Ruined

In deciding on an idea for a mock production of Ruined, it wasn't easy to come up with a vision right away. Lynn Nottage created such a powerful kaleidoscope of emotions and symbolism, reading her play was imagining poetry in motion. I certainly wasn't sure that I would be able to accurately capture those same emotions and symbolism myself. I wanted to find a place that would parallel the land of The Democratic Republic of Congo, where Ruined was set, and also serve as a symbol of the oppression and confinement that Sophie, Salima, Josephine, and even Mama Nadi, endure daily. I thought that a prison would be a great symbol of this oppression and confinement, but I wasn't sure I would be able to draw any parallels to the land. Therefore, I was delighted when I researched Folsom Prison and discovered the rich history that surrounded it, and its similarities to The Democratic Republic of Congo.

In Ruined, the land around Mama Nadi's bar is rich with minerals, especially diamonds. This has made the land viciously contested property. In fact, The Democratic Republic of Congo relies on this mineral wealth as the main staple of their economy. Likewise, the location for Folsom Prison was chosen not only for its availability of land, but because of the close proximity to an abundance of good quality minerals, granite in particular, that could be excavated. (Interestingly, Folsom, California, has a "rich" history of being a major part of the California Goldrush in 1848.)

For The Congo, hydro energy is currently an exciting possibility because the land is bordered on the East by mountains and virtually all of the country is part of the vast Congo River. For Folsom, the prison is also bordered by fresh water from Folsom Lake and the now defunct Folsom Powerhouse used hydro energy for electricity.

While the similarities of the land in Folsom and The Congo are numerous, I was also drawn to the prison itself serving as a symbol of the personal prison that Josephine, Salima, Sophie and Mama Nadi are in each day. For Mama Nadi, she is torn between exploiting and protecting the girls working for her. In a way, she is like their warden- caring for them but also businesslike when necessary. For example, if business is good, everyone eats, but if business is slow, then Mama Nadi makes sure that she eats and is taken care of first. Also, when we learn towards the end of Lynn Nottage's play that Mama Nadi is ruined, we understand more of the personal prison that she is in than we knew at the beginning of the play.

For Josephine, Salima, and Sophie, their bodies are their prison. Their bodies have already been used as weapons of the war by the rebels and soldiers who use rape as a way of destroying families and communities. By all of them now being together at Mama Nadi's bar / brothel, they have essentially gone from one prison to another.

To help give a sense of optimism where there doesn't seem to be any, I wanted to use bright colors in the scenic design. In addition, I thought that by keeping the bar neat and tidy, it would show that the bar is like the sanctuary that Mama Nadi sees it as. I can envision the bar being simplistic with only a couple of tables and chairs on the set. I would also have an old but working pool table where the rebels would play when they were at the bar and the soldiers would play when they were at the bar. This would be an interesting way to show that the two sides fighting against one another are actually quite similar. They both like women, drinking, and playing pool to help them relax and have a good time.

For the bedroom of Sophie, Salima, and Josephine, I would use a prison cell to re-enforce the symbolic prison that these women are in. The walls would be cement, to lend a cold feeling to the room, and the girls would sleep on bunk beds. Their beds would be old but the linens would be a bright, cheerful color to contrast the old bed. In addition, there would be fashion magazines, makeup, and toiletries strewn around the room as well as posters on the wall of local celebrities. All of these things would impart a sense of hopefulness that the girls have of one day being able to return to a normal society.

While I am not sure that anyone, professional or novice, could accurately recapture the complex and compelling story and emotions of Lynn Nottage's work, it was an interesting assignment for me to attempt. I enjoyed working with my classmates again and I felt that we each brought our own unique perspective to our production of Ruined but still held onto a unifying vision of confinement and hope for the women in the story.

Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up

Recently I decided to take my two children, Georgie, 4, and Marina, 1 1/2, to see Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach. As avid Sesame Street fans, I was excited about the opportunity for my kids to see their favorite characters, life size and on stage. Knowing from experience to not announce what we are going to do until we are ready to go do it, I surprised the kids after breakfast. As we were cleaning up I said "Surprise- we're going to see Elmo!" My son screamed and my daughter just smiled and said "Mo?" The excitement and anticipation on their faces was palpable, and it didn't stop as we drove to the Ocean Center. During the twenty minute drive my son must have asked me a dozen times "Are we there yet?" As we pulled into the parking lot there was no mistaking what everyone was there to see. The parking lot was a sea of little kids, all dressed in their Elmo best. As I parked and we got out of the car, I realized that I was pretty excited too. After all, I had also grown up watching Sesame Street and it felt good, even nostalgic, to share this with my kids.

Once inside the theatre, we found our seats, but nobody wanted to sit. "Sunny Days," the theme song for Sesame Street, was playing and Georgie and Marina decided to dance in the aisles with some of the other kids in the audience. Finally, the lights dimmed and the kids all knew that was their cue to take their seats because the show was about to begin. I couldn't help laughing to myself, thinking about how fast the convention of taking our seats and being quiet when the lights dim are known to us.

This production of Sesame Street Live consisted of two acts. The first Act opened with Big Bird helping Prairie Dawn with a pageant about what you want to be when you grow up. Soon, all of the characters were on stage, dancing and singing about what they wanted to be when they grew up. A firefighter, forest ranger, and police man were just some of the ideas thrown out during the song. In fact, everyone but Elmo had an idea about what they wanted to be. Poor Elmo, even when he's confused he is adorable, and the children in the audience clapped and cheered louder for him on stage than anyone else. Looking around, I could see the adults smiling and enjoying the show as well. In Act I, we see Telly the Monster wanting to be a Cowboy, Grover wants to be a Police Officer, Bert & Ernie are going to be Forest Rangers, Abby Cadabby is a fairy in training, (she received alot of cheering, like Elmo) and Cookie Monster plans on being a fire fighter. At the end of the first act, kids were getting up from their seats and you could just see and feel the pure joy that was on their faces.

Act II opened in Elmo's World, where Elmo was still confused about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He thought that all of the ideas that the other muppets had sounded like alot of fun. Next is Baby Bear, who wants to be a train engineer. When he can't get his train to go toot-toot, Big Bird asks the audience to say toot-toot for Baby Bear. To my delight, Marina was participating, saying toot-toot, and clapping. Of course, Oscar the Grouch had to be there, and he just loves trash, so he and Elmo sing a song about loving trash. Elmo even wants to work with Oscar and trash! Finally, Elmo realizes that by being in the pageant with his friends, he can pretend to be everything that he wants to be, and once again, all of the characters are on stage, singing and dancing. As the muppets sang their last song, alot of them came down into the audience and were high fiving and hugging some of the kids. Telly the Monster actually scared Marina, who was dancing in the aisle- he almost ran her over! Overall, the show was very entertaining- it held my kid's and the others attention throughout the show, which was probably a good hour and a half. That's alot for this age group!

Reading the program, I realized what a full scale production this was. There is a Director, Choreographer, Music and Lighting Director's, and Art Director's. I also thought that it was interesting that alot of the characters voices were by one actor. For example, Frank Oz voiced Bert, Cookie Monster, and Grover. In addition, Caroll Spinney was the voice for Oscar and Big Bird. The entire show was high energy, lots of music and dancing, and a wonderful bonding experience for me with Georgie and Marina.

Romeo and Juliet Script Analysis

Alexis Franco

Geoffrey Kershner

Dramatic Appreciation

Nov. 21, 2009

1. Identify the MAJOR CONFLICT of the play. This is between two characters or a character and a group of characters or force.

In Romeo and Juliet, the major conflict is between The Montague & Capulet families with Romeo and Juliet.

2. Identify what these characters REPRESENT.

The Montagues and Capulets represent hatred. Romeo and Juliet represent love.

3. Identify the CLIMAX of the major conflict. This is the height of the conflict. There is no where else for it to go and it breaks open, explodes, or dies. Be as specific as possible. Write the scene number and describe the specific moment.

