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.