Inspiration and Ideas

• A play about an a boy who has been paralyzed his whole life, but his mind still functions the same as someone "normal." 
• He's able to comprehend that he's different, and instead of being depressed, he observes others and finds insignificant things facinating. He finds joy in and peace in everything around him. 
• However, at the same time, he has dreams about himself being able to walk and talk to other people. He can tell his parents are always under a lot of stress about money and their broken marriage. 
• His condition is terminal, and gets worse every year. All at the same time, he's growing up and becoming an adolecent. He struggles to communicate and starts to feel the physical toll of being sick. 

Plays I Have Read

• The Exonerated 
• A play about people who were exonerated and were on death row for many years. 

Plays I have Seen

The list of plays I have seen so far:

• The Crucible (10.16.2015)
• Performed by the Seoul Foreigh High School cast
• Metamorphosis (10.08.2015)
• Performed by Seongbukdong Beedoolkee
• Shakespeare's Sonnets (10.15.2015) 
• Performed by Berliner Ensemble 

The Crucible Play Analysis

• Sound
• In the Crucible, percussion was used to foreshadow, emphasize and transcend scenes throughout the play. Some of the percussion instruments were the drums and the rainstick. In my opinion, I found that the drums were probably the most significant and used. The speed of the beat and volume created suspense for what was to come.
• Color
• The colors that I would use to describe the play are mixtures of blue and black. I really liked what they did with set and how the woods were displayed. I personally thought the colors of the dresses helped create a childlike illusion and symbolized youth.  
• A moment in time (scorched moment)
• One of my scorched moments was when the red cross lit up. I thought it was ironic and really powerful. It kind of looked like a burning cross due to its color and contrast to the black background.
• Texture
• The texture of the fabric looked rigid and warm due to the fact it was winter. The texture of set looked mysterious and dark. The texture of the background music was constantly changing. Sometimes, it would be strong and played loudly. Other times, it was a simple soft drumming beat.
• A line/word
• I think the simple, yet powerful line that influenced the play the most was, “I saw the devil with…” It enhanced the church’s paranoia and revealed their ignorance. I thought it was interesting to what extent a lie could harm people. This line destroyed Salem.
• An image or a symbol
• Like I mentioned before, I think the cross was a significant visual. It was ironic how most churches believe are generally symbols for hope, but in this context, was used to describe a fearful time for the people of Salem. I think it was also used to symbolize human nature and how people may believe what they’re doing is right (such as the council), but in reality, only making things worse.

In my opinion, I thought the play was very interesting and challenges our minds to be more cautious of what we may say or do. As an individual, I think there are many things that reflected human nature and (the play) now warns us of the consequences of the damage that could potentially be done. As an artist, I really like how the play incorporated the sounds in the set. It made the play more unique and modern from the original time it was written. As a director, I think I would have liked to use more props. I would also probably have chosen the colors of the girls clothes as white to symbolize purity. In the beginning, I would have used dark lighting to make it look like there was something contaminating the white dresses.  

Shakespeare's Sonnets (Berliner Ensemble) Play Analysis

1.    Theater in Context-

a.     How did it relate to your culture?

• This play relates to my culture in the sense that gender shouldn’t restrict the performer's (or anyone’s) abilities and opportunities. The United States has come a long way since the 1800’s. Today, women are allowed to work and gain an equal education to men.

b.      How did it relate to other cultures?

• From another culture’s perspective, the play reflects how strange it is for gender roles not to exist as a social norm. It could be viewed that the lack of gender of the characters results in confusion and absurd.

c.       How did it relate to society today? Your personal world?

• Today, we live in a world where gender roles and preference are continuously being questioned. It’s interesting how theatre has used this into postmodernism and made it it’s own type of theatre (open mindedness theatre). In my personal world, I believe that progress and success require open mindedness and optimism.

2.     Theatre Processes-

a.     What processes were used to interpret/translate/adapt the play for the audience in terms of script and performers?

• Since we live in South Korea, most of the audience members were Korean. The host auditorium the play was held at, used Korean subtitles. At times during the performance, I didn’t entirely understand what the actors and actresses were saying - half due to the fact Shakespearean literature can be hard to comprehend and the other half because of some of the performer's thick accents. Whether the thick accents were intentional or not, I wish I would have read the sonnets prior to coming to the performance.

3.     Presentation-

a.     How was the story communicated?

• The story was communicated through the performer’s movement and energy, the sounds, and lines from Shakespeare’s sonnets. The actors and actresses posture conveyed numerous messages as the responded to the actions of others. The background music of the play helped create the illusion and set the mood on stage. The speed of the performer's movement and energy were crucial. The ensemble worked together as one to communicate to the audience.   

b.      How was it presented?

• The Berliner ensemble presented the Shakespeare’s sonnets in a comedic approach. They did this by incorporating humor and sarcasm expressed through the performer's’ facial expressions. The roles of the female characters were acted by men, while the male characters were acted by women, which happens to be an example of open mindedness theatre. This challenges the way we view traditional theatre.

c.      What was the role of the set design?

