Machinal+Critique+by+Robert+Rawls

//Machinal// by Sophie Treadwell

First off, I must confess that I am not expressionist works, but this production used those techniques well. The modular set devoid of specific qualities; and the solid black costuming accompanied by the exaggerated movements let the emotionality of the performance be the focus.

The story of this young woman, played by Eva Ramirez, is one of societal pressure forcing her to marry a man, played by John Buisman, she is repulsed by and the tragic consequences of that decision. The performance starts with the ensemble miming the banal and repetitive tasks of an office. Being interrupted by their boss causes the rest of the cast to jump around in an exaggerated fashion. Throughout the production the acts of motion are used as an amplifier of the feeling the cast are to express. As the young woman arrives, the ensemble surrounds her physically as they assault her with questions. This is a clear example of the physical acts used to heighten the emotion of the character. Likewise in a later scene, the young woman is confronting her mother about not wanting to marry this man, but the set, being comprised of black boxes, are rearranged to leave the young woman no avenue of escape before reluctantly agreeing that she should get married. The Lighting is a mixture of traditional stage lights, hung above key points of the stage, ad hand held flashlights wielded by the cast to point out particular actions or face in a scene. Such as during the honeymoon, the young woman is pressured into undressing and sex by her husband. As she struggles with her disgust and undressing, the lights dim; and the flashlights are used to show her hands frantically moving, giving the audience an uncomfortable idea of what the act is like. The play's message of the lack of control women experience is present throughout the production. The rapid and flippant interaction of the ensemble during the pregnancy scene is a powerful example of this theme. The young woman is bedridden in a hospital while nurses and doctors walk in and out telling her this and that as they ignore her actual problems and needs. All of these elements continue within the story who's second half is the young woman, seeking liberation from those constraints, commits adultery. This gives her a sense of freedom for the first time, and that longing for freedom drives her to kill her husband. That leads to a trial that has the young woman questioned to paint a picture of what happened the night of the murder. The scene is used to show a kafkaesque world where the news reports on one event in contradictory ways, and prosecutors use their influence to introduce evidence that should not be admissible to force confessions. The play was first produced in 1928, and yet these themes are still relevant today. //Machinal// concludes with the young woman about to be executed, but is conflicted because how could her acts of freedom be sins. Then the light cuts out and her execution is executed as a series of flashlights rapidly switched on and off leaving the audience in darkness. The various elements of this play do serve to give an emotional experience of this young woman's tragic life.