Into the Woods held the same storyline and morals as Hansel and Gretel, but instead of keeping the story exactly the same, our group changed it to modern times. By adding characters such as Jeffrey Dahmer and games like pokemon go, we were able to show that our play took place in today’s world. Making a play and performing it in front of the class was something that I have never done before, and it came with a lot of challenges. With this in mind, the challenges made me understand and appreciate the art of theatre in a new way. While writing the script, the group saw how difficult it could be to add the small details within a performance. As we met, we worked long, hard hours on the dialogue and motions that would take place. Our meetings
When preparing a written drama for film, directors’ often make alterations in order to present a more realistic narrative. Richard Lloyd did just that when editing long time friend August Wilson’s play “The Piano Lesson.” Lloyd not only enhanced the impact of the play, but also added depth to the world in which it is set. In Wilson’s ephemeral “The Piano Lesson,” the screenplay successfully deviates from the stage script by altering the set design, sound, and character portrayal in order to further ingrain the message that we can not effectively build our futures by avoiding our heritage.
Have you ever met someone so good, yet they are evil to everyone around you? In the 21st century, the musical Wicked became a popular hit. With the tragic wars, disease, and new presidencies making history in the United States, theatre has always been an escape. Theatre has grown from audiences helping make it such a success. 21st century plays, specifically Wicked, were greatly impacted by the changes going on in the United States.
On a Wednesday night I saw Texas State Theatre and Dance Department's performance of A Chorus Line. The main plot of the musical entails the audition of 17 dancers for several Broadway roles on the chorus line. However, during their auditions the director Zach asks for personal stories of each dancer's life. Though the plot of this musical is seemingly simple in its twist on the traditional audition, it explores themes that reveal the human experience, the search for individuality, and the sense of self.
Through December 5th through the 7th, I performed in Thornton Wilder’s play of Our Town. The only sets or props that the actors or actresses used where folding chairs for us to sit in, umbrellas to hide Emily (Julie Dumbler), and flats on both sides of the stage to hide the people behind them. The reason for the lack of set is so the audience can use there imagination of what the town of Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire looks like. All the rest of the props that the actors had to use were pan mimed and acted out to the fullest to make it look real. The only other experience with no set was with Miss Henery in Neodesha and it was a disaster so I didn’t know how well this was going to work out. But with the help of our director Peter Ellenstein and the rest of the cast, the pan miming was very successful. Our performance space was a modified thrust stage. The shape of the stage served us well for this play, but the back stage was horrible. All of the chairs that we had to use were folding chairs that made a lot of noise even if you hardly touched one. One neat thing about the play is that all of the sound affects were made by our backstage manager (Lisa Mitchell) or other members of the cast. In exception for the clock chiming at the end of the play. People who have seen the play tell me that it is a very heart moving play. I did not get that feeling because I was always backstage or onstage. Ether way I didn’t get to watch the play so I couldn’t see what was so moving about it. The only humor I got was from lines and the funniest person I heard was Professor Willard (Gary Mitchell). The audience is led through the entire play by the Stage Manager (Cory Venable). He literally talks to the audience between every scene explaining what is going on in the story. I thought Mr. Wilder did a good job in having a Stage Manager do this. The Stage Manager tells and shows us a story a young girl growing up and facing death, even after death. He show us how Emily Webb (Julie Dumbler) first gets to know her future husband George Gibbs (Eric Cole).
“I was raised to be charming not sincere.” Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim is about a witch that gives a childless baker and his wife a list of magical items they have to find from classic fairy tales to reverse the curse put on their family tree, Into The Woods is a play as well as a movie; which are different in ways but they are also similar. In the movie there are things that are more fitting than in the play. However the play is more entertaining to watch then the movie because it's funnier, it does not leave senecs out like the movie, and how the performers acted.
