The play Antigone has been around for centuries. It was originally written by Sophocles, in Ancient Greece. This means it will be hard to understand some references and wording, right? Well, no. The script used was the translation by Jean Anouilh, and adapted by Lewis Galantiere. It was written during the Nazi occupation in France, and so the language is in fact very modern, so there isn't a need to over think what they are saying.
Yes, I will admit that some of the phrases are outrageous. Amoungst the cast many jokes have been made over some of the pet names used in the show. "My sweet red apple" and "Morning, my grandmother!" Not exactly ones you hear everyday. And then there is the line "Oh, my darling." And that is the line. Not exactly something you hear these days, but that did make for an interesting day as everyone was trying to comfort Emily in an attempt to show Tim, our Haemon, how to do the line. So, yes, there are some things that aren't exactly natural to us, but for the most part it is very modern.
As many already know, the queen in this show has no lines at all, not even a wail of utter dispair, which greatly saddens me. The big issue with lines is mostly just Creon, Antigone, and the Chorus, because they have huge monologues, and quite a few of them. Because of the music score there isn't the freedom of being able to just pick up if you have a short memory lapse, because the timing has to be just so. Some of the monologues are extremely wordy and messing them up can destroy the flow of it.
All and all, it is a good script. Yes, there are some things that could be changed, and I certainly wouldn't be telling you to bring young kids to the show since it is so dark, but it is put together well, and you won't have to worry about trying to disect the meaning of the lines.
Ember
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Acting Was Shocking
Surprisingly I was shocked, because it was nothing that I was expecting as a whole. The acting in this play should have been perceived in many other ways and this is why. As Antigone, I believe Heather did well, and was the only one who did her studying of the character she was portraying. Emily's character as the Nanny was good, but I thought she should have been ismene, and this is why. Ismene is supposed to be this serious and absolutely gorgeous woman who is confused about what is right for herself, and what is right for the power of the kingdom. Desiree who plays Ismene is average in looks, and is more of a comedic actress. Starting from the beginning I was waiting for a punch line but towards the end she dramatically changed to serious. Emily was consistent in her acting, and with her acting I was not waiting for a punch line every time something was said. so that leaves out the part of the Nanny. I would of put Desiree in her spot. Because it was one of the more comedic roles, and more suiting to what I would have seen her do in her monologues earlier on. Creon, now I love Patricks acting, and maybe it was an off night, but as a king you would act more proper and stand tall and Not put in the facial expressions nor repetitive hand movements that were throughout the entire production. So as Creon, I would not have casted any of the cast members to be him. Chorus. The Chorus was another character with an off night. Since she was breaking the fourth rule between the entire production, you could notice her self mistakes, and trust me it wasn't always pretty. I think with the time and the lines she had I would of had more than one actor portray the chorus. I also did not like the witchy feeling she was portraying through the entire production. Haemon. Tim is another actor I have worked with in the last year, and he has improved a bit, but as the romantic lead it was horrifying. The way he spoke blocked and interacted was not his type of acting. He is a much better dramatic figure, rather than the romantic lead. So as the romantic lead, I would of rather seen Chris McVey Play the straight lover, because he puts more emotion and love into something that would of been more familiar to him. Now the Messenger. I did not feel that it was fair putting the actor who performed the monologue in Acting Fundamentals 1 as the same role. think in a way it was cheating, but hey Chris pulled it off today and I enjoyed his acting. As a Messenger, I would of rather seen Tim portray it, because it was more dramatic rather than romantic and that would of been the smarter move from the directors point. The Guards. First Guard as James did not fit. He was to proper and Jerk - ish rather than the man who should of had a limp, because he had gone to war and was wounded three times. I think Ben should of been the first guard for acting purposes, and James move down to second. Paige. What a cute kid. What I don't like about the acting choices with him is that he was the only one with an accent. If they were all from the same place, they would of all had the same accent. Tiny things such as that, were easy to pick up on tonight. The Queen Eurydice. Why? what sense did it make to just introduce her. Personally as a friend connection Ember did the best she could do for the production and the decisions in acting they gave her, but really? I think it would of been for the best for the queen to have been cut. Now as a group I did not like it when the chorus was speaking to the family and they interacted with her. I think they should of had an inner reaction and not look at her. I also did not like the acting behind the curtains, because it was too muffled and aggravating. so as a whole the acting was a shock. Good job for trying to be the people you were, and maybe it was just an off night since it was preview night.~Nici Benois~
Friday, May 1, 2009
Antigone.
