Scenery, lighting, sound, and costumes are just a few of the theatrical elements that stood out and shaped the live performance of The Penelopiad, written by Margaret Atwood and performed by students in the Department of Theater and Film at Bowling Green State University. The play is narrated in Hades by the main character, Penelope who is haunted by twelve maids. The story line is centered around Penelope’s relationship with her parents, her marriage to Odysseus, dealing with life during the war, and the upbringing of her son Telemachus. Furthermore, the theatrical elements of this performance echo some of the important conventions that we have discussed in class. Characteristics of expressionism are notable in this play such as the abstract
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This particular theater featured an in-the-round stage in which audience members surround different sides. There were four rows of seats in each of the three sections that audience members could sit in. I personally sat on the end in the fourth row to view this live performance. The neat aspects of this type of stage are that there is no curtain, it is on an even level with the audience, it allows actors to enter and exit from different directions through the audience, and it removes the fourth wall. It is interesting to note when the fourth wall is removed because it enhances direct engagement with audience …show more content…
The purpose of lighting is to provide an appropriate amount of visibility for audience members while also enhancing the overall mood and atmosphere. Additionally, lighting can reinforce an action and support the style of the production. At the beginning of the play, there was a greenish blue tint to the room with a white spot lot focused on Penelope as she introduced the story. This sort of calm moment was broken when twelve maids enter the room. When the maids spoke, the room would become very dark and the mood turned dark and evil. Blue lighting was used to give a sense of the ocean as Odysseus and Penelope set sail for Ithaca. When Odysseus shows his bed to Penelope, the lighting turns tints of pink and red which sets a more intimate and romantic
This particular theater featured an in-the-round stage in which audience members surround different sides. There were four rows of seats in each of the three sections that audience members could sit in. I personally sat on the end in the fourth row to view this live performance. The neat aspects of this type of stage are that there is no curtain, it is on an even level with the audience, it allows actors to enter and exit from different directions through the audience, and it removes the fourth wall. It is interesting to note when the fourth wall is removed because it enhances direct engagement with audience …show more content…
The purpose of lighting is to provide an appropriate amount of visibility for audience members while also enhancing the overall mood and atmosphere. Additionally, lighting can reinforce an action and support the style of the production. At the beginning of the play, there was a greenish blue tint to the room with a white spot lot focused on Penelope as she introduced the story. This sort of calm moment was broken when twelve maids enter the room. When the maids spoke, the room would become very dark and the mood turned dark and evil. Blue lighting was used to give a sense of the ocean as Odysseus and Penelope set sail for Ithaca. When Odysseus shows his bed to Penelope, the lighting turns tints of pink and red which sets a more intimate and romantic