Street Scene Sparknotes

Street Scene, by Kurt Weill, was put on by the Miami University Theater Department this past week. The show aired April 7,8,9th 2016 in the Gates – Abegglen Theater in the Center of Performing Arts, an artistic hub in the center of campus. The production of Street Scene exposes Miami students to the art of opera and domestic violence issues. Despite the play being set in the past, many of the issues still prevail today. Jealousy appears to be a dominant theme of the work, and the chemistry between characters, as well as the control the actors were able to maintain helped to make this apparent throughout the production. Street Scene first produced in 1946, is the story of the intolerant and diverse residents of an apartment complex in the city. The residents are very gossipy, and their different feelings tend

In a few scenes we were able to see Anna and Sankey interact. The casting director did a fabulous job of casting for natural chemistry. Sankey and Anna appeared to have a natural connection, and with that, appeared to be comfortable with one another. This contrasted Anna and Frank’s relationship, where you could see Anna seize up whenever Frank came near her. Essentially, the chemistry between Sankey and Mrs. Maurant was strong enough that the audience perceived it and understood that Frank actually did have something to be jealous of. Although Frank’s response to the situation was outrageous and the outcome was tragic, chemistry allowed the audience to see the situation did indeed exist, and it was not in his head as it often is similar plot lines. Therefore, we know that Frank is not completely insane, and because of this we know that his explanations for his deeds are reliable, albeit twisted. Accepting his explanation for being truthful proves “jealousy is detrimental” as a theme. Had Frank not experienced extreme jealousy, although not without reason, Anna would still be