Gender Role Analysis of the Buffyverse
The gender roles of most television shows are relatively straightforward. Often we see a wife, husband, and children all clamoring to live up to the mundane view of gender behavior. However, in the campy television show Buffy: The Vampire Slayer created by Academy Award winning writer Joss Whedon, these roles are often askew.
The first character to look at is Xander. Xander is considered the “heart” of the “Scoobies” (a term often used to describe this gang of vampire hunters). He, in fact, is the only one of the gang without a specific talent to lend to the hunt. Buffy has super-strength, Willow and Tara are powerful witches, Giles has years of vampire lore and knowledge at his disposal, Oz is a werewolf, Anya is an ex-demon, and Spike and Angel are “friendly” vampires with great combat skills. He is almost like the mother. He says the things that need to be said because he’s the only one with the guts to do so. He does it because he cares and because he realizes his niche is to be encouragement personified. He sees what no one else can see because he has more time to watch. He knows everyone better than they know themselves.
Willow and Tara, the witches of the “Scoobies”, bend gender expectations due to the relationship they develop during the fourth season. No one expected Willow to become gay, and the automatic acceptance of Tara into the group and outcry of viewer support for her character demonstrates the strength of this choice.
Giles is very much the father of the group. However, he isn’t the strongest, so we see him in many episodes being knocked unconscious by various blunt instruments. Of all the characters, Giles does the best at keeping to the expectations of his gender.
The character of Oz was once quoted by a producer as being, “…the most instantly loveable personality…” they’ve ever seen on television. In fact, Oz being a werewolf, sets off all sorts of images and expectations in the mind of viewers. However, Oz is singly the gentlest person on the show. His kindness and acceptance of all people clash completely with his rocker-boy wardrobe and the fact that his character plays in a band. You may expect him to be spontaneous and often the voice of dissent and villainy, but his quiet stoicism proves everybody wrong.
Emma Caulfield, the actress who portrays Anya, is breathtakingly gorgeous. Thin, statuesque, and all legs; it’s easy to see her as the damsel who someone needs to save every week. Oddly though, when Anya opens her mouth to speak, its easy for the audience to forget how pretty she is due to her candor, flippancy, bluntness, and absolute genuine misconstruction of English and modern human behavior. Her character is obsessed with capitalism and business, also not something expected from “the pretty one”. When her character loses her demon powers in season three she later reflects on her upset by saying, “For a thousand years I wielded the powers of The Wish. I brought ruin to the heads of unfaithful men. I brought forth destruction and chaos for the pleasure of the lower beings. I was feared and worshipped across the mortal globe. And now I'm stuck at Sunnydale High. Mortal. Child. And I'm flunking math.”
Angel is often seen as a bit of a ponce with entirely too much product in his hair and Spike spends exorbitant amounts of time watching reruns of the soap opera “Passions”. In fact, the only character doing the job of living up to as well as breaking down gender expectations is Buffy herself.
Her strength and willingness to sacrifice her youth make her an automatic hero. However, in love, she is constantly hurt, rejected, and not at all lucky. This is often due to poor immature choices, something very much expected from a twenty-something year old girl. I always found the clash between Buffy’s words and her actions to be highly interesting. She’s always using the hippest and most modern lingo, wearing flashy (somewhat slutty) clothing, and finishing every vampire kill with a witty quip such as, “I’m finished with this one, if the apocalypse comes, beep me.” However, Buffy stays a sensitive soul throughout the seven season run and the diversity in her character make BTVS a fantastic study on gender role perspectives.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Theory & Crit - Project #5
THE PROFESSION
Acting/Non-Union
(FOUND THROUGH ARTSEARCH)
The Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, PA is accepting applications for its 2009-10 Apprentice Program in Acting. The program is a full-time commitment with a weekly scholarship of $300, individual HMO medical coverage, gym membership and free tuition to Theatre School classes. The scholarship begins in September 06 and will end in May 2010. Minority Performers are especially sought. BA/BFA or equivalent experience is desirable. To receive an application, please visit us online at www.walnutstreettheatre.org. Send two copies of all materials to: Susan Nicodemus Quinn, Director of Education, WALNUT STREET THEATRE, 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Stage Management/Non-Union
(FOUND THROUGH ARTSEARCH)
Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Hawaii's only professional theater, seeks experienced Non-Equity Stage Manager, immediately for 55th Season. Employment June 29 - May 31, 2010. Requires moving to Hawaii for employment period. Must have previous professional theater experience, good organizational and communication skills, with a great sense of humor. Candidates should be flexible in the face of constantly changing production needs and able to work in a fast-paced setting. Previous touring and backstage experience preferred. Must be over 21 and hold valid driver's license. More information, htyweb.org. Send cover letter, resume, and references to H. Bart McGeehon-Production Manager, production@htyweb.org.
Acting/Union
(FOUND THROUGH BACKSTAGE)
Denver Center Theatre Company (Denver, CO) is casting its 2009-10 season. Season includes: The Voysey Inheritance, A Raisin in the Sun, Well, Absurd Person Singular, A Christmas Carol, When Tang Met Laika, Eventide, Mama Hated Diesels, Othello, and Mariella in the Desert. Kent Thompson, artistic dir.; Bruce K. Sevy, assoc. artistic dir. Season runs Aug. 20, 2009-May 15, 2010 in Denver, CO.
