Afnan's Drama 8B Blog

I would love to do Act 3, Scene 1 and 2 where Mercutio and Tybalt fight, Tybalt slays Mercutio and Romeo takes revenge on Tybalt and runs away. I love this scene because it changes the entire play from a romance to something very serious and important. The scene is interpreted very differently by differently based on how the person thinks of Tybalt. Also, it starts the rising action in the plot sequence to the point where Romeo and Juliet kill thyself. This scene really got to me because of how many things went terribly wrong for Romeo and I felt bad for him. Also, it ignites a furious hate for Tybalt for the audience.

In this scene, I would need to think about many things including scenery/stage setting, having a controlled fight scene with prop swords, lights on important characters. I would need to rearrange the space to allow Mercutio and Benvolio to enter and have sufficient space for Tybalt to enter too. Also, I would need to create space between them for them to exchange words. I would think Mercutio and Tybalt would be on stage left and walk to stage right and Tybalt and his gang would enter through stage left and exchange words with them. Also, I would want to make sure there is an entertaining fight scene which conveys the seriousness of it. I think I would have them in a center of the stage jumping around trying to dodge and have them hit each other with swords once or twice as they exchange taunts. And I would need heavy lighting on Tybalt, Mercutio and Romeo to show that they are the most important characters and they should be recognized. I would have Mercutio and Benvolio in ripped jeans and wet shirt to show they have been drinking and I would have Tybalt in suit pants and shirt to show he is serious. This would make quite a contrasting appearance to show they are different and also tell the audience about their characters. There would need to be sounds when swords clink against each other.

In this scene, I would give myself the role of Romeo because I'm trying to solve problems all the time and I'm quite over the top like Romeo. I would put Shoaib as Tybalt as Shoaib looks very serious/sinister and can make a suit look good. Also, he stands upright and can look very professional if trying to kill someone. I would definitely cast Rehat as Mercutio as he is always looking to make fun of people and has a funny charisma about himself. Also, Shoaib and Rehat would make a very interesting duel. Finally, I would cast Benvolio as Zafir as he is responsible and would support Rehat and I.

I found Act 3, Scene 1 the most interesting scene.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Review of Baz Luhrmann's 'Romeo and Juliet'

Baz Luhrmann recreating Romeo and Juliet was a spectacle to admire. Lurmann's interpretation took place on the streets of hood-day Verona. Using colored hairs, brash swear words, all-over-the-place costuming, it brings Romeo and Juliet to a modern audience- or at least tries to.

I think Shakespeare would have liked the idea for these version because of how it kept the main themes and ideas of the story and tried to build another world around it. But I think the execution of this wasn't up to it. Of being both Shakespearean and too modern wasn't a good fit, it constantly kept bringing us out of the story. Also, the costuming and music didn't work out too well as it was all over the place and confusing for the audience.

The main difference between Shakespeare and Lurhmann’s version is that the former uses beautiful poetry and sound effects to bring an interesting experience to the audience through sound, while the latter uses bright colors and beautiful surroundings to interest the audience. The stage play had fewer props and had limited spaces played out on an open field while the movie was huge and had many characters and truly put the person in the experience. The acting really put the people watching in the situation and convinced them of how much they believed in family honor and their anger and grief towards each other’s families. Also, like most movies, DiCaprio and his mistress had a beautiful connection which was told beautifully through dialogue.

I think Shakespeare would have liked Lurhmann’s version because ultimately it was controversial and controversy always makes money.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

UNIT 3: SHAKESPEAREAN THEATRE - ROMEO & JULIET

Both Shakespearean theatre and Commedia Dell’Arte have been important in the development of archetypes in society. Shakespeare was well aware of many elements of Commedia and tried to add his own personal touch to it. There are many similarities and differences between the traditional Italian Commedia and Shakespeare’s ingenious stories (“The Elizabeth Age”).

