Our production of "Ruined"

When my group discussed and decided on our unified vision, we all seemed to interpret the the play in the same way. We all agreed that the Congo is a place of war. It is a run down, tired region that has a slower pace than the one we live in. To live in this world is to fight for your self from one day to the next. This vision creates the world of the Congo as it stands and is accepted today. A community far removed from the world will see our production and accept that it is the Congo and become a part of it.
All pieces of our production come together to create one unified vision of what that world is to us. My contribution was sound. Below is how we thought the play would sound.

Our sound design for “Ruined”
The opening scene will start with the sounds of the Ituri rain forest. The sounds of a parrot squawking can be heard in the background. The music will fade when the actors start their dialogue. The music of the Congo will fade in as the end of the scene draws to a close, gradually getting louder as the lights fade.
As scene two opens the loud sound of a generator is heard as the lights come up on the scene. The quiet sounds of conversations can be heard from the patrons in the bar. The parrot and its cage ratting can be heard from the back of the set while a soft jazz song is being sung by Sophie. Catcalls and whistle can be heard from the drunken soldiers cheering on the dancer. These sounds are all heard secondly, as if in the background, while the dialogue begins. All sounds are silenced except for the ever present squawk of the parrot as a drunk rebel solider harasses Sophie while she is on stage. The silence is broken and the music and singing along with the fore mentioned sounds of the bar resume where they left off after Mama makes a deal with the belligerent solider. After Sophie’s song finishes, a soft applause from only a few patrons is heard. The sounds of the bar are heard with emphases on a developing scene between the loud drunk soldiers who are now harassing Salima. Toward the end of scene two Sophie takes the stage and begins to sing another sad soft jazz song that grows louder as the lights fade.

Scene three opens up with the natural sounds of the rain forest. These sounds are faded out and replaced with the distant sounds of birds that can be heard from the open windows and the sound of a slow fan turning in the bedroom. The dialogue is resumed. Steps are heard as Josephine walks down the wooden floor toward the room. The dialogue resumes and a portable radio is turned on. A man’s voice is heard over some static and is muffled from the poor quality speakers, the man is speaking Swahili. The dial is changed and hip-hop music, sung in an African tongue, replaces the sounds of birds as the dialogue continues. The radio is turned off and only the angry voices of the actors are heard as the dialogue heats up. At the end of this scene there is silence after Josephine finishes telling Sophie about her own bitter story, the lights fade and the scene closes. Scene four opens, you here the hum of the generator already running as the bar sounds grow louder. The sounds of conversation are louder than in the last scenes to give the bar a busier atmosphere. The parrot and its cage rattling is still heard in the background. A louder version of the same soft jazz song is being sung by Sophie. Laughter, catcalls and whistle can be heard from the drunken soldiers cheering on the dancer. These sounds are all heard secondly, as if in the background, while Sophie finishes her song and the dialogue begins. Pool balls can be heard dropping into pockets as the actors continue. At Mama’s cue the musicians change up their song to one with a quicker tempo. The song is still played softly and is heard as background. With the entrance of Osembenga all sounds on stage are silenced quickly. The music and background sounds are slowly increased but do not grow as loud as they were before the officer entered the bar. The sounds of the bar grow quiet again with only the sound of the parrot and its cage as Osembenga grows loud as he speaks. The pace of conversations resume as the heated tone in the officer’s voice is headed off by Mamma’s charm. There is no music for a short time until mama signals the band and the soft jazz resumes. The music and sounds of the bar are faded out at the end of the scene with the lights.

Scene five opens with the distant sounds of the rain forest. These sounds are quietly carried through the scene as the windows in the bar are open. The parrot and its cage can also be heard. The scene ends with the sounds of the rain forest still quietly heard as the lights fade.

The rain forest sounds are heard louder as the lights come up for scene six. The bird is heard loudly as Salima sneaks food from under the counter. The sounds of the rainforest are silenced as two ragged soldiers rush in and seem on edge. The sounds of Mama behind the bar straightening items can be heard as the soldiers sit and settle in. As the dialogue heats up between Mamma and Fortune the sounds of the table tipping and items falling are heard along with an upset parrot who is thrashing around noisily. As the lights fade the sounds of the parrot does also.

