Journal Entry for “Black Comedy”
Dear Journal:
I have never been so exhausted in my entire life and now I have time to sleep and do some schoolwork. I know this is a day late and I am sorry, but Sunday I just couldn’t function anymore.
During the production of “Black Comedy” I learned how to speak with a Standard British and Cockney dialect, was able to participate in the erection and demolition of a big set, and realized how much actors rely on each other during a performance. This production was hard, but an enjoyable learning experience. Never in my life had I used a British accent or a Cockney, now that I think of it. It was really hard for me to get that all down. Chris really did his job by pounding it away into our brains with all the packets and tapes. I had to watch “My Fair Lady” to get that wonderful Cockney down. Dialect work was the topic of our second rehearsal with little comments throughout the production.
Oh what a lovely set we had! With some measurements that were missing or wrong. All Hail Jim! I really enjoyed being a part of the group and helping put the set together. I was so glad to hear that there would be a second work call because I hadn’t been able to attend the first. We started out that morning by putting the upstairs platform up, the stairs, the flats, and then paint. We ended that night by painting the stage a nice brown color and we were out of there at eleven o’clock. It took an awfully long time to put the set up, yet it took about three and a half hours to pull it all down. It was all over when all there was left to do was sweep the floor.
Since this was only my second play I realized that with a small cast as “Black Comedy” had each actor must work together and know the other actors’ lines. When someone would miss or forget a line, another actor would have to either help them get back to where they should be or go with it. I learned just how important cue lines were in this production. They tell you were you should be in your blocking, in the play, and who’s line is next. A way that helped me learn my lines this time around was when I thought I knew them I would write them down and then go back over them with the script in my hand.
With such an abundance of parts to be learned and understood performers had to develop a system to remember everything. There is no exact detailed system to how performers did this than just completely taking time to focus on the part. Hogan provides an example from Michael Kelly‘s Reminiscences that is perfect in showing the focus and discipline performers had to have. “Previous to the opening of the newly constructed Drury lane in the spring of 1794 its acting manager. John Philip Kemble, must clearly have had his mind occupied with countless details: the superintendence of a large crew of house servants and workmen, of finances, of advertising, of preparing a spectacular revival of Macbeth.
In this case the participants were not quite as seasoned as those mentioned above. The play itself was quite clever and entertaining. Varying degrees of acting and vocal ability made for a very diverse cast. Meshing an 1879 play with Millennium type humor is no small feat. The scenes were concise; costumes were extrem...
wouldn’t work or it would be very hard to pull off. But if the lights
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a comedy that has been interpreted in different ways, enabling one to receive multiple experiences of the same story. Due to the content and themes of the play, it can be creatively challenging to producers and their casting strategies. Instead of being a hindrance, I find the ability for one to experiment exciting as people try to discover strategies that best represent entertainment for the audience, as well as the best ways to interpret Shakespeare’s work.
The topic of the abuse of Orcas in captivity is a widespread injustice that culminates in the biggest orca training water park in the country, SeaWorld. Unfortunately, this abuse is practiced all over the world and is a major issue that many people want to see end. The documentary, Blackfish, presents these issues by educating people on the abusive conditions that takes place in these water parks. In the movie, one can see just how significant this problem is and the impact that it has had on the population of the orcas around the world. Furthermore, it is a problem that it is too significant to be solved by simply attacking the problem head on. There are simple yet complicated methods and small steps that must be taken in order to solve
Even though Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb screened in the midst of the sobering Cold War, critics were keen on praising the film for its mastery of humor applied to such a sensitive matter. The film is exceedingly loaded with metaphors, innuendos, and allusions that nothing can be left undissected or taken for face value; the resulting effect is understood to be part of Kubrick’s multifarious theme. Kubrick has stated that what began as a “the basis for a serious film about accidental war ” eventually birthed an absurd and farcical classic comedy. The director fuses together irony, satire, and black humor to create a waggish piece but most of all the situation of the times and its gravity is the essence of what the audience finds so hilarious . Using caricatures rather than characters, exaggerated script, and sexual undertones, Kubrick manifests to the audience their own predicament and just how ridiculous it is to even consider brinksmanship as a means to preserve the American lifestyle.
The film, Dear White People, displays a ton of racism with the white students. The film’s plot is based off some actions of the students of University of California, San Diego. The party titled “Compton Cookout” occurred on February 15, 2010 at 1pm from the members of PIKE fraternity. It received enough attention that a movie was created to bring light to the situation. The reason I believed it received the amount of attention it did because it was during black history month, the only month out the year Americans recognizes iconic black people who help build this country, led the civil rights movements, and who gave their lives to make a change in our country’s culture. The party was a spit in the face toward the 1% of UCSD black student body
Analysis of Dave Chappelle's For What It's Worth Stand-Up Comedy Dave Chappelle’s stand-up comedy can be raunchy, grotesque, and
Most of the cast speaks in standard English, representing commonality of language, but one cast member uses an indefinable accent and overplays his part for laughs. Why?
9 to 5 is a 1980 comedy film starring Jane Fonda as Judy Bernly, Lily Tomlin as Violet Newstead, Dolly Parton as Doralee Rhodes, and Dabney Coleman as the boss Franklin Hart Jr. The film focuses on a department that is being poorly run by a "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" boss. After finally getting over their differences, the three main ladies develop a friendship, vent to each other, take down their boss and eventually help each other run the company.
This essay is going to discuss about racism in comedy and in addition to that it is also going to look at whether it is acceptable for comedians to use certain racial words for example when black comedians use the word “Nigger”. Also it is going to look at how different audience put up with this kind of material, but first of all it is going to look at the actual word itself and where in the blue marble that we call earth it originated from.
Delicatessen tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where many people are starving and are forced to take extreme measures to survive. The film fallows a group of people living in an apartment building run by the butcher who owns it. To survive this group of people have resulted to cannibalism. The dark subject matter in the film may prevent some viewers from appreciating the comedy hidden within; however, it is also what gives this film a unique feel and make the comedic elements have a greater impact on most viewers. Dark Comedies demonstrate the importance of balancing humor and seriousness in order provide a truly enjoyable film.
Overall this production was very interesting and well performed. It was somewhat enjoyable to the audience, there were times of boringness but the comedy kept the play interesting. The director did a great job of putting everything together and as a result everything was on point. The only thing to say that would better the play is to make the play more interesting to the audience so that the audience does not get tired of watching.
Film Review of Dead Poets Society Dead Poets Society explores the conflict between realism and romanticism as these contrasting ideals are presented to the students at an all boys preparatory school. Welton Academy is founded on tradition and excellence and is bent on providing strict structured lessons prescribed by the realist, anti-youth administration. John Keating is a new English teacher with a passion for poetry. When he returns to his own strict childhood school to teach, his unconventional methods quickly prove to be inspirational to a group of students. He inspires them to pursue their desires and live life to the fullest.
...oring. But here the dialogue is written with so much wit and humour that an audience does not have a dull moment in its entire performance. There are plenty of comic moments in the play. For instance, when Shaw wants to express the idea that the idle rich are no better than robbers he puts it thus.