Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx’s direction brought Circle Mirror Transformation to a sweet spot between real and surreal. Annie Baker’s true-to-life writing style was taken and injected with movement to spark the creative mind. An ever changing stage was a clear foundation for the experimentation. Additionally, more movement between actors effectively clarified relationships and the tone of the play. However, with some major and minor tweaks to clean up Jonathan’s actor’s patterning and adjust the space’s architecture, Circle Mirror Transformation could be impactful by playing even more with imagination and what is literally being done for the sake of clarity. The play began with a barren stage that came to life as actors prepared the space almost
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Though they were not necessary and did not add much to the story, a new experience was refreshing in a play that follows such a repetitive structure. If possible, staging this play on an arena stage or theatre-in-the-round could heighten many elements of Circle Mirror Transformation including the rotations. Perspective would be played with even more, allowing what one side of the audience to see what the prior side saw and so on. It would be the epitome of “there are no bad seats.” The main implication that would arise is the vision blocking mirrors. Nonetheless, this limitation can be freeing. It would be interesting to see actors engage with hollow framed “mirrors,” extending the intermingling of surreal and real. There is something quite enthralling about watching people use mirrors that are not there. For a literal doing activity last year, a classmate, Lola Jahnie, made her literal doing activity be putting on a full face of makeup. Believing that she could really see her reflection was so easy for those watching, and yet it was known that she could not actually see herself. Still, her belief trumped the known facts of the spectator. That occurrence was breathtaking. To steal this and inject it into Circle Mirror Transformation would add a whole new quality, bringing the moment Lauren pops her pimples in the mirror to a new
Though they were not necessary and did not add much to the story, a new experience was refreshing in a play that follows such a repetitive structure. If possible, staging this play on an arena stage or theatre-in-the-round could heighten many elements of Circle Mirror Transformation including the rotations. Perspective would be played with even more, allowing what one side of the audience to see what the prior side saw and so on. It would be the epitome of “there are no bad seats.” The main implication that would arise is the vision blocking mirrors. Nonetheless, this limitation can be freeing. It would be interesting to see actors engage with hollow framed “mirrors,” extending the intermingling of surreal and real. There is something quite enthralling about watching people use mirrors that are not there. For a literal doing activity last year, a classmate, Lola Jahnie, made her literal doing activity be putting on a full face of makeup. Believing that she could really see her reflection was so easy for those watching, and yet it was known that she could not actually see herself. Still, her belief trumped the known facts of the spectator. That occurrence was breathtaking. To steal this and inject it into Circle Mirror Transformation would add a whole new quality, bringing the moment Lauren pops her pimples in the mirror to a new