The play I attended and am doing my performance analysis on is “Doubt, a Parable” by John Patrick Shanley at the Gordon State College Theatre. I would like to start off by saying the play was quite moving and had a lot of meaning behind it. Shanley did a wonderful job at touching on subjects that were problematic for that time period. In 1964 homosexuality and race were not the only issues present but they were tremendous issues then, some may argue that they still are today. In this analysis I will focus on my opinion of the acting, design, and directing of the production. In this production of “Doubt, a Parable” the play consisted of four actors. In order of appearance, actor Zak Williams plays Father Flynn and opens the play with a …show more content…
Her voice projected very well but there were points in the play where I was unable to see her face. I also felt as if she overdid her part. She could have been just a little more subtle. Even though she was very dramatic her facial expressions really gave life to the play. I felt as if I could feel what she was feeling for the time being. In the scene where Sister James and Sister Aloysius were discussing the student Donald Muller’s whereabouts with Father Flynn is a perfect example of her being slightly too dramatic. When asked if she wanted sugar she frantically said, “NO! Oh God no!” I understand that is what was intended for her character to say but Pipkin could have made it less awkward. This made me somewhat uneasy. Her crying throughout the play seemed much fabricated. Even though this is a play and the actors and actresses are supposed to be “acting” I think that it should still flow naturally. I would have liked to feel like I was actually in the midst of everything going on, not like I was watching a scripted play. There was more than one occasion where I also could not see Pipkin’s face. This made it difficult to hear some, not all, words that she was …show more content…
The scenery was simply impressive. Sister Aloysius’ office was plain and aged, you could tell the room was more antique due to the furniture and the way it was painted. The garden area was quite exquisite, possessing many details such as the stone columns, leaves that were clustered across the garden area of the stage, and even the sound effects. When Father Flynn met Sister James in the garden the sound of a crow was heard in the background, this gave a genuine feel to this scene. Almost as if we were all outside along with them. I think the designer was trying to give off the idea of a more intimate and comfortable setting for the audience while still going with the concept of the play. The designer actually does a great job at giving off the fragile look due to the play taking place in 1964. The characters costumes tied in perfectly with the theme and mood of the production. The characters Sister Aloysius and Sister James both wore the same costumes because they are nuns. Their costumes make them look peaceful and sanctified. Sister James’ costumes, even though it was the same as Sister Aloysius, made her come off as timid due to her personality. Sister Aloysius’ costume, due to her personality, made her come off as stern and bitter. Mrs. Muller that was played by Tamera Burden and her costume really depicts the time period the play takes place in. When meeting with Sister
Not knowing what this play was about, I went to go see it Wednesday after noon at Holyoke Community College in the Leslie Phillips Theater. I had many mixed emotions about this play. I thought some parts were very funny, but others were a little uncomfortable because of some racia...
It was good setting to get the attention from the audience and also a way to move around or change settings of the play. Although I love this play my small critic for this play was the players. Some others actors had understandable accents but others didn’t. For example, the brother of the servant his accent was confusing because he kept switching his accent from different country languages. This play was really nice it had a little of bit of everything drama, comedy, romance, betrayal. What like about this play it was how they used the dramatic structure the inciting incident and the climax. The inciting incident for this play of musical comedy murders of 1940 was guessing who the killer of the play was because there was tension building up not knowing who the murder was. The climax for this play would be for me finding out who was the murder and just being in shock how everything had change into a new scenario. Overall it was amazing show how it developed and how well an organized transition the play
The play “Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley began with a sermon by Father Brendan Flynn, a well liked and enlightened neighborhood priest, who says, "Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty". (Shanley 6) Sister Aloysius Beauvier is a strict traditional nun, who was declared to protect and secure St. Nicholas Church School. Father Flynn seems to be the protagonist in the play and Sister Aloysius is the antagonist. The whole play, sister Aloysius Beauvier suspected Father Flynn of molesting a 12-year-old boy named Donald Muller, who is the first African-American student in the St. Nicholas Church School. I think that Sister Aloysius’s overreacting, because Father Flynn is innocent. In the middle of these two characters, Sister James is a young and innocent teacher who wants to be neutral between the conflict of Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn.
John Patrick Shanley creates a movie as a whole I feel was more informative than the play. In the play you have 4 characters Sister Aloysius, Father Flynn, Sister James, and Mrs. Muller. While the movie introduces a few other characters, for instance the children. For me the children made a difference because they for one made me understand what kind of kids Sister James was dealing with. I really thought that being able to see the way Father Flynn interacted with all of the young boys including Donald Muller was really helpful when trying to draw your conclusion of Father Flynn versus when reading it your left to imagine for instance; what some of the kids are like. The way the book sets you up your left leaning to Father Flynn being exactly what Sister Aloysius accuses him to be. We also get to see how sister James interacts with the kids and how Sister Aloysius influences her to change the way she deals with and teaches her class.
