The world premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Seared playing at the SF Playhouse takes place in the kitchen of a small restaurant in New York. Harry and Mike (chef/owner) have a different mentality of viewing things when it comes to the success and running of the restaurant. Harry, who over exaggerates about the food he prepares must meet certain quality standards. While Mike on the other hand worries more about having a successful restaurant that will bring in revenue. Without giving Harry a heads up, Mike decides to bring in a consultant (Emily) to make the much needed improvement and to increase revenue for the business. This could be the beginning of a very profitable business, that’s if Chef Harry can handle the heat. All in all, I would …show more content…
The performers of the play did a great job portraying their character roles. The performers acted out with so much emotion that they made their roles seem very realistic to the point is was believable. For example, the argument between Harry and Mike about bringing in a consultant for the restaurant was so heated to the point that I thought it would affect Mike’s health. Mike was very agitated and frustrated that Harry couldn’t understand the need for a consultant. As stated in The Theater Experience, one important aspect of the craft of acting is credibility (Wilson 73). All four performers in the play did an exceptional job in making sure that they brought out their inner truth and physical …show more content…
Scene design is important in pointing out to use whether a play is realistic (Wilson 205). The set of this play is a kitchen that can make anyone think is a functioning one. It has working sinks, one on each side of the stage. It also has an exhaust hood along with a working stove and the audience is able to smell the food that Chef Harry is cooking. There were no special costumes, Chef Harry and Rodney wore proper restaurant attire, while Emily and Mike wore business suits. There were no special effects and the only sound one could hear were the ones when there was a change in scene. For example, every time a scene would change the theater would go dark and one could hear the hustle and bustle that goes on in a restaurant kitchen. All these elements helped the story to be realistic as possible as if we were in an actual restaurant, hearing and smelling what goes behind the scene of a restaurant
Not knowing what this play was about, I went to go see it Wednesday after noon at Holyoke Community College in the Leslie Phillips Theater. I had many mixed emotions about this play. I thought some parts were very funny, but others were a little uncomfortable because of some racia...
There were two major issues that Ehrenreich has with working in the restaurant. The first one is the management and the second issue is the amount of money she makes. The management is views as the enemy to the employees; making new rules for the staff and the endless accusations about the employees behaviors. The salary for restaurant employees makes it hard to secure housing, prescription drugs, and any unexpected expense. “Serving in Florida” written by Barbara Ehrenreich is a reflected recap of her time working in the restaurant industry.
I really enjoyed this production of The Dining Room. I have never seen anything so fascinating. I can proudly say I am officially a play lover thanks to this production. Mary Catherine Waltman is an excellent actor. She executed all of her roles very well. She has some great talents and abilities. Mary Catherine’s transformation skills were very noticeable. It some scenes she was almost not recognizable. She made me very interested in each scene that she was in. I would gladly go to another production that includes
Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play was a very interesting and excited play to see. Watching the play I really had to think because of the twists that came with the play. The author of this play was Anne Washburn, Michael Friedman scored it, and the lyrics were also from Anne Washburn. Casey Sams directed the play and Terry Silver-Alford was the musical director. I viewed this play at the Lab Theatre on Thursday, November 12, 2015 at 7:30 in the evening. The Clarence Brown Theatre and Lab Theatre located on the University of Tennessee main campus produced this production. Melissa David recognized, as Colleen/Bart is a San Francisco native that has been working as a MFA acting candidate for the past three years. Robert Parking Jenkins,
The scenery was simply impressive. Sister Aloysius’ office was plain and aged, you could tell the room was more antique due to the furniture and the way it was painted. The garden area was quite exquisite, possessing many details such as the stone columns, leaves that were clustered across the garden area of the stage, and even the sound effects. When Father Flynn met Sister James in the garden the sound of a crow was heard in the background, this gave a genuine feel to this scene. Almost as if we were all outside along with them. I think the designer was trying to give off the idea of a more intimate and comfortable setting for the audience while still going with the concept of the play. The designer actually does a great job at giving off the fragile look due to the play taking place in 1964. The characters costumes tied in perfectly with the theme and mood of the production. The characters Sister Aloysius and Sister James both wore the same costumes because they are nuns. Their costumes make them look peaceful and sanctified. Sister James’ costumes, even though it was the same as Sister Aloysius, made her come off as timid due to her personality. Sister Aloysius’ costume, due to her personality, made her come off as stern and bitter. Mrs. Muller that was played by Tamera Burden and her costume really depicts the time period the play takes place in. When meeting with Sister