Although I don't normally feel that the climax can come at the end of a story, in the case of Romeo and Juliet, I do believe that the climax is in Act 3, Scene 7 with the deaths of Romeo and Juliet in the Capulet crypt. I say this because, up until this point, neither Romeos or Juliets parents know that the two are married, or how much they really love each other.

4. Identify the RESOLUTION of the conflict. The conflict comes to a conclusion. Write the scene number and describe the specific moment.

The resolution to the conflict comes at the end of Act 3, Scene 7, when the parents of Juliet and Romeo's father discover their children's bodies. (This was especially chilling for Juliet's parents because they already believed their daughter to be dead- to feel her warm body and see her bleeding- they had to mourn her death twice.) The resolution, after finding their children's bodies, is to finally lay to rest their longstanding feud, as they lay to rest Romeo and Juliet.

5. Identify the FINAL ACTION of the two figures involved in the major conflict. Then explain its significance.

The final action for Romeo is drinking the poison from the bottle that the apothecary had given him. He obtains the poison after hearing that Juliet is dead. Romeo arrives at the Capulet crypt and holds Juliet in his arms- believing she is dead, he drinks the poison and dies. Juliet wakes up right after Romeo dies and, finding her beloved dead, stabs herself with a dagger when Friar Lawrence isn't in the room. The final action for the Montague and Capulet families, after reconciling, is to agree to raise two gold statues- one of Romeo and one of Juliet in the now peaceful Verona. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet are significant because it shows that they would go to any length to be together. The two families reconciling and raising the statues of Romeo and Juliet are significant because it signals a new era of peace in Verona.

6. Identify each of the characters (in the major conflict) over all OBJECTIVES. This is a want that drives them all the way through the play. Keep this active and playable for an actor. Think of action verbs.

The Montagues and Capulets want to be separate from one another. Romeo and Juliet want to be together.

7. Identify the subject of the play. Force yourself to one word.

The subject of Romeo and Juliet is passion.

8. Identify the IDEA of the play.

The idea of Romeo and Juliet is that names are not important. Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet- simply for this reason they can not be together. In addition, even though the feud between the families is so old that nobody knows what it is, even the servants for the Montagues and Capulets hate each other. The hate between the two families is so great that it leads to physical fighting and ultimately death.

9. Write a short paragraph, 75 to 100 words that describes what the play is ABOUT to you and what it conveys. This is your interpretation of the overall meaning of the play FOR YOU.

This being my first experience with the play Romeo and Juliet, I was struck by the different decisions that the various characters make and the consequences of those decisions. For example, Friar Lawrence makes the potentially explosive decision to marry Romeo and Juliet, even though I think he was hoping to somehow bring peace to the families with the marriage. In addition, Juliet makes the decision to fake her own death to get out of marrying Paris. Her decision led to her families grief and really, her, Paris' and Romeo's death. Romeo also made the decision to follow Juliet in death because of his love for her, that also caused his father grief. Overall, I could see how the decisions that we make as individuals can have broad consequences that greatly affect people around us.

All In The Timing

What started out as a class assignment turned into an impromptu date with my husband, George. On our way to the News-Journal Center I gave him a run down on All In The Timing and what we were going to see. George and I both enjoy and appreciate theatre, so we were in good spirits and looking forward to the performance as we arrived. I had been to the News-Journal Center before, but this was George's first time, and he was struck by how big and open it was inside. As we made our way upstairs and into the theatre I saw some familiar faces from the classroom. Once we sat down and were settled, I was able to look around and absorb what was going on around me. We were at a 2pm matinee show so the theatre wasn't particularly crowded. Other than my classmates, the audience was made up of a mix of men and women, mostly middle aged to elderly. Because we were sitting directly in front of the stage, I looked there first. The set for Sure Thing was simplistic- just a table and two chairs. However, my eyes were drawn to the huge clock on the stage floor- "cool" I thought. Then I allowed myself to look to my right and then my left and I could see all of the ornate clocks hanging on the walls around the theatre. That is when I felt like I was being transformed into the world of All In The Timing. I started to feel anticipation and was looking forward to the start of the play.