The rain forest sounds are heard louder as the lights come up for act two. The sounds of a guitar player and drums are heard along with Mama and Sophie’s voices singing a duet. A drum solo grows loud and intense, gradually, and is heard above all else as Josephine dances wildly. The music continues and is faded out with the lights as the first scene closes. The music cross-fades with sounds of distant laughter and gunfire as the lights dim the sounds are quiet.

As scene two opens the natural sounds of the rain forest are heard in the background as the dialogue starts. The sounds are faded out along with the lights as the end of the scene. Rain and occasional thunder along with ever increasing distant gunfire, is heard around the soldier standing outside at the beginning of scene three. The drunken stumbles of the soldier’s footsteps can be heard as they leave the scene. As the scene closes, the sound or pouring rain is heard along with the sounds of gunfire, that has definitely grown closer and more intense, with a backdrop sounds of the rain forest at night.

Scene four opens with the same sounds of the bar as mentioned above, the hum of the generator and patrons engulfed in conversation, and a squawking parrot. The music is turned on; the same hip-hop as before is on the old radio, at Mamas request. The Parrot is heard again as Mama greets some soldiers. The conversations grow quiet and the low sound of the hip hop is all that is heard along with the dialogue of Kisembe, a rebel soldier. After the soldiers leave and the actors mock them a drum beat is heard to intensify Josephine’s tapping rhythm which is being danced to by Christian. The playful sounds stop short when Osembenga enters the scene. The bar is silent except for the dialogue. The scene closes with the rainforest sounds growing as the lights fade. Scene five opens and closes with the sounds of the rain forest and gunfire that is a bit louder than the last scene.

Scene 6 begins with the sounds of the rain forest and artillery fire that is closer than expected. The dialogue continues with some gunfire coming and going. As the dialogue is played out, the sound of chaos, shouting and gunfire growths intense. The sound of the generator blowing is heard as Osembenga enters the scene. Only distant gunfire is heard while Salima screams her dyeing words at the soldiers. The lights fade along with the sounds of the gunfire.

Scene 7 opens with the sounds of the rain forest and the quiet chatter of the parrot along with a quiet song being sung by Sophie without a musical back ground. Sophie leaves the scene and the singing stops as Christian enters. The distant sound of gunfire is still heard but seems further away. At the end of the play a guitar solo plays as the characters dance. The parrot taunts Mama and the music continues as the lights fade.



Works Cited
Marcus, Joan. "Drama critics name ˜Ruined™ best play." MSN. The associated press, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2009. .

"RUINED : : Manhattan Theatre Club." Manhattan Theatre Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. http://www.mtc-nyc.org/current-season/ruined/index.htm.

"RUINED Extends Once Again Thru 6/28 2009/04/29." Broadway World.com - Broadway's Premier Web Resource. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/RUINED_Extends_Once_Again_Thru_628_20090429.

"YouTube. Ella Fitgerald. - Broadcast Yourself. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. http://www.youtube.com/.

"YouTube. YouTube- Mbuti Forest People, Celebratory Music, Ituri Rainforest. Broadcast Yourself. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. . Web. 12 December 2009.

"Romeo and Juliet" an analysis

I saw this play Sunday afternoon with my daughter. We loved the small theater and sat in the front row on the left side. The actors were great and very close as were some of their props. It was exciting and sad all at once. Below is my analysis of the play itself as I saw it.

The major conflict of this play is between the love of Romeo and Juliet and the feud between the Montague and Capulet families. Love versus hate, if you will.
This conflict develops as Romeo and Juliet realize that they are in love. Each soon discovers that they belong to the family of their enemies. As the conflict unfolds the feud heats up as each family loses a precious member over some mixed words.

Romeo and Juliet represent new love. A way of looking towards the future instead of holding grudges from the past.

Their families, The Montague’s and The Capulet’s represent hate or lost love. These families are held in place by their own foolish pride. Not moving forward but becoming stale with bitterness year after year.