Seeking—Actors and Actors Who Sing: for a variety of roles in the upcoming season productions. Equity principal auditions will be held by appt. May 24, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. & 3-7 p.m. at the Jones Theatre, Denver Center, 1101 13th St., Denver, CO. To schedule an appt., email casting@dcpa.org or call (303) 893-6031; email preferred. A monitor will not be provided; the producer will run all aspects of this call. Prepare two monologues (one classical verse piece and one contemporary piece), with a combined length no more than three minutes. Singers should prepare 16 bars of a song from a traditional legit American musical. Bring sheet music; an accompanist will be provided. Bring pix & résumés, stapled together. Bring your Equity card. $555/wk. Equity LORT Non-Rep Contract.
Stage Management/Union
(FOUND THROUGH PLAYBILL.COM)
Summer Theatre of New Cannan --Equity stage manager, (PSM) and assistant Equity stage manager (ASM) position open for part or full summer season. Equity LOA ref to LORT D, approval pending. Shakespeare - rehearsals begin May 26, opens June 19-July11, Musical - rehearsals begin June 20, opens July 18-Aug 1. Musical theater experience necessary to be considered for musical. Outdoor tented theater in New Canaan, CT 1 hour commute from NYC by car or train. Have own car preferred. Casting May 1,2,3,8,9,11,12 If available Please send resume, references and cover letter via email.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
University of Texas/Austin
Program: MFA in Acting, MFA in Directing
Mission: The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance is a department where we pride ourselves in producing the finest of artist/scholars. Our graduates are not only among the most talented actors in their cohort, but are also among the brightest. We accept only highly motivated, talented individuals wishing to pursue acting as a career, who are intellectually curious. Actors are trained for stage, film, television and voice-overs. Courses are taught, and projects are mounted in the department that reflects close interdisciplinary collaborations between all aspects of the arts. Every effort is made to assist M.F.A. actors in securing work in various summer stock companies, frequently through yearly auditions on campus.
Admission: The program has developed into a conservatory, only admitting a new class every three years. The next class will be admitted Fall of 2010 with entrance by audition and interview. GRE required, contact Fran Dorn to set up a time.
University of California/Fullerton
Program: MFA in Acting/Directing
Mission: Our program focuses on the development of the complete artist. While public performance is at the heart of our program, we maintain a creative balance between academic courses and professional theatre training.
Admission: A new class is admitted into the Acting MFA program every even-numbered year. The program lasts three years and each class consists of ten students. Entrance is by audition, interview, resume, and recommendations. No GRE required.
University of New Orleans
Program: MFA in Acting
Mission: The Graduate School provides leadership and direction for graduate education that reflects the University’s urban mission. It ensures quality of graduate programs and promotes excellence within the context of pure and applied research and creative scholarship. The Graduate School seeks to increase grant activity and the recruitment of highly qualified doctoral and master level students. Our goal is to develop a meaningful voice to our artistry and to share that talent in the community and educational arenas. We combine theory and practice for a solid foundation in this highly demanding discipline. Two mainstage and two lab productions per year, plus dark-night original script readings provide several opportunities to test your skills on our stages. From Shakespeare to original scripts, there is always a challenge waiting.
Admission: Admission is by audition, resume, interview, and recommendations. No GRE is required. New classes are initiated every year.
TEACHING
Secondary Level
Community College
SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Faculty - Part-Time Pool
1. Teach courses selected from Acting/Directing/Dramatic Literature/Make-Up and Costume/Vocal Production/Audition Techniques/Physical Comedy/Improvisation/Introduction to Theatre/Multi-Cultural Theatre/Set and Lighting/Player/Playwrighting.
2. Perform duties associated with instructing and assessing student progress including, but not limited to, grading, required record-keeping, etc.
3. Teach day, evening, and/or Saturday classes both on and off campus as required.
4. Participate in departmental functions, such as committee work, faculty evaluations, staff meetings.
5. Perform other related duties as assigned by the supervisor.
TO APPLY, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CCSF.EDU/HR
Senior Colleges & Universities
CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY Department of Theater and Dance seeks applicants to join NAST-accredited, production-driven program with a faculty of eight MFAs and 150 majors in a Visiting Assistant Professor or Instructor of Acting and Voice full-time non-tenure-track position beginning August 2009. MFA preferred. PhD considered. This one-year appointment has possibility of a second year. The successful candidate will have terminal degree in the field and be a vigorous, dedicated teacher able to teach all levels of undergraduate acting and voice. The ideal candidate will have significant professional experience and certificate in Linklater vocal technique. The ability to teach playwriting is desirable. The possibility to direct may exist. Located between historic Colonial Williamsburg and the ocean resort of Virginia Beach, CNU's completed capital improvements (nearly $500 million) on the beautiful, 260-acre campus integrate the University's liberal arts vision, nurturing mind, body, and spirit. These include the state-of-the-art Trible Library; three new academic buildings; Freeman Center athletic complex; and I.M. Pei-designed Ferguson Center for the Arts, which brings to Virginia the finest performing artists in the world. Application review begins 5/27/09. To apply, visit http://hr.cnu.edu/vacancies/index.html or email mlmoody@cnu.edu. for detailed information (Search #8054). EOE.
