Epic theatre

Every Spring Frontier High School puts on a Spring Musical. This year it was “All Shook Up,” a musical based off Shakespeare's “Twelfth Night,” all set to Elvis Presley songs. The cast consisted of eleven main characters and an ensemble. Everyone wanted to be apart of the show, but only twenty five students would be selected. Before Thanksgiving break, the students were given five songs they could sing for at auditions. All break the actors were practicing and researching the musical, so when…

I have finally gotten the chance to go see my first play, The Diary of Anne Frank. I really did enjoy the play, even after seeing the movie almost a hundred times. From the stage setting to the wonderful interactions among the actors and actress I couldn’t shake the feeling of how realistic it felt. The emotions were there and I absolutely loved it. The central theme, production, and audience reaction were the most interesting part of this experience. The central theme of this play was focused…

Loving any technical theatre aspect is a pain. However, those who like lighting may have the hardest time of them all when seeking recognition for their work. In my Theatre 100 class, I was put in a group to write and perform a show that was all our own. I excitedly told my group that I could do any stage lighting work that our show required. They ultimately decided that our lighting should consist simply of the main lights turning on and off. This lead me to believe that other people do not…

The musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” pre show music does it’s part in developing the setting. The songs were mostly older songs that were reminiscent of childhood. This applies especially to the Jackson 5’s ABC song. There were also more modern songs; the most noteworthy being “Like The Cool Kids”. Between those two songs the music gives a nice happy mood. There is also the use of a few practical sound effects, actually there are two. The foremost sound effect is the…

In her essay from 2009, “Culture as Performance”, Erika Fischer-Lichte, referring to her work “Aesthetic—-“, defines performance as something that “emerges out of the bodily co-presence of different groups of participants and their confrontation and interaction.” (1). Therefore, a performance is a system in which ongoing interactions are generated by and generate unpredictable elements, through which transformation occurs in society. Krautrock is one of those events that come into being in the…

As an actor, one must interpret the playwright’s writing within the boundaries of the “given circumstances”. As a lighting designer, one must support and embellish those actors’ interpretations while still abiding by the given circumstances. The Dramatic Imagination refers to lighting as not only a craft, but also an art form, and drama to be a living organism. Without lighting, there ceases to be as vigorous a life essence within the performance. This essay will discuss various elements of the…

The Main stage production of Cabaret, put on by Chapman University’s Department of Theatre, was magnificent. With direction by Michael Nehring, this interpretation of the sexy musical held a mirror to nature , transforming the 1972 classic to a current lens of reflection. Being on wardrobe for this production was an experience unlike any other. Ideals discussed in the classroom came to life as the actors prepared for each performance. It was intriguing seeing individual applications of exercises…

Holly Azeez, student at Stevenson High School On March 18 I attended Trenton High School’s performance of Grease. My mom and I have watched nearly all of her school’s musicals. I was super excited not only to see Grease—I had missed their performance in 2012—but because they invited the staff to sing “Alma Mater,” chaperone the dance, and dance in “Hand Jive.” I have seen the movie Grease more times than I can count. I was shocked to discover how different the movie is from the play. It is the…

If you wish to see America’s couple, the price of admission is $5”, said the ticket salesman. Why, though, anyone would desire to watch a man and his bride interact in their daily lives was beyond me, but I couldn’t deny the throngs of crowds clamoring from all the bustling, smoggy city streets having a keen interest. Being a visitor, I decided to divulge my own curiosity and partake. “Enjoy my good man!” the salesman said as I went in the long hallway. Gaudy with velvet rope and…

Introduction Over the past four weeks I have worked with 5 others to devise a piece of theatre which involved and is based around Greek and Roman theatre conventions. Based on thorough research we explored a variety of ways including and challenging certain conventions. Our piece is based around the current situation in Nigeria; 276 girls were kidnapped from a school in Chibok. Most girls were married on and raped, some killed, some made to kill and very few escaped. The Nigerian government…