It's a Wonderful Life

     It's a Wonderful Life is a classic, especially during the holiday season. I had never seen the play either live or in mediated form, so when given the opportunity I decided to take advantage of being able to see it at Saginaw Valley State University.

     When seeing It's a Wonderful Life, which was first produced by Frank Capra, I knew the play would be good, because as SVSU advertised it is a “Beloved Holiday Classic.” Immediately when I entered the theatre, I could sense the energy within the room. The theatre was packed with both students and families. This was much different than the last play I had attended entitled Incorruptible, at which the majority of the audience was made up of young adults.

     On the stage set all of the actors, as well as minimal props, including a bar, christmas decorations, chairs, microphones and lights that provided the audience with directions, such as “applause.” The actors wore outfits characteristic of the 1940's and 1950's, with the men in suits and ties with slicked back hair and the women in dresses and heels with red lips and curled hair. Both the set and the actors attire did a good job of representing the era in which the play was written.

     Another aspect of the play that I enjoyed that was more so script based than on the appearance of the actors or the set was that all the characters remained on stage throughout the entire play. Unlike most plays in which the actors move around the stage, exiting as their lines are completed, the actors in this play would simply go back to their seat while remaining in view of the audience. This facet of the play, as well as the direct glances and verbal addresses to the audience reminded me of another play that I have recently read entitled The Good Person of Szechwan by Bertolt Brecht.

     In The Good Person of Szechwan, the author addresses the audience by both direct speech and song. While I did not enjoy this approach within The Good Person of Szechwan, I did enjoy it within It's a Wonderful Life. I believe this may be due to the advantage of seeing it performed live, which was a memorable experience.

A Number by Caryl Churchill

     In the play A Number by Caryl Churchill, the author addresses the controversial issue of cloning and how it can affect the people involved. In the work, Churchill exposes both sides of what can result from the cloning of an individual. While Salter's son Michael is a well established teacher with a family of his own, B1 and B2 have not been as lucky. B1 and B2 were both raised by Salter, until B1 was sent away and replaced by B2. This provided Salter with another opportunity to raise a child, reflecting upon his decision, stating that:

          “I didn't feel I'd lost when I sent him away because I had the second chance. And when the          second one my son the second son was murdered it wasn't so bad as you'd think because it seemed fair. I     was back with the first one” (1627).

     Unlike Michael who tells his father that he was “fascinated” when he found out what his father had done, B1 and B2 did not take the news as well (1627). Both B1 and B2 were raised by Salter, resulting in a much different childhood than what the reader is lead to suspect that Michael received. The men's differing reactions to being cloned is one aspect of the issue that must be considered. Before reading this play, I had never thought about what could result from cloning humans. While some may feel content with their creation, others may never feel like they belong and that by being cloned it has “damaged (their) uniqueness” and “weakened (their) identity” (1611). Although cloning does have many benefits, in that it would be beneficial to medical studies, it is a process that should be used only when necessary.

     I truly enjoyed reading this play and feel that I am now more understanding of all sides of this controversial topic. It is understandable why many are against cloning, but is difficult to dispute that the benefits could quite possibly override the negatives. After reading A Number and being exposed to both outcomes of the cloning of humans, I am more aware of what challenges it brings with it. I think a play is a brilliant way to address such an issue, because it allows the audience to see themselves in the characters position and decide for themselves what they would do in such a situation.

Incorruptible by Michael Hollinger

     Recently I went to see Incorruptible by Michael Hollinger be performed at Saginaw Valley State University. I had read the play prior to seeing it, therefore I was fairly sure that I knew what to expect. Although I did enjoy reading the play, I was pleasantly surprised by the added humor that came across when seeing it performed.

     All of the actors did a fantastic job, however, there were a few characters that stood out more so than I had expected. Both David Milka II and Samantha White did a great job taking over the roles of Jack and Marie. Even though the couple exchanges humorous banter within the text, there is a fair amount of physical comedy that is not as noticeable until it is seen live. One scene that stands out in particular is when Jack is forcing Marie to remain on the alter. Marie continues to try to run away, swinging at Jack every time he picks her up and places her back on top of the alter. I noticed that this scene received the most laughter and applause from the audience.

