of unity of time, place, and action. The climate was heated and so too were the members of the jury as the story progressed. The characters grew to understand each other and the audience learns more and more about the individuals. Perhaps, the motive for that said characters verdict or backstory on the matter. A few characters were highly stereotypical and the actors did a worthy job in portrayed them as accurately as possible. For such a short production, it was an extremely elaborate one. The absence of an intermission also played an important role in keeping the audience submerged in the action. The use of the thrust stage made the acting and situation feel more real. The message was powerful and received well by the audience.
The way he carries himself and his voice inflections really make the viewer feel like they are in the time period and can envision themselves in the scene of the play. The actor himself really seemed to believe in the play. The way he stormed out of the Ballyhoo scene, it was obvious that he was passionate about the play and really bought into the role. At other times, he spoke to everyone like a true gentleman. The kissing scene was a soft spot in the play, and he did a great job of the whole kiss and the speaking leading up to it. In addition, the actor did a great job of using a different voice in the play. Eastern European Jews were known for speaking differently that German Jews, and his voice was unique and correct for the time
I found the setting of the show to be visually amazing. One scene that I found interesting and heart touching, was when Elphaba and Glinda realize that it’s the end for the wicked witch. The hunters that have been chasing them have finally caught up to them and have come to kill her. Glenda and Elphaba share a moment of reflection and love that they know will be the final embrace they will ever share. At the end of the song “My life has changed forever” because I knew you, they share an embrace where you can feel the love radiate from the stage to the audience, I actually began to shed a few tears along with my girlfriend because, this scene was heart touching. Looking about at others in the audience and I noticed that they were emotional too both man and women had watery eyes or was
The setting was cluttered with upside chairs and a dark blue color all across the stage. I liked that everything was cluttered to represent the feeling that the characters did not what to with their life. The setting was boxes stacked on top of each other of both sides of the stage. I didn’t like their setting structure because I only felt that it matched with the waterfall scene in Puerto Rico.
...transition between each stage was flawless. I enjoyed that screens were used to create the background for each scene allowing for the smooth transitions. The screens gave the appearance of being three-dimensional making the scenes seem much more real. I also enjoyed the lighting being used as spotlights during some of the scenes and being used as a transition between scenes, or day and evening.
The element that stood out the most to me was how effectively the music and the footwork corresponded. The best examples of this are seen through the dancers solos. Especially Albrecht's solo, his feet glide on the stage at the same tempo as the music. Similarly, Giselle's graceful footwork is truly amazing. I really like the similarities between the choreographed footwork and the music, it makes Giselle seem much more elegant and beautiful. This also seems to make the work look more put together and in sync because the dancers are dancing in harmony with the orchestra. The choreography by itself is amazing. The footwork is rapid and intricate, however, at the same time it is delicate and graceful. The ballerina (Giselle) made it look very easy to do the choreography, when it rea...
...she would end up if she didn’t change her ways. By losing Joan, Esther was able to release her old self and be reborn again.
The choreography kept things interesting and the dances in a musical can make or break the performance. Overall, Cherie and Abby did an amazing job directing each person to have a place among a crowded stage. Last but not least, the costumes! This play was set in the 1890s, meaning it is very important to have correlating costumes so the audience can be aware of what time period they are in.
The setup of the stage was very simple. It was the living room of a home in the early 1980’s. It looked like a normal household, and it had small things such as crumpled up pieces of paper lying around the wastebasket. It also had a couch, circular class table and a recliner in the living room. The dining room was to the left side of the stage and only had the dining table and surrounding chairs. There was a door in the back of the set where characters entered and exited through. Beside the door was a table and stool where Willum presumably worked on his blueprints for the hotel. The lighting design was great; it put you into the atmosphere of the
The most successful aspect of the performance for me were the scene changes. I found that the rotation of the blackboard, center stage, where the actors were able to stoop beneath it in order to enter and exit the stage, was an effective touch to this non naturalistic performance. When this was first used, at the end of the first scene, when the characters Ruth and Al left the stage, I thought it didn't quite fit as at the beginning the style was leaning towards realism. But as the play progressed and the acting style became more and more non naturalistic, and this rotation of the black board technique was used more frequently it fitted in really well and became really effective.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this play, and my reaction was enhanced by the dramatic tension Miller creates in so many ways. The unexpected twists and use of dramatic irony help to keep the audience?s attention, while the sub-plot of rivalry adds interest and also reflects the main plot. The abrupt ending of act one, reflects the abrupt ending of the play as a whole, leaving the remainder to the imagination. Ending like these force viewers to envision what would follow, and, once again this all adds to the dramatic tension.
I have never once been to a show where a change in lighting made me gasp in surprise; but at the beginning of Act Three, when the lights changed from a soft warm light to a harsh fluorescent truly blew me away. It sets the tone for the entire second half of the play, and I thought the way they went about utilizing the lighting was truly brilliant. I also found the dripping water in the Proctor’s home to be very impressive. It made the entire universe that much more realistic. As I watched the real drops of water drip from the ceiling and into the bucket, I was mesmerized and 100% engaged in the story that was happening. I have seen lots of great productions, with tons of brilliant actors, but I find that the little things, like special effects, and lighting is really what impress me when I go to see a show. The technical aspects of theater are truly what made a fine production great, and I like to pay complement where complement is
That all changes with the purchase of a single pair of silk stockings. Instead of buying what she intended, she proceeds to spend the entire amount on herself. Her purchases include things that make her appear to be a woman of high society. The most common question readers ask is “Why did she do it?” Some say the story is about a woman’s image in the 1890’s while others say she was once of such status and wanted to return to her life before motherhood.
There wasn’t any particular scene on stage that made me doubt the integrative work of the director since all the staging work such as lighting, design, costumes and performance were well coordinated and blended for a very good production. The lights were well positioned with well fitted costumes and a very ideal scene to match. There wasn’t much change of scenes in the play except for some movement of tables and chairs. There was an entrance and exit for the performers which made their movements uninterrupted. There was a loud sound of a bell when school was over while the lights were dimmed whenever there was a change of scene. The pace of the production was very smooth since one scene followed the other without delay and most likely because most of the performers wore the same costume; especially all eight students wore the same costume for the entire