Ruined, in Italy

   

   Ruined, a play from Lynn Nottage, has a specific setting and plot that relates to the message portrayed to its audience. In the war stricken Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ruined tells us the story of a woman who runs the only business that pertains to men’s needs for miles. With a hard heart not open for business, Mama Nadi hides her true feelings and emotions until the end of the end of the tale where she unveils everything to her lovers.

   As director my vision for the play would, while still carrying key themes from the original story, have a whole new approach. The environment would change to an Italian setting, with the year dating to the early 16^th century, a corrupt era where politics took control and ruled with no opposition. Still using the foundations of Ruined, the majority of the play would take place in a whorehouse of the outskirts of Rome, Italy. I want the story of ruined to address the corruption of men, and women alike, through the greed of power and control. The government’s every move was controlled by the catholic church, and all those who rebelled of their “just” causes were shut up for good. A small group of renegades formed to revolt and soon become the force the people needed to fight back. While ruined portray an altogether  sad melodrama, my vision is to have Mama Nadi and her girls as a part of this revolution, to confront the malicious drones of the Italian government. 

   The location of the reenactment of Ruined should have no set theatrical space, but merely a collection of props and items that create the time era and feel to the play. A bar area for drinks, and a dancing space to compliment the room, as well as seating areas for the on looking customers.  As long as the theatre space is enclosed and indoors, my acting cast and crew should be able to create the ideal environment for a story in an Italian renaissance. Audiences however are an entirely different matter, the play is going to be spoken in English, and is thus meant for American or European viewers. Particularly, like the original story of Ruined, I believe the play targets those who shut out others, who hide themselves for protection.

   Scenic Design is key to portraying the time and place of a story, and with a story like ruined based in an Italian setting, the environment needs to be spot on. Architecture is beyond a doubt how we can tell apart differing cultures, Italian civilizations of this time period utilize elegant shapes and decorations and placing these on stage can give spectators the feel as if they were there. The scene should tell the story of the background all on its own, with its style and age. Creating that style needs work, finding the materials to create props that portray the Italian culture of the 16^th century wont come cheap either. The relation between the audience and the drama is formed with the scene, so I would have my actors use any prop or architecture to help tell the story.

   Costumes are just as important, if not far more, as the scene and setting. Costumes, much like the scene and props, establish time and place for a story to unfold, and also reveal personality and sometimes characteristics of each character. Mama Nadi’s girls for example, would wear revealing and more seductive outfits than that of say, a house wife. 

 Social status too, is manifested from clothing, soldiers would wear mail and carry weapons but the common drunk would be in cloth or if he was wealthier, leather. My ideas for costumes would use braziers, or anything that could show off their curves for that matter, for the ladies of the story. Whereas the men, half of whom are soldiers, wore battle worn armor, and for characters like Christian the salesman, or Mr. Harabi, more of a noble-like attire.

 

        Lighting creates mood, no one wants to see a sad story told with strobe lights flickering, we as an audience need dim lighting to create an eerie and uncomfortable feeling. Candle-lit rooms would be essential to the Italian reimagining of Ruined, there was no electricity during the time period, so at nighttime candles were all they had. However most of the play will be acted out as if it were daytime, so the lighting would be artificial seeing we are indoors, and everything would be well lit. For evening scenes though, the moonlight or candles would be used with some lighting from the crew so the audience can see the plot unfold. 

   Now a days we link music to mood, and vice versa, and without sound there is silence. While some plays use silence as it were necessary for the story, I plan to use music throughout the play, the setting is a brothel after all. When the girls of the business are dancing with the men, particulary the soldiers, my idea is to have a live singer like Sophie’s actor with an accompanying string or percussion instrument. Depending on which song played creates the setting, a slow song to create intimacy between a couple, or maybe a cheerful song to create joy. Outside the dancing and joy however, during dramatic scenes like Salima’s death I imagine a single, quiet violin playing to help reinforce the image being portrayed. It is with all of these key elements, scene, costume, lighting, and sound, created by their respective designer that we find meaning behind each characters action and reactions. They establish the environment, as well as the flow of the plot, and without them a story like Ruined would just seem so bland.

Felner, Mira, and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre - Traditional and Innovation. 

     first. Boston MA: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006. 458. Print.