So for this play, I got to focus on the design elements. When walking into the room I saw the stage and thought “This is it? Okay… Not that much to work with. But I guess that doesn’t matter. Will the dialogue make up for that?” See, as a non-theatre major, I never think about that stuff. When I enter a movie theatre or when going to see a play like Frost/Nixon, what goes through my mind is “I hope this will be good.” or "Ugh the girl that just sat down with her friend better not be texting the whole time..." Now I’m starting to think like a theatre major? You guys are rubbing off on me…
I liked how modern the costumes were. I had forgotten for a second that this Greek play was edited to a modern time. It was modern but yet with a hint of something from the Greek era. Like Antigone’s gold seams/ thread (I’m not good with the wardrobe lingo), on her red shirt, to the gold band that Creon wore. Both also had some sort of symbol on the back of their clothing, possibly like family crest? Whatever it was, to me it was a symbol of their royal family which reminded me of the Greek era that royal families still wear today. The only thing I found somewhat confusing about the costumes were the costume worn by Haemon. He was dressed like a commoner, green flowy shirt with baige baggy pants and sandals? (If someone could clarify this for me, that'd be great). But maybe that was just his character dressed and that it had nothing to do with anything happening.
At first I didn’t have much to say about the stage but as the play progressed, I noticed how fitting it was to the mood; it had fit Antigone’s mood the most. The gold with a hint of red, which I’m guessing represents the un happinest situation about her brother, her trust with Haemon, and her fued with Creon, and other events that led to her death. The gold representing the happiest she could’ve had and how beautiful she is, she doesn’t see it, she sees herself as ugly and sad, also what the red could've represented.
I thought the technician who did light and music did a good job. I liked that the music progressed in the moods and dialouge of the performers. Like in the argument scene with Antigone and Creon, the music got suspenseful when one had a dramatic reaction to what the other was saying, which also changed the mood. As for lighting, the technician did a good job ofI noticed that the light had gotten brighter on a character when he or she was talking; although I had noticed a couple scenes where the light on Antigone kept changing. I don’t quite remember the scene, but the light on her kept dimming, and then bighting, and then dimming… Either it was suppose to be like that or the technician was fixing something??
Overall I think this play did a good job with the design elements. I must admit that there was quite a bit of monologue for me to follow, but I did enjoy it because it was fun to see my classmates perform in their element.
Sam
I liked how modern the costumes were. I had forgotten for a second that this Greek play was edited to a modern time. It was modern but yet with a hint of something from the Greek era. Like Antigone’s gold seams/ thread (I’m not good with the wardrobe lingo), on her red shirt, to the gold band that Creon wore. Both also had some sort of symbol on the back of their clothing, possibly like family crest? Whatever it was, to me it was a symbol of their royal family which reminded me of the Greek era that royal families still wear today. The only thing I found somewhat confusing about the costumes were the costume worn by Haemon. He was dressed like a commoner, green flowy shirt with baige baggy pants and sandals? (If someone could clarify this for me, that'd be great). But maybe that was just his character dressed and that it had nothing to do with anything happening.
At first I didn’t have much to say about the stage but as the play progressed, I noticed how fitting it was to the mood; it had fit Antigone’s mood the most. The gold with a hint of red, which I’m guessing represents the un happinest situation about her brother, her trust with Haemon, and her fued with Creon, and other events that led to her death. The gold representing the happiest she could’ve had and how beautiful she is, she doesn’t see it, she sees herself as ugly and sad, also what the red could've represented.
I thought the technician who did light and music did a good job. I liked that the music progressed in the moods and dialouge of the performers. Like in the argument scene with Antigone and Creon, the music got suspenseful when one had a dramatic reaction to what the other was saying, which also changed the mood. As for lighting, the technician did a good job ofI noticed that the light had gotten brighter on a character when he or she was talking; although I had noticed a couple scenes where the light on Antigone kept changing. I don’t quite remember the scene, but the light on her kept dimming, and then bighting, and then dimming… Either it was suppose to be like that or the technician was fixing something??