The climax between this lost love and new love happens when Romeo and Juliet take their own lives in act 3 scene 7 and are found dead by both feuding families. The families listen in shock and guilt as Friar Lawrence and Balthasar tell about the events that led to their deaths. The prince expresses his wisdom to both families explaining that their most recent loss of Mercutio and Tybalt should have taught them something. He explains that they learned nothing from their recent loss and now pay an even higher price.

The resolution of the conflict also occurs in act 3 scene 7 while everyone is still gathered and taking in the horrible scene around them Capulet asks for Montague’s hand as a gesture of joining and the end to their fight. They both agree to erect monuments in memory of Romeo and Juliet, agreeing that the sacrifices were too great for such petty hostility.

The subject of this play is love. Within this subject lies the idea that love over all else should triumph. Love is true and good in nature. Hate is negative and strengthens with each negative thought or action. This hate will be the vine that strangles the flower of love. Our differences of nature should not blind our eyes to the love around us. These differences should be realized and embraced.

The structure of this play would follow the climactic structure. The time frame, number of characters and scope of events are specific and narrow. The play has a point of attack, complications, climax and final resolution. All of which are included in a play with a climactic structure.

I believe the form of this play would be tragic. The constraints on Romeo and Juliet’s love pitted against their desire to be together forced them to make decisions that ultimately lead to their deaths. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet, in turn, lead to the families learning a moral lesson.

I felt that this play was a lesson in love and hate. To watch a pair of families otherwise good at heart tear each other down, is both disheartening and eye opening. Even though the events in this play were extraordinary and dramatized I think we can all relate to an unresolved conflict that as the holidays approach builds in negative nature awaiting its own inevitable climax.

Works Cited

Romeo X
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ribbonaquadrops.com

Over the Dead Bodies of
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mcgoodwin.net

- lisawallerrogers.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/

www.josephhaworth.com/images/Fellow%20Actors/...
this image can be found: www.josephhaworth.com/edwin_booth.htm

Dance in Musical Theatre

Dance and theatre have influenced one another from the very beginning of their history together. Both of these art forms share a common bond in that they look to tell a story by expressing emotions through their own unique form of communication.

Song and dance in live performances can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Originally found in Grecian theatre, dance can be dated as far back as 240 BC.

Ancient Roman theaters were huge and seated thousands of people. Due to the extreme number of audience members, keeping a performance exciting was vital for audience approval. If the audience was not impressed they would throw items and heckle performers. In an effort to continually improve audience approval the Romans adopted dance including it in their wild performances, to help add a further element to the live shows.

Sound projection was also a problem a problem for the dancers as they had no
speaking parts so to draw the audience’s attention to their performance the dancers would nail metal to the bottom of their sandals to help make the dance steps louder. These would be considered the first tap shoes.

There is an African expression that says: “If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing” As far back as can be traced, all cultures have sang and danced as a way to express their feelings, celebrate special events and pray. The medicine men of many cultures used dance as a form of prayer, asking the gods to bring rain, end famine and cure the sick. For this reason those medicine men are considered, by many, to be the first choreographers of formal dance.

Dance and drama would not become fully integrated until the 20th century. In 1943 the musical "Oklahoma" opened in New York. Oklahoma was a huge success and truly invoked the combination of dance, music and drama as we know it today. The dances in Oklahoma were a big part of the story. Performed by students of ballet, this musical included folk, ballet and modern dance.

Equally as influential was the musical "Westside Story". Westside Story was first performed in New York in the 1950’s. One of the dance scenes between two rival street gangs serves as a great example of musical theatre dance, also known as character dance. Deep emotion is expressed in the dancing of this scene with strong meaning in every move.

This blog on dance in musicals would not be complete without mentioning a dance legend. Known not so much for his fancy footwork but for his great contribution as a choreographer, Bob Fosse's influence on dance in musical theatre can be seen in many musicals performed today. "Chicago" is an example of a musical, performed today, whose conventions mimic that of the "Chicago" directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse in 1975.
Born in Chicago the son of a burlesque show entertainer Bob Fosse grew up in and around burlesque style theatres. Burlesque style shows combine slapstick sketches, dirty jokes, and dance solos which included naked women. Influenced greatly by the old burlesque style Bob would go on to create award winning dance moves. His unique sexy ,shadow box style of choreography won him 9 Tony awards.

