jh+Aunt+Dan+Critique

Jenna Huckaby April 5, 2011 Aunt Dan and Lemon Critique Negatives:  · Lighting- The lighting seemed to be problematic and distracting throughout the play. The actors and actresses often found themselves directly under harsh downcast light, which created shadows on their faces, making it hard to see them well. I found it especially hard to see their eyes, which consequently broke the audience-actress connection. I also noticed the actors temporarily stepping out of the light sometimes while speaking or in the middle of the scene.  · Monologues- The script was written with long and involved monologues, which were hard to follow and seemed to lose the interest of the audience at times. Several of the monologues didn’t seem completely necessary to the plot or storyline of the play and could be shortened at the least.  · Set- Due to low budget, I’m sure, the set was very simple. While Lemon had a nice corner with a warm lamp and chair, the largest portion of the stage held only a single table and chairs which was turned along with the changing scenes and served as a table, a bed, and any stage object needed for that particular scene. While I understand that a budget greatly limits options for set, I think the addition of a few other set pieces would add tremendously to the realism and effectiveness of the scenes. I had trouble picturing where they were supposed to be in many scenes because I had to use only the dialogue to deduce where they were, rather than being able to read the set.  · Actor’s movement on stage- I noticed a few very small, but hard to miss stage movements made by the actors, which may have been left on purpose but I’ve always been taught to avoid on stage. When walking around stage, and often during conversations, some of the actors had a tendency to turn their backs toward the audience, often for extended amounts of time, which lost the audience’s connection with the actor, especially when they were talking. I also noticed that all of the actresses crossed their legs when sitting down, which is rarely flattering for any girl, especially in the dresses they wore. I would recommend crossing ankles, especially for the mother’s character.  · Though it was performed well and the actors and actresses were very effective in their roles, I did not particularly enjoy the play itself. The script seemed hard to follow, often getting bogged down in uninteresting subjects such as Kissinger. I could not decide what was relevant to the storyline and even by the end couldn’t really decipher what the storyline was. I also think the audience would have benefitted from an intermission. While the second half of the play picked up in action, the first half seemed to have the audience dozing, and a chance for a break would have helped the audience stay focused. Positives:  · As always, I was very impressed by the acting and the characterization. Lemon used very effective mannerisms facial expressions, with her intentional eye blinks and her almost creepy smile that she often wore when speaking about morbid topics, like death or Nazis. Her body carriage and positioning impressed her weakness and illness upon the audience. Lemon’s father was extremely charismatic, using pauses, repetition, and vocal dynamics for effect, much like a stand-up comedian. Aunt Dan stood out to me as the most outstanding actress. Her exaggerated use of inflection and passion regarding anything she spoke about, whether important or trifling, made her character intriguing and engaging, despite her obvious lack of morals and otherwise unattractive personality. Her low voice also stood out as unique, since most actresses tend to strive for a higher voice with lighter inflection.  · The costumes were well picked for the characters and reflected their individual personalities. Dan’s use of grays and blacks with the hat was extremely trendy, like her, and though the hat sometimes casted shadows across her face, it accentuated her character well. Lemon’s comfortable house clothing reminded the audience that she is sickly and plain. Lemon’s mother wore a black and white dress that suited her high-class attitude and Mindy wore very tight and revealing dresses, which added to her highly seductive nature. I also appreciated the addition of the bathrobe to Dan when in her underwear and bra, to keep her from being completely exposed the whole time she was on stage.  · I was impressed by the murder scene and really enjoyed it because it stood out as the scene with the most action. While a lot of the play consisted of sitting and talking, this scene incorporated more elements of passion, action, and surprise that engaged my attention and entertained the audience. The lighting effects added to the scene, with red lights emphasizing both the passion and death.  · Although I found the monologues tedious and long, I cannot ignore the skill with which they were delivered. The actress who played Lemon did a great job communicating with the audience and holding its attention while speaking. She spoke as if conversing with someone and really engaged the audience with her eye contact and smile and voice inflections. She did not appear to be reciting memorized lines, but effectively provided the lines as if they were coming fresh from Lemon’s mind.  · The actors overcame the difficult obstacle of transitions between Lemon’s monologue to the audience and scenes with the whole cast. The blocking used allowed Lemon to float back and forth between her chair and the action with which she spoke about. Depending on whether she was in the scene herself or just reflecting on the scene, she positioned herself in the midst of or to the side of the action in focus, which helped me know when she was talking about others or referring to her own memory.