Into the woods was an adventurous play that was perfect for the use of your imagination and spirit. Into the Woods had numerous different fairy tales involved which could make a small child feel like he/she was in heaven. The acting, music, concept, stage design, costumes, and even the language of the play all mixed to perfection. The crowd became involved right away with the irony of the play. I liked how Into the Woods was set up in the beginning because it made the play easier to follow. However, the play seemed to be a little lengthy and some of the characters became annoying. I do not believe the second part of the play altogether was necessary. Into the Woods did not fulfill my expectations to the max, although, the play was enjoyable to experience.
¨I am meant to be charming not sincere.¨ The making of Into The Woods film production is better than the play production. The Film production of into the woods is very easy to follow along too. Also the movie is very humorous and the actors that are in the film fit the roles.
On October 20th, I attended the opening show for Almost Maine at the Lonestar center- Cyfair. Now that I have seen two different plays, I can see major differences in the styles of acting, scenic design and costumes that the director used to make the audience better understand the play. This time around, I’m happy to say I enjoyed this play due to the fact I wasn’t questioning the content of the play and enjoyed seeing my classmates showing off their talents in this work of art.
The director was very busy observing the actors, the lights and sound. She was all around the theatre viewing from different vantage points. It was during these observations she noticed on a couple of occasions that the sound effects and music would need to be adjusted for a better experience. She communicated on occasion the need to edit recordings to her specifications for the desired effect.
Directed by Barbara Damashek, Into The Woods will compel you with its laugh out loud musicality, as it sucks you into the world of fairytales as well as giving you an insight about losing a loved one. Originally written by James Lapine, I, along with my boyfriend, watched Into the Woods in the Little Theatre in the Creative Arts Building. We watched it Friday night, May 1, 2015, at 8pm, while sitting in seats 110 and 111 in row E. Similar to the first play, The Learned Ladies, I once again bought and paid for my tickets online using the vendini website that was provided to us on ilearn. Because my boyfriend came with me, I paid $15 for general admission and $10 for student admission. Watching the
Though the Chorus fulfills several functions as narrator, apologizing for the limitations of the theater, explaining lapses of time a...
Elizabethan times in the 1600s was a progression for the world of the theater. A period named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, it is from this period that modern day society has its foundation for the entertainment industry. From the violence that was prevalent because of the Black Death, people turned to the theater for its poetry and romance. During this time period, there were two types of theatrical performances that were available for the people’s viewing, comedies or tragedies. These two genres were never really intertwined until the time of William Shakespeare. His play, Romeo and Juliet, is an example of both a comedy and a tragedy. It starts off as a comedy with Romeo weeping like a baby because of his love Rosaline, who did not love him back and ends as a tragedy when Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star crossed lovers, commit suicide because the lost of each other. It was also during Shakespeare’s time that writer were finally acknowledged by the people. Before this time, writers were not considered upper classman. Another group of people that began to rise into a higher social class were the actors. Actresses were not present back then because women were not allowed on stage. It was considered unladylike to have a female actor. Men played all the parts. Theater owners were dependent on actors to make them a profit. Rehearsals for the plays were fairly short, only lasting for about a week. The performances themselves would only show for three to four days.
In this paper, I will be focusing briefly on my knowledge and understanding of the concept of Applied theatre and one of its theatre form, which is Theatre in Education. The term Applied Theatre is a broad range of dramatic activity carried out by a crowd of diverse bodies and groups.
Musical theatre and dance have been merged together for centuries. is a movement and dance in musical theatre is a stylized movement used to evoke emotions and add on to a narrative. But what is dance in theatre, when did it start and what is its history?
My experience watching a live theatre performance on stage was a fascinating one, most especially since it was my first time. I attended a staged performance of “The History Boys” in a small theatre called “The Little Theatre of Alexandria” at 8:00 pm on Wednesday June 8, 2016 in Alexandria, Virginia. The overall production of the play was a resounding experience for me particularly the performance of the actors and the design of the scene made the play seem real.