Plays vs. Film

   A live play, while not always the preferred choice of entertainment for some, has its own characteristics that earned itself a prime role among pastimes. A play, or any theatrical performance for that matter, is spontaneous. You see the physical as well as the emotional aspects of each character, no matter how they are portrayed, whether it be as puppets to the southern family of Dearly Departed. Dearly Departed is the story of a family who recently lost their father figure, a fresh comedy that brings culture specific laughs to the audience. Each time the performance is reenacted, it never seems to stay the same. This creates a whole array of diversity between live plays and film, with film being a static showing, whereas live performances create an encounter that can change depending on a number of factors. 

 

 

   Each performance done by crew of actors, as well as the background crew that you don’t see on stage, can and will have contrasts. With a film, the script is performed only a few times until the best execution is made, and this is not even in front of an audience, just cameras and colleagues. Where plays, or any theatrical performance for that matter, have that chance, all be it small, to be faced with improvisation, or something extra and/or unplanned. When these unforeseeable events occur, it can cause a multitude of happenings, anything from uncontrollable laughter from the audience, or possibly cause offense to a certain percentage of the viewers. A recent example of this could be seen in the Friday night production of the previously mentioned production Dearly Departed. An actor onstage, going by the name of "Junior" was wearing his wedding band onstage, while flailing his arms in one scene it flew across the auditorium and created a loud "ping" sound, he carried on however, like a true professional. There are several differences between the two genres of entertainment, but plays seem to give an intimacy from random occurrences like improvisation that no other form of entertainment can.

   A film on the other hand gives you a totally different experience from a play. With a film, you begin by buying your concessions, these range from popcorn to soft drinks to nachos. Once all the necessities are out of the way and the bladder has been emptied it’s off to find seats. The best seats always seem to be taken often referred , unless you come early. This is not the case for plays, where food and drinks are not permitted, save for the uncommon exception of bottled water. Seats should be one of the least of an audience member’s worries, unless the house is packed or sold out. With any theatrical performance, each seat gives its own perspective of the play, this allows each spectator to get something different from the show, no need to fight over that center row chair. 

 

   The seating provided by the movie theatres of today does cause problems, no elevation means that if a taller than average person sits in the seat before you, you might not be able to enjoy the majority of the film. Perspective too can be an issue, with the theatrical plays of today, no matter where you sit you can get a new look upon the lives of the characters. Yet with motion pictures you are forced into viewing the story from the directors viewpoints, some often changing radically by the minute which has been known to disorient older generations. 

Felner, Mira, and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre - Traditional and Innovation. 

     first. Boston MA: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006. 458. Print.

Anna in the Tropics

   The moment I stepped inside the theatre I knew I was in a totally different environment. On Friday the 22^nd of October, I made way to Daytona State College for a showing of Anna in the Tropics, a play about the lives of Cuban immigrants who brought the cigar industry to Florida and how a romantic novel changed their lives forever. Entering the theatre the first thing I noticed was the stage, set up to face the audience. The seating for us, the audience, was nothing I could have foreseen, with three separate sections with a maximum of fifty seats each, rising up to overlook the stage. While it may have been small for some viewer’s taste, I felt at home as well as close to the actors as I could ever be. The vibe I felt from the fellow audience members gave me a sense that they were there to be entertained, not by each other but by the actors onstage who gave their time and skill for the production. As people waited and anticipated the beginning of the program there was chatter between them. 

   As soon as the lights dimmed, there was silence, showing the convention that the audience should, if not must, show respect to the performers. Throughout the performance the audience as a whole made sure to keep the silence as if it promised the cast beforehand. While the majority of the crowd had paid noticed to the habit of silencing, or at least setting their cell phones to vibrate, some had forgotten, possibly being too anxious for the play to start. During the show, the occasional phone would noise off, creating a temporary interruption for the audience, some even turning towards the sound’s location to glare. The performers however, ignored the potential interruptions altogether and continued to give their all for those still showing attention and respect. 

   All through the play of Anna in the Tropics, several conventions were shown through the actions of the audience. After each scene, the audience as a whole was obliged, as they should be, to clap or applaud for the recent performers. The actors too have conventions, some easier to point out than others, and example being that they would all bow together, and then individually, once the play had finished. As they did this, we as a whole would cheer and clap for them, showing our support and appreciation for their talents. Everything on both sides of the event shown nothing out of the ordinary, overall I wasn’t treated to many surprises but I did witness a great example of improv, an unrehearsed action or expression. 

