William Harvey Carney

To learn more about Stanislavski’s theories and performance style we explored ‘Road’ by Jim Cartwright. Cartwright was born and raised in Lancashire – where his first play ‘Road’ is set. The play is set in the 80’s when Margaret Thatcher was in power. Margret Thatcher became most unpopular with Northern Ireland and England due to the large unemployment rates during her time as Prime Minister. Unemployment began rising in the 70’s as companies were modernising their businesses. However, rates…

Half a millennium. 500 years. The span of time between the creation of the play The Taming of the Shrew written by William Shakespeare and the filming of the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. The former was wrote during the Renaissance era while the latter was wrote during the birth of what has become the modern age. It is easy to spot not only differences in the cultures but also the similarities in the character’s attitudes. Even though 4 centuries separate Katherine (Kate) and Katerina (Kat),…

Who is Truly Responsible? There are numerous possibilities for who is responsible for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Various characters are involved in the events which lead to the deaths of the two ill fated lovers. To start off, the family feud plus the idea of marriage within the two opposing sides was asking for an issue or severe consequence. Another scapegoat would be Friar Lawrence for marrying the feuding lovers, placing the substance in Juliet’s control, and failing to deliver the…

Homework Reading Blog #10: Teasle’s Determination In Part Two of Morrell’s First Blood, Teasle and his deputies go on a manhunt search to find Rambo after he murders Galt by slashing his stomach with the straight razor intended to cut and shave his hair. Out of impulsiveness and the desire to remain in control, Teasle decides to go ahead on the manhunt and not wait for the state police because when morning comes around, they’ll have no choice but to turn over the job to them. The reason being…

A famous quote by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is commonly heard and applied to situations of feeling hopeless and scared; “there’s nothing to fear but fear itself.” However, in the case of Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the truth is that there is nothing to fear except yourself. Macbeth’s ultimate fall from power was the consequence of his own actions as well as his own self destructing behavior. Rather than someone else causing him to fail and lose power, it was Macbeth himself that…

The use of Spanish elements in “This is How You Lose Her” “This is How You Lose Her” is a story written by Junot Diaz and unlike other literally works themed around immigration this particular story paints the image of a disjointed atmosphere which is created by the use of a voice-driven plot. The book is a collection of many stories which are not connected though they are all narrated the same person whose name is Yunior. Yunior has been the narrator in several other books written by Junot Diaz…

Why is Macbeth Unable to Apply the Brakes on his Homicide Problem? Why does Macbeth, who knows that his actions are evil and will be punished, continue to choose evil? Piscine Patel in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi once quoted, “It is simple and brutal: a person can get used to anything, even killing”. This quote implies that human nature is pliable enough so that one can easily adjust and bend actions to their will if it will cater to their selfish desires. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is an excellent…

Journeys are a catalyst for individual transfiguration and offer experiences that can lead to new perceptions. The emotional consequence of one’s actions is heightened in Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear and American History X written by David McKenna and directed by Tony Kaye, both exploring the corruption of political power, who become a victim of their external influences. Both illustrate how Journeys extend and help shape ones understanding of the world, enable individuals to alter their…

If there is anything Golddiggers wants to remind their audience it is that there are no happy endings in the depression. Hollywood musicals help create this nice form of escapism for their viewers going through hard times, but at the end of the day everything's not okay and people do not get rich just because they fall in love. Golddiggers shows the harsh realities of the Great Depression in it’s final number “Remember My Forgotten Man”. The Great Depression was something that was happening;…

Comedy and Farce Part One- Plot In the beginning of the play The School For Lies by David Ives, the inciting event is explained right away when Philinte mentions his friend Frank has arrived back in Paris. The reason the play starts is because Philinte wants to introduce Clitander to his friend Frank. The departure point of the play is right after Philinte’s opening monologue because Philiente was explaining to the audience about the origin of the play’s adaptation, not the actual storyline.…