Friday, May 29, 2009
Louie's
There were many different aspects about the play Louie’s at 1st and Main that I had to keep in mind when processing the stage space. The acting was pretty good I thought. The direction seemed to be well rehearsed and in the right direction. And the stage space was nicely used. The stage space could be broken into a few different categories actually. There is the issue of the space being formal and informal, the way the seating was set up for the audience, and of course how big was the stage space. The stage space would be considered small stretching out about 30 feet some areas to only 10 feet long in others. It was still big enough to offer quite a variety of options though. There were five different entrances and exits offered at different sections of the theatre. This provided a number of options for the cast to maneuver around throughout the play. That was very convenient considering the size of the place. The scene there could be classified as informal. Besides the location there were a few other signs that made it a dead give-away. There were no servers at the door, no dress code, eating and drinking were allowed, etc. It was a very chill and relaxed environment. I was able to eat my bowl of soup in there and drink my soda. The seating arrangement was comfortable. The chairs were spread out in a half circle that went around the stage. It was a pretty well designed layout considering the space they had to work with. It still allowed all the audience members to see the same amount of stage space as everyone else. I think the stage would be considered a thrust stage or a black box stage. I do not really know about that one cause the definitions sounded similar to me. Over all this was a really well designed area with little stage space to work with. Not everyone could pull that off.
The great act of Nixon
The acting in this play was fantastic. I really did not know what to expect, when I first walked into it then I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I thought the acting was going to be alright but wouldn’t be that dead on. When I was sitting there it felt like I was actually watching one of Nixon’s speeches or one of his famous interviews.
When looking through a few of the actors resumes I discovered that most of them have a pretty extensive background. Bill Christ, who played Richard Nixon, had worked Off-Broadway, Broadway, Denver Center Theater Company, television, and film. He had his fair share of experience with acting and was able to really fit the character. He didn’t look perfectly like Nixon up close but he sounded exactly like him. From where I was seated he did look a great deal like Nixon. When they just put him on the big screen the audience could see how he really was able to portray Nixon’s emotions during the crucial parts of the interviews.
David Townsend, who played David Frost, also had his share of an extensive background with Off- Broadway acts and training at The Juilliard School. He had a really difficult task like Bill having to not only act like a different character, but sound like him too. He had to perform with a British accent. On top of that, he had to act on stage almost more then anyone else, keeping the accent the whole time. His emotions and facial expressions were just as phenomenal too. He had to be even more dead on most of the time cause he was put on the big screen and his facial expression were present to the whole audience.
Adam Ludwig, who played Jim Reston, had the most experience in the television and film industry. He played a very important character in the play as one of the main actors and as a narrator. He was required to be on stage almost the entire time even if he didn’t say anything. This meant he had to be in character the entire hour and forty-five minutes. He played a very characteristic writer that required great voice and articulation skills and emotional actions. He nailed it to a T. The other actors did a really good job too. There were a few more significant characters in the play that did an excellent job they just didn’t stand out to me quit as much.
Overall I would say this was the best play that we watched. It had everything I would want in a play and more. I wish I could have seen again with a video camera so I could have the moments captured for all time. The actors preformed brilliantly. This comes to show you never judge a book by its cover.
When looking through a few of the actors resumes I discovered that most of them have a pretty extensive background. Bill Christ, who played Richard Nixon, had worked Off-Broadway, Broadway, Denver Center Theater Company, television, and film. He had his fair share of experience with acting and was able to really fit the character. He didn’t look perfectly like Nixon up close but he sounded exactly like him. From where I was seated he did look a great deal like Nixon. When they just put him on the big screen the audience could see how he really was able to portray Nixon’s emotions during the crucial parts of the interviews.
David Townsend, who played David Frost, also had his share of an extensive background with Off- Broadway acts and training at The Juilliard School. He had a really difficult task like Bill having to not only act like a different character, but sound like him too. He had to perform with a British accent. On top of that, he had to act on stage almost more then anyone else, keeping the accent the whole time. His emotions and facial expressions were just as phenomenal too. He had to be even more dead on most of the time cause he was put on the big screen and his facial expression were present to the whole audience.
