performance-reviews-F2010

Performance Reviews

toc As a part of their work for //Introduction to Literature: Drama// at Marquette University in Fall 2011 (ENGL 2720; instructor, Ryan Jerving), students were asked you to attend two live performances (in Milwaukee, or elsewhere). Thanks to everyone who contributed reviews in the Fall 2011 semester - you'll see their names to the right.

=The Soccer Tournament=

Sara Emanuele
During the semester I went to a soccer game. I viewed the game as a play "in the real world". People put on "acts" as they would in a play, except this was an act that people performed naturally. When I first arrived i noted people were dressed in a certain manner. Of course, there was Marquette logos on people's shirts as a way of supporting the team. When playing in a game there are "rules" and the rules are simple. The audience stays in the seating area and never go onto the field. That is a natural role play of the audience when going to see a sports game. The soccer player's for the most part stayed on the field or was on the side lines having side chats and cheering their team on.

In comparison to class, we have looked deep into the "roles" that people are subject to perform in certain places. For example, when coming to class most people enter quietly and raise their hand when they want to speak. Where as, when at home or at work, if there is a question you just ask it without raising your hand. These "real world" acts of play are natural and just at the soccer game, the roles played were associated with the situation and the occasion that fits bests for "acting".

=The Lion King= Dowling Catholic High School, Dowling Catholic High School Auditorium

Matt Rainey
This was a very ambitious performance. I was fortunate enough to see this by the traveling group that came through Des Moines last Christmas, and it was impressive. The size of the cast and the costumes were magnificent. Now, comparatively, my high schools performance was significantly underwhelming. But then again, it was a high school performance. They tried to copy the costumes as best as possible, and did a fairly good job. The acting itself was very good, I was surprised at the talent that we have in the school now. The music was done very well, but our school's orchestra is always very good, so this did not surprise me. Overall the performance, was good, but I am sure my opinion is skewed heavily by the fact I had seen this play done professionally.

Comparing this to class is a little challenging because this performance was unlike any other we really learned about. I would say it is probably easiest to talk about Aristotles criterion. This musical would probably not qualify as a play for Aristotle's definition. It definitely does not follow the rules about time, it takes place over several years. Also, there are several sub-plots to the one main plot, with multiple problems. However, beyond that, it does have a moment of recoginition, a couple actually. When the cast figures out that Scar was actually the one who killed Moofasah, and also when Simba realizes he must go back to save the Pride Lands. I am not a big theater fan, but this is one performance that even I can enjoy!

=Peter Mulvey Concert= Weasler Auditorium, Marquette University

Ellis McLaughlin
Peter Mulvey is a singer/songwriter/storyteller and nephew of the late English Chair John McCabe and he performed at a concert commemorating the tenth anniversary of his uncle's death. Frankly, I went because I needed to attend a performance to review for this class and ended up feeling very glad that I had gone.

Mr. Mulvey's style is very casual; he was dressed in jeans and a shirt and was alone on stage with his guitar. At one point there was an equipment glitch and he wasn't flustered in the least. His songs are stories about the most ordinary things told in the most extraordinary way. He is an amazing poet (his style reminds me of former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins) and he is clearly a man who loves language and not just the sound of his own voice.

=The Lovers' Quarrels= University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Peck School of the Arts, Mainstage Theatre

Yisha Chen
It was very interesting that the two shows I have decided to go to for this course were both comedies and about love and fortunes. The first one being //The Beaux Stratagem// which I had already discussed earlier, the second which I am going to be talking about is called //The Lovers’ Quarrels//, written by Jean Baptiste Molière and translated into English by Richard Wilbur. First of all, set aside that I am a student at Marquette, since the two shows are so similar in term of cultural background and style that I am able to draw a comparison, I really think the one by Marquette is much much better! If again, I were to rate this production of //The Lovers’ Quarrels// on a 1 to 10 point scale, I would give it a 4 or 5. Though the story itself is very interesting, I think the production team at UW-Milwaukee did not do a very good job on it. (Just being honest, I am definitely not trying to offend anyone). First of all, while watching the show at Marquette, there was only one or two actor/actress that I think is not good at acting, in the case with the show put on by UW-Milwaukee, there is only ONE actor that I think is very good at acting, the rest of them are…not into their characters at all, it’s the tine details things, such as the posture, the facial expressions, the way they walk, the way the speak, and etc, many times I think they talk and act like an ordinary American college student instead of talking and acting like the character they were supposed to put forward for the audience. These are small things, but they are important things. I tried my best to pretend I did not see those imperfections, but when there were too many of them, they became annoying and disturbing.