... Nonetheless, the signs also point to Father Flynn hurting him, because he was violating him. People’s assumptions are based upon personal experience and gut feeling, also on their upbringing; nature and nurture. Shanley uses inference in this play to create doubt in the audience’s minds'. The verdict is never in, on Flynn; guilty or not guilty. Shanley’s audience is left to be the jury.
In conclusion I think that the stage directions and dramatic irony are significant to the play, and without them there would be no need for a lot of the events that happen in the play.
The play is about a young woman, Catherine who had been taking care of her father during his last years of life. Anne Heche plays Catherine. Prior to this play, I have never seen Anne Heche in any acting performance. I have to say she did an outstanding job in her portrayal of Catherine. She did a fantastic job of immediately drawing you into Catherine’s world. She aptly portrays the characteristics of a girl who never got a chance to grow up and the slight madness of the genius she inherited from her father. One can easily feel sad for her because after all she gave up all her dreams to take care of her ailing father. Anne Heche plays Catherine so well that it easy for you to fall in love with Catherine and desire only good things for her.
Alison Ferebee, who played Sister James, did an amazing job for her first debut at Austin Peay. The only problem I had was she was too enthusiastic with her character. Over all she did a good job. The only thing was she got really emotional in some of the conversations with Father Flynn and Sister
“The 1960’s were a period of incredible change and upheaval. The Beatles, the JFK, RFK, MLK assassinations, the Vietnam War, hippies…” (Kate Ingram). The setting proved most beneficiary as with all the social conflicts occurring in the play it would be only fitting to put it during the most socially revolutionary time period in history. Also the fact that the play is revolved around nuns and their life allowed it to draw influence from the classics. “The play is an homage to the myriad of nun movies and plays produced thought the twentieth century including Agnes of God, Doubt, Black Narcissus, The Bells of St. Mary’s, The Singing Nun, The Song of Bernadette, and The Sound of Music” (Teresa Kilzi). This play fits with others during its timeline as it is provocative and stimulates emotions that pushes boundaries just like what was occurring in the 1960’s. For instance, the scene where Mother Superior kisses Jeremy, or Sister Walburga and her want to have a threesome with God and Sister Acacius. Those ideas would have been seen as blasphemy in any period before the
This play shows the importance of the staging, gestures, and props making the atmosphere of a play. Without the development of these things through directions from the author, the whole point of the play will be missed. The dialog in this play only complements the unspoken. Words definitely do not tell the whole story.
The most successful aspect of the performance for me were the scene changes. I found that the rotation of the blackboard, center stage, where the actors were able to stoop beneath it in order to enter and exit the stage, was an effective touch to this non naturalistic performance. When this was first used, at the end of the first scene, when the characters Ruth and Al left the stage, I thought it didn't quite fit as at the beginning the style was leaning towards realism. But as the play progressed and the acting style became more and more non naturalistic, and this rotation of the black board technique was used more frequently it fitted in really well and became really effective.
Since this is a review and its based on my opinion, I would have to say this was one of the worst plays I've ever seen in my life. I wasn't entertained by the play at all. The only good parts were the good-looking girls in the play. I like the main character Marisol based only on her looks. She played on ok job of acting. I realize she had a lot of lines to memorize which she had down, but she just didn't get to me. I think the costumes were ok. They had nothing special, or out of the ordinary except for the angel's wings, which were pretty nice. I didn't like the lighting or the scenery. I didn't know where the scene was supposed to be at some points.
...der further than what we have in front of us. We want to impose our opinion on everything. We want to relate to it in a way that can only be done through out imagination. So, due to this, when we are not given the flexibility, then the context no longer becomes entertaining. The viewers do not want to be told how to think. Given these points, if they are influenced to believe that Sister Aloysius is a cruel individual like the movie portrays, then at the end of the movie and book when Sister Aloysius says, “ I have doubts! I have such doubts!” they will take that as a confession from her, and be further lead to believe that the accusations against Father Flynn are false. I think John Patrick Shanley chooses specific diction to create a conflict that has no precise resolution,he wanted the reader get lost in story and enter into their own story manifested within.
encouraged “To want to get on.” Most of us we would never go as far
As part of my English GCSE I have been asked to evaluate the 1st and 2nd