Acting/Non-Union
(FOUND THROUGH ARTSEARCH)
The Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, PA is accepting applications for its 2009-10 Apprentice Program in Acting. The program is a full-time commitment with a weekly scholarship of $300, individual HMO medical coverage, gym membership and free tuition to Theatre School classes. The scholarship begins in September 06 and will end in May 2010. Minority Performers are especially sought. BA/BFA or equivalent experience is desirable. To receive an application, please visit us online at www.walnutstreettheatre.org. Send two copies of all materials to: Susan Nicodemus Quinn, Director of Education, WALNUT STREET THEATRE, 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Stage Management/Non-Union
(FOUND THROUGH ARTSEARCH)
Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Hawaii's only professional theater, seeks experienced Non-Equity Stage Manager, immediately for 55th Season. Employment June 29 - May 31, 2010. Requires moving to Hawaii for employment period. Must have previous professional theater experience, good organizational and communication skills, with a great sense of humor. Candidates should be flexible in the face of constantly changing production needs and able to work in a fast-paced setting. Previous touring and backstage experience preferred. Must be over 21 and hold valid driver's license. More information, htyweb.org. Send cover letter, resume, and references to H. Bart McGeehon-Production Manager, production@htyweb.org.
Acting/Union
(FOUND THROUGH BACKSTAGE)
Denver Center Theatre Company (Denver, CO) is casting its 2009-10 season. Season includes: The Voysey Inheritance, A Raisin in the Sun, Well, Absurd Person Singular, A Christmas Carol, When Tang Met Laika, Eventide, Mama Hated Diesels, Othello, and Mariella in the Desert. Kent Thompson, artistic dir.; Bruce K. Sevy, assoc. artistic dir. Season runs Aug. 20, 2009-May 15, 2010 in Denver, CO.
Seeking—Actors and Actors Who Sing: for a variety of roles in the upcoming season productions. Equity principal auditions will be held by appt. May 24, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. & 3-7 p.m. at the Jones Theatre, Denver Center, 1101 13th St., Denver, CO. To schedule an appt., email casting@dcpa.org or call (303) 893-6031; email preferred. A monitor will not be provided; the producer will run all aspects of this call. Prepare two monologues (one classical verse piece and one contemporary piece), with a combined length no more than three minutes. Singers should prepare 16 bars of a song from a traditional legit American musical. Bring sheet music; an accompanist will be provided. Bring pix & résumés, stapled together. Bring your Equity card. $555/wk. Equity LORT Non-Rep Contract.
Stage Management/Union
(FOUND THROUGH PLAYBILL.COM)
Summer Theatre of New Cannan --Equity stage manager, (PSM) and assistant Equity stage manager (ASM) position open for part or full summer season. Equity LOA ref to LORT D, approval pending. Shakespeare - rehearsals begin May 26, opens June 19-July11, Musical - rehearsals begin June 20, opens July 18-Aug 1. Musical theater experience necessary to be considered for musical. Outdoor tented theater in New Canaan, CT 1 hour commute from NYC by car or train. Have own car preferred. Casting May 1,2,3,8,9,11,12 If available Please send resume, references and cover letter via email.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
University of Texas/Austin
Program: MFA in Acting, MFA in Directing
Mission: The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance is a department where we pride ourselves in producing the finest of artist/scholars. Our graduates are not only among the most talented actors in their cohort, but are also among the brightest. We accept only highly motivated, talented individuals wishing to pursue acting as a career, who are intellectually curious. Actors are trained for stage, film, television and voice-overs. Courses are taught, and projects are mounted in the department that reflects close interdisciplinary collaborations between all aspects of the arts. Every effort is made to assist M.F.A. actors in securing work in various summer stock companies, frequently through yearly auditions on campus.
Admission: The program has developed into a conservatory, only admitting a new class every three years. The next class will be admitted Fall of 2010 with entrance by audition and interview. GRE required, contact Fran Dorn to set up a time.
University of California/Fullerton
Program: MFA in Acting/Directing
Mission: Our program focuses on the development of the complete artist. While public performance is at the heart of our program, we maintain a creative balance between academic courses and professional theatre training.
Admission: A new class is admitted into the Acting MFA program every even-numbered year. The program lasts three years and each class consists of ten students. Entrance is by audition, interview, resume, and recommendations. No GRE required.
University of New Orleans
Program: MFA in Acting
Mission: The Graduate School provides leadership and direction for graduate education that reflects the University’s urban mission. It ensures quality of graduate programs and promotes excellence within the context of pure and applied research and creative scholarship. The Graduate School seeks to increase grant activity and the recruitment of highly qualified doctoral and master level students. Our goal is to develop a meaningful voice to our artistry and to share that talent in the community and educational arenas. We combine theory and practice for a solid foundation in this highly demanding discipline. Two mainstage and two lab productions per year, plus dark-night original script readings provide several opportunities to test your skills on our stages. From Shakespeare to original scripts, there is always a challenge waiting.
Admission: Admission is by audition, resume, interview, and recommendations. No GRE is required. New classes are initiated every year.
TEACHING
Secondary Level
Community College
SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Faculty - Part-Time Pool
1. Teach courses selected from Acting/Directing/Dramatic Literature/Make-Up and Costume/Vocal Production/Audition Techniques/Physical Comedy/Improvisation/Introduction to Theatre/Multi-Cultural Theatre/Set and Lighting/Player/Playwrighting.
2. Perform duties associated with instructing and assessing student progress including, but not limited to, grading, required record-keeping, etc.