Relating it to the content of our class! Alright! Again, this stage at UW-Milwaukee is a Thrust stage similar to the one we have at Marquette (the theatre not only have audience seats in the center facing directly at the stage, it also have two blocks of seats on two sides at an approximately 45 degree angle). And since most audience seats are above the stage, we (the audience) look down most of the time instead of bending our neck backwards. This show //The Lovers’ Quarrels//, unlike //The Beaux Stratagem// did not have many furniture and doors and windows on stage which I think might be because most of the scene take place outside rather than inside, or because whether the actor and actresses are outside or inside is not that important. They seemed to focus more on the conversation more. In addition to the relative empty stage, the background is monochromatic, unlike the colorful and fancy background used at Marquette. I am definitely not suggesting that a fancy and colorful stage is always better than an empty and monochromatic stage design; What I want to say that when the stage design is simple, the show relies more on the actors and actresses acting to give the audience the feeling of space and time, and I did not think the production team at UW-Milwaukee did a good job on this, just like I said earlier, all actors and actresses need to improve their acting techniques except one actor (He was the only one in the show that is really into his character) The monochromatic background, again is an anti-illusionistic style which ask the audience to suspend their beliefs.

Still, I enjoyed this comedy!

=The Music Man= Bedford Youth Performing Company. Bedford, NH

Conor McInerny
The Music Man is a very entertaining play about a travelling con man who comes to a small town called River City, Iowa with the intent of swindling the townsfolk with his musical scheme. I think the plot of the play is very interesting with an outsider's scheme to con the small town ending with a change of heart in the main character and a lesson learned by everyone involved. Harold Hill came to Iowa to sell fraudulent music products, and ended up falling in love with the one person who saw right through his scheme. Although his intentions were sour, he ends up doing more good for the town than anyone thought. This, coupled with his wooing of the local librarian, Marian, marks the turn of his character from an antagonist to a protagonist. His progression throughout the play as well as his smooth talking make the play very enjoyable to follow.

This play was very interesting to watch, especially with the new knowledge of theater I have gained in this class. I was able to appreciate the amount of work that went into preparation for this play, especially at an amateur performing level. The level of detail that went into creating the stage and setting is admirable; there were many detailed backgrounds that were changed frequently during curtain drops. Also, the play incorporated a high number of characters, all of which sang and danced with excellent choreography. The amount of stage direction coupled with costume changes and scenery alterations made me appreciate the amount of preparation that went into the play.

=My Son Pinocchio : A Musical Tale for The Holidays= First Stage Children's Theater ( Todd Wehr Theater ). Milwaukee, WI

Patrick Kelly
Synopsis (taken from first stage website):

> The legend of Pinocchio comes to life in this exciting stage premiere as we join Geppetto after his wish has been granted; problem is, the new father has found that raising any child is a tall task. Overhearing Geppetto's regrets, Pinocchio runs away to become a star in a traveling show. Join Geppetto on his heart-warming and comical journey to find his son.

My Son Pinocchio was a very clever and interesting spin on the original disney movie. When I watched this musical it brought back so many childhood memories of sitting around as a family and watching disney movies. The cast for this play had a few adult actors but consisted mainly of child actors. The child who played pinocchio did a great job especially when he had to really act like a puppet with strings attached. Pinocchio's growing nose was a nice touch to the play. They used a fake nose with a strong magnet on the end that was worn by the actor. Everytime he lied he would pop a magnetic wood looking piece onto the end of his nose. It was a very clever special effect. This play was not a direct reproduction of the original movie but added a comical and sarcastic touch.

