1. http://korn2130.blogspot.com/2013/05/show-and-tell-post-3.html#comment-form
2. http://sstev31.blogspot.com/2013/05/show-and-tell-3-next-to-normal.html?showComment=1367700587196#c5082089584876555715
3. http://tweber7.blogspot.com/2013/04/all-kings-men.html?showComment=1367700780794#c3295398623577559499
4. http://austinthtr2130.blogspot.com/2013/04/prompt-twelve-on-verge-or-geography-of.html?showComment=1367701069143#c1503794997525850132
5. http://georgianoelle.blogspot.com/2013/05/drowsy-chaperone.html?showComment=1367701248801#c6491169584635148210
Saturday, May 4, 2013
The Women
The Women is a comedy written about eight Manhattan women. It follows the elite socialites, the women attempting to become elite, and the gossip and drama that relatively destroys their lives. Clare Boothe Luce's play opened on Broadway in 1936, where it ran for 666 performances.
The play was transformed into a movie in 1939. It was directed by George Cukor and starred Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford. Next, the play was turned into a musical film, called The Opposite Sex, in 1956. The play first revived on Broadway in 1973 and closed after a short run of 63 performances. It was once again was revived in 2001. Finally, and most famously, it was remade into the 2008 film staring Meg Ryan and Eva Mendes.
The plot revolves around women attempting to play their "correct" roles in a vain and fake society. When Mary, a good housewife, finds out her husband, Steven, is cheating on her with an "up-and-commer", Crystal, she originally goes out of her way to try to make herself better. Eventually, she leaves him to focus on herself.The other women go through similar power struggles to figure out who they are and what they want.
One of the most important dramaturgical choices is the fact that while the play seemingly circles around men, no men are ever shown onstage. It makes you focus on the women and their inner struggles, and their inner strength, rather then the power the receive or have taken away from them by the men in their lives.
The Drowsy Chaperone
I think it's important to point out the theme of escape. As lovers of theatre we always invite an audience to "escape" with us into a different world. "The Man" does exactly that. He invites us to escape with him into the 1920's musical. The 1920's alone are a time of fun and frivolity, but add the spectacle of a musical and you know we're in for a ride. It's interesting that most productions bring the musical "to life" in "The Man's" apartment. Usually the apartment is gray and dreary, making the bright and flashy musical stand as an escape from the boring normal everyday-ness of his life. When it comes to the character's in the musical, we see Mr. Feldzieg attempt to escape being captured by gangsters. We also see Kitty trying to escape normalcy, very much like "The Man", and achieve stardom. The largest example of "escape" is shown by Janet, specifically in the song "Show Off". Janet is attempting to escape the world of show business, and showing off, in favor of settling down and getting married like women her age should be doing.
Vewings...There's Three of Them
Three Viewings has a bunch of common themes, but I think the theme of death, and its ability to make us realize the good things we had is one that stands out. Emil doesn't truly realize how much he loved his wife until he has to deal with the death of Tessie and her funeral. After stealing from Mrs. Nettie James, Mac has to understand how much she was affected by the death of her husband and children. Then of course there is Virginia and Ed. While we really see how the list affects her, gotta love that ambiguity, we're lead to believe that she realizes how much she's overlooked and now how much she has lost.