The incorporation of dance in musical theatre not only adds great visual stimulation from the action and beautiful movements but it also allows the meaning behind the performance to take on a higher level of expression.

The following video is a performance from the Tony Award winning refue "Fosse". Enjoy





Work Cited

Felner, Mira, and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre: Tradition and Innovation. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2005.


"Great Performances . That's Dancin': Fosse on Broadway . "Chicago" PBS." PBS. 30 Oct. 2009

Kenrick, jJohn. "Dance in Stage Musicals." Musicals101.com - The Cyber Encyclopedia of Musicals. 28 Oct. 2009 .

"The History of Dance." Wendy Burke School of Dance. 28 Oct. 2009 . Several third party sources were used to compile this information and thus, it is not necessarily the complete work of anyone involved @dance4it.

"YouTube - Sing! Sing! Sing! (2 of 2) - Fosse." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.. 28 Oct. 2009 . This wonderful big production number is the finale from the Tony Award-winning revue "Fosse". This is part 2 of 2. Louis Prima's 1936 composition "Sing Sing Sing" became one of his biggest hits a...

Roman_theatre,_bosra,_syria,_easter_2004.jpg
madcodance.com

All In The Timing

I was very excited to see this production in action, as I was a volunteer during some of its construction. I even managed to get my name in print. :)

I decided to mix up my blog on All In The Timing, so I included a little personal introduction and background along with my views on the performance itself.

The above prop is my claim to fame. It was used on the set of the third short play “The Universal Language.” With the guidance of Mr. Scott Green I helped to create a little piece of theatre.
As Daytona State Colleges’ Scenic Design and Technical Director, Scott plays a major part in this play and all productions put on by Daytona State College. Besides being extremely dedicated I found Scott to be cheerful and accommodating even under the great pressure of the countdown to opening night.
I was a fan of theatre before taking this course, I already had a great appreciation for the courage and hard work it must take to act live on stage. The opportunity that I was offered in helping set up this production has given me a new and even greater respect for not only those actors but also the crew behind the scenes.
I was amazed to learn how each set is designed and constructed primarily by hand. The theatrical department of Daytona State has an entire warehouse style area specifically setup for this construction complete with high ceilings, hundreds of props, scene screens, paint and shop tools such as circular saws and almost any size plywood you may need.
I also met the Stage Manager, Lindsey Akins, whose responsibilities included organizing the volunteer help (myself) and many other areas of production. I personally helped Lindsey trace the letters for the pull down prop in “The universal Language”

(Lindsey Akins-Traceing letters for The Universal Language prop)

I would like to say kudos to all involved with this production. I found great dedication and skill in everyone I met on stage and off.I am very glad to have met all of these new faces and most importantly to have been a part of this experience.

Below are a few pictures and a short video of the behind the scene construction of this very entertaining play.


From the drawing board by Scott Green

A work in progress



Up and Running

This prop was constructed with a few wires and a child’s bike that was turned to move the clock pieces





working out the kinks

Ever wonder how they raise and lower the props and very heavy curtains? Weights and Pulley system at work

The following is my take on the evening, my roommates’ opinions and the audience reaction during and after the performance.

On Thursday evening I finally got to witness this play in full swing I brought my roommate. From the moment we walked through the doors the atmosphere of the theater was relaxed. We sat on the left side of the theater with only a few audience members. The majority of the audience sat in the middle, this gave me a great vantage point to observe the audience reaction. I must admit the play held my attention greatly and I had to remind myself to look over at other audience member’s. The audience was involved with each scene from the beginning. The vibe in the theater was light and happy. The audience was not very large I would say they were friends and family of the cast, mostly due to their reactions. They were friendly, encouraging and familiar.

