Comedy of Errors

1. Describe the Theater, sets, and costumes

The theater was somewhat small.  It had stadium style seating inside of it so you did no have to look over the person in front of you.  The set was very elaborate.  You had the tall buildings, houses, church, etc.  They were very detailed and added to the performance.  The costumes were very bright and dramatic. The hair color of the actors matched the color of their costume. 

2. In what period does this play take place? Who is the author? What period did the play write live?

The Comedy of Errors is set in Ephesus (Greece) during the Ancient Greek period.  The play was written by William Shakespeare.  He wrote the play between the years of 1592 to 1594. William Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616.

3. Discuss the plot

At the begining of the play the husband and wife have two twins.  They then come about a set of other twins from another family and take those to raise.  A storm come and they were all seperated.  Later on down the road they all are in the same town, Ephesus, and they do not realize it.  Everyone is confusing them for one another and they do not know what is going on.  There is a lot of confusion and conflict becuase of this.  At the end of the play they end up finding out about each other and they are all reunited as a family. 

Phantom of the Opera Assignment

Describe:
The version of the Phantom of the Opera that we watched in class starred Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum.  It was released in 2004.  It is a story of a young chorus girl, Christine. While rehearsing at the Opera Populaire, where weird and unexplainable things happen, she captures the attention and the heart of The Phantom, or as the Opera Populaire call him, The Opera Ghost. But he is no ghost. He is a disfigured musical genius who has hidden away for years to avoid the cruel stares of strangers. With the Phantoms help, Christine becomes the venue's leading lady, but tragedy awaits as the young soprano has fallen for the charms of handsome noble Raoul, not realizing her Angel of Music is deeply in love with her. Insane with jealousy and unable to see the object of his affection, and ultimately his obsession, in the arms of another man, The Phantom kidnaps Christine, unaware of the lengths Raoul is prepared to go to get her back.  The Phantom realizes that Christine never loved him and she is able to leave with Raoul and have a happy life.  At the very end, Christine dies and when Raoul shows up to put something on her grave there is a single rose and a diamond that the Phantom gave her.

Analyze:
The movie was a tragic love story between the Phantom and Christine.  He was in love with her but he realizes that she never loved him.  She is in love with Raoul.  One thing that stood out in the movie was the fact that there were lots of mirrors.  The Phantom did not like to look at himself because of his disfigurement, so I found this to be ironic. 

Interpret:
The Phantom of the Opera shows just what it means to love someone.  The Phantom lets Christine go because he loves her so much and would do anything for her. 

Evaluate:
I thought the Phantom of the Opera was a great story.  The music in the Opera added meaning to the storyline.  You were also able to see growth in the characters, especially in the Phantom.  He was able to love someone enough to let them go.  It was a great love story.

Assignment #8

1. Describe the difference between opera, light opera, and musical theater.

An opera is a drama, either tragic or comic, of which music forms an essential part; a drama wholly or mostly sung, consisting of recitative, aerials, choruses, duets, trios, etc., with orchestral accompaniment, preludes, and interludes, together with appropriate costumes, scenery, and action; a lyric drama. 

 A light opera is a short amusing opera.  It usually has a happy ending and some text is spoken. 

A musical theater is a play of film whose action and dialogue is interspersed with dancing and singing.

2. How long does it take for someone to have a fully trained operatic voice?

People spend their entire lives to train to have a fully operatic voice.  They start when they are a young child and carry on through adulthood.  Most opera singers do not hit their peak until at least the age of 30. 


3. Choose an Opera by Puccini? Describe and interpret.

The opera that I chose was Le Villi.  It is an opera-ballet in two acts.  It is based on the short story Les Willis by Jean-Baptiste Alphonese Karr.  It was originally a one act opera.

Synopsis of the Opera:
Family and guests dance at a celebration of the engagement in marriage of Roberto and Anna. Roberto must leave before the ceremony to collect an inheritance, and Anna worries that she will never see him again. Roberto comforts Anna telling her that it will be fine and they will marry when he returns from Mainz. Anna tells Roberto of her dreams of him dying but Roberto tells Anna that she should not worry about his love failing and that she may doubt her God but not his love for her. The crowd returns and Anna is still worried about Roberto leaving. Roberto then asks Guglielmo, Anna’s father, to bless them before his journey and Roberto sets off for Mainz.  Roberto is then enchanted by a seductress, and forgets Anna. Anna waits through the summer and the autumn and in the winter dies in his absence. The legend of the fairies (Le Villi) is then explained. Basically it means when a woman dies of a broken heart, the fairies force the heart breaker to dance until death.  Anna's father, Guglielmo, holds Roberto responsible for Anna's death and calls upon the Villi to take vengeance on Roberto. The Villi call upon the ghost of Anna and lure Roberto into the forest. Roberto, now penniless and abandoned by the seductress, returns when news of Anna's death reaches him. Hoping that he will be forgiven the Villi stalk Roberto as he mourns the loss of the days of his youth. Roberto then finds the one last flower left alive in the winter and tries to find hope that Anna lives but is repelled by the Villi when he ties to knock on the door of Guglielmo's house. Roberto then tries to pray for forgiveness but finds he cannot because of the curse put upon him by the Villi. As Roberto curses his fate Anna appears to him and tells him of the suffering that she had to endure. Roberto begs for forgiveness and he too feels the pain of Anna burning in his heart. But Roberto is not forgiven and Anna calls upon the Villi, who curse Roberto with cries of "traitor." There, the Villi and Anna dance with Roberto until he dies of exhaustion at Anna's feet.

This is an opera about a woman's love, Anna, for a man, Roberto that ends up killing her when they are apart.  She gets so worried about him that it ends up killing her. Then the father seeks revenge on Roberto for killing his daughter.  He calls upon the Villi and they end up making him dance to his death.  The Opera is a romantic tragedy. 

Assignment #7

1. Describe the difference between a thrust stage and proscenium stage.

A proscenium stage is where the actor faces the whole audience on the front (downstage) of the stage.  This stage also has a procenium arch surrounding it also (see picture). A thrust stage is where the actor is surrounded on 3 sides by the audience. Think of a proscenium stage as the people coming to the front to see the actor and the thrust stage is where the stage comes out into the audience.

2. What is the fly gallery?

A fly system is a system of ropes, counterweights, pulleys, and other related devices within a theatre that enables a technical crew to quickly move components such as curtains, lights, and set pieces on and off stage by moving them vertically between the stage and the large opening above the stage

3. How does a scrim work?

A scrim is a device used in the film and television industries, as well as by photographers, to modify properties of light. There are a variations on types of scrim, depending upon its use, whether with natural light, or on manmade light sources. However, their basic use is the same to reduce intensity, and/or harshness of light.