3. Teach day, evening, and/or Saturday classes both on and off campus as required.
4. Participate in departmental functions, such as committee work, faculty evaluations, staff meetings.
5. Perform other related duties as assigned by the supervisor.
TO APPLY, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CCSF.EDU/HR
Senior Colleges & Universities
CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY Department of Theater and Dance seeks applicants to join NAST-accredited, production-driven program with a faculty of eight MFAs and 150 majors in a Visiting Assistant Professor or Instructor of Acting and Voice full-time non-tenure-track position beginning August 2009. MFA preferred. PhD considered. This one-year appointment has possibility of a second year. The successful candidate will have terminal degree in the field and be a vigorous, dedicated teacher able to teach all levels of undergraduate acting and voice. The ideal candidate will have significant professional experience and certificate in Linklater vocal technique. The ability to teach playwriting is desirable. The possibility to direct may exist. Located between historic Colonial Williamsburg and the ocean resort of Virginia Beach, CNU's completed capital improvements (nearly $500 million) on the beautiful, 260-acre campus integrate the University's liberal arts vision, nurturing mind, body, and spirit. These include the state-of-the-art Trible Library; three new academic buildings; Freeman Center athletic complex; and I.M. Pei-designed Ferguson Center for the Arts, which brings to Virginia the finest performing artists in the world. Application review begins 5/27/09. To apply, visit http://hr.cnu.edu/vacancies/index.html or email mlmoody@cnu.edu. for detailed information (Search #8054). EOE.
Theory & Crit -- Project 4
No Dice
The Nature Theater of Oklahoma
The Wexler Center/Columbus, Ohio
February 9-10, 2008
Director(s): Pavol Liska, Kelly Copper
Writer(s): The Nature Theater Company
Nature Theater of Oklahoma in No Dice (PHOTO LINK)
http://wexarts.org/db/press/911_WCA_February_Theater.pdf
“With No Dice, you’ll come for the magic and stay for the ham sandwiches. An epic of the everyday, it’s a relatively short, 4-hour distillation of a quasi-legendary melodramatic spectacle originally 11 hours long.” (REVIEW LINK)
http://www.wexarts.org/pa/index.php?eventid=2661
This piece is derived from the dialogue and text of over 100 hours of actual personal phone calls by the company. The actors act on a set built to look like an office, complete with cubicles and a break room where the audience can enjoy ham sandwiches. The company takes the calls and weaves a 3 ½ hour performance of it. Audience members watch as the company does mindless filing, typing, and collating while they hear only one side of phone conversations mixed with scenes that have actually happened to the actors. The actors tell their story through the text and more importantly through a gestural language created specifically for the piece.
Rash Acts
The Independent Eye
Spreckles Performing Arts Center/Rohnert Park, CA
January 23-24, 30-31 & February 6-7, 2009
Director: Conrad Bishop & Elizabeth Fuller
Writer: Conrad Bishop & Elizabeth Fuller
Rash Acts – The Independent Eye (PHOTO LINK)
http://www.independenteye.org/stage.html
“…their (IDE) hyper hype could illustrate this excellent theater-group's attitude, as summed up in the line from their program: ‘Thank you for supporting Company One and passionate not-for-profit art in Boston!’” (REVIEW LINK)
http://www.theatermirror.com/racobcals.htm
This piece is a collection of short plays written by members of The Independent Eye. Several of the pieces have toured and work-shopped all over and therefore are nice and polished. The thing that makes this piece unconventional is the fact that they are all coming together under one common theme and done with mainly mask and puppetry.
Tomorrow, In A Year
Hotel Pro Forma/Copenhagen, Denmark
This piece is in the development stage. It is set to perform November 2009.
Director: Ralf Richardt Strøbech and Kirsten Dehlholm
Music: The Knife
Choreographer: Hiroaki Umeda
Tomorrow, In A Year/Hotel Pro Forma (PHOTO LINK)
http://www.hotelproforma.dk/side.asp?side=2&id=437&ver=uk
Tomorrow, In A Year is a new opera based on the works of Charles Darwin. Using Darwin’s way of observing the world and the idea of “change as a process” are key elements to the production. The piece consists of three singers (all with very different vocal styles and backgrounds) and six dancers (all with different body types). The music challenges the normal conceptions of Opera and the choreography borders between modern and ballet.
Symphony Of Rats
Beyond The Proscenium Productions
California Stage/Sacramento, CA
March 23-April 22, 2007
Director: Nick Avdienko
Writer: Richard Foreman
Symphony Of Rats/BTPP 2007 (PHOTO LINK)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geminicollisionworks/190185500/in/set-72157594423846110/
“The author's objective is to discombobulate as well as entertain the theatergoer.” (REVIEW LINK)
http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=940DE3D7103FF931A25752C0A96E948260
Symphony Of Rats is about what would happen if our president had a nervous breakdown. Mr. Foreman’s style is to ne non-linear and unrealistic. The play takes the audience from landscapes such as outer space, the Oval Office, and “Tornadoville”. The set was describes as having such severe angles anyone sitting in a chair on the set would slide right off.