I came to the play alone, however I discussed with fellow attendees about the performance. This is my favorite part, seeing what others have learned from the same event as me, often times being something totally unrelated. When you might believe that the murder of the lector in the performance was due to shear hatred, another witnesses could see it as an act of fate tying the lives of the characters even closer.

 

Felner, Mira, and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre - Traditional and Innovation. 

     first. Boston MA: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006. 458. Print.

Mime and Pantomime

Marcel Marceau

   Mime, also known as pantomime is a performance art form that uses only the body movements and motions of the mime. With roots as far back as Ancient Greek, the art of mime came from a single masked dancer which was called Pantomimus. This language of gestures is reborn every day with the need for man to express himself, and by the mid-twentieth century artists like Marcel Marceau did just that. Accomplishing what every performer dreams about, Marceau entertained our minds by using only his body to depict objects and situations that were not even there!

   Not to be confused with silent comedy, in which an actor portrays a character in a film or sketch, miming has destinctive characteristics. The traditional mime outfit included a black and white striped top, white gloves and a black cap (see pic on left). The mime would also use makeup to conceal his or her face as well as add more depth or a certain emotion.


   Witnessing a mime performe could be a new experience in itself. You can never know what the mime could use as a prop, using body movements and actions the possibilities are endless! One moment the mime could be dancing with an invisible partner and the next pulling an audience member in with an unseeable lasso!

Did You Know?

• Most mimes won't make a sound, but some some contemporary mimes will communicate their actions with the help of vocal sounds.

• Pantomine Blanche, the white face mimes use was created by Jean-Gaspard. Many early mimes felt more comfortable performing behind masks, he found this interfered with his acting, and therefore decided to paint his mask on. 

The Legendary Marcel Marceau in action.

"THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ART OF MIME."  World of Mime 
     Theatre (1996): n. pag. Web. 18 Oct 2010. <http://www.mime.info/history-lust.html>.

"mime and pantomime." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. 18 Oct. 2010 

     <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1452384/mime-and-pantomime>.

Felner, Mira, and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre - Traditional and Innovation. 

     first. Boston MA: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006. 458. Print.

Puppetry

   Puppetry, while commonly used as entertainment for children of the United States, has roots from sophisticated cultures around the globe. Ancient cultures would use puppets to tell stories, teach lessons, and in some tribes they were used in rituals of magic and healing. Each society that incorporates a form of puppetry falls into one of four categories: hand, string, rod, or shadow puppets. A puppet can require more than one operator depending on its size and type. With hand puppets for example, a puppeteer can handle two at a time, whereas with a string puppet, a marionette (see picture below), might need two hands to produce a certain body movement. Puppetry is a true form of theatre, but among its elements, the visual effect takes precedence over the oral. Imbuing an inanimate object with life is what has kept its entertainment alive all these generations, and gives us, the audience, that puppetry is magical.

 

   Watching puppeteers perform is a sight to behold, depending on the style and tradition behind the story however will greatly alter what you gain from the experience. For a hand puppet performance, generally used to entertain children, more than likely we would see a story with comical relief and a possible moral lesson to be learned. But for a string or marionette puppet we can see much more detail and require more skill to operate, giving the audience a better description of the character, and thus allowing more elements to portray in the story. The stage will be miniature in comparison to standard theaters, an example being a booth for a hand puppeteer to hide himself behind as
he controls his hand puppets, see picture (right).

Did you know?

• The name Marionette , meaning "Little Mary" may have come from the figure of The Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, in the telling of the Nativity story. It may also have come from the word marotte meaning fool's scepter.                                           

• In The Middle Ages the Christian Church used puppets to spread church doctrine, with the monks and priests as the puppeteers. The Nativity, the story of the birth of Jesus, was a favorite play.

Below is a video of a more modern use of hand puppets, the characters representing those from the Harry Potter series.

Sources

Copp, Linda, and Carol Carbonell. "History of Puppetry." Puppetry (2004): n. pag. 

     Web. 3 Oct 2010. <http://sunniebunniezz.com/puppetry/puphisto.htm>.

Barone, Nick. "Puppetry Traditions Around the World." Puppetry Home Page n. pag. 

     Web. 3 Oct 2010. <http://www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/traditions/index.html>.

Felner, Mira, and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre - Traditional and Innovation. 

     first. Boston MA: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006. 458. Print.