This play took place in a very small theater and the use of space on the stage was very impressive. There was a square stage surrounded on three sides by the audience. The backdrop actually split apart in the middle and slid sideways to reveal two entrances and Geppetto's workshop that was on a platform that was pushed out onto the stage. There was also a trap door in the middle of the stage that was used to bring a set of props up onto the stage for the scene where Pinocchio and Geppetto are swallowed by the whale. The props and set design were very intricate and definitely took alot of time to put together. It is really amazing to see how staging has changed from the greek theatre to now. There is no way the original creators of theatre like shakespeare could have imagined the technology there is today.

=Filipino American Conference Culture Show= The Canopy Club: University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

Hanz San Jose
The Filipino American Conference Cultural Show at the University of Illinois was one of the most stunning performances I have ever seen. What it essentially is about is the celebrating Filipino culture by bringing together Filipino Americans from Midwest colleges, and celebrating the culture of the Philippines by means of cultural dances and performances. There is cultural dancing as well as modern hip-hop dancing, and acting. It was really cool because it was kind of like a corny storyline; the hosts were really funny and kept the audience entertained throughout the performance. The stage is a typical proscenium stage. As for the audience, there were no chairs in this auditorium so people had to be standing most of the time, and one could sit during the intermission.

The cultural dances were spectacular; they used props relevant to ancient Filipino culture to reenact tribal dances concerning slaves, princes, princesses, and kings. I thought it was really neat that the dancer’s body language during one particular dance insinuated tension between him and the princess he was trying to “court”. His movements were very arrogant as if trying to impress her, and then at the end of the dance he left his arrogance behind and just started doing the cultural dance with her! I remember that to be the cathartic moment of the dance. It was just really intense and epic; you had to be there to really feel what I felt. I would say that the theme of the overall performance was anti-illusionist. I say this because although the show tried to portray aspects of Filipino Culture, they intertwined the show with modern hip hop dancing to amplify the “energy” of the performers and audience throughout the show. Therefore, doing this sucked the realism aspect out of the performance. The show showed some expressionism during the dances from the performers’ body language and sometimes elaborate make up. However, I got the overall feeling that the performance was more a comical version of the celebrations and rituals of Filipino Culture. Therefore, I felt that as a culture show performance it succeeded in entertaining the audience in an anti-illusionist manner.

=Bayanihan Fashion Forward= Alumni Memorial Union: Marquette University

Hanz San Jose
The Bayanihan Fashion Show is Marquette University’s very own version of a fashion show, but of course on a smaller scale. However, it is unique in that not only does it feature modeling like at a real fashion show, it also has dance segments comprised of participants from a variety of Marquette’s student organizations. These other organizations put together cultural dances, such as salsa and morenge from Latin America, tribal dances from Africa, and the Philippines. Being a participant in the Fashion Forward, we had one goal: and that was to entertain the crowd, and get them riled up throughout the performance by means of the corny storyline that carried on the show, as well as the dances put together by the different organizations.

The type of stage the show utilized was a semi “thrust stage”. It had a walkway where the models could walk forward, but not entirely be projected forward in close proximity to the audience. More than anything I would say it is a combination of proscenium and thrust, and I would say it did an adequate job of keeping the audience engaged; it was not too close to them, but it was not too far away either. The theme of the play was anti-illusionist more than anything, considering the reenactments of culture dances from other countries. Not only that, but also the corny storyline throughout the performance of 2 guys trying to get a date with a girl, which was the host. It was an allusion to a real life situation, but staged in such a ridiculous way, because the guys were doing really stupid things to try to get on a date with this girl, and it was just too unrealistic to be seen in a real life situation. The performance was meant to entertain the audience and simulate a real fashion show, while using the story line as sort of a “theme” for the show. I would say that because there were applause and chants throughout the performance, that the show accomplished its mission to entertain in an anti-illusionist manner.