The first play, Sure Thing, was funny and creative. I thought the characters, Bill and Betty, were easy to identify with. What girl was never a Betty or what guy was never a Bill who wishes that they could have said something different or better while they were in the moment of meeting someone new that they liked? This play was well received by the audience, who were laughing and enjoying themselves.

The second play, Words, Words, Words are about three monkeys who are trying to produce Hamlet. Their mannerisms, especially Milton's, reminded me of the Marx Brothers. I was happy to see Anthony Pachin, from class, playing the part of Swift. I thought he did a great job and was very physical with Swift's characteristics. My husband and I both loved Kafka, she incorporated gymnastics into her movements and she was fun to watch. I also noticed that when the play was over and she was cleaning up the set, she did not break character. In fact, she also came out to help with a set change after another play and even then she came out as Kafka.

The third play, Universal Language, actually took me a little bit of time to warm up to. I think the reason might be that, like Shakespeare, the language of Unamunda was somewhat familiar sounding but yet still very foreign, making it hard to follow. I did however, find myself laughing and then actually feeling sad for Paige when she realizes that the University is a scam, but then happy again when she and Alec realize they have a connection that goes beyond Unamunda. The Universal Language had me experiencing more emotions than any of the other plays.

The Philadelphia was great. Again, I was happy to see another classmate, Kenny Daniels, who played Al. I thought all of the actors had great timing and were funny. I also thought that, like Sure Thing, The Philadelphia was easy to relate too. I think everyone has had "one of those days" where nothing goes your way and you feel like you're in some sort of a black hole. The audience seemed to enjoy this play quite a bit. There was lots of laughter and a good energy in the audience that was palpable.

The last play, Variations on the Death of Trotsky, was hilarious! I just loved everything about the characters- their accents, their interaction, everybody did a great job. Luckily, I can't say that I can relate to this play, but I can say that it was hysterically entertaining. Out of all of the plays, this was the one that elicited the most laughter from myself and the audience.

In addition to watching each play, I was also listening after each play was finished and I realized that the songs that were playing were all about time. I thought this was brilliant because it keeps you in the moment and you don't lose focus on the play as a whole. In fact, it keeps you looking forward to what is coming next.

Overall, All In The Timing was a funny, entertaining and witty play. My husband and I spoke with a group of people from the audience as we were leaving and they to had enjoyed the show. One of the couples were familiar with David Ives and seen some of his other work. I mentioned to this couple that I had looked up All In The Timing online and that it actually consists of fourteen short plays. The husband then asked me if I would like to see the other plays so I smiled and said "epsomlootly!"

Musicals- One of the great art forms

Musicals, one of the great art forms of the twentieth century, is very much a living art form (Nolan,21). A truly popular art, the musical closely reflects society and its needs- sometimes providing a message and often providing a much needed romantic or comic escape. While researching the history of musicals, I became very interested in the works of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, and their significant contributions to the musical as we know it today. I was unaware that, prior to their collaboration, both Rodgers and Hammerstein had distinguished careers of their own.

Richard Rodgers, a composer, collaborated with lyricist Lorenz Hart on a series of musical comedies that epitomized the wit and sophistication of Broadway in its heyday (Mordden,182). From the 1920's into the early 40's, Rodgers and Hart wrote more than forty shows and film scores. Among their greatest were On Your Toes, Babes In Arms, The Boys From Syracuse, I Married An Angel, and Pal Joey.

During this same era, Oscar Hammerstein brought new life to a moribund artform: the operetta (Nolan, 46). His collaboration with Jerome Kern resulted in the 1927 operetta Showboat that changed the course of modern musical theatre. His last musical before embarking on an exclusive partnership with Richard Rodgers was Carmen Jones, the highly acclaimed 1943 all black revision of Georges Bizet's tragic opera Carmen.

The first musical by this dynamic duo was Oklahoma! a musical play that blended Rodgers' musical comedy with Hammerstein's operetta. Oklahoma! was considered a milestone in the development of the American musical and it also marked the beginning of the most successful partnership in Broadway musical history (Briggs, 262). One of the clips from Oklahoma!, starring Hugh Jackman, that I enjoyed can be viewed by clicking on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS0NPYH_pGw Other successful musicals of theirs include Carousel, Allegro, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. Interestingly, Rodgers and Hammerstein only wrote one musical specifically for the big screen, State Fair, and one for television, Cinderella.