Overall I think this play did a good job with the design elements. I must admit that there was quite a bit of monologue for me to follow, but I did enjoy it because it was fun to see my classmates perform in their element.
Sam
Transcending History and the World, a Tale of Honor and Beliefs, Eternally Retold from an Actor's Perspective
Being in Antigone was a bit of an experience as an actor and a critic, having to work up close and personal with a play I’ve been charged to analyze. Of course, interacting with the design elements personally is a far more different experience than observing them from an audience’s perspective, as being an actor in the play afforded me much more time to probe and dissect the ins and outs of the production. There were many aspects of design that really stood out in the play, made it unique, significant.
The costumes had a bit of a unique touch, as this adaptation of Antigone is a more modern retelling, the costumes also seemed to be a bit more contemporary as compared to its ancient Greek counterpart. Walking around in uniforms and pants is quite different than being dressed in togas and high laced sandals; it totally affected how one would carry themselves, as a change in period would also mean a change in posture. Though, the costumes that didn’t seem to fit were the costumes of the Chorus and the Messenger. The Chorus wore a beige trenchcoat with sewn blue adornments, while the Messenger wore a blue hoodie and jogging pants, both with sewn red adornments. The play was meant to be more modern, but these two character’s costumes really didn’t seem to fit the style of the others. Upon closer analysis, these two characters were meant to be out of place, as the two were actually implements of Creon’s rationale and emotions. Only Creon was able to speak with the two, and no one else, besides Creon and the Messenger, talked with the Chorus. The costumes were simple, yet unique, and if one were able to detect the subtext, a more powerful impact would be made.
The flooring and pillars added an interesting effect to the play, along with it being in-the-round. The marbled floor seemed to be cracked and bleeding, it seemed to depict the wear and tear on the minds of Antigone and Creon, putting a foreboding and disturbing vibe in the atmosphere. Even the echo of the footsteps made on the floor had their own effect; intensity was felt in silent moments, alone with the echoes. The pillars seemed to frame each of the four sides and corners of the stage, making a sort of “faux proscenium”. When an actor traveled to one side or corner of the stage, that portion seemed to be highlighted by the actor’s presence, letting the audience focus their attention on that emphasized section of the “round”.
This play really seemed to be all about striking moods in the audience though many of its design elements, a big element that was used was the theme music. Brilliantly, the music was originally scored to the specifics of the script. It took the actors a while to synch up their monologues with the flow of the music, but when they were able to match their emotions with the appropriate section of the song, feeding off of the synchronization, the mood was able to be magnified.
Although I didn’t get to play such a huge part in the play, I did enjoy my time offstage, being able to see, up close and personal, the reasons and effects behind each and every design element. It may be a bit difficult for some to see it because they haven’t spent so much time engrossed in this production, but all the audience has to do is keep their eyes and ears open to see beyond simple aspects and truly appreciate the elements that this piece of theatre provides.
~ Chris McVey
The costumes had a bit of a unique touch, as this adaptation of Antigone is a more modern retelling, the costumes also seemed to be a bit more contemporary as compared to its ancient Greek counterpart. Walking around in uniforms and pants is quite different than being dressed in togas and high laced sandals; it totally affected how one would carry themselves, as a change in period would also mean a change in posture. Though, the costumes that didn’t seem to fit were the costumes of the Chorus and the Messenger. The Chorus wore a beige trenchcoat with sewn blue adornments, while the Messenger wore a blue hoodie and jogging pants, both with sewn red adornments. The play was meant to be more modern, but these two character’s costumes really didn’t seem to fit the style of the others. Upon closer analysis, these two characters were meant to be out of place, as the two were actually implements of Creon’s rationale and emotions. Only Creon was able to speak with the two, and no one else, besides Creon and the Messenger, talked with the Chorus. The costumes were simple, yet unique, and if one were able to detect the subtext, a more powerful impact would be made.
The flooring and pillars added an interesting effect to the play, along with it being in-the-round. The marbled floor seemed to be cracked and bleeding, it seemed to depict the wear and tear on the minds of Antigone and Creon, putting a foreboding and disturbing vibe in the atmosphere. Even the echo of the footsteps made on the floor had their own effect; intensity was felt in silent moments, alone with the echoes. The pillars seemed to frame each of the four sides and corners of the stage, making a sort of “faux proscenium”. When an actor traveled to one side or corner of the stage, that portion seemed to be highlighted by the actor’s presence, letting the audience focus their attention on that emphasized section of the “round”.
