I enjoyed Owens’ performance of Next to Normal. The set, lighting, costumes, music and actors selected made for a wonderful show. It was really neat seeing the show in full after being behind the scenes helping to build the set for Technical Theatre class. Also, I had pretty much only taken acting classes up until this semester and it was great being able to technically analyze the show was great. For example, I can now recognize that this version of Next to Normal contained both core and high concepts.
In my opinion, the core concept attempts to make Diana’s mental illness relatable to the audience. For the song “My Psychopharmacologist and I”, a giant pill bottle prop and many smaller pill bottles are shown on stage to give the audience
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an idea of how much of an ordeal it is for Diana to treat her mental illness. Throughout the show, the colors and direction of lighting are used to create a surreal atmosphere in which nothing feels ‘real’ for Diana. It is important for the audience to understand that Diana’s illness makes her life feel out of touch and often uncomfortable. Even Diana’s costuming aims for relatability. Despite Diana’s struggle to keep herself afloat, she still wears bright colored dresses. This is a really interesting choice because it alludes to Diana’s longing for control. Although everything is else is running amuck in her life she wants to appear normal to the outside world. This desire to fit in is something everyone can relate to. Moreover, the high concept in this version of Next to Normal is the surreal feeling when everything in one’s life is falling apart.
The metaphoric scenery is a major indication of this. The set is built to be a deconstructed house; there are no flats or ‘walls’. The windows hang from batons so that they appear to float above the rest of the set. Some of the ‘rooms’ are unfinished with just the basic structure visible. The unconventional use of lighting comes to play in the high concept as well. The lighting hits the set and actors at uncommon angles. There is a very obvious use of colored lighting especially during the scenes in which Gabe appears, a character that isn’t real at all. This is particularly evident during the song “There’s A World”. There is a red hue on Diana and Gabe as they dance. The red light helps further the symbolization in this scene which is a metaphor for Diana slitting her wrists (red = blood). Also, props are used to reinforce the surrealness. For instance, the scene where Diana is being administered E.C.T. for the first time and there is mannequin in a hospital bed onstage. The audience assumes the mannequin in the bed is Diana until she walks onstage. This disorients the audience and creates not only a sense of surrealness but also helps you relate to Diana’s
experience. Additionally, Henry Newberg did a great job portraying Gabe Goodman. It does not seem easy to play a dead hallucination son. Henry’s physicality helped separate him from the rest of the living characters. Henry’s movements were more glide-like and floaty which gave a off ghostly air. He often stood on the top ‘floor’ while the rest of the family was below. This created the picture that he was watching over his family from the grave. Henry also moved through spaces most of the other actors ignored. For example, he swerved between the rafters of the deconstructed rooms. Henry’s vocal choice was pretty much just talking in his normal voice. However, this worked for his character because his character was in his age range. In conclusion, Owens’ Next to Normal was a very entertaining show. I believe the core concept was to make the audience relate to Diana’s mental illness. In my opinion, the high concept was to convey the surrealness of Diana’s mental breakdown. Both these concepts are supported with scenery, costumes, and props. Also, the acting was great especially Henry Newberg’s portrayal of the deceased Gabe Goodman.
In the Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett, Homer and Mother Maria both display straightforward, hardworking, and stubborn character traits. Firstly, Homer and Mother Maria both display a straightforward personality by being brutally honest about their opinions. For example, when Mother Maria asks Homer to build a chapel, Homer speaks his mind by telling her he does not want to build it. Mother Maria shows her straightforward behavior during Homer’s stay at the convent. One morning, when Homer sleeps in late, Mother to becomes extremely upset and is not afraid to show how she feels about him. Secondly, both Homer and Mother Maria display a hardworking spirit. Homer is a hardworking man because after finally agreeing to build the chapel,
“The thing I hate about space is that you can feel how big and empty it is… ”
In The Big Field, author Mike Lupica explores the theme, "Success uses motivation as fuel." Lupica portrays this theme through the main character, Hutch. Throughout the entire book, Hutch, a young boy that has just recently joined a highly talented baseball team, displays moments that exemplify this main theme. Hutch and his team have a chance to play in the stadium of the Miami Marlins, a Major League Baseball team, as long as they can keep winning games and advancing through a challenging tournament; however, Hutch's favorite position on the field, shortstop, the position located between 2nd and 3rd base, has already been filled on the team. Unfortunately, Hutch gets a demotion from shortstop, to second base, the position located between 1st base and 2nd base. Although Hutch was disappointed and melancholy about the switch in position, he was even more upset about the downgrading of leadership, since the
Laura Hillenbrand’s novel Unbroken incorporates the improbable life of the main character, Louie Zamperini. She introduces both the inspiring and powerful journey that Louie encounters in his life as he grows up. Hillenbrand looks to and successfully does catch the versatility of the human soul. Zamperini’s story including his involvement in World War II gives a persuasive stage in which the author demonstrates numerous qualities of Louie. Leaving readers to appreciate his courage, quality, grit and above all else, his bravery. “Confident that he was clever resourceful, and bold enough to escape any predicament, [Louie] was almost incapable of discouragement. When history carried him into war, this resilient optimism would define him.” Louie
In conclusion, the overall experience of the play was great. The actor’s did a really good job at delivering their lines, and blended in well with their characters. The lighting and the music were used well, and helped transitioned into new scenes. The director and producers of the play made the characters relatable and realistic, Caldwell did a good job at portraying her image of how the play should go and it was effective. Leveling up is a great play that all generations could love.
