Welcome back students!
I am excited to be working with you all again. Theatre 2 is a continuation of what you learned in Theatre 1 but much more intensive on crafting the art of acting and beginning technical theatre. We will work on characterization, body movement, monologues, plays and technical theatre. There will not be a lot of homework, but you will be required to memorize one monologue and memorize several passages from scripts for performances. Please come to class everyday prepared to work. You will be expected to work everyday in class and will be graded on your performance in class.
A note about absences:
Please
remember that because they are graded daily on performance, if your
child is absent, you must send a written note to the attendance office
to excuse the absence or they will have a zero. I will audit my grade
book with the attendance calendar once every week (or so) and if the
attendance office has either an unexcused absence or unverified, your
child will receive a zero. According to KGHS policies, a phone call is
not sufficient to excuse the absence, although we appreciate when you
call in to let us know they won't be there. However, it must be a
written note turned in to Ms. Bienz in attendance.
If you have questions or concerns, please email me.
Arsenic and Old Lace Play Critique
ReplyDeleteAbigail Sites
Period 2
Set in Brooklyn, New York in the 1940's, the play, Arsenic and Old Lace, is a hilariously frightening piece of theatre. The main characters, who are: Mortimer Brewster, Elaine Brewster, the Brewster sisters, Johnathan Brewster, Teddy Roosevelt, and Dr. Einstein; at times are humorous, frightening, and out-right absurd. It begins with Elaine Harper and Mortimer Brewster at the Court House, ready to be wed. Everything seems quite delightful, until Mortimer discovers his aunts are hiding a horrifying and gruesome secret; they kill lonely old men and hide their bodies in the cellar. Mortimer, who at first is a stable enjoyable character, becomes distraught and a bit mad. Mortimer's story only gets worse as Jonathan Brewster, Mortimer's lost and sociopathic brother, returns to the Brewster household. Jonathan proves himself to be disturbing and murderous as it becomes clear to the viewers he kills people and then uses their faces to improve his own. All of these points of the plot make the play disturbing, hilarious, and a bit ridiculous. Even though Arsenic and Old Lace is an unforgettable play it is also a bit unrealistic. The characters' actions and demeanors make the play a bit chaotic and unbelievable. These conditions, though, only make the play more entertaining and laugh-worthy.
The playwright of Arsenic and Old Lace used extensive script and dialogue to make the play frightening, hilarious, and disturbing all at the same time. The characters' dialogue especially made the play standout in its thrilling style. Throughout the play the characters interact with each other with absurd and unlikely dialogue. This element of the play makes it hilarious to watch. The character, Teddy Roosevelt, was especially funny as he acted like the president, Theodore Roosevelt, the entire play and because he shouted absurd things loudly and for no apparent reason. This element of the dialogue keeps the play in motion with humor and absurdity. How the characters act with one another also contributed greatly to the humor and, overall, plot of the play. Without specific movements the play would not convey the same hilarious and disturbing atmosphere to the viewers. If the characters acted like normal people, the play would not be as funny as it is now. These contributions to Arsenic and Old Lace make it a very entertaining theatre production.
The playwright of Arsenic and Old Lace wanted to create a production very frightening and heart stopping but also something enjoyable and hilarious. The playwright accomplished these aspects by creating a mood or rather an atmosphere that would encompass the viewers. This atmosphere is dark and frightening which leaves the viewer feeling uneasy and scared, so to counteract this the playwright creates characters who are funny and desperately absurd. With the placement of these such characters the play becomes not just eerie but also comedic. All of these aspects of this play make it meaningful and unforgettable.
Although this play was astoundingly entertaining and unforgettable, there is one thing I would change if given the chance. The play's plot was wonderful and well created but seemed a bit unlikely or impossible. I would have liked if Arsenic and Old Lace was a bit more believable and the plot less confusing. During the entire play I felt I was struggling to keep up with the character's actions and the play's overall storyline. I feel that if the play was a bit less confusing and easier to follow then it would be even more entertaining than it already is.