This play really seemed to be all about striking moods in the audience though many of its design elements, a big element that was used was the theme music. Brilliantly, the music was originally scored to the specifics of the script. It took the actors a while to synch up their monologues with the flow of the music, but when they were able to match their emotions with the appropriate section of the song, feeding off of the synchronization, the mood was able to be magnified.
Although I didn’t get to play such a huge part in the play, I did enjoy my time offstage, being able to see, up close and personal, the reasons and effects behind each and every design element. It may be a bit difficult for some to see it because they haven’t spent so much time engrossed in this production, but all the audience has to do is keep their eyes and ears open to see beyond simple aspects and truly appreciate the elements that this piece of theatre provides.
~ Chris McVey
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Antigone's Directing
Hm..... where do I begin. First of all, I got to see the Greek Tragedy twice. Which made it quite even more interesting. See, the first time I saw it, it seemed to be a depressing story. Which was what I had learned while studying the script a bit in fundamentals class with Rick Zimmer. So I already knew the back story, the beginning, the middle, and the end. So for me, nothing was a surprise. Also, because I saw it twice, I was able to see the changes, if any, had been made from preview night to performance night. As an actor for over 5 years, I have learned that while acting, ever practice is a time that you develop habits, which are sometimes unbreakable. One of the biggest rules to acting is to act as if you were in the audition of your life. Always act like that, always act, even if it is preview night, as if it is a real performance. Yes, sometimes we have off nights, but that should not always be used as an excuse.
I sat in two different places, one side the first time I saw it, and another side the second time. This way, I was able to access every single point that I had gathered the first time and see if it matched up or not. Eh.... it was mostly the same.
So after studying this script, wow.... I had a completely different image in my head, most definitely. But I tried to keep an open mind, which I did. But the script, really, is just weird and confusing sometimes. And those monologues are just crazy. Haha somebody across from where I was sitting fell asleep. It was kinda funny. The casting was interesting. The woman cast as the Chorus seemed so evil! It was kinda scary throughout the production. It was kinda like she was looking down on the world and watching everyone die and laughing throughout it. I was wondering a bit what it would have been like if the chorus parts had been broken up between two people. Maybe a little bit more interesting and more narrative-like? Possibly....
The guy cast as Haemon was quite good in the dramatic scenes. He seemed more as a dramatic actor. During the romantic scenes, there just seemed to be no chemistry at all. It was really awkward to watch. :[
Ismene was funny, as was the nurse. The people in front of me kept chuckling during her lines because they both were like comedic relief. However, I thought Ismene was supposed to be a dramatic part, so I felt really conflicted watching her on stage. I would have liked to see her be the comedic nurse instead. She would have been better cast as that role.
The king, Creon, was cast for his ability to get angry, most definitely. He seemed more like a protective dad than a king. He was definitely dramatic, so props on that. But he didn't really act as king until the very end, when talking to the guards. His talk with the Chorus was awkward, too because no one else looked at her, like he was having a halucination or something. It was as if she was his conscious, but a person only visible to him. So I'm not really sure why the director did that. It confused me. That happened when the Messenger came in, also. I'm not really sure why the director did that. I got confused and didn't understand the point he was trying to make there. It was awkward because the chorus was narrating throughout the whole play until the end and suddenly she just jumped into the story to become a character. It seemed as if the Messenger should have been somewhat of a narrator, too. As if they were Creon's conscious instead of narrating then suddenly jumped into the story and were people within the story. I had to catch up really fast so I lost what was happening.
As for the guards, there were more like extras you see in a movie. I wish the director would have worked with them more on how to really be guards. He defintely worked the scene with the three guards and Antigone in custody, but the rest of the scenes were a little weird. However, the scene with Antigone and the head guard was quite funny. Comic relief, definitely. Obviously had been worked through.
The girl cast as Antigone obviously did her homework. She was able to transition into levels, which is hard to do as an actor. I've been through that, and it definitely takes skill! The scene with her and Creon was obviously worked over and over. I would have liked to see more of her expressions though. Her blocking was bad, and somewhat pointless. She moved so much that when I looked down to write notes for just a couple seconds then looked back up, she would be on the other side of the stage. It was hard to follow her and understand her expressions and feelings since she was moving around so much.