On the Verge...of time travel
I think the language of the play is something that's so vital to the play that it's only natural to have it featured on the poster. I also think that the time travel aspect of the show is something that is important to emphasize. I would love the poster to have the lines completely covering the page in gray lettering, used as a background if you will. From far away it would probably look like a weird gray pattern, but on closer inspection you would be able to read it. I would want it to be darker at the top and then fade lighter. Almost, the idea of fading out of time. In the center I would like a victorian umbrella, a modern eggbeater, and a womanly safari hat. These things are hinting at plot points and the time traveling aspects, since you have a traveler's safari hat and the different era props. I would want On the Verge to be written below the safari hat, umbrella, and egg beater. I would use neon red "diner" lettering, like the signs you see in bars..or 50's diners. Since the second act is set in a diner it continues with the idea of time travel and tying into the show.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
LOOK! Comments :)
1. http://chassitycurlean.blogspot.com/2013/04/show-and-tell-post-2.html?showComment=1365882709566#c8595857600164940026
2. http://2130coryvincent.blogspot.com/2013/04/show-and-tell-american-dream.html?showComment=1365883476127#c6998705584899640475
3. http://mpret7.blogspot.com/2013/03/noses-off.html?showComment=1365884670006#c1588988162546160633
4. http://sstev31.blogspot.com/2013/04/show-and-tell-post-2-asssassins.html?showComment=1365886404833#c1784570751138077196
5. http://zac519.blogspot.com/2013/04/show-and-tell-angels-in-america_13.html
6. http://dontstopmemeow2130.blogspot.com/2013/04/show-tell-assassins.html?showComment=1365889356487#c7275482515724110257
2. http://2130coryvincent.blogspot.com/2013/04/show-and-tell-american-dream.html?showComment=1365883476127#c6998705584899640475
3. http://mpret7.blogspot.com/2013/03/noses-off.html?showComment=1365884670006#c1588988162546160633
4. http://sstev31.blogspot.com/2013/04/show-and-tell-post-2-asssassins.html?showComment=1365886404833#c1784570751138077196
5. http://zac519.blogspot.com/2013/04/show-and-tell-angels-in-america_13.html
6. http://dontstopmemeow2130.blogspot.com/2013/04/show-tell-assassins.html?showComment=1365889356487#c7275482515724110257
City of Angels...no not the movie
I had the pleasure of being a part of the musical City of Angels this semester and Theatre Baton Rouge. Since I did that I got to read the script...a lot, and think it poses some really interesting dramaturgical choices. So here we go!
City of Angels is classified as a musical comedy that intertwines two plots. The "real" world is an author attempting to transform his novel into a screenplay. The other world is the fictional world of the film that is set in the film noir genre. The music is written by jazz king Cy Coleman with lyrics and book by David Zippel and Larry Gelbart (the creator of the t.v. series M.A.S.H.) City of Angels opened on Broadway at the Virginia Theatre in 1989 and closed three years later. While on Broadway a Los Angeles theatre company began a 6 month run of the show. West End did a 8 month run of the show in 1993, and an Off-Broadway revival ran in 2006.
Both worlds are set in Hollywood, the City of Angels, in the 1940's and happen simultaneously. The show starts in the "reel" world when Oolie, a loyal secretary, ushers Alaura Kingsley, an attractive and wealthy socialite, into down-on-his-luck private eye Stone's office. Alaura hires him to find her 75 year old husband's daughter, Mallory. Mallory is a beautiful bad girl whose run away. Stone is reluctant to take the case since he doesn't trust Alaura, but is desperate for the money. Later he's beat up by two thugs telling him to drop the Kingsley case. Mallory later shows up in his bed and blackmails him for money to pay off her own blackmail. This eventually leads to Stone being framed for murder. He deals with all of this while his own past and relationship, with lounge singer Bobbi are shown to us through flashbacks , come back to haunt him.
In the "real" world Stine, the novelist, is making drastic changes to his original novel after getting pressure from his producer/director, movie mogul Buddy Fiddler. Stine struggles to balance his job pressures and his novel's integrity while his wife, Gabby, disapproves the whole time. She leaves for a business trip to New York, leaving Stine to fall back into his cheating ways as he begins an affair with Buddy's secretary, Donna. Gabby discovers the affair and leaves Stine. Stine changes the script drastically by removing a racial angel Stone gets frustrated with his counterpart and berates him for his lack of integrity. Stine retaliates by having Stone beat up in the script, then he leaves for New York to have an unsuccessful attempt at a reconciliation with Gabby. Leaving so suddenly upsets Buddy, so when Stine returns he realizes the ending to the film has drastically been rewritten. Stine, with Stone at his side, stands up to Buddy and quit. He's about to be beaten up by thugs when Stone "rewrites" it and allows Stine to win the fight. The show ends with a "Hollywood Ending" with Gabby returning to Stine's side and Stine gaining his self-respect back.
