| IB Theatre Evaluation #1 |
[Jan. 9th, 2007|09:23 pm] |
The frantic spontaneity of the theatre provides us with a sense of purpose and an emotional connection to the fast-paced world in which we live. The Arena Stage’s production of “Noises Off” mimicked the production distress of the theatre while symbolically inferring differentiating character personalities through color, light schemes, and interactions with the set. The structural sequence of the play metaphorically represented the very essence of the theatre itself, and served as a greater reminder of the fact that true art is often unfinished, because more beauty can be observed in an open-end than in a closed one. The theme of the production, which could have been interpreted as “things unseen”, served the dual purpose of reminding the audience of the imperfections of a production, even in the most professional atmospheres, and demonstrating the fact that there are a multitude of untold stories lurking behind any surface.
Blocking, it itself, is a symbol of our greater movements through life. As the director continually corrected the actors in their movements during Act I of “Noises Off”, he was subconsciously informing the audience of the understated imperfections of an unfinished story. For example, the Mrs. Clackett character, a bumbling house maid, was continually unaware of the order in which to remove objects from the living room. This was indicative of the fact that society as a whole is often completely unsure in which order to perform the tasks required to continue basic survival. When Mrs. Clackett forgot the sardines on stage, and eventually ended-up dragging the phone from its jack into a side room, the movement was meant to indicate to the audience that we often leave thing behind or unfinished in our attempts to progress our own life cycles. This relates to the central theme of “Noises Off”, which is Things Unseen, because it is symbolic of inner desires to ignore tasks at hand and focus instead upon the complications of the future and occurring elsewhere. Mrs. Clackett, really named Dotty, was more focused upon her determination to avoid sinking into a state of depression and was anxiously mourning the opening of the play.
Pantomime was used an incredible amount in the production during Act II. Because there were characters demonstrating the scene on stage, the actors backstage had to use body language in order to completely communicate their proposed solutions to the problems facing the other actors. When the elderly gentleman character, named Selson, or The Burglar, was revealed to be an alcoholic, the rest of the actors rapidly communicated to each other that Selson was in the restroom drinking through a series of tugging motions in the air. Because everything was silent, the audience completely understood the severity of the situation and the desperation conveyed by the acting styles. Art is, essentially, the mimicking of human movement to serve a greater purpose. Thus, theater is the mimicking of human relationships in an attempt to understand them through the progression of controlled and explained representations. “Noises Off” provided an interesting contrast between what was expected and what actually occurred, which is a phenomenon known as ‘irony’. In addition to being ironic, “Noises Off” delved into surface of the production and proved that theatre is not completely focused upon determination to present an entertaining plot line. In the aspect of symbolism, “Noises Off” was a great success.
Costume changes were also extremely meaningful throughout the performance. When various couples were forced to change costume during compromising situations, they returned in outfits completely related to the motions of their characters. For example, when a female in a couple took off her dress to reveal a black undergarment of sorts, it was revealed in greater detail the fact that the woman’s character was deliberately supposed to be considerably out-of-touch with reality. Because white is the color of life, black can be considered an ethereal color of death, and because the woman was wearing it, she was therefore “out-of-touch” with the environmental workings around her. When the man in the said couple was forced to appear as an Arab Sheik, he was donned in a pink bathroom mat for a headdress. Because pink is considered an extremely feminine color to most of the industrialized world, the color was symbolic of the fact that the man was extremely embarrassed to have been caught with a woman, or embarrassed to have been experiencing femininity. In addition, the man was also swathed in white robes. As the woman was wearing black, the white provided an adequate contrast between the two people, which served to demonstrate the vast differences between them in the first place. Secondly, when the woman in the couple appeared without a terrible amount of clothing on, she was swathed in a black sheet. This had been previously foreshadowed, but further lent proof that her black motif was meant to serve as a demonstration for her personality as a whole. Additionally, black is the color of sin and corruption, which could indicate a lack of superior knowledge regarding the inner-workings of the stage.
Time is represented in the production through movement of the stage. When the curtain attempts to rise at the beginning of Act III, it gets stuck in the process multiple times. This potentially indicates the fact that time has passed long enough for equipment to deteriorate, as the curtain seemingly rose without incident at the beginning of Act I. Time passing is also indicated through the usage of clothing changes between Act I and Act III. The stage-manager reveals that she is pregnant in Act II, and this is more clearly represented in Act III when she actually begins to show. Though the people look no older, their performances are more perfected between the first and third acts. However, some lines are a bit sketchy, and the rest of the cast frantically attempted to inform the “new cast member” /understudy of his need to pick up his line where he left off. By the end of Act III, it seemed as if all characters had a consideration for the play itself, and were more acutely aware of the fact that the play had to progress, no matter what happened backstage.
The central problems of the play focused upon relationships. The Burglar was secretly an alcoholic, Dotty was dealing with personal stresses and lack of focus, Vicky was suffering through a form of exhaustive depression, and the director was attempting to hold it all together while assuring his stage manager/girlfriend that their relationship mattered more than his interactions with the rest of the actors combined. An interesting decision was to have the actors have British accents backstage and on stage. Potentially, American accents backstage could have played interestingly into the plot, producing line missteps and confrontations when spoken language arose. This play was probably chosen for production to serve as a timeless reminder to the audience that there are as many struggles backstage as there are on stage. In a time in governmental control where political evidence is being revealed as American prepares to embark upon another election, perhaps it was an adequate time to release a play that would appeal to masses begging to see a representation of the insanities that surround everyone, everywhere, regardless of place or position.
The quote: “Don’t worry- it’s only a technical!” was frequently repeated through Act I of the production to further the notion that the actors in the play were extremely confused about the direction they were supposed to take. As mentioned previously, the play can be used as a symbol of Things Unseen. Because there were frequent references to the dress rehearsal of the production being a mere technical one, it can be inferred that the technical rehearsal was regarded as less than such. Because the technical rehearsal was regarded as less than it actually was, perhaps the actors have been contributing half-heartedly from the beginning. Perhaps the quote was meant to represent the fact that people, in life, rarely regard important matters, even when they are on an extreme deadline to face them. Because the director in this production was also an actor, it was an extremely interesting choice to have the director move actors around on stage, though his job as director would suggest such tasks. However, because the audience is aware of the fact that the director is as much an actor as the actors themselves, the play can also be used to symbolize the fact that the blind are leading the blind.
The theme of Things Unseen was manipulated throughout the production to indicate the fact that there are stories erupting in every cavity of life. Costume colors demonstrated the differentiating personalities between characters, and predicted their behavior in acts to come. Actors in the production indicated that they, too, were completely lost in regards to personal matters, and this began to affect their production on stage, which was in itself symbolic of the fact that what remains unseen has severe control over human performance. Undoubtedly, the play was meant to symbolize the fact that the human mind’s capability to remember is both its greatest asset and its weakest link. |
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