Julius Caesar is mentioned throughout the book, A Long Way Gone, many times. In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael would be reading Julius Caesar or a soldier would be reciting some of the speeches in the play. In Chapter 12 of A Long Way Gone, Ishmael is called over to talk with Lieutenant Jabati. Then, Lieutenant Jabati showed Ishmael the book he was reading, which was Julius Caesar, and asked Ishmael if he had ever heard of the book. Ishmael had read the book in school, and began to recite a speech from the book. After this happened, Lieutenant Jabati and Corporal Gadafi used emotional arguments to motivate the people in the village to stay there and support the military. Also, Lieutenant showed all the people in the village dead bodies to help
Louie Zamperini survived almost two months at sea facing starvation, extreme thirst, and shark attacks. During WWII, Louie was captured and taken to many Japanese prison camps where he was drained emotionally and physically. Though his conditions were obviously not ideal, Louie kept up his lively personality and found ways to take care of himself to survive. In the novel Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand uses both internal and external conflict to show the theme people can stand up against enemies even when the odds seemed stacked up against them.
Piaget believed that a child’s development is neither intrinsic (learning based on interest) or extrinsic (learning from an outside force, such as a parent). He believed that a child develops based on his or hers interactions in the environment (Mooney 2000). Piaget created four stages of cognitive development, some of which can be seen in the film “Cheaper by the Dozen”. A few examples of characters that display Piaget’s theory are the twins, who are in the preoperational stage and lack the concept of conservatism, and the mastermind, who is in the concrete operational stage and show's the concept of decentralism. These characters will have Piaget’s theory applied to them in the following paragraphs.
Grace is a very sweet and sensitive girl. She made some mistakes herself, but because of her foster parents she got through the tough parts. In Far From the Tree written by Robin Benway, she created a character that had a child in highschool and Her little girl was adopted and has a better life than what Grace could have offered her. Once Grace got told she had a sister named Maya she bursted into joy. Her heart was beating out of her chest when she was emailing Maya to meet up. When Maya replied with an answer Grace was ecstatic, but at the same time she did not know what to think. The moment when she saw the answer was ¨yes¨ she ran downstairs to tell her parents. Her whole life was now different because she had a relief that she had someone
“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy of each other’s life” -Richard Bach. Far from the Tree by Robin Benway explores the meaning of family, and the impact that loved ones have on identity. The novel tells the story of three siblings who have three very different lives reunite after spending all of their lives separately. Grace, Maya and Joaquin grow dependant on one another, and unknowingly give and take values from each other that help them solve their own issues slowing being brought to light. With the help of his parents and siblings, Joaquin reveals a critical capacity for change as he leaves his old self behind and moves on to a better future with a loving family.
I really enjoyed The University of Alabama’s version of The Dining Room. It was one of the best plays I’ve ever seen, and I don’t really like plays. The actors, director, and production crew did a very good job of bringing everything together. Everything was on time, the lighting was great, the actors were great, and the entire show was phenomenal. However, out the entire cast one person in particular stood out the most to me. Her name was Mary Catherine Waltman and she played Grace, Peggy, and Sarah which were some of my favorite characters.
... be the woman 's fitted blue dress with a lace trim around the collars and pleads laying vertically down the front. The three sewing pins in the shoulder and the rolled up sleeves also add to the dress. On the table I have already mentioned the spoon, but the details in the fruit as well leave an impression of realism. The way the apples shine, the shading on the peaches, the crumbs left on the table, and the rings in the onion slices all appear to be real enough you can reach out a grab them. The cloth Spencer painted draping half on half off the table showing the stitches in the fabric represent an exquisite component to the still life.
The setting was cluttered with upside chairs and a dark blue color all across the stage. I liked that everything was cluttered to represent the feeling that the characters did not what to with their life. The setting was boxes stacked on top of each other of both sides of the stage. I didn’t like their setting structure because I only felt that it matched with the waterfall scene in Puerto Rico.
To begin, the idea of two realisms is first illustrated in the opening sequence of the film and continues throughout the length of the story. For example, the neighborhood shown in the film is very staged, with warm and soft lighting, providing a calm, serene feeling.
Noah is the one of the main characters of The Notebook. He is the hero of this novel. Noah represents true love and true loyalty. In a way, The Notebook is similar to every modern day romance movie, and Noah represents the “dream man” that all the girls always imagine of having. The characters in movies are used to symbolize ideas, and in this novel, Noah represents true, faithful, committed love. Noah remains loyal to Allie even in the situation where he is unsure whether they will ever meet again or not.