agunderconstruction

__Critical Essay on Under Construction __

 //Under Construction// is a piece of experimental theatre written by Charles Mee and directed by C.A. Farris, III. Never having attended a theatrical performance that was experimental theatre, I did not know what to expect going into the play. Upon my arrival in the theatre, I was immediately asked to write my version of the American Dream on a sticky note and then sat for the next half hour watching cast members stretch in odd fashions on the stage. This did not bode well for my enjoyment of the coming play.

 One aspect of the play, Under Construction, I enjoyed was the casting. All of the actors did an amazing job filling the roles of the characters they were portraying on stage. Furthermore, since the play required the actors to change the character they were portraying in nearly every scene, it quickly became apparent that the actors and actresses in this play were very talented. I appreciated that there was no hint of their offstage personality throughout the play. They were so committed to their various roles that only the character’s personality came through. In the program, it noted that it was most of the actors’ first times doing an experimental theatre piece. I thought all the actors did a great job in all the different types of scenes that were present in the play. I also thought the actors did a great job with the many awkward scenes throughout the play. My favorite scene of the play was when one of the actresses asked the audience if they were feeling awkward or uncomfortable. Personally, I was feeling too uncomfortable to even raise my hand, but I appreciated the comedic element that that quick scene added.

 The set and props of the play also added to the environment that was trying to be created. I liked that the set was very basic because that allowed it to be transformed into any possible setting needed by the play with ease. The use of many different props allowed the transition of the stage in the Cellar Theatre to become apparent. Though there was little in the way of a set, most of the set was created through the use of various props, it was very easy for me to imagine what the setting of each of the scenes were. This was due in part to the acting, but also the carefully chosen props that were used in the play.

 The lights were also a crucial element to transforming the Cellar Theatre in //Under Construction//. In the scene with the three female actresses and the male actor in the mask, lighting was especially important. The stage was lit by a singular light bulb that was pushed to keep spinning in a large circle. This element added a very creepy touch to this scene and was perfect for the rape scene was used during. I also enjoyed the scene in which the translucent plastic surrounding the stage was backlit so the shadows of all the other actors could be seen. I thought this was an excellent touch to give the illusion that other soldiers or citizens surrounded the soldier on stage.

 The minimal costumes and makeup allowed the actors to transform easily between scenes to their new characters. I liked that all the actors started off in plain black clothes and added key costume pieces to them to become their new characters. It also put emphasis on when characters showed up in new costumes. The most prominent example of this was when one actor changed into a woman’s clothes for one of the sex scenes. I found this scene to be completely unexpected, which was magnified by a completely different costume that had never been seen in the work before.

All of these components combined in order to create the mood of the piece, which I found to be very somber at times, but also lighthearted at others. I was confused at many points of the play because each of the scenes were so different from each other. It was difficult to connect all the scenes and different messages together in a cohesive way. I struggled to understand and pay attention to the play, especially during the long monologues. Many of them were so long it was difficult to pay attention during the entirety of the character's monologue, and since the next scene was not connected to the previous one, it did not seem to matter if you did not pay attention to the monologue or certain parts of the play. The underlying message of all the scenes was there; it was just difficult to connect all of the meanings together. One advantage to having many different scenes and meanings throughout the play allowed the audience not to dwell on parts of the play that may have been considered uncomfortable or sad. As soon as an audience member began to feel an emotion toward a scene in the play, the cast had already moved on to the next scene and next emotion the audience was supposed to feel. This allowed the cast to explore themes and moods that would not have been able to be explored otherwise. It is much more difficult to watch a whole play about a rape, than just one scene. However, as the play progressed, the play did stay longer on uncomfortable topics that made it difficult for me, as an audience member, to watch and enjoy.

 Although I thought there were many good and interesting aspects to this piece of theatre, I did not enjoy the play, and I felt very uncomfortable during the majority of the play. I did not understand the point of using so much vulgar language, and I felt very uncomfortable with it. The many sex scenes in the play also made my uncomfortable. I did not understand why one of the actors asked multiple people on the front row of the theatre when the last time they had sex. The play was meant to be a commentary of American society, but I though the sexual aspects of the play were extremely overdone. I never expected I would have to watch a man masturbate on stage. The rape scene was extremely disturbing, as well. I cannot even imagine someone’s reaction to that scene if they had been through anything similar in real life.

 I did not feel as though I retained most of what happened in the play. Walking out of the theatre immediately after the performance, some of the only parts I could remember were the racy, sexual parts. The only reason I could remember those were because they ruined the rest of the play for me! The play tended to rely on these racy elements to make the performance interesting. They definitely added interest to the performance, but also made much of the audience feel uncomfortable. Some of the scenes of the play connected, and I understood that it was meant to show different aspects of American society; however, I felt as though the racy and sexual scenes overshadowed any other deeper meaning to the performance.