Theory and Criticism 2010 Woods: 2010

Monday, May 10, 2010

Big Love: Thinking Critically about Production Choices

1. If I chose to direct Charles Mee's Big Love, a issue that I would encounter would be casting. The script calls for fifty brides and fifty grooms but they are not seen for more than half of the play. A solution that i came up with was to only cast a few extra brides and grooms to give the illusion of more than just the six main characters. Leo and Eleanor, the domestics, can be apart of the wedding guests. I would ask the cast members to utilize what they have at home as far as suits and dresses to save money on costumes. Non-traditional casting could be employed here with the exception of Bella, Piero's mom, i think the actor should embody her fully.

2. The script calls for two of the actors to be completely nude on stage. If nudity is not allowed, I would want to take it as far as I can without being completely nude. Lydia's nudity can be resolved by wearing nude undergarments. It gives the illusion of nudity, at the appropriate level for this college. At the reception, Constantine can also wear nude underwear. He can be hidden behind Thyona's dress for that sex scene. The language in the play is fine as it is, the one word can be changed to "dammit".

3.There are a lot of stage directions that cause for the stage to get wet and sticky and for the actors to destroy things. My proposal for this is that we utilize tarp and buckets for the tomatoes and the wedding cake. I think Thyonea should smash the china off stage

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Too Hot To Handle

NYC Today

Equus by Peter Shaffer
Debut: Broadway, Feb. 2007 at Broadhurst Theatre

Equus is a play about a young boy with pathological disorders and a doctor who tries to treat him. The original production unveiled in 1973 in London and it was met with rave reviews. This play is controversial because it faces sexual perverseness and religious idolatry. The young boy confuses admiration and sexuality with the horses.

http://www.canmag.com/nw/6605-daniel-radcliffe-equus

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-controversial-broadway-shows.php

Naked Broadway

But the fellas are still in front of the Full Monty Sign in the above pic

The Full Monty by Terrence McNally
Music by David Yazbek
Debut: Broadway, Oct 2000 at Eugene O'Neill Theatre

The Full Monty tells the story of six male steel factory workers who go and strip for money. The play was the subject of controversy because it dealt with topics like homosexuality and suicide. And, although the characters faced a slew of self conscious thoughts, the play featured full male nudity.

http://heather202.wordpress.com/

Gay Broadway

Corpus Christi by Terrence McNally
Debut: Off-Broadway, Oct. 1998 at Manhattan Theatre Club

Corpus Christi is a show about Jesus Christ and the Apostles. This production was full of controversy. It depicted Jesus Christ as a homosexual man and in the show he performs a marriage between two of his apostles. This sent chaos throughout the religious community and McNally received death threats form other extremists

http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/2008/10/corpus-christi-is-headed-for-a.html

Racist Broadway

Original 1927 Sheet Music for Ol' Man River, from Show Boat

Show Boat by Oscar Hammerstein II
Music by Jerome Kern
Debut: Broadway, Dec. 1927 at Ziegfield Theatre

Show Boat is considered one of the most influential works in American theatre. It was also very controversial because it was the first play to have an interracial cast. There was must debate over the language in the show as well. The use of derogatory terms led to the show being reworked and adapted to please audiences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_Boat

Busted

Sex by Mae West
Debut: Broadway, Apr 1926

Sex was a play written, directed, and starred in by Mae West. This was controversial because of the nature of the times and the show. The show played on Broadway for about a year before it was raided by the New York City police department. West was arrested on counts of moral indecency and was sentenced to ten days in jail

http://www.squidoo.com/MaeWestQuotes

NEA 4

Holly Hughes, Tim Miller,John Fleck, Martha Wilson andKaren Finley at NYU, April 15, 2004 Photo by Jim Constanzo

The 4: Holly Hughes, Tim Miller John Fleck and Karen Finley

The NEA 4 consists of the four artists who fought to receive grants from the U. S. Government. They were vetoed in June of 1990 on claims that the work being produced was controversial. They appealed to the Supreme Court and won in 1993. They received the grant money for the National Endowment for the Arts.

http://www.franklinfurnace.org/research/essays/nea4/ayers.html

Regional

My Name is Rachel Corrie ed. by Katherine Viner and Alan Rickman
Debut: Shelved until further notice
Banned in Toronto, Miami, and New York City

My name is Rachel Corrie is the real life story of U.S. peace activist, Rachel Corrie. Theatres in New York will not produce the show and the Miami Theatre shelved it. The play is controversial because of the gruesome facts of her death. She was killed by a bulldozer because she was trying to stop the destruction of a Palestinian doctor’s home.