• The set design was absolutely incredible. The opening scene started out with minimal props. However, as the play continued, the set really helped bring the play to life. The set design was a powerful tool when changing the mood of the stage. One of my most memorable moments was watching the man riding a humongous bicycle backwards, while another was riding a tiny bicycle forwards. The background was beautifully done.

d.      Use of media?

• Media was used to modernise the play. When cupid spoke to the audience, he mentioned how love, death, tragedy, happiness and more were his favorite kinds of subjects. He also asked the audience why after hundreds of years plays such as these still exist. He continued to question if the play has evolved. The play did evolve and became live theatre. During one of the scenes, a modern beat was used. The performers then recited their lines to the beat. Even after the beat had faded, the actor and actresses continued to move and kept repeating the same lines as if the song had never stopped.

e.      Lighting?

• The lighting was used as transitions from one scene to another. In addition, the lighting also helped set the mood. Whenever the spotlight was on a certain character, the audience immediately knew that the character was about to speak. The background colors (from the light) set the tone on stage.

f.       What was the response of the audience?

• The audience’s response to the play was very positive. Since the performers were successful in catching the audience’s eye, they responded as being attentive. The performers were able to do this by using facial expressions and actually interacting with the audience. On multiple occasions, Cupid directly acknowledged the audience’s presence and asked them questions.

g.     What was the impact and the intention of the performance?

• The impact and intention of the performance was to explore postmodernist theatre, specifically open mindedness theatre. The director and performers didn’t want to limit themselves to social norms and how traditional theatre should be formed. Instead, they challenged the view society has on Shakespeare’s sonnets and uniquely bring it back to life.

Think as artists and ask:

4. What influences and inspirations might you use in your work as:

a.     performer

• I really liked how gender roles weren’t necessary to create live theatre. Even the main characters, such as Queen Elizabeth, were performed by a male. Since we’re living in a time of change and acceptance, I liked how gender didn’t restrict the performers.

b.     creator

• As a creator, I would like to modernise an old play as well. I thought it was very clever and changed the perspective. It also captured the audience’s attention since it was something that had never been performed. In Peter Brook’s “The Empty Space,” he describes the different reactions of actors if one was to ask them to perform a piece from one of Shakespeare’s plays. Due to our traditional view of his plays, many will try to mimic what others have done, which results in a bored audience.

c.      designer

• From the moment I saw the set design, I fell in love. I loved how simplicity was used in the opening scene. In my opinion, I think if the opening scene started out with a grand entrance, it would probably overwhelm the audience. However, as the play continued, it was clear that the flow of the play used more than just minimalism. It also incorporated, incredibly detailed props. I also enjoyed looking at the costumes. I felt that the costumes helped the performer stay in and build character.  

d.     director

• If I were ever to direct a play, I would want to incorporate the idea of using a narrator as one of the characters within the play. Not only would I like the narrator to be an actual role, but to interact with the audience, just like Cupid had done in Shakespeare’s Sonnets. I found this as a brilliant way to engage the audience’s attention without being overly demanding.

·      What do I learn as an artist from this play?

• I learned that multiple “isms” can be used when creating the set design. Both were used to highlight different key points of the play.

·      What works and what doesn’t work and why?

• I think everything worked. The humour used engaged the audience and was a clever way to make the play unique.

·      What do I learn about gesture/movement/face/body and voice?

• I learned that facial expressions are crucial when communicating with the audience. Since half of the time I didn’t understand what the performers were saying, their facial expressions conveyed many messages.

·      What do I learn from the use of mis en scene?

• I learned the position and the direction the props were faced plaid an important role. Many props were recycled. They did this so the audience could infer that the characters had gone back to a few places throughout the play.

·      What did the director do to have an impact and intention?

• Robert Wilson was not only the director, but also in charge of the design. He had a major role in illustrating the impact and intention of the play. He was able to visualize his perspective of Shakespeare’s sonnets in a modern world.

Metamorphosis Play Analysis

1.     Theater in Context-

a.     How did it relate to your culture?

• In the sense that this play was a metaphor, I felt like if the family symbolized the United States, and Gregor symbolized anything new. In my opinion, I believe there would first be chaos. The play portrayed this chaos when the family saw Gregor’s transformation for the first time. Nobody would know what to do and all reacted differently.

b.      How did it relate to other cultures?

• Metamorphosis related to other cultures by the way they may react to various situations. For example, something “new” or different could be a transgender female. This transgender female would probably be treated differently in a very conservative cultural in comparison to a liberal one. As the transgender becomes more comfortable in their own skin, some may continue to hurt her (when Gregor’s father hurts him).

c.       How did it relate to society today? Your personal world?