     Other aspects of the play being performed live that I thoroughly enjoyed were the set and the costumes. The production team members did a fantastic job with the designs of the elaborate set and costumes. I was especially surprised by how realistic the church looked. It was not simply a two dimensional back drop, but truly resembled what I had thought a church of that time to look like. The church was filled with intricate architectural details, including windows, hallways and moldings. The casts costumes were just as ornate, including the necklaces with crucifixes and prayer beads that the members of the clergy wore. These details show the effort that was put into the performance, resulting in another exceptional production by Saginaw Valley State University's Theatre Department.

The Good Person of Szechwan by Bertolt Brecht

     I found The Good Person of Szechwan to be one of the most difficult readings we have been assigned this semester. In the play, Bertolt Brecht takes a different approach by applying an alienation effect. Brecht does this by both having the actors directly address the audience and by frequently adding songs within the text.

     Although I do understand why Brecht chose such an approach when writing The Good Person of Szechwan, I found the play confusing and hard to follow at times. I feel that the songs added a limited contribution to the meaning of the text and at points had little to do with what was being discussed. I am also not very fond of musicals, which may have something to do with my feelings about the play, but I would be more understanding if I felt that it was beneficial to the work as a whole.

     Even though I did not enjoy Brecht's use of song throughout the play as an alienation effect, I did find the points at which the actors address the audience to be interesting. By doing this, the audience is able to get a better understanding of the actors personalities and the challenges they face, allowing the audience to reflect upon what is going on in the play as it happens. Brecht ends the play asking the audience “what would you suggest? What is your answer? Nothing's been arranged. Should men be better? Should the world be changed? Or just the gods? Or ought there to be none?,” leaving the audience to chose their own endings (651).

Incorruptible

     Although the play Incorruptible: A Dark Comedy About the Dark Ages by Michael Hollinger labels itself as a "dark comedy," a majority of the play is dedicated to making a statement about religion.  In the play, the church is having financial difficulties, causing its members to come up with new ideas on how to raise money.  Their greed begins as something that is harmless, however, it overcomes the men and turns into something much more dangerous.
     The play begins with Brother Martin charging the churches followers a penny to pray.  I did not find this shocking, because when I used to attend church, the pastor would pass around the collection plate every Sunday in hopes for donations from the members.  These small fees, however, are not enough and Jack helps provide Brother Martin and the abbot of Priseaux, Charles, with the idea that any human body could be passed as the body of a saint.  Felix tries to reason with Charles, reminding him that "this isn't why you renounced the world," but Charles responds by telling him that "if we fail in (our) mission, will it matter how noble we were?" 
     With their newfound idea, Charles is unwilling to let go of the possibilities and at one point even blackmails Jack into doing what he wants, casually stating that "A moneychangers murderer is still at large..."  Martin's greed has gone so far that he even suggests taking it one step further, by telling Jack that they must not continue "finding bodies," but instead should start "making them."  Jack cannot believe what he is hearing and states that he's "done more sinning since (he) joined the church!"  It is at this point where the play takes an interesting turn, as the characters are considering committing a sin which they themselves preach as being corrupt.

Waiting for Godot

     The film version of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett is much different than simply reading the text. Even though Beckett wrote the play as having a very simplistic set with only a tree and a few props, the text is all that is needed. With a theme of time and the act of waiting, Beckett displays each characters personality in its true light, displaying both weaknesses and strengths.

     When reading Waiting for Godot, I did not catch on to the amount of humor within the play. Beckett's humor is not obvious humor, but more so dry humor. When watching the film version of the play, I continued to laugh at parts that at first did not seem very funny. The tone of the characters and their movements exemplify the humor of their lines. Although some of the humor within the play was fairly obvious the first time I read it, it became even more apparent when seeing it acted out. An example of this is when Vladimir and Estragon are having a conversation and Vladimir tells Estragon that he “should have been a poet.” Vladimir who is beneath Estragon sitting on a bench, looks up and says “I was (Gestures towards his rags) Isn't that obvious?” The humor to this particular scene had a lot to do with the props, such as Estragon's attire, as well as the actors facial expressions. An example from the play of not such obvious humor would be when the men discuss committing suicide by hanging themselves. When reading this I thought it was very odd, however, when seeing it performed the humor became much more apparent.

     When first reading the play Waiting for Godot, I thought it had a very slow start and was not exactly sure how Beckett could create an interesting text with so few characters on an empty set. The film version illustrated the humor within the play, which I find to be one of the most important aspects of Beckett's work.