Because the stage was an arena, all the actors had this problem, but mostly Antigone since she did most of the movement. I would have liked to see a thrust stage instead, that way the actors would have broken character as much, looking around at the audience. I really have no idea what the point of that was. Yes, it may have symbolized Antigone's situation, being trapped, but it really made the play bad. It made it confusing to watch and follow everything since the actors were moving so much and had their backs to the audience, at least one side at all times.
The thing that did catch my eye was the choices for costumes. They were modern yet fit the characters. It was a good choice! I liked how Antigone wore, like her character, a vibrant colored top. It fit her character quite well. Creon's costume was quite good too, but it was more like a suit, but I guess that's what kings wear now-a-days. The voices from off-stage were really strange. They were so muffled that sometimes I got confused at what was happening for a couple seconds until the characters came out on stage. The jokes were really awkward. Only a couple people would understand them, and then laugh awkwardly because no one else was laughing. Or something that was supposed to be dramatic turned out to be funny. It was conflicting. Possibly the director could have helped the actors convey which was funny and which was not through voice control, pauses, and body language.
I really never understood the point the director was trying to make with this play. It was confusing and hard to follow most times. Yes, the actors did do their best. But seeing it twice, it stayed quite static from one performance to the other. The blocking was just weird because of the arena stage. It just didn't fit the script. It made it hard for the audience to follow the emotions and actions of the actors. Well, whatever the point, it wasn't really made at all. In fact, I have absolutely no idea what the point was. Oh well, good effort! I went into the performances with an open mind, I took three and a half pages of notes, obviously :] and I tried to grade the performances and the director justly, which I believe I did do. No matter where you go, there will be problems with a play and also good things, sometimes great things. I just wish the director had had more time to work with the actors really forming their characters instead of memorizing all the monologues. Good job though.
I sat in two different places, one side the first time I saw it, and another side the second time. This way, I was able to access every single point that I had gathered the first time and see if it matched up or not. Eh.... it was mostly the same.
So after studying this script, wow.... I had a completely different image in my head, most definitely. But I tried to keep an open mind, which I did. But the script, really, is just weird and confusing sometimes. And those monologues are just crazy. Haha somebody across from where I was sitting fell asleep. It was kinda funny. The casting was interesting. The woman cast as the Chorus seemed so evil! It was kinda scary throughout the production. It was kinda like she was looking down on the world and watching everyone die and laughing throughout it. I was wondering a bit what it would have been like if the chorus parts had been broken up between two people. Maybe a little bit more interesting and more narrative-like? Possibly....
The guy cast as Haemon was quite good in the dramatic scenes. He seemed more as a dramatic actor. During the romantic scenes, there just seemed to be no chemistry at all. It was really awkward to watch. :[
Ismene was funny, as was the nurse. The people in front of me kept chuckling during her lines because they both were like comedic relief. However, I thought Ismene was supposed to be a dramatic part, so I felt really conflicted watching her on stage. I would have liked to see her be the comedic nurse instead. She would have been better cast as that role.
The king, Creon, was cast for his ability to get angry, most definitely. He seemed more like a protective dad than a king. He was definitely dramatic, so props on that. But he didn't really act as king until the very end, when talking to the guards. His talk with the Chorus was awkward, too because no one else looked at her, like he was having a halucination or something. It was as if she was his conscious, but a person only visible to him. So I'm not really sure why the director did that. It confused me. That happened when the Messenger came in, also. I'm not really sure why the director did that. I got confused and didn't understand the point he was trying to make there. It was awkward because the chorus was narrating throughout the whole play until the end and suddenly she just jumped into the story to become a character. It seemed as if the Messenger should have been somewhat of a narrator, too. As if they were Creon's conscious instead of narrating then suddenly jumped into the story and were people within the story. I had to catch up really fast so I lost what was happening.
As for the guards, there were more like extras you see in a movie. I wish the director would have worked with them more on how to really be guards. He defintely worked the scene with the three guards and Antigone in custody, but the rest of the scenes were a little weird. However, the scene with Antigone and the head guard was quite funny. Comic relief, definitely. Obviously had been worked through.