Both Shakespeare and the first Commedia Dell’Arte troop were born roughly in the same decade. At that time, both Italy and England were becoming major cultural and commercial hubs which allowed artists and writers to truly express their craft. The political world realized the importance of art and literature to the life of the nation. Both Commedia and Shakespeare moved in troops that knew their craft very well and worked well together. (“The Elizabethan Age”)

Shakespeare spent a lot of time writing poetic lines in his plays using the iambic pentameter. Commedia Dell’Arte was more focused on humor and improvisation. Commedia was much more fluid in their use of audience interaction and improvisation but Shakespeare stuck to the script much more. (“Interrogating Shakespeare’s Sources”)

Both Commedia Dell’Arte and Shakespeare were known to heavily borrow components of plot and character development. They pieced this together with their own ideas. Commedia Dell’Arte could have been influenced by Shakespeares stories and Shakespeare seems to have watched some Commedia as he borrowed parts of plays from it. His use of Commedia roles and trademark actions are used in almost all his books. Even some names are copied such as Polonius to play Pantalone (“Interrogating Shakespeare’s Sources”).

"Interrogating Shakespeare's Sources: Commedia Dell'arte." University of Cambridge. Cambridge, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. <https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/component/courses/?view=course&cid=4130>.

"The Elizabethan Age." Shakespeare in American Communities. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. <http://www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org/education/elizabethan-age>.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

The Love of 3 Oranges

The Love of 3 Oranges is a Commedia D'ell Arte scenario by Carlo Gozzi around 1761. The play was later adapted in 2002 by the brilliant composer Sergei Prokofiev as a full stage play. I had the privilege to watch it last Thursday.

The story is of Prince Tartaglia who has been cast a spell on by the evil Fata Morgana. Her black magic makes Tartaglia fall in love with and begin the search for three specific oranges. This leads them on an epic adventure helped on by the Good Magician Celio as they reach the Dark Castle. The idiot Truffaldino opens two oranges revealing 2 sisters but since they are not near water, they die. The third one is opened by Tartaglia and out pops a beautiful girl who Tartaglia falls in love with. But even after that, Fata Morgana does not end trying to derail their happiness but in the end, they live happily ever after!

I liked how they panicked and jumped around at many points in the play. Also, they ran out the doors and through it using the entire auditorium effectively. They tried to create a way to invite people in and the entire play was interactive I noticed how they were using gromalot at times to explain their frustration or anger. This was effective as it described alot more to the audience than dialogue would. I was entertained at most points but I got a bit bored especially when the characters would stop taking risks and drag their words and not have the enthusiasm Commedia characters should.

I didn't like how the stage was set out and how it had to be changed every scene especially since it was done so ineffeciently and took a long time. I liked the costumes as they were very 80s and were very eccentric and fun. The colors used in each characters clothing described what they were like as a person too. Also the props added to the storyline through wacky ways.

I liked the spooky scene the best. It was extremely well done using the background as green and the smoke machine to create a scary effect. Rudaina's costume looked very scary and the stage was set out in a way that everything was easily understood because everyone had specific places. It was well done.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Commedia D'ell Arte Rough Draft Reflection

Part 1: Evaluate your own performance using the language found on the performance rubric and Crit B descriptors.
-What did you do well?

I think I was able to physically explain my character well. I jumped around alot and moved quickly and in a funny fashion. My audience interaction with Zafir was well done and people understood what was happening when I blamed it on him. Brighella and Harlequino both used gromalot well and our pointing and ways of moving explained it well.
What did feedback did you receive? What do you need to improve?

People told me that my emotions should be clearer and it was confusing for them. Our pair was told that we could pick even bigger and bolder audience interactions that really add to the story. We seemed unsure of what to do at sometimes and there were awkward silences.
-What specific things will you do to improve before performance?

I exaggerated my emotions and feelings and explained exactly what I was doing through hand gestures and the faces I make. We are thinking about adding a part where I get alot of people involved and Ariyanna slaps them and pulls them by the ear and tells me to get back to work while I laugh at the audience member. I think to solve the problem of unsure of what to do, we need to practice more and write the plot to our story down so we know what will come next.

