Comedy of Errors

I attended the Wednesday, April 20th production of Comedy of Errors.  I was unfamiliar with the play or the writing upon which this production was based so I didn't really know what to expect.  Thankfully, the production team had anticipated this to be the case for some members of the audience...the middle pages of the playbill contained a creatively drawn cartoon strip that detailed the backstory of the play so that we would know what was going on when the curtain went up.  Very helpful as the play, written in the late 1500's by William Shakespeare, is a complicated story.  It begins with a happy couple expecting a baby which results in the birth of twins who were both named Antipholus.  In addition to these new additions to the family, the father purchases two newborn twin boys from a destitute couple and brings them into his family as slaves for his own sons.  These twin boys are named Dromio.  Returning from a journey to their home, there is a terrible storm at sea...one Antipholus and one Dromio are separated from the father and the other Antipholus and the other Dromio.  One Antipholus and Dromio grow up alongside their father but, once they are grown, journey off to find their lost brothers, the other Antipholus and Dromio.  The father soon follows in an attempt to locate all four boys again.  What ensues after this point is literally a "comedy of errors" as the four young men move around the city of Ephesus without knowledge that the other pair is present.  Mistaken identities and mass confusion follow until ultimately the truth is unfolded and the boys are reunited with each other and their father.  As I said, very complicated and hard to explain in a short paragraph!!

The USC production of this Shakespeare play was very creatively done.  Upon entering the theatre and viewing the set onstage, I could tell immediately that this was going to be presented in a "non-traditional" way.  The set was very creative and smack in the middle was what appeared to be a giant, brightly colored puppet stage...a dead giveaway that this would not be a traditional Shakespearean presentation based on my own limited knowledge of Shakespeare.  This creativity continued to be evident as the show began and actors began to appear onstage.  Actors were clad in very brightly colored costumes with cartoonish wigs that went perfectly with the slapstick comedy and sense of humor and fun that pervaded the show.  The set was creatively built to reflect the town of Ephesus and its storefronts and homes.  Actors could climb ladders behind the sets to be seen in 2nd floor windows inside these storefronts and homes which was a creative touch and allowed for more interest on the stage. 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the show.  I was nervous and intimidated at first by the Shakespearean language used to present the play but that quickly evaporated.  The director did a fantastic job of making the plot and the language accessible through the actors movements and antics.  It was presented with a huge dose of humor which kept me laughing through the entire show.  Would love to see it again! 

Art Film Event

 

I had been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to view this film so I was glad to see it as an option for this blog posting.  I was unable to see it at the Nickelodeon due to scheduling but, luckily, it came out on DVD in time!  Thanks for Dr. Heid for giving me some extra time...served many purposes but also gave me the chance to see this amazing film!

The King's Speech falls into the drama genre of movies as it depicts realistic events and characters dealing with realistic issues - in this case, the Duke of York and the speech issues that he had to overcome.  

The establishing shot of this film sets the stage for us that there is an extremely large event occurring in an extremely large venue in England.  The opening shots continue to introduce us to the Duke of York who is preparing to give a speech before this large audience.  The shots focus on what appear to be nerves on the part of the Duke and those close to him (his wife, etc) as well as the preparations for the speech from a technology standpoint.  The shots lead up to the moment where the Duke takes to the microphone and attempts to deliver his speech.  It is at this moment that it is revealed that the Duke suffers from a speech issue - it is this revelation that solidifies the opening shots and why so much emphasis was placed on trying to let the audience see the magnitude of the venue and audience as well as the anxiety of the Duke when it comes to speaking which sets the stage for the story to unfold.

One of the camera angles that was used that caught my attention was that used during interactions between the Duke ("Bertie") and his speech therapist/friend, Lionel.  In the early part of the movie where the two are establishing their relationship, the camera angle is wide.  The two are most often seen in Lionel's office which is large and sparsely furnished as seen in the below photo.  Though the two men are in relatively close proximity to each other, the sparseness and size of the room enforces a feeling of separation.

