Comedy of Errors

          Drayton Hall is a theater with a proscenium stage. The set was amazing. There were several huge painted pieces that formed a town-like area. Some of the pieces had two levels that the actors used frequently. Some of the pieces were houses that had curtains and windows. There were lights strung across the pieces. Along with these pieces, there were tables and chairs set up like a restaurant. The costumes were beautifully created. They were all bright and perfectly fit each character. Each character had a colored wig that matched their clothing. The costumes modernized Shakespeare!

Robert Richmond, an Associate Professor at USC, directed this play with the Aquila Theatre Company. He decided to bring the play to USC after having a successful time with the Aquila Theatre Company. Richmond decided to modernize Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors.  His play was supposed to take place between 1589 and 1595, during the war of succession in France. Shakespeare lived during the 16th century.

 The play starts with a brief background story. Egeon and Emilia are newlyweds who recently have twin boys named Antipholus. They buy another set of twins from a poor couple named Dromio. After being separated from a boat wreck, Antipholus of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse decide they want to find their brothers. They end up being at the same town, Syracuse, and have no idea of each other's existence.

Phantom of the Opera

 Describe:

           The musical originated from Gaston Leroux's novel Phantom of the Opera. Andrew Lloyd Webber created the Broadway version in 1986. It happens to be the longest running show to date. In 2004, Joel Schumacher created a movie, which is the one we saw in class. Gerald Butler plays the Phantom, Emmy Rossum plays Christine, and Patrick Wilson plays Raoul. Minnie Driver plays Carlotta. It is set in the Paris Opera House.  In the beginning, there was a transfer of owners. The Opera House had been terrorized by the Phantom for a long time. He demanded money as well as his say in who should sing what in the opera. When the owners did not follow his rules, he began to destroy the Opera House. In the meantime, Christine got the leading lady role and has rekindled her love with her childhood friend Raoul. The Phantom becomes jealous of their relationship and threatens to kill Raoul.

Analyze:

         The actors in the movie did a wonderful job portraying the characters they were playing. The scenery, music, and costumes perfectly portrayed the era they were supposed to be in. Watching the film, I better understood what an opera was. The Phantom's love for Christine was beautifully portrayed by Gerald Butler. He did an excellent job with his facial expressions and his voice. Emmy Rossum's acting was so believable. I could feel her love for both Raoul and Phantom. Her voice was amazing! The music was powerful throughout the film.

Interpret

          I was a little confused with the story line. I believe that Christine loved both Raoul and Phantom, but in different ways. Although she ended up with Raoul, I think she had feelings with the Phantom since he trained her to become the amazing singer that she was. I liked that the story line was not so obvious and it left it to the audience to decide what happened.

Evaluate

       I really enjoyed this film. It made me want to see the actual musical. I think the actors all did an amazing job portraying the characters. The music, scenery, and costumes were all fabulous! I highly recommend this film. Before watching it, I always thought of opera being boring. Now, I realize there is much more to it. For one thing, their voices are all powerful and not boring at all!

Opera Assignment #8

Opera is a combination of music, theater, and dance. It is considered opera when there is music sung throughout the performance with no spoken dialogue. This type of performance has an operatic voice and a live orchestra.

Light opera incorporates spoken dialogue along with the operatic singing. While opera is sung in this original language, light opera is sometimes translated. It still has a live orchestra like the opera.

Musical theater is a more modern approach to opera. The voices are not operatic and can be sung by singing actors. There is more spoken dialogue in musical theater and it does not require a live orchestra.

It takes a long time for someone to develop an operatic voice. It takes years of training to develop the voice. One usually has to be fully mature physically in order to have an operatic voice. One of the most important factors in training focuses on the breath. Singers must learn how to use their lungs in order to hold long notes.

La Boheme is an opera by Giacomo Puccini in 1896. It is said to be one of opera's best-known masterpieces. The opera is based on the novel Scenes de la vie de boheme by Henri Muger.

This opera is about the love of Mimi, a seamstress, and Rodolfo, a poet. They form an immediate connection, but soon Rodolfo wants to leave Mimi because she has flirtatious behavior. Unfortunately, Mimi is mortally ill and Rodolfo feels guilty for leaving her. In the end of the opera, they reunite one last time before she dies.

When listening to La Boheme, I get the vision of what an opera is supposed to sound like. Their voices are amazing which draws you into what they are singing. It makes the audience what to know what is occurring. I think the success of this opera had to do with the fact that Puccini lived a lifestyle similar to the characters in the opera. Because he lived a similar lifestyle, he was able to perfectly portray them in the opera.

Theater Assignment #7

Above is a picture of a proscenium stage. This type of stage is framed by a rectangular opening. Most theaters today have proscenium stages.

This is a picture of a thrust stage. This stage extends out into the audience. The stage is surrounded by the audience on three sides. The main difference between the two stages is that the proscenium stage does not extend out into the audience like the thrust stage.

This is a picture of a fly gallery. It is the area above the stage that lowers and raises scenery.

The scrim is a curtain made from thin fabric. Scrims do not absorb light so when the area is lit, the images can be seen. When the area is not lit, the images are not visible.

The Big Apple Visit

The dancers use the 6-count when they are dancing the shag. 

  

The Big Apple was founded in 1937 after the building was originally a synagogue. There are still details of Jewish symbols in the building today. There is a Star of David in the ceiling of the building. 

During 1937, the Big Apple dance had become very popular among African American students at the University of South Carolina and they practiced it at the building in Columbia. The dance made its way up to New York thanks to these students. 

After the building was abandoned in 1979, it moved to its location today which is the corner of Hampton and Park Street. The Historic Columbia Foundation acquired it in 1993 and it is used today for rental uses.

 

 The Shag started in New York in the 1940s, but South Carolinians adapted it in the 1940s. It is a version of swing dancing and is the state dance for both South and North Carolina.

Museum Visit

Source:  http://www.lauralevine.com/photography/gallery/remBBQ.php

The picture I chose was taken by American Laura Levine in 1984. It was shot at Walter's Bar-B-Que in Athens, Georgia. This photo is a gelatin silver print, which is a black and white print created from a film's negative. The silver color is left on the picture during the film development. The photo at the Museum was a little bigger than an 8 by 11.

The people in this shot are the band members of R.E.M. The photo is shot from the server's side of the bar. The lead singer, Michael Stipe, is all smiles while his band members are thoroughly enjoying their bar-b-que. Michael Stipe was actually a vegeterian and did not eat the meat. The clothes are similar to the 80's decade. They are either wearing jackets or t-shirts and have long, shaggy hair. The band actually wrote a song about the restaurant in the picture called "Walter's Theme".

Source: http://www.lauralevine.com/film/production-stills.php

Laura Levine made a career out of music photography. Along with film, she also is a self-taught artist. She captured moments from James Brown to Madonna. Many of her photos have been on display in various museums across the United States. In this R.E.M. photo, she was visiting the band in Athens while they were shooting a film.

Assignment #6: Dance

The baroque period of dance took place from 1600 to 1750. It originated in France. The style of dance is a mix between ballet and ballroom dancing. The dance reflected the baroque era's music, theater, and opera.

For me, dancing is a lot of things. I grew up taking ballet and jazz classes. I enjoyed everything about these dance styles. At the time, I did not realize how much of a work out I was getting. Dancing can easily put someone is a better mood! It is a great energy booster, but can also be sentimental. Dancing with my dad is one of my favorite things to do. In the South, the shag is a popular social dance that is fun no matter how talented you are!

Native American dance is fascinating. It is an extremely spiritual dance. Often times, it is considered to be a form of prayer. They have very elaborate costumes that move to the beat of the drum.