Dis-Orientations
Border Crossings
Riverside Studios/London England
September 13-October 1, 2006
Director: Michael Walling
Writer: Michael Walling
Dis-Orientations – 2006 (PHOTO LINK)
http://www.bordercrossings.org.uk/disorientations/images.html
“Despite its satiric glimpses of modern Shanghai life, its impact is that of a work in which mood and image, rather than argument or information, dominate a somewhat sad celebration of the varieties of love.” (REVIEW LINK)
http://www.bordercrossings.org.uk/disorientations/reviews.html
Dis-Orientations is a collaborative piece between Border Crossings and Shanghai’s all-female Yue Opera. It mixes traditional Yue Opera style and music with western multimedia theatrical practices. While the dialogue is chiefly English, the Mandarin sections as well as the opera lyrics, aren’t translated.
The Nature Theater of Oklahoma
The Wexler Center/Columbus, Ohio
February 9-10, 2008
Director(s): Pavol Liska, Kelly Copper
Writer(s): The Nature Theater Company
Nature Theater of Oklahoma in No Dice (PHOTO LINK)
http://wexarts.org/db/press/911_WCA_February_Theater.pdf
“With No Dice, you’ll come for the magic and stay for the ham sandwiches. An epic of the everyday, it’s a relatively short, 4-hour distillation of a quasi-legendary melodramatic spectacle originally 11 hours long.” (REVIEW LINK)
http://www.wexarts.org/pa/index.php?eventid=2661
This piece is derived from the dialogue and text of over 100 hours of actual personal phone calls by the company. The actors act on a set built to look like an office, complete with cubicles and a break room where the audience can enjoy ham sandwiches. The company takes the calls and weaves a 3 ½ hour performance of it. Audience members watch as the company does mindless filing, typing, and collating while they hear only one side of phone conversations mixed with scenes that have actually happened to the actors. The actors tell their story through the text and more importantly through a gestural language created specifically for the piece.
Rash Acts
The Independent Eye
Spreckles Performing Arts Center/Rohnert Park, CA
January 23-24, 30-31 & February 6-7, 2009
Director: Conrad Bishop & Elizabeth Fuller
Writer: Conrad Bishop & Elizabeth Fuller
Rash Acts – The Independent Eye (PHOTO LINK)
http://www.independenteye.org/stage.html
“…their (IDE) hyper hype could illustrate this excellent theater-group's attitude, as summed up in the line from their program: ‘Thank you for supporting Company One and passionate not-for-profit art in Boston!’” (REVIEW LINK)
http://www.theatermirror.com/racobcals.htm
This piece is a collection of short plays written by members of The Independent Eye. Several of the pieces have toured and work-shopped all over and therefore are nice and polished. The thing that makes this piece unconventional is the fact that they are all coming together under one common theme and done with mainly mask and puppetry.
Tomorrow, In A Year
Hotel Pro Forma/Copenhagen, Denmark
This piece is in the development stage. It is set to perform November 2009.
Director: Ralf Richardt Strøbech and Kirsten Dehlholm
Music: The Knife
Choreographer: Hiroaki Umeda
Tomorrow, In A Year/Hotel Pro Forma (PHOTO LINK)
http://www.hotelproforma.dk/side.asp?side=2&id=437&ver=uk
Tomorrow, In A Year is a new opera based on the works of Charles Darwin. Using Darwin’s way of observing the world and the idea of “change as a process” are key elements to the production. The piece consists of three singers (all with very different vocal styles and backgrounds) and six dancers (all with different body types). The music challenges the normal conceptions of Opera and the choreography borders between modern and ballet.
Symphony Of Rats
Beyond The Proscenium Productions
California Stage/Sacramento, CA
March 23-April 22, 2007
Director: Nick Avdienko
Writer: Richard Foreman
Symphony Of Rats/BTPP 2007 (PHOTO LINK)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geminicollisionworks/190185500/in/set-72157594423846110/
“The author's objective is to discombobulate as well as entertain the theatergoer.” (REVIEW LINK)
http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=940DE3D7103FF931A25752C0A96E948260
Symphony Of Rats is about what would happen if our president had a nervous breakdown. Mr. Foreman’s style is to ne non-linear and unrealistic. The play takes the audience from landscapes such as outer space, the Oval Office, and “Tornadoville”. The set was describes as having such severe angles anyone sitting in a chair on the set would slide right off.
Dis-Orientations
Border Crossings
Riverside Studios/London England
September 13-October 1, 2006
Director: Michael Walling
Writer: Michael Walling
Dis-Orientations – 2006 (PHOTO LINK)
http://www.bordercrossings.org.uk/disorientations/images.html
“Despite its satiric glimpses of modern Shanghai life, its impact is that of a work in which mood and image, rather than argument or information, dominate a somewhat sad celebration of the varieties of love.” (REVIEW LINK)
http://www.bordercrossings.org.uk/disorientations/reviews.html
Dis-Orientations is a collaborative piece between Border Crossings and Shanghai’s all-female Yue Opera. It mixes traditional Yue Opera style and music with western multimedia theatrical practices. While the dialogue is chiefly English, the Mandarin sections as well as the opera lyrics, aren’t translated.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Theory & Crit: Project #2/Option #2
PRE-BROADWAY STAGE PRODUCTION
Revelations
By Don Shewy, Village Voice, New York, 1991
http://www.donshewey.com/theater_reviews/angels_in_america.html
“Angels in America is a landmark not just among AIDS plays or gay dramas but in American theater -- partly because Kushner has the audacity to equate gay concerns with the fate of this country.”
The review is of the first ever staging of the play, therefore, goes deeply into the plot. Mr. Shewy applauds Kushner’s high ambition and describes him as an integral emerging American playwright. Of the production it describes how the play, as well as Perestroika, were part of a seven hour event, with some scenes simply being read directly from scripts or even summarized. The review seems to be in favor of the saga as a whole.
ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION
Angels in America: Millennium Approaches
By James Miracky, America, New York, 1993
http://calvinsravings.blogspot.com/
“For all of its theoretical aspirations, the play is strongest in its treatment of the human relationships.”
The review starts by reflecting on recent media coverage of gay rights events and its coincidence with the play’s Broadway premiere. It follows by describing the characters and the events of the play, paying attention to the relationships and AIDS metaphor. Mr. Miracky highly admires the acting and mentions the simple set design and highlights its functionality. He criticizes the poetic and political droning on of some characters labeling it as “excessive”, but in all seemed to be a huge fan.
REGIONAL THEATRE (NON-NYC) PRODUCTION
Discomfort Cohn: From Mormons to valium to Roy Cohn, City Lights delves deep into Tony Kushner's “Angels in America”
By Marianne Messina, Metroactive, San Francisco, 2006
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/09.20.06/angels-in-america-0638.html
“…the play peaks at the uppermost pinnacles of cognitive dissonance—when we can laugh and feel ugly at the same time. It's a tribute to some superb acting under Kit Wilder's direction that City Lights' production captures this twisted ethos and turns it into a unique kind of enlightenment.”
Ms. Messina seemed to like just about everything about this production. She barely describes the plot or presumes Kushner’s intention, but rather focuses primarily on the theatrical occurrence. She praises the acting, particularly the actor playing Roy Cohn, as well as the directing and set design. The only thing the reviewer could’ve done without was a moment after one scene where Prior’s deterioration was getting severe and the lighting was too bright and she could see the actor moving off without so much as a limp.
COLLEGE PRODUCTION
Live in Durango: “Angels” flies into FLC
By Patricia Miller, Herald, Fort Lewis, 2005
http://theatre.fortlewis.edu/news/anglesI_2005_herald.asp
“First catch your play, a director's handbook might advise before it said anything else. Because no matter what creativity, acting, music and sets you lavish on your production, if the play's a dud, camouflage or distraction is the best you can hope for.”
The review starts with a very general overview of the story. It then describes the characters. The rest seems to be a description of directing choices to inform the reader what they're in for. An Angel wearing roller skates, a bemoaning hard to understand Rabbi, and Harper twirling around in her LaZboy are just some of the images. If I had to guess I would say the reviewer wasn't a fan of the production, but it's very hard to tell.
HBO MINISERIES
Believe in HBO’s “Angels"
By Robert Biancho, USA Today, 2003
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2003-12-04-hbo-angels_x.htm
“There is much anger in Angels, but the glory of Kushner's work, and the reason it has not dated, is that it reaches past anger toward understanding.”
Mr. Biancho starts his review by describing the theme of the play then the characters, giving mini biographies of the famous actors playing them. In the end he offers that the miniseries is fantastic TV, a kind that should be brought produced more often. He says that even with it's $60 million budget, it still highlights the important message of Kushner's play.
Revelations
By Don Shewy, Village Voice, New York, 1991
http://www.donshewey.com/theater_reviews/angels_in_america.html
“Angels in America is a landmark not just among AIDS plays or gay dramas but in American theater -- partly because Kushner has the audacity to equate gay concerns with the fate of this country.”
The review is of the first ever staging of the play, therefore, goes deeply into the plot. Mr. Shewy applauds Kushner’s high ambition and describes him as an integral emerging American playwright. Of the production it describes how the play, as well as Perestroika, were part of a seven hour event, with some scenes simply being read directly from scripts or even summarized. The review seems to be in favor of the saga as a whole.
ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION
Angels in America: Millennium Approaches
By James Miracky, America, New York, 1993
http://calvinsravings.blogspot.com/
“For all of its theoretical aspirations, the play is strongest in its treatment of the human relationships.”
The review starts by reflecting on recent media coverage of gay rights events and its coincidence with the play’s Broadway premiere. It follows by describing the characters and the events of the play, paying attention to the relationships and AIDS metaphor. Mr. Miracky highly admires the acting and mentions the simple set design and highlights its functionality. He criticizes the poetic and political droning on of some characters labeling it as “excessive”, but in all seemed to be a huge fan.
REGIONAL THEATRE (NON-NYC) PRODUCTION
Discomfort Cohn: From Mormons to valium to Roy Cohn, City Lights delves deep into Tony Kushner's “Angels in America”
By Marianne Messina, Metroactive, San Francisco, 2006
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/09.20.06/angels-in-america-0638.html
“…the play peaks at the uppermost pinnacles of cognitive dissonance—when we can laugh and feel ugly at the same time. It's a tribute to some superb acting under Kit Wilder's direction that City Lights' production captures this twisted ethos and turns it into a unique kind of enlightenment.”
Ms. Messina seemed to like just about everything about this production. She barely describes the plot or presumes Kushner’s intention, but rather focuses primarily on the theatrical occurrence. She praises the acting, particularly the actor playing Roy Cohn, as well as the directing and set design. The only thing the reviewer could’ve done without was a moment after one scene where Prior’s deterioration was getting severe and the lighting was too bright and she could see the actor moving off without so much as a limp.
