To follow the parameters of the production concept being the interior of Kornberg castle, controlled lighting will be necessary, especially with the use of practical lights along the walls of the set to play with shadow. Wash lights should only be used during scenes such as the opening with Juliet and Hamlet which is among one of the few tender moments in the play. 2. Scenes where the practical lights will be most useful will be during any scene involving the Boar’s Head tavern. As the play progresses, Hamlet’s castle will slowly begin to feel darker and colder by adding hues of blue, purple, and green colors as distrust and grief overwhelms his character. King Lear’s palace will appear warmer compared to Hamlet’s to distinguish them between
In "Constant Star", lighting told much about the play as soon as it began. Low, yellowish lighting and a bit of fog spread by ceiling fans filled the stage as the play started. This gave the stage the look of an old photograph, so the audience immediatly gathered that the show was taking place in the past. The mood was often set by lighting as well. Red lighting gave the audience a sense of foreboding while yellow indicated happy times. Also, lighting could substitute for props. During scenes involving the train, lights would flash on and off, making the stage look as if it was actually moving. This effectively created the illusion that the cast was on a train. Also, lighting was innovatively used to create a "jail" in one of the scenes by creating vertical bars on the stage around the convicts.
The lighting played a major role in setting the tone for both the theatre performance and the movie. In both the film and play, the lighting was dimmed and the non-important elements, such as background elements, were often hidden in the shadows. In the film the murky lighting also hid Todd in the shadows, in order to increase the suspense and further emphasize his intimidating demeanor. In the play,
The use of lights throughout the play did not vary often. Throughout most of the play, bright overhead lights portrayed the play’s main set room: a small town beauty salon. The lights created an atmosphere that was not only cheerful, but also warm and inviting. On each side of the stage, warm, more natural lighting was used to make the small outdoor areas more realistic. Lights were also used to convey
Described as an “image-based play” that “harmonizes” the usage of physical acting, light, and sound, Yang’s Hamlet aims to limit the usage of dialogue, and to instead focus heavily on symbolism and sensory experiences (OzAsia, 2). This is evident in the artistic design of the production – from the barren stage and the simple and dull costumes, to the exaggerated actions and expression of the actors and the constant rhythmic beating of the drums. The play is filled with a sense of urgency, desolation, and violence, reflecting of the raw emotional state of the characters – a world that is harsh and devoid of warmth. This contrasts starkly with the staging of the shamanist rituals, which while simple, seems to be filled with life and elements of nature – from the bed of rice that surrounds the stage, the usage of water and candles, to the elaborate and colorful traditional costumes. This contrast supports Yang’s production concept: Shamanist rituals as a constant source of warmth and solace, unaffected by however grim or gray the world becomes. It represents the only path characters of the play can regain their harmony in a discordant world, whether they are in emotional anguish, on their deathbeds, or even after
Finding Enlightenment in the Dark: An analysis of light in Camus’s The Stranger. In The Stranger, the protagonist Mersault becomes ostracized from his society due to his emotional separation and unwillingness to play by societal rules. His continual apathy and expression that everything “didn’t matter” eventually led to his death sentence (8). Mersault focuses on his physical surroundings, commenting on the light and the heat around him. He perceives the world through his senses, not through his emotions.
The lighting for the show added yet another layer to this show and its production. The lighting was used in many different ways from the stardust to the lighting of a lantern. Not only did the lighting bring color to the stage but it brought color to the audience as well. A part in the play that I remember well is when the trunk is brought out and it is carrying the stardust, and when the stardust is activated and the lights are blinking within the trunk. This moment in the play captured my attention because the subtle use of the lights was just enough to grab the attention of the audience. The use of the lights in this moment brought the audience members to become engaged with the story on an even deeper level. Peter and the Starcatcher was able to use lighting in a subtle way to bring out the nuances of the characters and scenery of the play. Now, the lighting did bring out many colors within the backdrop. This backdrop, which I helped to paint, brought another color to the stage. Upon working with the backdrop I had a hard time thinking of how it would look to the audience. Although I had my doubts about the effectiveness of the netted backdrop they were washed away as the play opened and they blended in perfectly. The dark green paint covered just enough of the netting to give it a seaweed feel for the audience to
New studies show men who did not have a relationship with their father tend to act out in stressful situations (Tobin 1). Father and Son relationships are a crucial part of a man’s life, it shapes who they will become; however, it is in the most strenuous circumstances that, in order to survive, a strong father-son relationship is vital. In Hamlet, a play by William Shakespeare and in the novel Night, by Elie Wiesel, Hamlet and Elie are pushed in different ways in trying to help their fathers. Night by Elie Wiesel and Hamlet by William Shakespeare emphasize how necessary a father-son relationship is in a boy’s life.
