6 Comments

http://icesk8prosue2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/judiths-post.html#comment-form

http://bturn2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/show-and-tell-post-trouble-in-mind.html#comment-form

http://kamrink.blogspot.com/2013/09/overtones-response.html?showComment=1380428441049#c7187993366800295821

http://andreagracethtr2130.blogspot.com/2013/09/show-and-tell-posting-beauty-by-jane.html?showComment=1380402036713#c8887543005111379215

http://anonymouslyanalyzingampleautographs.blogspot.com/2013/09/trifles.html#comment-form

http://marge2130fall2013.blogspot.com/2013/09/overtones-by-alice-gerstenberg.html#comment-form

4000 Miles

Response to Dr. Fletcher's Post on "4000 Miles" by Amy Herzog 

I personally enjoyed this play out of those that we have read. 4000 Miles was incredibly interesting in presenting a difficult situation of accepting change. The choice made between the characters Leo and Vera is whether they can trust and understand one another. Continuously throughout the play Herzog presents Leo with relationship struggles with his family members and many relationships. The hardships of witnessing his best friends death, creating drama with his sister and mother, and dealing with a break up with Bec all of these scenes support Leo's struggles with relationships. Leo stumbles to New York where he stays with his grandmother Vera. Leo and Vera have an odd relationship with very little understanding for each other. Herzog describes the change between Leo and Vera's relationship through their choices and time spent together. Repeatedly the struggles of relationships are shown throughout this play. 4000 Miles also explains the importance of relationships through understanding, acceptance, and trust. At the end of the play Herzog concludes with Leo and Vera going to an old friend of Vera's funeral. The connection between the two shows a change of character and relationship.

Judith

Response to Dr. Fletcher's post on Judith by Howard Barker 

While reading this play I happened to keep a picture and a song in mind  because of how perfect it fits into the play.

It is interesting to point out these characters in Judith and Night, Mother who have similarities by choosing the same topic of death to reflect on. Night,Mother was more focused on the act of suicide, while Judith focuses more on murder of a sacrifice. Both plays posed a Major Dramatic Question; Judith obviously asks, "Will Judith kill Holofemes?" Barker also has a very interesting form of writing. During the play I was confused and curious as to why he wrote some lines in bold print. 

Judith goes through changes from the beginning of the play to the end of the play. Her challenge comes about when she discovers how deeply she feels for Holofemes. This act of death is influenced with the servants words. Judith does not act alone in the killing. She struggles with all these thoughts and feelings but worries about the safety of her future. The end is the most shocking when we see a change in Judith. Her actions of killing destroy her ideals. 

My opinion; I found this play particularly difficult to read at first because it is a bit wordy. I kept having to re read lines to understand what they meant. Finding more information on this play helped me to better understand what it was about. 

Night, Mother

Responding to Dr. Fletcher's Prompt on Night, Mother by Marsha Norman 

I think there are many other Major Dramatic Questions for Night, Mother i.e. "Why does Jessie want to kill herself?" During the play Mama continuously asks why Jessie wants to kill herself and what is the cause of her doing it. Jessie changes her mind and reason several times for why she wants to die. She blames it on her illness and for not being normal. However, she also blames Mama for not telling her the truth.
As the first scene begins we see Jessie checking off her list and searching for a gun. "Why does Jessie first lie about the gun to her Mama?" She tells Mama it is for protection which later on in the play she admits that it will be for shooting herself.  Was Jessie nervous about her Mama's reaction to her reason behind the gun? Jessie seems to hide a lot of things away from her mother. When her Mama reacts to when Jessie first tells her it is for killing herself, she is overly worried and retaliates with how it is such a selfish thing to do.
Jessie and Mama talk about Cicel and Ricky who are Jessie's family. Cicel left Jessie after her illness of epilepsy grew worse. Ricky has run off and began misbehaving committing small crimes. "Why doesn't Jessie seem to care for her son?" She talks about her son Ricky as if he does not really matter. Mama cares more for Ricky by being hopeful for his future. Mama tries to convince Jessie not to kill herself in hope that Ricky would come back with his own family and children. This hope does not phase Jessie and she still kills herself.
Overall, Jessie wanted to kill herself because she had given up on life. Her illness became a crutch she relied on as an excuse. Her excuse took her life. Mama tried to reason and make life seem worthwhile to continue on living; even hoping that there was another better man out there for Jessie. "Why did Jessie pull the trigger?" 

Responding to Dr. Fletcher's prompt Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Producing the play Trifles is a wonderful idea. I have read this play several times and still picture how it would appear on stage. The idea of producing this play with minimal props and settings would be ideal, however to perform this play well would be to create an environment that draws the audience and character's in. If I was asked to produce and direct this play I would be specific and elaborate in the furniture choices down to the colors of lighting. Trifles has an interesting vibe that had me asking questions from the beginning. Why did Mrs. Hale never visit Minnie Foster? Why was Minnie Foster dead inside? What was the main motivation behind John Wright’s death? So many questions boggle around in my head. To dramatically explain the play through a performance would be incredibly detailed.  

From a director's perspective I would agree that focusing on the words and emotions give a certain intention to the play. Selecting on a few key props to signify and tie in the play would increase the suspense and draw the audience's eye. For example placing an empty birdcage and some rope on stage would be foreshadowing the ultimate theme. I understand preserving the conclusion to the climax of the play; but "to entertain an audience you must make them ask questions."  With minimal objects it might be hard to tell a story. In the viewer’s point of view some may not be able to visually see what the actors are trying to say in the story. It is the director’s idea and artistic mind that puts on the show. I believe that directors should consider how well the audience will be able to picture in their minds the rest of the story with so few costumes, props, and set pieces. Although to perform a great work of art does not need to always be from a certain point of view. The saying, “less is more” describes this director’s frame of mind. 

Responding to Dr. Fletcher's prompt on Overtones by Alice Gerstenberg

In my opinion, Overtones was a comic relief of a play. I thought the playwright Alice Gerstenberg was very clever in her choice of portraying the "inner self" in human form. The characters Harriet and Hattie were very intriguing when first introduced on stage. The first scene shows Harriet and Hattie talking about the arrival of a long lost friend. The odd part about connection between the two characters was that Harriet seemed to be looking away or talking to inanimate objects rather than the human figure of her "inner self" named Hattie. Further on in the first scene just before their visitor arrives Harriet does make physical contact with Hattie by draping a veil across her face. I did not understand this part of the play because I assumed that Harriet was always talking to her real "inner self" and not the character who plays that role. When Margaret and Maggie are introduced in the play I caught on quickly that these ladies had deep opinions spoken through their "inner selves". My favorite part of the play would be the close end of the play when the "inner selves" Maggie and Hattie are yelling and clawing at each other while the real characters Margaret and Harriet politely say goodbye.  Seeing the "inner" reactions of the ladies made me wonder how it would have played out differently if there were not human forms to give us a perspective. I give my compliments to Gerstenberg for her dramatic irony of this play. Seeing the "inner self" is most enjoyable and helps the audience to understand what each woman is thinking. This setting of the play also helps describe a certain era of women's rights. This play sets the time in the present; but the habits and manner of how the women act portray a time in the past. The ladies Harriet and Margaret are very cordial and have polite manners. In today's society women have adjusted to speak their mind rather than 'grin and bare it'. 

THTR 2130 - Blog Test Post