COLLEGE PRODUCTION
Live in Durango: “Angels” flies into FLC
By Patricia Miller, Herald, Fort Lewis, 2005
http://theatre.fortlewis.edu/news/anglesI_2005_herald.asp
“First catch your play, a director's handbook might advise before it said anything else. Because no matter what creativity, acting, music and sets you lavish on your production, if the play's a dud, camouflage or distraction is the best you can hope for.”
The review starts with a very general overview of the story. It then describes the characters. The rest seems to be a description of directing choices to inform the reader what they're in for. An Angel wearing roller skates, a bemoaning hard to understand Rabbi, and Harper twirling around in her LaZboy are just some of the images. If I had to guess I would say the reviewer wasn't a fan of the production, but it's very hard to tell.
HBO MINISERIES
Believe in HBO’s “Angels"
By Robert Biancho, USA Today, 2003
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2003-12-04-hbo-angels_x.htm
“There is much anger in Angels, but the glory of Kushner's work, and the reason it has not dated, is that it reaches past anger toward understanding.”
Mr. Biancho starts his review by describing the theme of the play then the characters, giving mini biographies of the famous actors playing them. In the end he offers that the miniseries is fantastic TV, a kind that should be brought produced more often. He says that even with it's $60 million budget, it still highlights the important message of Kushner's play.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Theory & Crit: Project 1
MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER
DOGPARK: THE MUSICAL
Written and Directed by Jahnna Beecham, Malcolm Hillgartner and Michael J. Hume
“…all-new musical canine comedy…”
http://www.gklaw.com/docs/events/288.pdf
"...a world-premiere musical"
http://npaper-wehaa.com/shepherdexpress;see-c03CGCnuN4506m3g#c-131275
TROUBLE IN MIND
Written by Alice Childress
“…Alice Childress’ drama of race, identity, and opportunity in the American theatre.”
http://www.yalerep.org/pr/pr_trouble_in_mind.pdf
"Alice Childress's play-within-a-play..."
http://www.curtainup.com/troubleinminddc.html
MIRANDOLINA
Written by Carlo Goldoni
“Italian farce”
http://www.milwaukeerep.com/season/performancedetails.php?id=138
“Eighteenth-Century comedy”
http://www.curtainup.com/mirandolina.html
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Adapted by Joseph Hanreddy from the novel by Jane Austen
“One of the most delightful and popular romantic comedies of all time…”
http://www.pfisterhotel.com/rep/
“classic tale”
http://www.pfisterhotel.com/rep/
FIRE ON THE BAYOU
Written by Kevin Ramsey
“…a suspense thriller…”
http://www.frommyhometown.net/kevin.swf
“A Mardi Gras Musical Extravaganza”
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/117494.html
THE CHERRY ORCHARD
Written by Anton Chekhov
“tragi-comedy”
http://tcsaugus.home.comcast.net/~tcsaugus/page5.html
“funny, sensual classic”
http://www.steppenwolf.org/news/detail.aspx?id=8
I JUST STOPPED BY TO SEE THE MAN
Written by Stephen Jeffreys
“three-character play with music”
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050203/news_lz1w3globe.html
“play/drama” (listed as genre)
http://www.doollee.com/playwrightsj/jeffreys-stephen.html
DOUBT
Written by John Patrick Shanley
“…great drama”
http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/local/local_story_263213019.html
“America's issue play”
http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/aloysius-sister-flynn-1911170-james-doubt
ENDGAME
Written by Samuel Beckett
”absurdist play”
http://www0.epinions.com/review/endgame_by_samuel_beckett/content_7743442564
“Comedy…” (odd wording but the page suggests the play as a “comedy”)
http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com/2006/11/review-for-samuel-beckett.html
LIFE COULD BE A DREAM
Written by Roger Bean
”new 1960 doo-wop musical”
http://life-could-be-a-dream.com/
“revue”
http://www2.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=668228&format=print
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – MILWAUKEE
1001
by Jason Grote
“postmodern production”
http://www.1001nyc.com/press/
"a postmodern epic"
http://jasongrote.com/links.php
ARMS AND THE MAN
By George Bernard Shaw
“drama of ideas”
http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/dfs_0000_0022_0/dfs_0000_0022_0_00012.html
“Ruritanian Romance”
http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/dfs_0000_0022_0/dfs_0000_0022_0_00012.html
OEDIPUS REX
By Sophocles
(the webiste had no translator listed)
“tragedy”
http://www.amazon.com/review/r39fplh4zbhphj
"Athenian tragedy"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_the_King
HAIR
Book and Lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado/Music by Galt MacDermot
“THE AMERICAN TRIBAL LOVE-ROCK MUSICAL”
http://www.geocities.com/hairpages/
“Vietnam-era rock musical”
http://www.variety.com/review/ve1117937921.html?categoryid=33&cs=1&nid=2562
SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR
By Luigi Pirandello
"the first existentialist drama"
http://www.amazon.com/Characters-Search-Twentieth-Century-Classics/dp/014018922X
“masterpiece”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/jul/10/theatre.politicaltheatre
MILL FIRE
By Sally Nemeth
“1989 Drama”
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/retro_productions_presents_sally_nemeths_mill_fire_20080321
ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST
By Dario Fo
“…a heady, hilarious farce”
http://www.dtcinfo.org/currentseason.aspx?p_id=4754
”political satire”
http://www.austin360.com/event/events2/etc/usereventdisplay.jspd?eventstatus=approved&eventid=140820
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Adapted by Jonathan Smoots from the novel by Charles Dickens
“stage adaptation”
http://www.pamphletpress.org/index.cfm?sec=7&story_id=18
“A Drama”
http://www.blackfriars.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=83&itemid=26
THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE
Written by Bertolt Brecht
“…not quite drama, not quite comedy, but still overly long and preachy.”