The actor’s interaction with the audience was interesting and effective. At one point during the second play, Words, Words, Words, the actors were jumping around and behaving very silly the audiences initial response did not seem to be as loud as the actors wanted so I watched as they became more extreme and interactive until they received a greater response. Another interesting and impressive incident occurred during our live performance, there was a blackout. This happened during "The Philadelphia" there was a loss of power for only a short time, even though we could not see them the actors did not skip a beat, we could hear the dialog as if nothing was different. Thankfully, the lights were on before they had to move around the very dark stage.

I eavesdropped as the audience shuffled out of the theater and their responses were very positive ranging from “I’m impressed” to “What a great performance” I overheard nothing negative…which is good because I would have disagreed strongly.

My roommate does not attend plays very often and has never taken a drama course so it was interesting to hear her take on the performance. Although, my roommate enjoyed the entire play her favorite play was “The Universal Language” she felt the connection with the actors, almost as if she was learning along side of them. We are both still impressed by how hard the actors of this play must have worked to speak in nonsense as if it were really a second language.

Overall, we thought all five plays were well organized with simple but effective sets. The lighting and clocks, around the theater and on the stage, definitely helped create an atmosphere that made you feel included in the performance. We left feeling light and happy the same way we felt during the play.

Kyogen Japanese Theatre

Japanese Theatre-Kyogen

The Japanese people are very religious and traditional. Buddhism is the practiced religion in most if not all of Japan. Buddhist followers believe that spirits are all around us and that they must be pleased for the believers to have good health, happiness and good fortune. Within the realm of Japanese Theatre the performances are spiritual, including gods and ritualistic dance and music. They are essentially performed as a prayer.
There are four major Japanese Theatre styles: Noh, Kyogen, Kabuki and Bunraku. My focus on this blog post will be the comedic style of Kyogen.
Kyogen is often referred to as a partner of Noh theatre. Although, they differ in their conventional styling these two forms of theatre are typically shown together. Noh Theatre is serious and spiritual in nature. Kyogen theatre displays the comic, earthly everyday elements of life. A Kyogen performance is shorter in length and has a very light and happy feel. Including this style of theatre within the Noh performance allows a break from the serious metaphysical world that is Noh Theatre.
The traditions of the Japanese culture carry over to their theatre. Theatre actors and crew are determined by birth right. You could only play a major part in a Noh play if you were born into a family of Noh performers. The same is said for the Kyogen and Kabuki theatrical conventions.
Kwanami Kiyotsugu and his son Seami Motokiyo, considered the founders of Noh theatre, called the comic element of plays “Kyogen” or “mad words”.
Traditionally, the Kyogen role in Japanese Theatre included juggling, tumbling and other silly activities. The responsibility of the traditional Kyogen actor was a performance during the intermission of a Noh play which was said to mimic the court jester style of medieval times. Over the years Kyogen Theatre has evolved to include Sarugaku or monkey music which includes drums, dancing and other instruments.
The Kyogen style performances consist of only one act. The cast members of Kyogen, as in most Japanese Theatre are all male. The Kyogen actor may double and play a small role during a Noh play but he would only play a lower class part; such as a janitor, or servant. As they were considered in the everyday world a Kyogen actor’s part on stage must equal that of their status in the Japanese community. On stage these parts can be distinguished by the actor’s socks. The Noh actor will always wear white and the Kyogen actor will wear yellow.
The costumes and masks of Kyogen Theatre are not as elaborate as that of the Noh. The parts played by the actors are common and call for common costumes. The facial expressions of the actors are extremely important to the comic style of Kyogen; this is why you’ll notice the main characters do not wear masks. Masks are used, however, and are typically worn by actors playing gods or animals.
Although there are many differences in the style and conventions of these two forms of Japanese Theatre Kyogen and Noh go well together to create a unique audience experience.

Works Cited

Arnott, Peter D.. Theatres of Japan. New York: Macmillan, 1969.

Felner, Mira, and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre: Tradition and Innovation. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2005.

"Japan - Kyogen." bookmice.net index. 8 Oct. 2009 .

"YouTube - Kyogen Theater." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.. 13 Oct. 2009 < v="ohQSAy-Msd0">.
"Japanese Art." Artlex.com. 9 Oct. 2009 .

"Kyogen Theatre." flickr.com. 9 Oct. 2009 .