WM+-+Critique+2+Ruined

Recently I have had the opportunity of watching the play “Ruined” by Lynn Nottage as it was performed by the University of Georgia. The play brings the troubles of Africa into the lives of people throughout the world. It shows the horrible consequences that rape has on the women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a play full of deep meaning and power. And, overall, I thought that the production of this monumental play was very good, so good that scenes and aspects of the play are still lingering in my mind. It is definitely a play never to be forgotten. I thought that the acting of the play was the highlight of the entire show. The actors were able to be absorbed into their characters, to truly be them for those few hours. Elliott Dixon (Christian) seemed to be on his own level. Everything he did seemed to have been done with every ounce of focus and talent available. The tone of his voice with each line that he delivered made me believe that he was that character. In addition to his voice, he supplied the perfect body movements to enrich it. He was able to place the perfect posture, walk, and facial expression for each moment in the play. One of the times when this was most evident was in the beginning of the play when he is conversing with Mama Nadi. His friendliness and humor that shows through the script is matched perfectly by the smile on his face, the look in his eyes, and the way he struts about the room. Soon after, his talent was exemplified again when he pled with Mama Nadi to take Sophie. The begging sound of his voice and the desperate look in his face made me think that Sophie truly was his own sister and that this was his last and only hope. His talent continued through the more somber times of the play when he was a drunk. It appeared as if he had simply flipped a switch to turn off the happier side of his character. But, the capstone to his performance was the last scene with Mama Nadi. The tenderness and love in his voice and actions made me believe that he really did long for Mama Nadi with every fiber in his body, that he couldn’t go another day without holding her in his arms. Adetinpo Thomas (Mama Nadi) also was a superb actress. Though in reality she is young, on stage she was able to conjure up an aura that befitted her role as the matriarch in the play. This was most evident in her dealings with Sophie. She took Sophie in like a hen with her chick to such an extent that she was willing to give up her prize possession to pay the cost of the surgery for Sophie. The care in her voice was evident when she told Sophie to go with Mr. Harari, and despair and sadness permeated through her words when Sophie returned to the bar. She also did a fantastic job with the last scene with Christian. She loves him and what he stands for, but the fact that she has been “ruined” makes her hesitant and resentful at the same time. This conflict was perfectly presented through the look in her face and the sound of her voice. She was the perfect complement to the remarkable acting of Christian. One of the most believable parts of the play for me was when Mama Nadi went outside to talk to Salima’s husband Fortune. The transition from inside the house to outside in the rain was very well done. The sound effect for the rain sounded as if in reality it were raining outside while the roof for the whole theater was a made of tin. It made me feel as if I was right outside there with them, standing in the rain. The lighting for this scene was remarkable. The lights only showed on the very forepart of the stage. That effect created an almost invisible wall, separating the characters from the bar scene that was still set up behind them. Also, the color of the light was a blue, adding to the effect of natural light coming from the stormy night sky. In addition to the color, the light also had an effect to make it spotted. This made me think of the beads of rain on a window during a rainstorm. One of the greatest aspects of the play is the idea that survival and moving-on is possible. This idea is portrayed through the sequence of events throughout the play. The play goes from a comedic and hopeful scene to one of violence and trauma, only to be followed again by another comedic or hopeful line or situation. An example of this is the very beginning of the play. Mama Nadi and Christian are having their playful banter, extracting laughs from the audience. Then, the slave trade business arrangement between them comes into view of the audience, displaying the horrors of reality in that part of the world. But, then, during their debate, the comedic part returns through the different orders the two give to Josephine. Another example of this happens at the end of the play. Again, Mama Nadi and Christian are joking with each other. Then, Christian expresses his feelings for Mama Nadi, which forces her to have an emotional breakdown when she tells him that she has been “ruined.” While they are in a tender embrace, the mood is again lightened by the smiles and laughs of Josephine and Sophie who are watching from across the bar. By having this certain sequence of events, the play is able to portray the idea that even if the bad storms of life come, you can find your island of happiness and peace. The play also does a wonderful job showing the different potentials of men. It does this through the contrast of characters. One on hand, you have the horrible men from the story of Salima, the men that are terrorizing the country through rape and murder. On the other, you have the wonderful and caring character of Christian. He is so good that after he expresses his love to Mama Nadi, he apologizes to her for the actions of the other men in the world. The costumes may have been my least favorite part of the performance. The costume for Josephine seemed uninspired. The small, tight shorts along with the spaghetti-strap top portrayed the perfect image for her actions within the play, especially when she was dancing for Mr. Harari. But, the costume just did not appear to fit with the other costumes or the set. Africa was the last place that I would have guessed the she was from. I thought that the set was done very well in regards to the physical and financial restrictions. It was a good idea to have the props consist of simple tables and chairs. The lack of expensive and exquisite props made it really seem as if the set had been done in Africa. If there had been fancy cushioned chairs and tablecloths the set would not have been as believable. The stage manager showed great planning in regards to the tables. Several times for the different sets, the tables had to be moved off to the side. Instead of completely guessing where to put the tables back, I noticed that markers had been made on the stage floor to designate the proper resting place of the tables. This allowed the transitions between the different sets to go smoothly and allowed the characters to go about their normal stage movements without having to compensate for a newly positioned table. In addition to that, I liked the planning of having the curtains themselves be the walls and boundaries for the set. Also, I thought that the use of the stairs in some of the scenes was a great way to work in such a limited space. When the characters went outside, they went up the stairs almost as if the stairs were an extension to the stage. This was good because it kept them from going off to the sides, which had been basically designated as entrances and exits to the bar within the house. On a side note, the small stage directions really helped to make the characters and their interactions believable. For example, while Mr. Harari and Josephine are holding hands, I noticed that they were using their fingers to slowly caress each others hands. Also, when the focus was not on them, the couples sitting at the tables would have little side conversations unheard by the audience. These two simple directions added a level of affection beyond what is simply stated within the text and keeps the characters from being like stones in between their lines. “Ruined” is an amazing play that has had a great impact upon me, and I am certain that many others have felt the same. Fortunately, I was able to witness first-hand the power and beauty of this play. It is a play that everyone should experience for themselves.