Constant Star by Tazewell Thompson
"Constant Star" by Tazewell Thompson is a play which sticks out in my mind as being one of the best I have ever had the priviledge of watching. The play is centered around the life of Ida B. Wells, a black woman who stands up for equality at all costs. Although the content of the play is moving and very interesting, the lighting, songs, costumes, props, and special effects are what made the play so extraordinary.
In "Constant Star", lighting told much about the play as soon as it began. Low, yellowish lighting and a bit of fog spread by ceiling fans filled the stage as the play started. This gave the stage the look of an old photograph, so the audience immediatly gathered that the show was taking place in the past. The mood was often set by lighting as well. Red lighting gave the audience a sense of foreboding while yellow indicated happy times. Also, lighting could substitute for props. During scenes involving the train, lights would flash on and off, making the stage look as if it was actually moving. This effectively created the illusion that the cast was on a train. Also, lighting was innovatively used to create a "jail" in one of the scenes by creating vertical bars on the stage around the convicts.
Singing was also very important in the play. Most often, the songs that were sung in the play were used in conjuction with lighting to create the mood. Deep, slow songs indicated that times were changing from good to bad, or from bad to worse. High, fast songs introduced happy scenes. Scenes were also changed according to song, such as the jail scene. The cast began to sing a song about freedom and the jail bars disappeared, indicating through song that the men had been freed. Also, song was important in the play because the songs were specific to the african american culture.
Costumes were also an important aspect of the play. Since five women played the role of one character, costumes played an important role in distinguishing "which" Ida B. Wells was speaking. The costumes were also important to the chronology of the play. They reflected the time period and also communicated much to the audience about the character of Ida B.
In the NonFiction book Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee and Susan McClelland, a true story of a north korean boy named SungJu whose father was disgraced by the army forcing them to move from a nice city to a poor town where you have to fight for food. Losing both parents due to them leaving to find work or food and never coming back. He was forced at just 12 to live on the streets and fend for himself. In order to survive, Sungju forms a gang with his close new friends and lives by fighting, thieving, begging, performing, and traveling around getting arrested and overcoming many obstacles just to simply survive the rough streets of their new home, making new friends and enemies along the away. While they slowly discover the truth about
In conclusion I think that the stage directions and dramatic irony are significant to the play, and without them there would be no need for a lot of the events that happen in the play.
Anthony Doerr’s novel, “All The Light We Cannot See” is a historical fiction novel centering around Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, an orphaned German prodigy, during World War II. The story follows these unfortunate characters throughout their lives, though their ultimate encounter, and through the following relationship that develops. Justin-Siena rightfully selected “All The Light We Cannot See” as their summer read book this year. The moral lessons derived from the novel are important for students to understand. Additionally, Doerr’s unique storyline and writing style teaches students that a novel can be complex and innovative whilst retaining interest.
The Glass Menagerie is a play written by Tennessee Williams. It involves a mother, Amanda, and her two children, Tom and Laura. They are faced with many problems throughout the play. Some of these problems involve: Amanda, the mother, only wants to see her kids succeed and do well for themselves. How does her drive for success lead the book?
#16 Number The Stars by Lois Lowry is an example of historical fiction. This is a story that is based during World War II. Copenhagen is the main city in the book. The writing and time line reference in the book is consistent with the historical facts of this time period. The story is based on how people in Denmark helped Jews escape from the Nazi search, and deportation to concentration camps of Jewish people during the war. The book focuses on a Danish family, the Johansens as they help a Jewish family, the Rosens escape this hunt. Before Denmark was taken over by Germany, the Johansens and Rosens are friends. With the Nazi’s in control, this was a dangerous thing to be. Being friends though, they provide a hiding place for the Rosen’s
The Music Man made interesting use of the technical aspects of theatre. Sound was used appropriately, as music from the monitors did not overpower the voices of the actors. Lights, however, did not leave any sort of impression on me. Hardly any lights were utilized to enhance the mood were present. This caused for less emphasization on spectacle than what would be expected of such a dramatic play. Although, intricate costumes and set made up for the dull lighting techniques.
In Under a Cruel Star, Heda Margolious Kovaly details the attractiveness and terror of Communism brought to Czechoslovakia following WWII. Kovaly’s accounts of how communism impacted Czechoslovakia are fascinating because they are accounts of a woman who was skeptical, but also seemed hopeful for communism’s success. Kovaly was not entirely pro-communism, nor was she entirely anti-communism during the Party’s takeover. By telling her accounts of being trapped in the Lodz Ghetto and the torture she faced in Auschwitz, Kovaly displays her terror experienced with a fascist regime and her need for change. Kovaly said that the people of Czechoslovakia welcomed communism because it provided them with the chance to make up for the passivity they had let occur during the German occupation. Communism’s appeal to
The sound effects and music for the play was recorded to go with the actions of the character’s and whatever was taking place on stage; for example, when Ian and Chuck would play a game since there was no television they needed sound effects to better depict them playing a game. The music used in the play was relevant to today’s period and fit in well with the scenes, like when Ian says he’s going to get a job the song “I’m going to win” fit in perfectly, because it showed his determination. They also used music to help...
In the novel Under a Cruel Star, written by Heda Margolius Kovaly, a Jewish woman that lived in Prague, Czechoslovakia during Nazi and Soviet rule of her country, the author tells about her life of always living under terrible circumstances. Whether it was from being sent to the ghettos or Nazi concentration camps at a young age, or living under fear of terror during the Soviet Communist rule of Prague, she seems to always look for the glimmer of hope in all her experiences. “The little bird, the third force, kept me alive to tell the story” (5). In this quote, this “little bird” that she references is the slight flicker of freedom that she sees at the end of every bad thing she is faced with. This book reminds people that the history of human’s
There were different types of music mentioned in the play. Work songs were one of the types of music mentioned. In the play, The Charles family men sat around the table and sang a work song reminiscing on the days of the past. Work songs, which are c...
In "The Star" by Arthur C. Clark, a Jesuit astrophysicist is forced to question his faith. The findings are troubling, an entire civilization is destroyed by a supernova; the implosion of their sun. The calculations that he makes proves that explosion could have been seen from earth at the same time the Star of Bethlehem announced the birth of Jesus Christ. His crew looks at the situation with a more logical justification. They believe that the events in the universe happen with no plan or purpose. It doesn't matter if the civilizations that have been destroyed have done good or bad, those events are inevitable.
is an important role in any play, and to be a character and a narrator
In conclusion, everyone who enjoys the magic of Broadway and the fantasy world of Hollywood must watch Chicago. Although it is at most difficult to translate a stage musical to an Award-winning film, the vision of director was carefully carried making Chicago a very enjoyable film for the whole family.
... music to set the mood. When times were depressing, there would be dark and sad music playing. One example is when Tom accidently broke one of Laura’s glass figures. Laura was astonished and disappointed which made Tom feel horrible. Another example was when Laura and Mr. O’Connor were dancing, there was waltz music playing.
This fact plays a crucial role in the mood of the play. If the reader understands history, they also understand that women did not really amount to any importance, they were perceived more as property.