=The Nutcracker= Milwaukee Ballet Company, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts

Jessica Makuck
Last night I went to see the Milwaukee Ballet perform the Nutcracker at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts downtown and it was wonderfully done. My group of friends and I sat in the upper balcony section so we were far away from the stage but could see everything including the pit filled with the fabulously talented instrumentalists. The music filled the entire theater and was really harmonious and sweet. The stage was very colorful and bright making you feel like you were in the dream with Claire. The dancers were very skillful and eloquent as they glided across the stage and were very entertaining to watch.

This production of the Nutcracker was a more formal performance than other versions I have seen in the past as the theater company was higher in respect to the finances, reputation, and performance level of the instrumentalists and dancers. I do believe seeing the Nutcracker at the age of twenty instead of twelve makes a difference in that this time I appreciated it more but the level of the show was definitely more advanced this time. The dancers stayed on the stage at all times which is not how it was when I had seen the Nutcracker previously and so with the Milwaukee Ballet there was a distinction between the fourth wall and the audience.

Kevin Raasch
Every year my family attends the Nutcracker ballet. I always manage to enjoy this performance especially the musical scores. The dancers move to the music of the orchestra and the music directs the flow of the play. The costumes are always fun to see. They range from tights and formal wear to clown and goose costumes. The ballet does an exceptional job of keeping the attention of the audience. The dance routines are spectacular yet the scenes change quickly and introduce new characters. There is also a comical aspect to the ballet. They incorporate a goofy mouse king which duels the heroic nutcracker which provides some comic relief. It is somewhat difficult to compare this movie to plays we have studied in class. The most drama that occurs is when Fritz breaks the nutcracker. The second act of the play is light hearted and no problems occur for the group.

=The Boys from Syracuse= Roxbury Latin School, West Roxbury, MA

Libby Pinkham
I went to see my little brother's performance at his high school. First of all, I was very impressed with how well put together the production was, considering it was a high school production. My brother goes to the oldest school in continuous existence in the United States so they pride themselves on teaching their students classics, including arts. Therefore, their play director is always extravangent because he wants the students to learn and to experience more outside the classroom.

This play was about twins who were separated at birth and have the same name. When one comes to the other's hometown the play turns into complete confusion and comedy as everyone confuses them for each other and neither one knows of the other's existence. It was very funny and an interesting take on Shakespeare (it is based on his play, //The Comedy of Errors).// It was fun for me to watch my brother, but I honestly forgot that it was performed by a bunch of high schoolers. The stage was set up so that you really knew where the scene was to take place at all times. They were able to create a balcony scene, a scene by the water, and much more.

=Maxbeth= Mira Loma High School, Mira Loma High School Black Box Theater

Sean Reed
Over Thanksgiving break I went home to my old high school and saw some old friends in this recreation of Shakespeare's classic Macbeth. This version was starkly different from the original "Scottish Play," as it had been taken from the hills of Scotland to an unnamed modern warzone. The same characters and motivations, however, were all present- Maxbeth was driven by his own greed and ambition, Lady Maxbeth was the gear that turned the story, and the characters of MacDuff, Donalbain and Banquo all filled out their usual roles, but in a much more modern style.

The Play used its black box surroundings very effectively, and even used the canopy above the stage to display physical scenes, with characters jumping off balconies, climbing on top of each other, surrounding the audience, entering stage from behind the audience etc. It also reminded me of the Green Grow the Lilacs - Oklahoma paradigm, as Oklahoma was a reimagining, but largely faithful retelling of Green Grow the Lilacs, whereas Maxbeth did the same for Macbeth. I also paid great attention to the importance of the scene designer and stage manager's work, something I likely wouldn't have paid any attention too before I took this class.

=Axe of Murder= Barrington Middle School Play, Barrington Middle School Theatre

Joey D’Amato
I thought that this was one of the most fun plays I have seen in a really long time. It was a play done by middle school kids that are about to experience high school productions. The play was neat because I was able to get dinner and watch the play while eating dinner. It was also a play in which the audience participates on an investigation on murders that have been occurring. Obviously they are middle school actors and actresses and they still have a lot of work to do on their performance, but for the most part they did a great job of keeping their character despite multiple distractions from the audience. They were able to deliver their lines really well and use the props and surroundings well too. They didn’t have what professionals normally have and yet they were still able to do a great job performing the play.