Chicago the Musical

     One of the most memorable live performances I have been to was when I saw Chicago the Musical at the Ambassador Theatre in New York City. I was fairly young at the time, approximately fifteen, and had never before seen such an extravagant live play. I had previously been to local performances, however this experience was much different.

     When first arriving at the Ambassador Theatre, the crowd stood outside in lines trying to get tickets to the performance which had sold out. New York City typically has a very exciting and upbeat atmosphere, but this was one of the most thrilling experiences of my trip thus far. Once inside the theatre, I remember looking around in awe of the beauty of its architecture. The lights soon dimmed and the crowd went silent as the actors first entered the stage.

     Although the experience was many years ago, I still remember certain details of the performance. The way they used the lights to set the tone and to change the scenery had a huge impact on the style of the performance. For example, when the character of Roxie Hart is taken to jail, the lights changed to tones of red and black, lighting the stage with bars of color. Although the film version was fairly similar, it does not compare to seeing the performance live. The atmosphere and the reactions from the audience are what makes performances worth seeing in person. I have seen numerous performances since, however, I will never forget my first Broadway experience.

Six Characters in Search of an Author

     When reading Pirandello's play entitled Six Characters in Search of an Author, I was confused by what was going on in the play at times. This is due to Pirandello's decision to have multiple conversations going on at the same time. Also, the characters could be having their own conversation when the actors interject, but this sort of conversing went both ways.

     Although I did not particularly care for the play, I would not consider Pirandello's usage of the stage to be a “cheap trick,” but instead to be purposely making a profound point. By showing the interactions of the characters with the actors, Pirandello is demonstrating how important the actual characters are to the play. It is the actors job to then act out the characters drama, but to make it their own. The Step-Daughter comments that they are characters but that they are “lost. Adrift.” As explained by the Father, the “script” or the “drama” is not written down, but “is inside (of them). It is (them).” The actors role is to then portray these feelings and events that the characters are composed of, however, according to the characters the actors do not do them justice.

     The character of the Father seems to have an issue with this, later confronting the Director. Pirandello has the Director respond by saying to the father that he and the other characters “don't express. You provide us with raw material. The actors give it body and face, voice and gesture.” I believe that it is at this point where Pirandello wishes to stress to the reader the great difference between reading a script and seeing it acted out. Both art forms are very different, sometimes causing the scene to be portrayed in a completely different way than the author had intended

Wiley and the Hairy Man

     Recently, I went to see the play Wiley and the Hairy Man at Saginaw Valley State University. I thought the play was well done and enjoyed the points of verbal and physical humor that seemed to occur numerous times during each scene. The main characters of the play did an excellent job, however, a large part of the play also consisted of the chorus members. These cast members not only took on the roles of scenery, props, background noise and song, but grabbed the audiences attention with each movement and sound.

     The chorus' costumes were one part of the play that took on numerous roles. For example, there is a scene in which the Hairy Man is trying to come after Wiley, but Wiley reverses the Hairy Man's plans and causes the snakes to turn on him. At this point, the lights go off on stage and the chorus' costumes glow in the dark to reveal the outlines of snakes moving around the tree. There is also another scene in which the chorus' costumes create the body and tail of an alligator while the Hairy Man uses his hands to form the shape of its head. Another scene in which the chorus takes on the role of props is when Wiley is sitting with his mother. The chorus members transform into the table and chairs at which the mother and her son eat at during their breakfast.

     The members of the chorus not only act as objects and animals in the play, but also create all of the background noise. The chorus interact with the characters by singing and talking directly to them and also echoing what they say. The group also becomes the Tombigbee Swamp, acting as the sounds of the birds and sways of the trees. In these ways, the chorus not only became part of the set, but also played a leading role.

Shaw's "Pygmalion": Text Vs. Mediated Performance

     After reading Shaw's play Pygmalion, I decided to view a mediated performance of the play. I thought that in by doing this, I would better understand the diverse set of characters roles in the text and more clearly make sense of their actions. Watching the mediated performance did indeed help in my understanding of particular characters, such as Higgins and Liza.