Collectively, this amazing duo produced musicals that earned 35 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, 2 Pulitzer Prizes, 2 Grammy Awards, and 2 Emmy Awards (Nolan, 46). Cited by Time Magazine and CBS news as among the twenty most influential artists of the 20th century, they were jointly commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp in 1999. I am certainly looking forward to experiencing more musicals from the golden age of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Works Cited:

1. Briggs, Tom. Musical Scene Study: The Musicals of Rodgers & Hammerstein. New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2007. Print.

2. Mordden, Ethan. Rodgers and Hammerstein. New York: Random House, 1977. Print.

3. Nolan, Frederick. The Sound of Their Music: The Story of Rodgers and Hammerstein. New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2002. Print.

4. Hugh Jackman- People Will Say Were In Love. Web. 18 Oct. 2009.

Indian Sanskrit Works Cited Page

1. Bhagyalakshmy, Shanker. Approach To Bharata Natyam. Pennsylvania: Rodale Press,1997. Print.

2. Chandra, G.S. Sharat. Bharata Natyam Dancer. New York: Ind-US, 1976. Print.

3. Felner, Mira and Claudia Orenstein. The World of Theatre: Tradition and Innovation. Boston: Pearson Education, 2006. Print.

4. Indian2dance. "HJ1: Authentic (real) Bharatanatyam Indian Dance." Web. 05 Oct. 2009.

Indian Sanskrit Images

These images are examples of Bharata Natyam. It is interesting to notice that the dancer begins in a bent knee position. This is done to resemble the Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Bharata Natyam is a solo dance and it involves an elaborate use of hand gestures and postures, as well as complex movements of the head, feet, and eyes. When I look at these pictures it is easy for me to appreciate the beauty of the dancers makeup, costume, jewelery and makeup. A good video example of Bharata Natyam can be viewed by clicking on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prQOdTmF8u0&feature=related

Indian Sanskrit, recognized as the first representation of Indian Theatre, was something that I knew nothing about prior to this assignment. However, after much research and our group presentation, I have a great appreciation for this highly cultivated art form. What I found most interesting was the Bharata Natyam, one of the oldest and most popular dance styles in India. A popular interpretation of the name of the style is : Bhava (expression) + Raga (musical mode) + Tala (rhythm) + Natyam (dance + acting) = BHARATA NATYAM (Chandra, 15).

Bharata Natyam is a form of dance that is subdivided into three classical forms: Nritta, Nritya, and Abhinaya. All three are an embodiment of beauty, charm and gracefulness (Bhagyalakshmy, 223).

Nritta is the pure form of Bharata Natyam. This form interprets the language of rhythm and melody through various patterns traced by the body. These patterns are either square, triangular or diamond shaped. Essentially, Nritta is a dance without a theme (Bhagyalakshmy, 112). This is considered the easiest dance form to learn and watch.

Nritya has the goal of conveying a poetic meaning through the use of gestures and facial expressions combined with rhythmic gaits and postures (Chandra, 11). Basically Nritya is a dance that tells a story by interpreting words recited by a singer. Nritya is supposed to be a very soul touching experience.

The last form, Abhinaya, means expression. Abhinaya purely expresses the poetic meaning of the composition without emphasis on rhythmic patterns (Bhagyalakshmy, 98). This dance technique is complex, and would not be easy for a novice to understand.

While I find all of these dance styles to be interesting, it is the dancers themselves that are fascinating. The dancers aim is to look as extravagant as possible. They accomplish this by wearing elaborate costumes that are vibrant in color and typically made of silk. They wear alot of ornate jewelery and makeup to represent the beauty of the Hindu gods and goddesses.

Even though Bharat Natyam is not known to many people outside of the Indian culture, I believe it is a dance form that deserves an audience from all different cultures to appreciate its theatrical, emotional, and spiritual elements. I can say that I am truly happy to have learned a little bit about this divine form of dance.