However, this is a movie about not just speech issues but about relationships and the friendship forged between these two men.  As the story unfolds and the relationship between the two forms and strengthens, tighter camera angles are used as well as more intimate settings.  I noticed this throughout the film and thought it an interesting approach. 

As I mentioned, this is a story of how Lionel Logue, an untrained speech therapist, helps the Duke of York (Albert / Bertie) overcome his speech issue which is stammering.  However, it is about so much more than just a speech issue.  It is about the relationship between Lionel and Bertie as well as the steadfast love and support of Bertie's wife; it is about the royal family and the inner demons from this family that drive many of Bertie's outward issues; it is about triumphing over adversity and overcoming obstacles with the support and guidance of a trusted friend.  It is a fascinating and deeply moving film, in my opinion.  The actors, Colin Firth as Bertie and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel, were superb as was Helena Bonham Carter as Bertie's wife.  Colin Firth did an amazing job of creating a character with a speech impediment - he was remarkably convincing.  The interaction between the actors captured the relationship, the drama, the weight of the story and made it hard to turn away.  

When it comes to music in the film, I have to be honest and say I have absolutely no recollection of the music used in the film.  I was so completely engrossed in the actors and the story that I was completely oblivious to any background music being used. 

Assignment #7 - Theatre

There are several differences between a thrust stage and a proscenium stage.  First and foremost is the appearance.  A proscenium stage is framed by a large arch and the audience sits only in front of this arched frame and stage.  With a thrust stage, the stage juts out into the audience and the stage is surrounded on three sides by the audience.  Perhaps a better illustration is to think of the audience in a proscenium theater as the fourth wall of the stage.  The illustrations below will provide a visual representation of the two types of stages.  

Thrust Stage

Proscenium Stage

The fly gallery (or fly space) in a theater is the area above the stage that is used to store and utilize additional lighting, stage or curtain elements used in the production.  Stage personnel access the fly gallery via a catwalk as well as an area on the side of the stage that stores the ropes and pulleys that are used to manipulate the lighting, etc in the fly gallery.  

A scrim is a thin fabric screen used onstage in many theatrical productions.  Lighting is utilized in conjunction with the scrim to create a multitude of effects.  Images and lighting can be projected onto the scrim from the front and when this is done, everything behind the scrim is obscured.  To the contrary, if lighting is projected from behind the scrim, the audience can see everything behind the scrim very clearly.  Examples are presented below...

Scrim utilized with back lighting

Scrim utilized with front lighting

 

Museum Event

I fully enjoyed the visit to the Columbia Museum of Art.  I have never been to the museum before so it was interesting to explore the collections, both temporary and permanent.  

There were many photos in the "Who Shot Rock and Roll?" collection that captured my attention but one in particular stood out to me and it was the photo taken of U2 that was used for the cover of their "Joshua Tree" album.  I am probably showing my age, but this was one of my favorite albums when I was a teenager.  (I believe it was released in 1987, so I was almost 14...)  I was a huge U2 fan and I remember hanging a poster of this photo on the wall in my bedroom.  Though I still enjoy the music, I haven't thought of this photo since I was much younger so it was interesting to see it hanging somewhere other than over my bed - in this case, on the wall in an art gallery!  

The photograph was taken in late 1986 by Anton Corbijn who did quite a lot of photography work for U2.  It was taken in the Mojave Desert in California over the course of a several day photo shoot.  It is a black and white shot taken with a panoramic camera to capture the desert landscape of the area they were in.  I did a little research on the photo after my museum visit and it was interesting to learn that Corbijn had little to no experience with a panoramic camera before taking this photo so he didn't know  how to focus it.  As a result of this inexperience and the natural lighting used, the result was a photo in which the band is slightly out of focus while the landscape is clearly focused.  I love the way the photo places the band in the rugged terrain of the desert.  It is like they are part of their surroundings while being a million miles away at the same time.  The positioning of the band members, their clothing, their expressions, etc all mirror the rough, harsh element that is present in the terrain itself.  All in all, a classic U2 photo...in my opinion.