For a performance in front of the audience to be effective, the set, sound, light and costumes of the performers should be such that they directly reflect the concept of the play. Sally showed us some slides about how costumes and the set were made to look synchronized by having similar patterns. I loved those slides. They made me realize the importance of subtle things that the audience might not notice on the conscious level, but that have a huge role in ameliorating the performance. It goes for all the aspects of designing. Theatre can be complete with a few actors performing according to a script, but it is the different components that make it effective and impacting. In some cases though, good actors and an excellent script might be more than enough for an excellent theatre performance.
The different components can be used in different ways to highlight whatever the director thinks the audience should be focusing on in a play. If among ten characters on stage there is one particular person that the audience should be looking at, the costume should be such that it sets her apart from the rest of the performers and the light should focus on her. Also, the performer should be on a spot where she can be seen easily. Sound is another important component that can control the feel of the play. The different versions of Shining we saw in class clearly explained how change in sound can manipulate our emotions even when we are watching the same thing. Hence, the right forms of all these components make a performance stronger, but they can completely change the feel of a performance if used in a wrong way.
Effective theatre is when a performance affects the audience in the way it was planned to. It should be captivating and should take the message across, if there is any. The script and actors are the most important parts of theatre. The different components of design help in making theatre effective by directing the audience’s focus throughout the performance.
There are some theatres that are heavily dependant on the script. Mr. Bean, for example, is very hilarious but there is not much sound or light effects. If the script of this video was performed on stage with a simple set it would still be hilarious. Even though sound, light, costumes and set are important aspects of theatre and can sometimes help a lot in improving theatre, they might not always be necessary if the script and the actors are very good.
Gurukul is a theatre close to where I lived back home. They have a small stage and they use simple props and equipments. It’s a theatre which is hugely dependant on the performers themselves. They don’t have microphones or special instruments, and there are no external equipments to supplement anything to do. Even the lighting is very simple. Gurukul is a very popular theatre in Nepal, and they have made excellent productions. I think Gurukul is a perfect example of a theatre which is not heavily dependant on external sources. They use all the components mentioned in the blog but very much. It’s the natural talent of the actors and their versatility that make the performances highly effective.
1 comment:
Poojan,
Very good work. It is clear from your blog that you have a very solid comprehension of the material and the presentations of our guest speakers. The written component is very complete.
I love the link to Gurukul. Great site and fascinating. I may you have you talk about theatre in Nepal one day, if you are comfortable. I also like your reference to Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean. I pose this question: What if Mr. Bean and Gurukul's work were surrounded by major lighting, sound, and scenic effects? You mention that they don't need this, but would it hurt them? We might argue that the minimal needs are in fact the aesthetic itself. These are choices they have made, perhaps originating from means, but have now become a part of the aesthetic itself. Both Mr. Bean and Gurukul are also making design choices. Great examples.
Poojan, is there a portion of your blog missing? The reason I ask this is that there is a large space between your text that looks like it is meant to have something, perhaps an image or a video?
In the next blog look at how you can place images and video directly into the body of your text. You can use these to site specific examples that connect to your discussion points in your written text. Think about integrating them in a more direct manner. An example would be when you were discussing design at the beginning of the blog, you can show us an image of a production where you think everything is integrated. It can be directly on the blog. You could also show us specific picture of Gurukul on the blog as you discuss it. This is the beauty of this blog format. You can SHOW us what you are talking about in a very direct way. This is very useful when we are discussing theatre which is such a visual form.
Great work Poojan and thank you!
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