http://www.democracynow.org/2006/3/22/my_name_is_rachel_corrie_a

http://rachelswords.org/2007/04/04/theater-wont-stage-controversial-drama/

College/University

Keely and Du by Jane Martin
Debut: College of the Canyons, Nov. 2009

Keely and Du is a play centered around two people dealing with their differences in beliefs. It confronts issues such as abortion and rape. Although the play showed both sides of the issue, it created controversy dealing with religion. It raised many questions concerning rape victim’s rights versus women’s rights.

http://www.lcnaugusta.com/season_1/keelyanddu_03-01-07/Img_6101.jpg

http://www.santaclaritamagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7667&Itemid=59

http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9E06E1DF143CF935A25753C1A962958260

High School

Parents at a Nevada high school are suing the school to stop productions of "The Laramie Project" and "Rent," the smash Broadway hit which had a standing ovation on its closing night, pictured above. Credit: Getty Images

Rent by Jonathan Larson
Debut: Green Valley High School, Jan. 2010

Rent is a rock musical that debuted on Broadway in April of 1996. The subject matter of Rent deals with AIDS, homosexuality and the bohemian lifestyle. Its controversy comes when schools performed the show. Green Valley high school in Las Vegas had lawsuit filed against them by the parents of the students. They claimed that the “themes of homosexuality and drugs are too mature for teens” to perform.

http://www.lasvegasnow.com/global/story.asp?s=11899811

http://www.parentdish.com/2009/11/03/nevada-high-school-parents-sue-to-stop-students-from-performing/

Wild Card

Rehearsal for the Broadway production. Back row, left to right: Lamont Washington, Lynn Kellogg, Suzannah Norstrand, Marjorie Lipari. Front row, left to right: Sally Eaton, Leata Galloway, Shelley Plimpton, Natalie Mosco

Hair by James Rado and Gerome Ragni
Music by Galt MacDermot
Debut: Off-Broadway, Oct. 1967 at Joseph Papp’s Public Theatre
Broadway, Apr. 1968 at Biltmore Theatre

Hair, the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a controversial musical that debuted on Broadway in the late 1960’s. This play came out shortly after the law was abolished that stated; all plays had to be approved before they were performed. Hair dealt with topics like drugs, sex, and war. This play is controversial because in 1960’s America, anyone that talked disrespectfully about America and its decisions was chastised.

http://www.orlok.com/hair/holding/photographs/hair/rehearsal.html

Friday, February 19, 2010

Unconventional Theatre Project 2

1) Chalk Repertory Theatre: Twelfth Night
Directed by Jerry Ruiz
February 5-28, 2010

Twelfth Night is Shakespeare's classic play about confusion, love and mistaken identity. The Chalk Rep theatre in California has a new wave take on the show. This production is unconventional because of the venue that it is set in. The show is at the Masonic Lodge on Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

http://www.chalkrep.com/#/twelfth-night/4537665104

Faust, photo: www.jezekacizek.cz

2) Majak Theatre Group: Faust
Directed by: Jakub Capka
August 2007

Faust is a story about a mans' journey and struggle with himself to repent. Its a classic story of right and wrong. The Majak Theatre Group in Prague performed this epic tale using only homeless actors and actors that have previously lived on the street. And, it was completely staged outdoors. This is different from other productions because usually actors are in paid unions; and this play is set indoors because of the nature of the script.

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/94499

Rough play? References to wine, sex prompt BYU to cancel U of U production of Greek play

3)University of Utah: The Bakkhai
Directed by Larry West
September 2009

This production was controversial as well as unconventional. Its display of sex and spirits caused the university to relocate the festival to a different venue. The administrators at BYU felt that the staging was too vulgar to be performed on campus. This production of The Bakkhai used a classic rock and roll score as music for the show.

http://www.standard.net/topics/news/2009/09/24/rough-play-references-wine-sex-prompt-byu-cancel-u-u-production-greek-play

Teens Denica Baltimore as Oberon, Miriam Kuzbary as Titania and Isaac Fullinwider as a young Krishna-like Puck in Junior Players' Bollywood adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

4) Junior Players: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Directed by Valerie Hauss-Smith

A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of the most widely produced of Shakespeare's plays. It is written in verse and the Junior Players put a spin on it by creating a Bollywood adaptation of it.

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008/jul/30/theater-review-midsummer-nights-dream-dallas/

Edgar Oliver, Brian Barnhart, David Guion, and Jim Sterling in Frankenstein

photo by Dixie Sheridan

5) Axis Theatre Company : Frankenstein

May 25- June 24, 2000

Directed by Randy Sharp

Frankenstein is, traditionally, the science fiction tale of a doctor gone crazy. Axis theatre company in New York took the story of Frankenstein and fused it with the stories of Frank Lloyd Wright and HH Holmes to create a whole new tale of murder and visciousness. The show includes aspects from all three men's story.

http://www.axiscompany.org/frank-1.htm