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Hannah Galt April 2, 2013 “Under Construction”

Theme: The wants of America and how they destroy us and distort our dreams. We, as Americans, have this image of the American Dream. The purpose of the post-its distributed before the play was to get the audience thinking about their personal version of the American Dream. The stereotypical American Dream is what I wrote down on my post-it note: house with a yard and white picket fence, dog outside, 2.5 children. I am sure that others wrote different things, some revolving around opportunity and hard work, others about choices and careers. One of the initial scenes in “Under Construction” was simply multiple actors verbally exclaiming what their characters wanted. Some wanted major things like security and safety. One of the young girls wanted to be able to eat whatever she desired without gaining weight. Some wanted knowledge. Others wanted what others have. And some wanted money. These wants and desires that we believe we have drive us to become a body of people who are never satisfied. America is known as the “Land of Opportunity”. However, it seems that we have misconstrued this ideal into the “Land of Never Content”. We chase these wants and when we attain them, they are not satisfying. So our entire American Dream is wasted. And we do not know what to chase next. And from this come the many stories told in “Under Construction.” Stories of alcoholism, sexual abuse, death. What I was confused by about “Under Construction” was the absence of success stories. No one was truly happy with his or her situation. The characters were either being exploited by others or exploiting themselves. While America has been the home for many tragic stories, I feel that the production missed out on a huge opportunity by choosing not to include any of the more positive examples. These would have also given the audience a break from the more heavy, serious topics and perhaps made it a more enjoyable experience. Mood The mood of “Under Construction” is like a roller coaster. It changed abruptly with just about every scene, sometimes in a complete reversal and sometimes only slightly. The actors completely controlled the mood throughout without the aid of much background noise or music. I did, however, appreciate the background singing provided by many of the actresses when they were not the in the main spotlight. Their ability to be of both supporting and central roles throughout the play is a great talent. Because many of the stories told were about such serious and intense topics, the mood was more often solemnly dramatic than lighthearted. Plot The plot was not quickly or easily recognizable. In fact, the plot was not typical of a play at all. It was a combination of scenes and shots that fed off of each other, creating a mosh posh type of effect. There was definitely no beginning, middle, and end like most traditional productions. When the play was over, the individual scenes were difficult to recall and the audience was left with a more general feeling of the entire play. While the individual scenes were not specific in who the particular characters were or during what time the event occurred, the slide show of images at the end of the production served to tie the scenes into significant events that occurred in America’s history. This slide show included images of: the Ku Klux Klan, the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr., Women’s Rights, immigration issues, 9/11, Columbine, the Virginia Tech shooting, Hurricane Katrina, and others. It put the acting that the audience had just seen into perspective and validated that they were events that actually happened in America. The types of stories were distributed throughout the production and placed strategically as to compliment each other. The scenes that involved similar topics or issues were spaced out so that they would not blend together for the audience. Actors and Characters Many of the actors and actresses who played in “Under Construction” were simply amazing. They were able to snap from one character to the next with no hesitation or confusion, which to me is mind-boggling. Their words, both spoken and sang, were very realistic. They were clear and crisp when they needed to be, then mumbled and blurred at other times. Their physical movements were descriptive and fitting for the scenes that there were times in which I became worried for the individuals involved, especially when the scene was violent. During the production, I found myself not thinking about the casting of the characters because they were doing so well in every role that they played. The monologues that many of the actors performed helped to create a picture of an entire life in a very short amount of time. They let the audience into all of their personal fears and troubles, their thoughts and opinions. They were captivating, each in their own way. And they were captivating of the audience because they were passionate about their work.