Part 2: Evaluate another group's rough draft (someone who didn't do as well as you) using the language found on the performance rubric and Crit B descriptors.
-What did they do well?
I think Zafir and Thiyasha's rough draft was not as good as ours. I liked how they moved from one place to another but they were overall not very good. Also, their use of gromalot explained alot about how they were feeling.
-What feedback would you give them?
Thiyasha's hunchback got fixed suddenly and she came completely out of the scene by doing that. There should have been many, many more varied interactions between each other as the entire skit seemed to be only Zafir standing up and falling down which got old after a little while. There weren't any audience interactions and that is a significant part of their grade cut off. Their movements were not fluid and they seemed stiff and unsure so it took the audience out of the play.
-What specific things could they do to improve before performance?
Always keep them in character and Thiyasha should read more about how the Witch would walk and talk before the final draft to get a better idea of her movements. Both of them should have used the space more effectively and created it more based on different things their characters are famous for doing. Thiyasha could have pretended to take over one of the audience member's body and invite the audience in to make it part of the plot and this would make Zafir run away. This would be an effective way to invite the audience in. Practice more and talk more about the plot can make sure they now what to do next.

Part 3: Evaluate another group's rough draft (someone who you think performed better than you) using the language found on the performance rubric and Crit B descriptors.
-What did they do well?

I think Rehat and Irti did well. They were able to boldly use audience interactions which were easy to understand for the audience and people doing it. They filled the time well and knew what to do. They created a good plotline which developed and their characters were understandable.
-What feedback would you give them?

I think they were overall very good.
-What specific things could they do to improve before performance?

Sunday, March 9, 2014

-lazzi (what were your favorites within this piece? why?)

The part where he was trying to get the girl during the night was hilarious and was my favorite. He used a storyline that I’ve seen so many times in romantic comedies and exaggerated it greatly. It was incredibly funny watching him do this as he seemed so desperate and was doing the craziest things to get her.
-using varied interactions (environment, props, characters, etc.)

The Commedia character used chairs as props which he turns into car seats simply by closing a car door and entering it. And then he spins something in a circular way which looks like a steering wheel. The clown used a character in the beginning to bring the props on and moved from one skit to another. The clown interacted with the girl who he brought from the audience and went on an adventure with her using his “car”.
-taking out to audience

-exaggerated emotion (1 to 10)

10. He displayed many different emotions throughout the piece. When he got hurt, he jumped around slightly and used his facial expressions to show how he was feeling. Depending on what he saw, he based his feelings out of what a normal person would see.
-exaggerated physicality (use of space)

He would make a fool out of himself and do all sorts of crazy dances to make the audience laugh. This was okay as he was a clown. He would move around constantly to always keep the audience entertained. He created the car in a way that it was easy to visualize how big the car was and he always stayed within the boundaries.
-exaggerated facial expression

He would always use facial expressions in a way that could be understood from very far away. For example his surprised face consisted of him making a dropping his mouth and opening it wide open and staring in awe with eyes bulged out.
-stock characters of Commedia Harlequino was the main character in this performance. He was extremely proud of what he was doing and was always up to mischief. He was proud and colorful and did many things to impress the women.

-performance elements (sound, lights, staging)

Whenever he did something that was not explained easily such as closing a car door, sound effects were used at the right time to show what he was doing. This was good as the audience understood because everyone has heard a car door close. He used circadian sounds to show what time of the day it was as those sounds are common during the night. The stage had a trap door below it. I think it was to go from one act to another in a smooth fashion and it worked because it made people laugh in the beginning.
-working with audience member (how did he make it clear to her what she should do? how did he support and lead her through the scene?)

The clown would point to what he WANTS her to do and advise her on doing this. He would tap his head to signify “watch now” and then wave his hands to show “you try it”, this made it a fun experience for the person and it was easier for her. He would make the event completely obvious and would use big hand gestures and exaggerated facial expressions. He would make eye contact every time he wanted her to work with him in doing something.