Adam Ludwig, who played Jim Reston, had the most experience in the television and film industry. He played a very important character in the play as one of the main actors and as a narrator. He was required to be on stage almost the entire time even if he didn’t say anything. This meant he had to be in character the entire hour and forty-five minutes. He played a very characteristic writer that required great voice and articulation skills and emotional actions. He nailed it to a T. The other actors did a really good job too. There were a few more significant characters in the play that did an excellent job they just didn’t stand out to me quit as much.
Overall I would say this was the best play that we watched. It had everything I would want in a play and more. I wish I could have seen again with a video camera so I could have the moments captured for all time. The actors preformed brilliantly. This comes to show you never judge a book by its cover.
Anonymous Theatre Returns to the Armory June 7th
This is gauranteed to be a hilarious, exciting evening at the theatre. (What a great way to get some extra credit!) I hope some of you will be able to go. Click on the red link below to view the details:
Anonymous Theatre Returns to the Armory June 7th
Posted using ShareThis
Anonymous Theatre Returns to the Armory June 7th
Posted using ShareThis
Thursday, May 28, 2009
In Soviet Russia... you know the rest...
This (last) week I was given the task of evaluating the acting of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, and as some of my fellow classmates can attest I took several notes. As a whole I think I expected something different from Chekhov; from what I had heard the plays of Chekhov were supposed to be mostly dark humor, some tragic circumstances, but ultimately sticking more of a comedic nature. I apparently didn't catch that this show was not going to be a comedy. Mostly I feel a tad bit depressed by this show, but it was entertaining in its own rights.
Lets get this part over with early on; the Baron. I've been told he was supposed to be comic relief in many instances, but mostly I found him to be more of a dry comic in his role when it felt like he was intending to portray sadness. For the remainder of the show I was at a loss for what his true, intended purpose was. He struck me as more of a comedic specialty actor, even though his background in the program said otherwise, and it made it seem like he forced his part a bit. I could not for the life of me tell when he was making a joke or just saying a line.
Irina was spot on. Period. She really captured that whole "child in a hurry to grow up" idea, and it really took off from there. She is the character we see, quite possibly, the most often and she really cemented a place in the show for me. She felt sad, I saw it. She feels happy, I see it. A wonderful job by her. Her emotions were genuine and her expressions were big, bright and bold.
Possibly one of my biggest surprises, and personal favorite part, was the Doctor. The old family friend who I originally thought was there to offer fatherly advice to the girls when times got tough(er) but I didn't know if he would have much of an extended character, in this particular case to have more depth and emotion to his character. His drunken and sloppy entrance in Act Three made it quite clear I was wrong about that. I had heard that Chekhov's plays played very heavily with stereotypes, but the Drunk being a Medic was a twist I didn't expect. And his secret confession was truly wonderful. Bravo!
While on the subject of the secret confession, let's switch our focus over to the second party present during that scene. The Schoolteacher, Masha's husband, started out as a flat, one-dimensional character in my eyes. He ended the show as an enigma. Couldn't figure out what was going through his mind to save my life. His character really made a full one-hundred eighty degree turn with me. The level of complex emotions he must have felt as that character must have been astounding.
All in all, it was a good production. Not my favorite, but a good production. The actors of Artist Repatory Theatre must be very proud.
Lets get this part over with early on; the Baron. I've been told he was supposed to be comic relief in many instances, but mostly I found him to be more of a dry comic in his role when it felt like he was intending to portray sadness. For the remainder of the show I was at a loss for what his true, intended purpose was. He struck me as more of a comedic specialty actor, even though his background in the program said otherwise, and it made it seem like he forced his part a bit. I could not for the life of me tell when he was making a joke or just saying a line.
Irina was spot on. Period. She really captured that whole "child in a hurry to grow up" idea, and it really took off from there. She is the character we see, quite possibly, the most often and she really cemented a place in the show for me. She felt sad, I saw it. She feels happy, I see it. A wonderful job by her. Her emotions were genuine and her expressions were big, bright and bold.
Possibly one of my biggest surprises, and personal favorite part, was the Doctor. The old family friend who I originally thought was there to offer fatherly advice to the girls when times got tough(er) but I didn't know if he would have much of an extended character, in this particular case to have more depth and emotion to his character. His drunken and sloppy entrance in Act Three made it quite clear I was wrong about that. I had heard that Chekhov's plays played very heavily with stereotypes, but the Drunk being a Medic was a twist I didn't expect. And his secret confession was truly wonderful. Bravo!