The girl cast as Antigone obviously did her homework. She was able to transition into levels, which is hard to do as an actor. I've been through that, and it definitely takes skill! The scene with her and Creon was obviously worked over and over. I would have liked to see more of her expressions though. Her blocking was bad, and somewhat pointless. She moved so much that when I looked down to write notes for just a couple seconds then looked back up, she would be on the other side of the stage. It was hard to follow her and understand her expressions and feelings since she was moving around so much.
Because the stage was an arena, all the actors had this problem, but mostly Antigone since she did most of the movement. I would have liked to see a thrust stage instead, that way the actors would have broken character as much, looking around at the audience. I really have no idea what the point of that was. Yes, it may have symbolized Antigone's situation, being trapped, but it really made the play bad. It made it confusing to watch and follow everything since the actors were moving so much and had their backs to the audience, at least one side at all times.
The thing that did catch my eye was the choices for costumes. They were modern yet fit the characters. It was a good choice! I liked how Antigone wore, like her character, a vibrant colored top. It fit her character quite well. Creon's costume was quite good too, but it was more like a suit, but I guess that's what kings wear now-a-days. The voices from off-stage were really strange. They were so muffled that sometimes I got confused at what was happening for a couple seconds until the characters came out on stage. The jokes were really awkward. Only a couple people would understand them, and then laugh awkwardly because no one else was laughing. Or something that was supposed to be dramatic turned out to be funny. It was conflicting. Possibly the director could have helped the actors convey which was funny and which was not through voice control, pauses, and body language.
I really never understood the point the director was trying to make with this play. It was confusing and hard to follow most times. Yes, the actors did do their best. But seeing it twice, it stayed quite static from one performance to the other. The blocking was just weird because of the arena stage. It just didn't fit the script. It made it hard for the audience to follow the emotions and actions of the actors. Well, whatever the point, it wasn't really made at all. In fact, I have absolutely no idea what the point was. Oh well, good effort! I went into the performances with an open mind, I took three and a half pages of notes, obviously :] and I tried to grade the performances and the director justly, which I believe I did do. No matter where you go, there will be problems with a play and also good things, sometimes great things. I just wish the director had had more time to work with the actors really forming their characters instead of memorizing all the monologues. Good job though.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Frost/Nixon Acting
So I finally was able to see Frost/Nixon! I actually enjoyed it, which surprised me. I wasn't expecting to find it so amusing and entertaining. I actually went with my dad to see it, he was pretty excited to see it!
I talked with him after wards and also watched youtube videos of the actual Frost/Nixon interviews. I was very impressed by the actor Bill Christ who played Nixon. As my father said, he very skillfully embodied Nixon. He had his mannerisms down, how he spoke, how he walked, how he moved his hands. He was a fantastic actor!
As for David Townsend, the actor who played David Frost, was quite good also. He also definitely did his homework and was able to embody David Frost brilliantly.
As for the extras, they were fantastic also. They all took on their roles and played them. They were not "acting" but rather becoming someone else. There is a difference!
Overall, I thought the acting was quite professional and more than just acting. Everyone in the cast skillfully took on their roles to make the production real. It's quite funny to hear my dad say, yeah, that's what Nixon and Frost really were like. That just proves that the actors were able to take on their character correctly. That's quite hard when impersonating a real person, especially when they are no longer around. I gave a round of applause, for sure.
I talked with him after wards and also watched youtube videos of the actual Frost/Nixon interviews. I was very impressed by the actor Bill Christ who played Nixon. As my father said, he very skillfully embodied Nixon. He had his mannerisms down, how he spoke, how he walked, how he moved his hands. He was a fantastic actor!
As for David Townsend, the actor who played David Frost, was quite good also. He also definitely did his homework and was able to embody David Frost brilliantly.
As for the extras, they were fantastic also. They all took on their roles and played them. They were not "acting" but rather becoming someone else. There is a difference!
Overall, I thought the acting was quite professional and more than just acting. Everyone in the cast skillfully took on their roles to make the production real. It's quite funny to hear my dad say, yeah, that's what Nixon and Frost really were like. That just proves that the actors were able to take on their character correctly. That's quite hard when impersonating a real person, especially when they are no longer around. I gave a round of applause, for sure.
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