There was a warm, low glow over the stage area, that begged the audience to observe the period details. The use of revelation of form lighting on the stage devoted to George’s time in Panama created a three-dimensional tent at the beginning of the play and in a later scene, the tent looked two dimensional. It was incredible that with lighting the tent could appear to change form and the illusion of nature lighting to depict moonlight was equally impressive. The lighting for the silhouettes of Esther and George and Mayme and George was very dramatic. During the play, there was a soft pink glow which softened the scenes and added to the mood. The camera flash, sound, and antique picture projected on the cloth was very realistic and impressed the audience. Using selective visibility lighting to light specific rooms on the stage worked to isolate the different scenes. I realize looking back, that my attention was focused only on the lighted areas. My favorite use of lighting was the scene where Esther, Mrs. Van Buren, and Mayme were under spotlights talking to each other after Esther’s wedding night. It was a very powerful scene.
Franco Zeffirelli portrayed a more effective version of the famous to be or not be soliloquy by having it set below in the family mortuary. Having violently rejected Ophelia, Hamlet climbs down the stoned stairs of the medieval castle and into the cellar where all his ancestors’ burial tombs lie, including his father’s. Surrounding himself in tombs and skeletons, he intones the to be or not to be speech in isolation and darkness. Having this particular set design, Zeffirelli enhanced the scene by creating a cold, dark, and suspenseful atmosphere. The family mortuary set design was eerie and melancholic which added realism into the speech as it allowed the audience to really see the manifestation of death that Hamlet contemplated. It also added physical emotion into the soliloquy as the scene contrasted death and Hamlet so closely with all the dead royals in their tombs, showing how deep Hamlet’s thoughts on life and death were rooted in his mind. Therefore, Zeffirelli’s use of the set design helped to create a more intense scene that enriched the soliloquy.
Imagery of night and darkness is used quite frequently in the play to portray an image of a desolate, deranged place, brimming with tumult, disorder and transgression. Night and darkness are often used to symbolize death, tragedy and corrupt deeds, and to paint a deranged, haphazard picture of characters, their wrongdoings or their malevolent thoughts. Shakespeare has used this imagery to enhance the play by creating the exact atmosphere of pandemonium and devastation that he wanted.
Technology and communication are equally critiqued in Michael Almereyda 's Hamlet. Telephones in Almereyda 's Hamlet act as a means of interruption and represents Hamlet 's isolation from his environment. Hamlet 's inability to communicate and connect are explored through the use of telephones in the film. The use of telephones mirrors reality and provides a new way of communicating while producing a new form of isolation.
By the use of visual design elements, the overall production of the play can be considered abstract. For example, the set design uses very little props and forces the audience to focus more on the actors and costumes. In addition, the set designer used very dark and dreary color such as black and grey to display the plague that was taking over the city of Thebes. During this time period that the play produced, the plague has made the people in the city weak, bitter, and unhappy. By using colors that represent this internal feeling that the characters are experiencing, the actors move in a certain way that coincidentally goes hand and hand with the set design. In further detail, the costume designer did a fantastic job of portraying certain status ranking by the color of robe they were wearing. For example, Oedipus was wearing a silk, garnish robe that represented royalty and a sophisticated man. Whereas, the ordinary people of Thebes were wearing dull, grey robes that displayed their lack of social ranking. All in all, the visual design elements were used in an appropriate manner that allowed the audience to get a better understanding of the abstract world that this play took place
...s recognizable. Macbeth becomes delusional throughout the play, resulting in him becoming a darker character and not knowing when to stop letting his ambitious ways interfere with rational choices. Light begins to appear in the play when characters begin to see how Macbeth is losing his mind and becomes concerned with having him as King of Scotland. These are a few key points that we can use to highlight events which occur during day and night and how they relate to the comparison of each play.
Linked with colour is the important use of light and dark ni the play to
Against the beautiful lyric and exotic account of the changeling's pregnant mother we have the homely jollity of Puck's pranks on the "fat and bean-fed horse" or "wisest aunt". Oberon gives us many set-piece descriptions: of the "bank whereon the wild thyme blows", of the "fair vestal" whom Cupid's bolt failed to hit, and of Titania's "seeking sweet favours for this hateful fool" (Bottom), among others. Here Shakespeare shows us what can be done "in this kind", lest the failure of Pyramus and Thisbe lead us to the conclusion that the theatre can only depict what can literally be brought on stage. In watching a play filled with references to moonlight, darkness, day-break we do well to recall that it was first performed in open-air theatres in daylight!