The play Freak is one that gave me much dissonance in its content and meaning at first. However, after analyzing the play more in depth, the answer to the question of whether this piece was performance art or comedy became clear. I believe that this play is a performance art piece rather than a stand-up comedy piece because of its artistic value. Freak demonstrates artistic value through the choice of scenes portrayed and the intensity of the subject matter. There are many instances in which the play proves itself to be a performance art piece.
The first example of artistic depth in the play Freak is displayed in the excerpt called “Third World Logic”. This excerpt is about the main character, John Leguizamo, going through a family crisis
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The serious nature of the events in Leguizamo’s childhood make the content of his play dramatic. The issues addressed in his play are issues that many children around the world are faced with: dealing with abusive and emotionally unstable families. Even though the play is delivered in a somewhat sarcastic overtone, the subject matter proves that this play is more of a performance art piece. I think the humor is used to ease up tension in Freak, because of the effects traumatic experiences like this can have on someone than to function as a comedy in the traditional sense. The humor lightens the effect of such intense negative experiences. Another reason I consider this play a performance art piece is because each specific event was chosen thoughtfully to communicate the narrative in a way that has artistic value. Leguizamo chooses events in his life that truly depict what the experiences in his childhood were like. He wanted to show how terrible of a father his was, and the events he chose captures his idea of his father. This allows the audience members to grow sympathy for him because of the seriousness of the events. Leguizamo does a great job at reinforcing the idea he had of his father that is presented to the audience in the beginning. The play, Freak by John Leguizamo, is just as sophisticated in its art form as the other plays in Anthology of Living
...ition to costume, language and dialogue is what fixes the atmosphere and the action. In a manner very similar to Shakespeare, Calderón weaves description of the scene and of what is occurring into the main thrust of the play. In this sense, he is more than a poet, he is a dramatic craftsman who predominantly through his verse alone, creates a drama in its own right. All the clues to the plot and its themes lie in the text; the use of staging, costume, music and props can be used to enhance what lies in the script. What they give to the play is a fuller and more entertaining dramatic production. Thus, if used sensitively and intelligently by a director, these factors can increase the dramatic power of the work. The primary focus, however, remains the language, which relies on a high standard of acting in order to do justice to the subtleties of the play.
First of all, I’m going to start with musical comedy murder of 1940. Before the play started I was skeptical about watching a play because I thought it was going to be boring. I had a long time not attending to a theatrical play so; I kind of forgot how it felt to be watching a live play. When I arrived to the theater I felted welcome pleasant from the people who welcomed everyone to come inside the theatre. The play turns out to be amazing through the whole play I was laughing, excited it really caught my attention because the actors did a terrific job playing each scene and lines. The setting and lights of the play was plan very well for example; in of the scene actors and actress talked
Novels and plays are essentially the same in the sense that they assemble the means necessary to showcase a variety of stories ranging in diversity. The quintessential underlying difference between the two is the format in which the stories are displayed. Plays, like Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun use literary techniques such as dialogue, acts and scenes, and stage directions contrary to novels to guide the audience’s response and interpretation of the characters and actions in the
Angels in America is a play by Tony Kushner exploring themes of identity, power and stasis versus change in the setting of McCarthy era San Francisco. The play looks at homosexuality and homophobia, race, ethnicity and the AIDs crisis through exploring motifs of religion (especially Judaism and Mormonism), politics and law. This essay will explore how these themes could be examined and expressed through stage magic and circus arts in the context of a production inspired by Part One: Millennium Approaches of the two part play. A circus interpretation of Angels in America raises issues of casting skills and practical stunts performed live, demands consideration for set requirements and digital effects, music, and for style of process devising work. Kushner’s playwright’s notes for Angels in America describe “moments of magic”, referring to the appearance and disappearance of characters on stage, hallucination sequences and the dramatic conclusion of the play featuring an angel crashing through the ceiling of a small New York apartment. He states that “the moments of magic are to be fully realized, as bits of wonderful theatrical illusion – which means it’s okay if the wires show, and maybe it’s good that they do, but the magic should at the same time be thoroughly amazing” (Kushner, 1992, p11). It was this statement of aesthetic that inspired me to apply the themes of the play to creating circus and classic stage magic.
One friend kills another. Speeches are presented. A war breaks out. This is the story of Julius Caesar, the emperor of Rome who was killed by Brutus and a group of conspirators. Many argue that Brutus was a patriot, and many argue that he was a betrayer. People argue that he was a betrayer because he betrayed Caesar’s trust and gave a speech against him. However, when you think of Caesar’s personality, arrogant and slightly reckless, he could’ve made bad decisions and caused Rome a great deal of trouble. Brutus was a patriot to Rome since he did what was best for the country and even took his own life instead of running away. He put his own feelings aside to do what was right.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a comedy that has been interpreted in different ways, enabling one to receive multiple experiences of the same story. Due to the content and themes of the play, it can be creatively challenging to producers and their casting strategies. Instead of being a hindrance, I find the ability for one to experiment exciting as people try to discover strategies that best represent entertainment for the audience, as well as the best ways to interpret Shakespeare’s work.