Sorry for so much, but it's really all important. When it comes to the dramaturgical choices there are two huge stands out. The first is the choice to make the "reel" world and the "real" world double cast, with the exception of Stone and Stine. The "reel" world character's are all based of off some "real" world person from Stine's perspective. Sometimes, like in the case of Alaura/Carla or Mallory/Avril, it's easy to see that their lust for power and their use of sexuality to get what they want have influenced their characters. In other's, like Oolie/Donna, it's harder to see that Oolie's "trusted girl friday" mentality is something that Donna has too, since she does everything for Buddy. There's a scene between Donna and Stine in the play where this is brought up. Stine says, "No one ever sees themselves as others write them."
The second is making the "real" world in color, and the "reel" world in black and white. It's mainly to help audiences understand which part of the story they're in, since it's challenging to follow which actor's playing multiple characters. It also lends itself to the film noir, private eye movie feel from the 1940's.
City of Angels is classified as a musical comedy that intertwines two plots. The "real" world is an author attempting to transform his novel into a screenplay. The other world is the fictional world of the film that is set in the film noir genre. The music is written by jazz king Cy Coleman with lyrics and book by David Zippel and Larry Gelbart (the creator of the t.v. series M.A.S.H.) City of Angels opened on Broadway at the Virginia Theatre in 1989 and closed three years later. While on Broadway a Los Angeles theatre company began a 6 month run of the show. West End did a 8 month run of the show in 1993, and an Off-Broadway revival ran in 2006.
Both worlds are set in Hollywood, the City of Angels, in the 1940's and happen simultaneously. The show starts in the "reel" world when Oolie, a loyal secretary, ushers Alaura Kingsley, an attractive and wealthy socialite, into down-on-his-luck private eye Stone's office. Alaura hires him to find her 75 year old husband's daughter, Mallory. Mallory is a beautiful bad girl whose run away. Stone is reluctant to take the case since he doesn't trust Alaura, but is desperate for the money. Later he's beat up by two thugs telling him to drop the Kingsley case. Mallory later shows up in his bed and blackmails him for money to pay off her own blackmail. This eventually leads to Stone being framed for murder. He deals with all of this while his own past and relationship, with lounge singer Bobbi are shown to us through flashbacks , come back to haunt him.
In the "real" world Stine, the novelist, is making drastic changes to his original novel after getting pressure from his producer/director, movie mogul Buddy Fiddler. Stine struggles to balance his job pressures and his novel's integrity while his wife, Gabby, disapproves the whole time. She leaves for a business trip to New York, leaving Stine to fall back into his cheating ways as he begins an affair with Buddy's secretary, Donna. Gabby discovers the affair and leaves Stine. Stine changes the script drastically by removing a racial angel Stone gets frustrated with his counterpart and berates him for his lack of integrity. Stine retaliates by having Stone beat up in the script, then he leaves for New York to have an unsuccessful attempt at a reconciliation with Gabby. Leaving so suddenly upsets Buddy, so when Stine returns he realizes the ending to the film has drastically been rewritten. Stine, with Stone at his side, stands up to Buddy and quit. He's about to be beaten up by thugs when Stone "rewrites" it and allows Stine to win the fight. The show ends with a "Hollywood Ending" with Gabby returning to Stine's side and Stine gaining his self-respect back.
Sorry for so much, but it's really all important. When it comes to the dramaturgical choices there are two huge stands out. The first is the choice to make the "reel" world and the "real" world double cast, with the exception of Stone and Stine. The "reel" world character's are all based of off some "real" world person from Stine's perspective. Sometimes, like in the case of Alaura/Carla or Mallory/Avril, it's easy to see that their lust for power and their use of sexuality to get what they want have influenced their characters. In other's, like Oolie/Donna, it's harder to see that Oolie's "trusted girl friday" mentality is something that Donna has too, since she does everything for Buddy. There's a scene between Donna and Stine in the play where this is brought up. Stine says, "No one ever sees themselves as others write them."
The second is making the "real" world in color, and the "reel" world in black and white. It's mainly to help audiences understand which part of the story they're in, since it's challenging to follow which actor's playing multiple characters. It also lends itself to the film noir, private eye movie feel from the 1940's.
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