The Entertainer Essay

The Entertainer was a show that featured the decay of a performer, his family, and his country in war. The characters continued to disillusion themselves with self-medication and by acting that everything was fine, especially Kenneth Branagh’s character, Archie. The production’s set and transitions, set dressing, and lights that came through the doorways enhanced the character’s attempts to appease their lives that were collapsing before them. One element that was evident with many of the characters throughout the play was the attempt to maintain a performance or act like everything was okay. A design element that helped to present Archie’s struggle to live authentically were the seamless transitions between the parlor/living room and the stage with the showgirls. Instead of making clear transitions from one to the other, the characters in the den would freeze as the furniture would move offstage and Archie would continue a joke or song. Along with Branagh’s showman voice and speedy speaking, it complimented the encroachment of continually performing throughout life. Another element that contributed greatly to the two worlds being in tandem was the set. Having the proscenium arch of a stage at the back …show more content…
At first, I wasn’t sure why golden light was coming through the two upstage doorways. As discussed in class, however, I thought that it was the outside world having some kind of hope or escapism from the decay of the family and careers. Specifically, people would leave to escape their family, meaning they were better off way from them. Furthermore, this justified their self-medication of alcohol not working for any of them. Finally, at the end when Archie tapped this way through the backlit door offered some kind of hope, as he accepted his life as it was and moved on. By tapping his way out the door, it was the last hurrah to the life that once