While on the subject of the secret confession, let's switch our focus over to the second party present during that scene. The Schoolteacher, Masha's husband, started out as a flat, one-dimensional character in my eyes. He ended the show as an enigma. Couldn't figure out what was going through his mind to save my life. His character really made a full one-hundred eighty degree turn with me. The level of complex emotions he must have felt as that character must have been astounding.
All in all, it was a good production. Not my favorite, but a good production. The actors of Artist Repatory Theatre must be very proud.
Seussical The Musical
Nici Benois
Suessical The Musical (Extra Credit)
Suessical The Musical, was extremely awesome. Mike, Deanna, and I went to go see it the last performing day at Clackamas High School. The colorings, the costumes, the lighting, and the set itself were extremely colorful, and not overly suffocating. When I first heard of this play I was really excited to see some of Mike’s old classmates perform because I only knew them from one improv night. So what I am going to talk about would be the Design Elements. First off the costuming, because it was what made me so excited to see the show. Every costume was unique; all made from neon colors and many types of material. When I think of the costumes, it makes me think back to wicked. All of them were different and none were repeated once throughout the show. One of my favorite characters costume besides the cat in the hat, was Gertrude the bird. She had a neon yellow costume, with bright pink heels and feathers throughout the play, and later in the middle of the show they had a feather boa pulled out to be her new “tail” feathers to become of importance to Horton the elephant.
Second off, the scenery itself. I really thought that the Clackamas high-school did really well with the budget they were given. The colors were also painted in black-light neon, and used black-lights through certain points of the show. The stage itself was a proscenium arch that was given three levels of platforms, and had objects such as a flying plane throughout the show.
The lighting was extremely cool because it was like our magic theatre production but better. It had the main stage lights, the lighting coming out of the pit, and lighting going into the audience. It made it very pleasant to view the actors in all areas of the theatre itself, and made it easy to recognize who was who.
For the first time in my life with a musical, besides the Broadway productions, would be that the music was actually really well played by the pit orchestra. It was a little loud, but it went well with the vocals of the actors. Also for sound, the microphones kept cutting in and out especially on Andrew Garcia who played the cat and the hat.
All in all, I really liked this show because it was upbeat and moved smoothly between scenes, and I didn’t feel like I was waiting forever for comic relief. I really wish as a class we would have at least seen one musical, because they are one of my favorite types of theatre.
~Nici Benois~
Suessical The Musical (Extra Credit)
Suessical The Musical, was extremely awesome. Mike, Deanna, and I went to go see it the last performing day at Clackamas High School. The colorings, the costumes, the lighting, and the set itself were extremely colorful, and not overly suffocating. When I first heard of this play I was really excited to see some of Mike’s old classmates perform because I only knew them from one improv night. So what I am going to talk about would be the Design Elements. First off the costuming, because it was what made me so excited to see the show. Every costume was unique; all made from neon colors and many types of material. When I think of the costumes, it makes me think back to wicked. All of them were different and none were repeated once throughout the show. One of my favorite characters costume besides the cat in the hat, was Gertrude the bird. She had a neon yellow costume, with bright pink heels and feathers throughout the play, and later in the middle of the show they had a feather boa pulled out to be her new “tail” feathers to become of importance to Horton the elephant.
Second off, the scenery itself. I really thought that the Clackamas high-school did really well with the budget they were given. The colors were also painted in black-light neon, and used black-lights through certain points of the show. The stage itself was a proscenium arch that was given three levels of platforms, and had objects such as a flying plane throughout the show.
The lighting was extremely cool because it was like our magic theatre production but better. It had the main stage lights, the lighting coming out of the pit, and lighting going into the audience. It made it very pleasant to view the actors in all areas of the theatre itself, and made it easy to recognize who was who.
For the first time in my life with a musical, besides the Broadway productions, would be that the music was actually really well played by the pit orchestra. It was a little loud, but it went well with the vocals of the actors. Also for sound, the microphones kept cutting in and out especially on Andrew Garcia who played the cat and the hat.
All in all, I really liked this show because it was upbeat and moved smoothly between scenes, and I didn’t feel like I was waiting forever for comic relief. I really wish as a class we would have at least seen one musical, because they are one of my favorite types of theatre.
~Nici Benois~
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