http://www.kdhx.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2751&itemid=364
OF MICE AND MEN
Written by John Steinbeck
“…crippling drama”
http://www.parksquaretheatre.org/pdfs/2008_mice%20and%20men_star%20tribune.pdf
“…heartbreaking drama”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/feb/04/theatre
DOGPARK: THE MUSICAL
Written and Directed by Jahnna Beecham, Malcolm Hillgartner and Michael J. Hume
“…all-new musical canine comedy…”
http://www.gklaw.com/docs/events/288.pdf
"...a world-premiere musical"
http://npaper-wehaa.com/shepherdexpress;see-c03CGCnuN4506m3g#c-131275
TROUBLE IN MIND
Written by Alice Childress
“…Alice Childress’ drama of race, identity, and opportunity in the American theatre.”
http://www.yalerep.org/pr/pr_trouble_in_mind.pdf
"Alice Childress's play-within-a-play..."
http://www.curtainup.com/troubleinminddc.html
MIRANDOLINA
Written by Carlo Goldoni
“Italian farce”
http://www.milwaukeerep.com/season/performancedetails.php?id=138
“Eighteenth-Century comedy”
http://www.curtainup.com/mirandolina.html
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Adapted by Joseph Hanreddy from the novel by Jane Austen
“One of the most delightful and popular romantic comedies of all time…”
http://www.pfisterhotel.com/rep/
“classic tale”
http://www.pfisterhotel.com/rep/
FIRE ON THE BAYOU
Written by Kevin Ramsey
“…a suspense thriller…”
http://www.frommyhometown.net/kevin.swf
“A Mardi Gras Musical Extravaganza”
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/117494.html
THE CHERRY ORCHARD
Written by Anton Chekhov
“tragi-comedy”
http://tcsaugus.home.comcast.net/~tcsaugus/page5.html
“funny, sensual classic”
http://www.steppenwolf.org/news/detail.aspx?id=8
I JUST STOPPED BY TO SEE THE MAN
Written by Stephen Jeffreys
“three-character play with music”
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050203/news_lz1w3globe.html
“play/drama” (listed as genre)
http://www.doollee.com/playwrightsj/jeffreys-stephen.html
DOUBT
Written by John Patrick Shanley
“…great drama”
http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/local/local_story_263213019.html
“America's issue play”
http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/aloysius-sister-flynn-1911170-james-doubt
ENDGAME
Written by Samuel Beckett
”absurdist play”
http://www0.epinions.com/review/endgame_by_samuel_beckett/content_7743442564
“Comedy…” (odd wording but the page suggests the play as a “comedy”)
http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com/2006/11/review-for-samuel-beckett.html
LIFE COULD BE A DREAM
Written by Roger Bean
”new 1960 doo-wop musical”
http://life-could-be-a-dream.com/
“revue”
http://www2.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=668228&format=print
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – MILWAUKEE
1001
by Jason Grote
“postmodern production”
http://www.1001nyc.com/press/
"a postmodern epic"
http://jasongrote.com/links.php
ARMS AND THE MAN
By George Bernard Shaw
“drama of ideas”
http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/dfs_0000_0022_0/dfs_0000_0022_0_00012.html
“Ruritanian Romance”
http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/dfs_0000_0022_0/dfs_0000_0022_0_00012.html
OEDIPUS REX
By Sophocles
(the webiste had no translator listed)
“tragedy”
http://www.amazon.com/review/r39fplh4zbhphj
"Athenian tragedy"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_the_King
HAIR
Book and Lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado/Music by Galt MacDermot
“THE AMERICAN TRIBAL LOVE-ROCK MUSICAL”
http://www.geocities.com/hairpages/
“Vietnam-era rock musical”
http://www.variety.com/review/ve1117937921.html?categoryid=33&cs=1&nid=2562
SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR
By Luigi Pirandello
"the first existentialist drama"
http://www.amazon.com/Characters-Search-Twentieth-Century-Classics/dp/014018922X
“masterpiece”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/jul/10/theatre.politicaltheatre
MILL FIRE
By Sally Nemeth
“1989 Drama”
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/retro_productions_presents_sally_nemeths_mill_fire_20080321
ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST
By Dario Fo
“…a heady, hilarious farce”
http://www.dtcinfo.org/currentseason.aspx?p_id=4754
”political satire”
http://www.austin360.com/event/events2/etc/usereventdisplay.jspd?eventstatus=approved&eventid=140820
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Adapted by Jonathan Smoots from the novel by Charles Dickens
“stage adaptation”
http://www.pamphletpress.org/index.cfm?sec=7&story_id=18
“A Drama”
http://www.blackfriars.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=83&itemid=26
THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE
Written by Bertolt Brecht
“…not quite drama, not quite comedy, but still overly long and preachy.”
http://www.kdhx.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2751&itemid=364
OF MICE AND MEN
Written by John Steinbeck
“…crippling drama”
http://www.parksquaretheatre.org/pdfs/2008_mice%20and%20men_star%20tribune.pdf
“…heartbreaking drama”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/feb/04/theatre
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