     The arrogance of Higgins' character is much more noticeable when viewing the way he talks to others. I also viewed Liza differently when watching the mediated performance, particularly in the scene where she is at Higgins' mothers house in a room full of the elite. Liza's awkwardness is much more noticeable in this scene, as well as others reactions to her. It is also in this scene and throughout the play that Shaw addresses the social issues regarding the different classes views of one another. In his work, Shaw stresses the differences between the social classes speech. It is not only the way that Liza's character pronounces words that causes her to be seen as an inhabitant of the “gutter,” but also her phrasing (415). For example, in the scene addressed above at Higgins' mothers party, Liza discusses how her aunt had been “done in” (438). The confusion among the guests by Liza's slang is much more obvious in the mediated version of the play than it is in the text.

     The differences among the social classes are not only displayed through their speech, but also through their appearance and overall lifestyles. This is particularly noticeable in the first scene of the mediated version of the play. As Liza stands on the street side by side with the wealthy Hill family, their differences seem to be endless. While Liza with her uncouth hair, wears tattered clothing underneath a worn out shall, the Hill family is dressed in attire for a night out, with Freddy in a tux and the women with jewels in their hair. There is also a noticeable difference between Liza's plain and unkept apartment and the elaborate homes of Higgins and his peers.

The Homecoming

     A woman's sexuality is a large part of both the play Hedda Gabler and The Homecoming.  In The Homecoming, Ruth uses her sexuality to seduce the men of her husbands family.  It is unknown to the reader why she does this, but it is most likely just for the attention.  At the end of the play it is made clear that she is also willing to perform sexual acts in order to have her own flat in London.  The men of the play continue to discriminate against and make sexual comments about Ruth and women in general, referring to them as "tarts" (41).  On numerous occasions Max also makes derogatory comments about his deceased wife.  After Ruth arrives at the house, Max comments to one of his sons that he has "never had a whore under this roof before.  Ever since your mother died" (42). 
     Like Ruth, Hedda also uses her sexuality in order to gain others attention and receive the material objects that she so desperately desires.  Although Hedda is not as straight forward as Ruth is, it is made clear that she knows what she is capable of doing to men.  One main difference between the plays, however, is that the men in Hedda's life seem to be more respectful of women than the family portrayed in The Homecoming.

The Cherry Orchard

     Throughout The Cherry Orchard, Anton Chekhov continues to bring up the characters urge to return to the past. The character that expresses this need the most is Liubov, who continually brings up the past. Liubov feels guilt and sorrow for the tragic events that have occurred, such as the death of her son and her former love running away with all of her earnings. Liubov also brings up numerous times how wasteful she is with money and feels guilt that she is now losing the cherry orchard which is “a landmark!” (352). After returning to her childhood home, Liubov becomes overcome with emotions and says “If only I could shake off this weight I've been carrying so long. If only I could forget my past!” (355).

     Other characters also deal with feelings of wanting to return to the past. The play ends with Firs sitting alone in the Liubov's former house. While reflecting on what has happened he says “it's all over now, and I never even had a life to live” (385). Unlike Liubov who lived her life only worrying about her needs and not the well being of anyone, not even herself, Firs realizes that he has spent his entire life dedicating himself to others.

     Just as the characters of The Cherry Orchard, there is still the desire to return to the past. Everyone wishes that they could go back to their past and fix their mistakes. This is an aspect of life that will never change, as everyone makes mistakes and is regretful of something that has occurred in their past.

Hedda Gabler

      Although the play Hedda Gabler consists of many issues that are still alive today, they are not handled in the same manner. One large example of this is with the main character Hedda. It quickly becomes obvious to the reader that Hedda has severe psychological issues, however these are ignored or simply not seen by the other characters who adore her. In today's society someone like Hedda would most likely receive treatment for these medical issues that are easily recognizable by the advances in psychological studies today.

     Another example of the differences in society between now and when the play was written in the 1890's is the roles of women. Even though many women today take on the position of a housewife, this is no longer expected or forced upon them. Many women today have their own careers or choose not to have families at all. Hedda struggles with being married and with the unwanted pregnancy that is hinted at throughout the play. During the time this was written it would not be understood why a woman would not want to take on the roles of a wife and a mother, however such choices are a more accepted aspect of today's culture.

     If a similar play were written today, it would defeat the purpose of the play to change the script so that it fit in with the current freedoms of women. For instance, if Hedda were to divorce Mr. Tesman and have an abortion, she would no longer be faced with the extreme unhappiness that leads to her manipulation of the other characters.