Distinctively visual language and cinematic techniques highlight to the responder the particular literal and metaphorical experiences characters are faced with, within a text. Peter Goldsworthy’s novel Maestro, Don McLean’s song ‘Vincent’ and the intriguing film Australia by Baz Luhrrman, explore the ways in which the human experiences of an individual’s connection to landscape is fundamental in shaping one’s sense of identity, personal growth and development. Composers further explore the realisation that our lives can be enriched by an understanding and appreciation of art as well as a deeper understanding of the importance of love and lust. The depiction of characters is conveyed through distinctively visual images to highlight the subsequent development of courage and resilience leads responders to a deeper understanding of how human experiences can create a sense of individuality.
Expanded and strengthened state private insurance companies are to be expected since more younger Texans enter the market thanks to the premium support. Texas can expect savings through more proper use of medical care, lower numbers in Medicaid, and savings from increased recipient cost sharing. Texas must refuse to comply with the new high-risk pools. There are many reasons Texas should not comply but the main reason is poor design. Currently, eighteen states have decided not to participate in these pools, Texas is undecided. Any person with a pre-existing medical disorder whom has been without insurance for six month will qualify. The law gave the Department of Health discretion in determining with conditions qualifies. Theoretically, the Department of Health could say the flu is a pre existing medical condition. If Texas does not refuse to comply with these pools it is only a matter of time before the demand will exceed the supply. A huge concern is when the funding is gone what do the state politicians do. I see two options. One, state officials will end the coverage all together and pull the plug. Two, continue to allow the program to run with the use of state tax dollars.
It is important to include cultural issues in the helping process to be more effective. We also need cultural competence because the U.S. is becoming more diverse. Therefore with diversity comes different beliefs, norms, and values. Eurocentric values dominate sciences and began cultural universals which puts the clash of dominate and non-dominate cultural behaviors in motion. In 1996 the NASW Code of Ethics increased the recognition of cultural competence. It is important to know diversity exist within ethnic and cultural groups because social workers need to know that relationships between helping professionals and clients may be strained. This happens because of the distrust between groups. Another important aspect is that the professional realizes their own values, biases, and beliefs. The reason for this is because they must value diversity to start with and understand the dynamics of difference. Culturally competent practitioners have to go through developmental process of using their own culture as a starting point to meet all behaviors. Striving for cultural competence is a long term process of development. The literature on cultural competence is theoretical and conceptual. They have not been evaluated in a systematic way. Roughly there are 2 million Native americans in the U.S. Which survive decimating disease, over-repressed in child welfare system, suffer from health problems, and are among the poorest people in the United States. Working with them clearly falls within the social work clearly mandate to serve vulnerable and oppressed clients. However, we do not know how many people from this group is actually receiving help from social workers. Even though it is important to train social workers to provide care in th...
First impression of the play when I first walked in was one of confusion. The stage design was not distinguishable. I could not tell what was going on or what it was supposed to be. One thing I could
The climax of the story has a few layers of drama that really bring out the problems between the characters. We see Santiago and his half brother Cheche battle about the future of the factory; this affects Santiago's relationship with his wife who doesn't know about all the debt and risks he has taken. Then there's Conchita and her husband Paloma, who are experiencing marital issues which become heightened by the seductive lector Juan Julian. Both couples have personal conflicts with one another as well as external issues that affect their lives. The play had interesting parts to it such as infidelity and abuse of sexual nature. some very sensual parts; like infidelity and sexual abuse but were carried out by the cast with immense care and genuineness. Gomez does a really good job of bringing out emotional performances from the actors. This really took me on an emotional/visual roller coaster. The characters moved from happy to angry and from night to day with great ease. Scenes were so realistic and I found myself really engrossed in the story. Gomez interpreted the script really well and I think he related to the story. The story felt natural and cohesive,like it was his
All throughout history, the religion of Voodoo, or Vodou, has been hushed, covered up, and considered evil. This background essay will go through the history, the opinions and fears, and a few aspects of rituals. The exact history of the religion is unknown, which only adds to the ignorance and the confusion of Voodoo. Some say it came from the Italian exiles from the Italian Revolution (Hall, 1995) while others say that the origins are elusive (National Geographic). As many as four million individuals practice this official religion. From the early eighteenth century to the late nineteenth century, Voodoo progressed into a feared religion by many in New Orleans and beyond. With zombies, queens, rituals and more, Voodoo has become more popular than ever, however, with popularity comes controversy.
When you read this play, take special care to remember the difference between the work of a playwright and that of a novelist. Novelists may imagine their audience as an individual with book in band, but a playwright writes with a theater full of people in mind. Playwrights know that the script is just the blueprint from which actors, producers, stagehands, musicians, scenic designers, make-up artists, and costumers begin. You will need to use an extra measure of imagination to evaluate this play before you see the Goodman production.
... a way for audiences and performers to connect on a closer level. They are both experiencing the surreal, disassociating themselves from the performance taking place. They both become more introspective. The performance becomes a vehicle for self-understanding, metacognition.
The play defies easy definition and various critics have labeled it variously as absurdist, existentialist, comical, burlesque, metaphorical or grim. The playwright on the other hand maintained that all through the creation of his work he strove to bring in the comic element and any tragedy that seems part of the play, may have crept in inadvertently and whenever it has been staged as a serious play, audience reaction to it has been cold.