In conclusion, the acting in the production was very good. I was held captivated by the accents and shocked by the language and dialect because I knew that this really happens and has happened. I felt like I could actually change what was happening on stage. For Instance, when the rumble is happening and Bernardo and Riff bring out the switchblades, I gasped. Silently to myself, I said "DON'T DO THIS. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A CLEAN FAIR FIGHT. YOU GUYS ARE MORE SIMILAR THAN YOU ARE DIFFERENT, JUST BEING FRIENDS." The same occurrence happened when Anita is assaulted by the Jets when attempting to find Tony to save him. I understood her feelings and wanted the Jets to get in trouble for their actions. I became invested in what happened to the
For a college production, the acting was outstanding. I really felt the emotions. The lead Wendla, who was played by KyLeigh Zimmerer, was amazing. I have also seen bits and pieces of the Broadway version which starred Lea Michelle, and obviously if I were to compare the acting, the Broadway version would be victorious. However, for a college production, these actors have limited past experience, but their acting was professional. Also, when they sang the song "Those You've Known," I felt chills and had goose bumps because that was such an emotional song. You could feel all the emotions and guilt Melchior, played by Ryan Ramirez, was feeling because both his best friend, Moritz, played by Justin Noblitt, and the girl he impregnated, Wendla, died and he believed he was to blame. Moritz committed suicide while Wendla died from a botch abortion her mom for...
Overall, I enjoyed this play. Even with the dull ending, I found it to be entertaining and a good use of my time. The cast was great and they made good use of a decent
Their acting chops were very impressive whether it was comedic, emotional, or just stunning overall. Yet, on the other hand, some minor characters weren’t as well heard as others. I feel as the play could be better if some of the minor characters had projected their voice more, allowing their character to be known. However, although some voices were much stronger than others, all actors were full of talent, capable of dealing with script’s requirements, and did a good job
As far as acting, the performers were able to convey the feelings they needed to. However, some characters such as Ol' Cap'n played by Dick Lambert and Luttibelle played by April Curry, seemed more committed and engaging in their roles than others. A crucial factor in April Curry portraying her role so well was her vocal talent far exceeded that of any of the other major performers. She had an amazing voice that I was dazzled by from curtain up to down and left me craving for more. This almost compensated for my disappointment when it came to the ensemble singing to the soundtrack. Many performers were dependent on the cd and were not confident as to when to begin or stop singing, which dampered many moments of the performers. Another element of acting that I enjoyed was the exaggerated use of cooning throughout the duration of the performance that brought characters to life, and enabled certain moments to seem real.
Ehrenreich didn’t want to be a waitress any more than some waitresses, but she did it for her research. Ehrenreich once stated that, “Waitres sing is also something I’d like to avoid, because I remember it leaving me bone-tired when I was eighteen.” (13). Her first job was at Hearthside, a restaurant in Key West, Florida. She was hired as a waitress, starting at $2.43 plus tips. She worked the afternoon shift. Hearthside was being managed by a West Indian man by name of Phillip. The management wasn’t the best. They treated their employees disrespectfully. At an employee meeting, they were threatened by the management. Ehrenreich stated, “I have not been treated this way-lined up in the corridor, threatened with locker searches, peppered with carelessly aimed accusation-since junior high school” (24). When they were just standing around, the manager would give them extra work to do. According to Ehrenreich, “You start dragging out each little chore because if the manager on duty catches you in an idle moment, he will give you something far nastier to do. So I wipe, I clean, consolidate catsups bottles and recheck the cheesecake supply, even tour the tables to make sure the customer evaluation is standing perkily.” (22). They were hired at Hearthside to serve the customers. There are twenty-six tables in the whole restaurant. All the food must be placed on the food trays; small items were to be carried in a bowl, and no refills on the lemonade (1...
Overall my partner and I were able to deliver a good performance. I was able to express the way Macbeth was feeling to the audience. I think the way I performed helped the audience get an idea of what was happening. I was able to convey my emotions though my body language and the way I addressed the lines. Playing Macbeth was an interesting experience. Performing this scene helped me discover the personalities of the characters.
In a country where 45 million people struggle to survive below the poverty line, inflation continues to rise as wages remain the same. What happened to the American Dream? As the rich continue to get richer, even those in the middle class can’t seem to catch a break. The structure of American society makes it nearly impossible for those in poverty to rise above, and there are other factors, including race and gender, which play a role.
Editorial. Nations Restaurant News 11 Nov. 2005: n. pag. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2013.
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