Final+Exam-MP


 * Question 2:** We spent considerable time in class seeing a DVD about the development, rehearsal, and presentation of 4 Broadway musicals. Discuss some of the major topics that were introduced on the DVD. Next discuss what you learned from the DVD about the making and development of these commercial ventures. How did they differ one from the other? What were some of the unique features of each? What were some similarities that they all seemed to share?


 * Response:** The DVD we watched in class reignited my interest in all things theatrical. I grew up going to musicals, plays, and shows at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. We even went to NYC every Christmas and saw shows on Broadway. Over the years, however, my family’s schedule became pretty hectic, and we stopped attending performances! My love for musical theater was definitely dwindling, but I loved watching this movie! Seeing all of the behind-the-scenes work was so interesting and inspiring. It opened my eyes to all of the aspects of musicals that I never knew existed.

One of the major topics in the DVD was creating the concept for the show. Producers and directors repeatedly rejected the makers of Avenue Q; they could not come up with a winning idea. It was not until they stumbled upon their “aimed-at-adults” puppet show that their lives truly changed. Caroline, Or Change was a pretty huge success, but the concept for their show was a work in progress. On the other hand, the producers of Taboo, including Rosie O’Donnell, had their concept in place already. The show was performed in London, where it was very successful and popular. When it moved to Broadway, the challenge was no longer creating a concept. Their challenge was presenting the concept to the audience and hopefully earning a warm reception. Similarly, the creators of Wicked had their concept laid out in the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked. The producers still had some changes to make for the stage version, however, including the set pieces and painting Elfaba green. The concept is probably the most important part of a musical production—it’s the backbone. Without a solid, popular idea, it is impossible for a show to succeed. It was very interesting to see the way these four musicals came up with the heart of their shows.

Another major topic introduced in the DVD was the reception of all four productions. The DVD showed a group of critics at a restaurant, and all of the critics had varying opinions on the four shows. In the beginning, all of their assessments were solely based on speculation. None of the shows had premiered, yet the critics were already discussing the productions they knew they would not enjoy. Avenue Q was almost mocked by some of the professionals. “Who will their audience even be?” the critics laughed. Caroline, Or Change was expected to be a hit; critics knew well in advance that the cast was talented and the storyline was raw and emotional. There were some differing opinions, but overall the critics seemed intrigued by the show. Taboo had a harsh reception from the beginning, because the material in the show is pretty controversial. It has a very select following/fan base, and critics were concerned. In addition, Rosie O’Donnell made the headlines as a “crazed producer” and a “madwoman,” so the show seemed to be quite off-track from the beginning. Wicked was probably the show causing the biggest buzz on the critic scene—some were excited, some were confused, and some were wondering how they would pull it off. When the shows went into their previews, some of the more negative critic opinions were confirmed. Wicked in particular was—surprisingly—a mess during previews. Critics were not impressed with the casting, the sets, or the direction. All of the productions still had some work to do, but by opening night, they were ready. Not all of them were perfect, and Taboo specifically was a disappointment, but they were ready. It was hard to watch the segments that focused on audience/critical reception, because as a viewer, I knew how hard each staff worked. Watching the critics tear these wonderful shows apart based on extremely trivial things was rough. It made me realize how hard it is to break into the industry successfully.

I learned a lot from this DVD! I never knew how many people it took to make a Broadway musical. I’ve seen Wicked three times (twice at the Fox and once on Broadway), but it was not until I watched the video in class that I fully understood how much practicing really went into the performance. The dance numbers, the singing, and the complicated sets—everything seems so effortless! I also learned a lot about the production process. I never knew that shows had “previews,” and I didn’t realize that the critics were so invested in shows that had yet to premiere. There are so many steps that go into production—sketches, blocking, casting, rehearsals, marketing, and so many more!

Each show had a few unique features. Avenue Q was very specialized. A puppet show can be pretty challenging on a big scale, and I was excited to see how they pulled it off. Having the puppeteers right there in the open added to the comedy of the show. A child believes that the puppets truly come to life, because they cannot see the people controlling them. Adults know the truth, so having the puppeteers on stage really geared the show towards an older crowd. It almost said, “you know puppets don’t come alive, we know puppets don’t come alive, let’s just get that out in the open”. Caroline, Or Change was a very serious show. It dealt with dramatic issues, and it called for a more intense portrayal. The lead actress sang these gut-wrenching, emotional ballads, and in order for the show to stay believable, the rest of it was scaled back. The set was not anything too elaborate. The acting and the singing were both dramatic and almost over-done, so everything else was minimized to allow more room for the drama. Taboo was very strange. Before watching the DVD, I was not at all familiar with Boy George. The costumes, songs, and other production elements were all very odd. They were difficult to relate to. Watching Taboo makes you feel like you’re in another world, which can be a good thing in theater, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the world I was in. Wicked was also very unique. It was not that cookie-cutter, all-is-well-in-the-end musical. It was a little scary at times; it was very intense. Elements of it were otherworldly, e.g. the audience sympathizing with the usual villain. Overall, it was my favorite production.

Among all of these unique attributes, all the shows were trying to accomplish the exact same thing. In fact, most productions share a common goal. They all want to invite the audience in for a mesmerizing experience. Every cast member wants to perform to the best of their ability; every director wants to be praised for his or her outstanding work. All of the productions were a little unusual, so they all desperately needed approval.


