Responding to productions as a learner - Bianca's Group

Which of my own ideas, understandings, conclusions, and knowledge of theatre are supported by this piece of theatre?
I really liked how they used postmodern elements such as minimalism to get their message across. I thought it was very effective since each character portrayed an emotion, which can be very hard to clearly distinct if everything is too complex. It really forced the audience to continue to listen in order to understand the overall message. Although the characters never were "labeled," it was clear who each person played due to the way they presented themselves. I thought the different energy levels also helped the transitions between the scenes and consistently fit the mood and tone. Overall, I thought it was a success.

What aspects of theatre has this piece of theatre made me rethink?

This made me rethink about the Rasa Boxes. I liked how the characters were vulnerable which made them so real to the audience. The repetition of the beginning lines at the end of the performance really made me think about if there really was such thing as an escape. If so, does it come from an external form or is it just something we must accept? Furthermore, is it possible to remove these attached feelings from ourselves or is it inevitable that we keep running in circles? I also really liked their usage of technology. I thought it grasped the audience's attention in the most significant parts of the performance.

What areas of production are less successful? What didn't work well? What needs more attention?

I think an area they could improve on is volume and articulation. They could have used more dynamics when delivering certain scenes that were more important than others. I was sitting in the middle area and still was unable to hear some the lines at times. I think if they finish the lines a little bit stronger, that will leave a greater impact on the audience.

What thoughts and idea has this piece of theatre stimulated about theatre in general?
It's stimulated the idea that cognitive language and meaning are shown through emotion and the way each actor/actress presents a line. It is vital that when performing a piece like this, each person relies on their intuition. They need to remove themselves from dead theatre and trust themselves enough that whatever happens will work.

Rasa Boxes Reflection

Today, we learned about Rasa Boxes and how we can use them as performers. What I really like about these boxes, is that each represents one emotion. As a human, it's very hard to only feel one pure emotion rather than a collage of them. Since each box represents one emotion, it's our responsibility to really focus and let the raw feelings go. Something that I struggle with is being completely honest with how I feel. Most of the time, I'm so tired that I feel numb to everything around me. However, when I get home, I usually release all those emotions at once. I found this experience challenged me to live in the moment and embrace my emotions. By doing so, I was able to feel more relaxed and had more energy. Another thing I learned was how a monologue can change depending on which box you're in. This creates so many different dynamics and constantly changes the meaning of the dialogue. Not only does it challenge the performer, but also the audience. The audience must also be engaged in order to follow along and understand the cognitive meaning. Overall, it was great learning experience that I hope to incorporate in the future.