• I think it relates to my culture in the sense that we ignore, fear, and are curious about the things we don’t understand. I think each family member symbolized an emotion that one feels when they experience something new. For example, the father could represent ignore, the mother, fear; and the sister, curiosity.

2.     Theatre Processes-

a.     What processes were used to interpret/translate/adapt the play for the audience in terms of script and performers?

• During the transformation (of when Gregor becomes an insect), the ensemble formed a line. Instead of simply using a costume to transform human Gregor into an insect, they used language as well.  

3.     Presentation-

a.     How was the story communicated?

• The story was communicated through movement and language. For some of the actors, they started out primarily on their movements and evolved into only using language. For others, it was the complete opposite. They started out using language to communicate and eventually only used dramatic movements.

b.      How was it presented?

• The stage that the story was presented on was shaped uniquely. The audience was very close to the stage. The struggle with the audience being so close to stage, is that it’s much easier to lose the illusion. However, since the illusion required the audience’s imagination, being that close didn’t make that much of a difference. The story also visualized Gregor’s dreams.

c.      What was the role of the set design?

• The set design used minimalism. The stage changed numerous times, simply by changing the position of a piece of furniture. For example, in the beginning, the bed was just a bed. However, later the bed became a train with wheels made of umbrellas. Minimalism really emphasized the key ideas that the performers portrayed.

d.      Use of media?

• At of one point of the play, the actors starting singing “I’ll be there,” by Michael Jackson. It was very random and used as an element to surprise the audience.

e.      Lighting?

• During the transitions, the stage would blackout sometimes. This let the audience know that the stage was changing. There was also a spotlight used. The spotlight told the audience that something important was going to happen.

f.       What was the response of the audience?

• The audience was surprised by how much the ensemble could do with few items on stage. The performers were always changing the stage and making something new. They always managed to surprise the audience and open their minds to a new perspective.

g.     What was the impact and the intention of the performance?

• The intention of the performance was to open different perspectives and reveal human instincts.

Think as artists and ask:

4. What influences and inspirations might you use in your work as:

a.     performer

• The energy on stage was incredibly strong. I learned that while working together, each performer really needs to be aware of each other’s movement. I really enjoyed watching each actor’s facial expression. Although there were subtitles, their facial expressions really expressed every emotion they felt.

b.     creator

• I really liked how light the play was. Even though the novel was originally written as kind of a depressing book, the creator managed to add sparks of humor and a peaceful ending.

c.      designer

• I liked how they used minimalism. In my opinion, I think one of the hardest parts of creating a play (or a movie) based off a novel, most people will try to imitate everything. By using minimalism, each individual in the audience is obliged to use their imagination to create the setting themselves.  

d.     director

• To avoid the play to becoming dead theatre, I liked how they used the ensemble and language during Gregor’s transformation. The director could have easily used a costume of a bug, but then the audience would have always only seen a man inside a costume. Instead, the director used quotes from the novel and the ensemble as whole to reveal the change that was happening.

·      What do I learn as an artist from this play?

• I learned that minimalism isn’t boring. Due to my lack of experience, I had never been to a play that used minimalism. As a visual artist, detail is everything. Even in modern art, whether it be the shape, color, or size, there was something that made it special. I learned that, similar to modern art, sometimes it’s the story that is the most valuable thing one can take away from an experience.

·      What works and what doesn’t work and why?

• In general, I thought there was a really good balance of everything. The flow (written in the director’s notes of the pamphlet) was very interesting. I really liked how the actors relied a lot on the movements, but as the play continues, language becomes the dominant source of communicating the play. However, instead, the family works backwards in terms of using language first and ending with movements. I thought this was a very clever way of tying its original form as a novel with an unique play.

·      What do I learn about gesture/movement/face/body and voice?

• I learned that the audience can feel the energy giving off by the performers. The change in gestures and movement hinted to the audience a new character was going to be born. The dreams were very vivid and full of life. The pace that the actors were moving were also interesting to observe. Similar to music, the stronger the pianissimo, the stronger the fortissimo. This being said, in theatre, the slower one may walk will have a great reaction if all of sudden they start walking incredibly fast. The pace and speed can change the setting in an instant.

·      What do I learn from the use of mis en scene?

• I learned that mis en scene is extremely important. One minute the door is just a door, and the next, the door is like a window to another scene. It was very interesting to watch and captured the audience's attention.  

·      What did the director do to have an impact and intention?

• The director’s choice of changing the character flow and the transitions really impacted the speed everything was revealed. I really like how he distinctly differentiated the flow for the minor and major roles. In my opinion, I believe that by making the family’s flow start with language and end with movements, it revealed a hidden message. It kind of reminded me of how sometimes people will work backwards instead of forwards, and how this close mindess way of thinking can create limitations.

Scorched Moment

At the time, Shannon and I didn't see a play yet, which is why there is no scorched moment available. Instead, we were asked to research on Needles and Opium to help the other students create their tableau.