 * Question 3:** Watch the following recording of a live performance by a group of well-known NY actors, then identify and discuss the genre of the work citing specific moments when the genre is revealed through dialogue, story, and performance techniques and staging.


 * Response:** I would definitely categorize The Regard of Flight as a comedy. The opening moments of this production have the audience laughing hysterically. The sleepy awkwardness of Bill Irwin’s character in the very beginning sets the stage for what will be a hilarious show! The narrator states extremely obvious, awkward things about the show. When he describes to the audience the type of theater they are watching, and Bill Irwin’s character goes about the stage doing whatever the narrator says. His lines are few and far between in the beginning, and the narrator at the piano feeds the things Irwin’s character is supposed to say. It is clear that he does not know what is going on, but he is very talented on the spot!

As Bill Irwin’s character continues, he follows more of the narrator’s instructions and directions. The bossy reporter in the audience adds more comedy to the show, as he instructs Irwin’s character to do more fun things. Irwin’s character fights back and tells him that his performance is a “leap of faith”. He describes some aspects of the “new theater,” until the reporter jumps on stage with him. The narrator explains that the on-stage costume changes take the mystery out of the theatrical experience and take a more straightforward approach. The narrator constantly says things like “costume change,” “dance number,” and “start sadness song” to really take control of the play. They almost make fun of traditional, predictable musicals with dances, songs, and monologues.

All of the dialogue in this play is hilarious. The narrator uses simple, to-the-point explanations of this “new theater”. He is unaware of his comedic effect on people! He loves to talk about ventriloquism. Irwin’s character has a lot of funny lines, and he delivers them perfectly. As he gets harassed more and more by this reporter in the audience, his character becomes more frantic. He makes frequent references to the set, the proscenium arch, and the type of show he is performing. He interacts with the audience, and he proves how successful his new theater can be through a variety of methods. When he performs some Shakespeare under the direction of the reporter, he tries to completely transform from a modern, funny actor to a classical performer.

All of the main actors’ performance techniques are so funny. Irwin walks with a sort of clumsy awkwardness, and he makes the audience laugh with every song and dance number. The narrator does not move much at all from his corner of the stage. He seems oblivious to how strange the play really is—he just wants to explain techniques of the “new theater” to his audience. The reporter moves about with a very distinct purpose; he is a funny character who brings more life into the show.

Staging was probably one of the most important aspects of this show’s hilarity. The backdrop consists of stacks of boxes. There is one chest, into which Irwin continuously gets shoved. The piano in the corner serves as the one thing that never changes throughout the show. Other than the chest and piano, the stage is completely empty. Sometimes the curtain is open, and other times it is closed. This gives the simple stage some variety. The narrator makes reference to “environmental staging” when the two men run into the audience. He says it is an important feature in the new theater, because it brings the audience members into the performance. Irwin and the reporter frequently run out into the crowd, and Irwin even uses the lighting ladders and sets in the back to stand on! It definitely makes the show sillier.


 * Question 4:** The videos that you were assigned to see regarding Water by the Spoonful provide some revealing things about the purpose, development, and presentation of the play on stage. Comment on each of the videos that were assigned to be seen that help shape your opinion about the work. Knowing what you now know about production of a play from the work you’ve done on your final projects, what were some things you wish you could have seen that would have helped you to better understand Water by the Spoonful and the production of it?


 * Response:** Water by the Spoonful is a play that follows an Iraq war veteran who struggles with civilian life. It focuses on birth families, who live very close and who are very tight knit. It contrasts these families with “online families” that span all over the world. Each character is recovering from something—addition, trauma, etc. The story really dives into human relationships.

One of the videos that really gave me insight into this play was the second video, where the playwright discusses her musical influence. She relates the whole play to Coltrane and the energy that music brings. Coltrane’s music can be very hard to listen to, because it never makes a lot of sense. There is some discord in the music—some chaos. This relates directly to Water by the Spoonful, because there is a lot of random noise all throughout. The noise seems sporadic, but it eventually comes to resolution, just the Coltrane music. Using music as the inspiration for a story like this is really something special. Knowing what I now know about the overall production of a play, I want to actually see this show. I think reading it was not beneficial to my understanding or appreciation of it. I was more confused than I was impressed by the play, but the videos really help.

Another video that impacted my understanding of was the Dramaturgical Snapshot video. I was not aware that the playwright was from Philadelphia, where most of her plays are set, or that Elliott was based on a real family member. The dramaturg explained that a dramaturgical analysis is the study of dramatic structure—literally what happens and how it is all structured. She speaks again of the musical influence on Hudes’s plays, but she digs deeper than just Coltrane. Hudes used Bach as an influence for the first play (and a little bit for the second). Bach’s music has one common theme that remains throughout the song, but a few instruments will layer on top of one another and “spin into noise”. The purpose of this dissonance is not to find peaceful resolution. The purpose of dissonance is to simply explore the noise! Water by the Spoonful explores the noisy, discordant side of human nature. It looks at the “ugly stuff,” and instead of just making it beautiful, it shows you all of the details.

The last video that really helped my understanding of the play was the one titled “Elliott and Yaz”. While I was reading the play, I didn’t quite understand this scene. I don’t think I really knew that Elliott was hacking HaikuMom’s account. It clearly upset Orangutan, because Elliott provoked her about her drug addiction. It was really much more powerful on the stage! When we did our final project, our script was really similar in that it was hard to understand. Certain characters were very subtle in their changes, and it would have been really interesting to see them on stage.