Pretty much everything related to class from this play. It was neat because I was able to see how staging was used, how they were able to get around the theatre with dinner tables set up. It was really neat and exciting to see the middle school kids able to stage themselves correctly.

=Krazy Kamp= St Peter's School; Rockford, IL

Charles Mark
Krazy Kamp is the story of two neighboring summer camps Camp John Smith and Camp Pocahontas. Camp John Smith is full of misfit boys and is more of a dump than a summer camp, while Camp Pocahontas is full of well behaved girls. These two are mixed however when the director of John Smith, Adam Apple decides to portray Pocahontas as the boys camp to evade state camp inspectors. With boys invading Pocahontas director Eve Hunnicut tries to take action to no avail, and the “stupid pranks” and overall laid back style of the boys takes over.

As a middle school musical it was as expected, average singing, dancing, and acting on a proscenium stage. However it is this very fact that raises the question of what is the value of this play for the audience? Parents and families come to watch their children on stage often performing for the very first time. It is the very thrill of experiencing this show with their children that draws most of these families ( I can speak from experience because I know my parents have seen the show on four different occasions for myself and other siblings multiple times) and they are so willing to be drawn into the story that it becomes something more to them.

One outstanding example of this was when one of the main actors forget a line, his partner in the dialogue was able to recover for him, yet it left both of them giggling on stage for a minute or so. The audience simply laughed along with them and when they were ready to begin on stage, the audience applauded them. It was an entirely different environment as the audience wasn’t necessarily there to be entertained and to critique, but to be involved with their children and make the show a success for them.

=Steel Magnolias= Birmingham Village Players, Birmingham, Michigan

Patrick Savoie
The play that I saw at the Birmingham Village Players was Steel Magnolias. The story is about six different women with the age ranges of 20-70. Every Saturday. They go to a beauty shop and talk about their lives. Everyone seems to have a secret and as the play progresses so do their secrets. I was very interested in this play because my own mother had the role of M’lynn. This was fitting because M’lynn is a mother in the play. The play is basically about coming together and supporting each other. The play had a realistic sense and the audience was looking through the fourth wall. I also found it interesting that there were no men in the play. The women would talk about men at the beauty shop but unlike the movie they were never seen. I also did not know how emotional the play would be but men and women all around me were sobbing in the play.

=The Naturals= Varsity Theater

Bradley Kuczynski
The performance I saw was here on campus at the Varsity Theater and it was a Capella performance by The Naturals. It was about an hour long and they sang a variety of music, including Hallelujah (Rufus Wainwright) and Aint No Sunshine (Lenny Kravitz). They went up three different times and sang a collection for each intermission on stage. Before they began each song, they explained the song, it's history, and why they were singing it. This was to give the audience a feel for what they was trying to get across to them and prepare them for what was to come. They began with a light playlist with songs that were enlightening and fun including an actual barbershop Capella style song. The next collection was a little deeper and had a more modern feel to it, including a song that was in the Disney movie, Milan. Finally, the last song was the deepest and had the most "soul" in it. These songs included Hallelujah and Aint No Sunshine.

The Naturals tore down the 4th wall between them and the audience by singing to us. The interacted with the cheering and pointed to the crowd, signaling that they were singing for us, not just to pretend we weren't there. Also the stage was quite bigger than needed, however, they used just the middle section for all 20 singers. This was to keep their sound as one and keep the attention on the main character. Each song was lead by one to two soloists who were in the middle of the group as the rest of The Naturals were background. Each song was sung by different singers and ended with, what I believed to be the leader, whom had the most developed voice of all The Naturals. This was to build up a sense of anticipation for what was next and left you on your seat wanting more. The performance ended and they left the stage walking out through the aisles, making sure everyone got a look at them and received high fives and handshakes on the way out. Overall, I loved the performance. It brought you in and you couldn't wait to hear what they sang next.

Jessica Makuck
Friday evening I went to Marquette’s own a cappella group, The Naturals, Christmas show which was so much fun was and I thoroughly enjoyed. My friend is the director so I knew ahead of time what some of the songs they were going to be performing but was still entertained when they sang new songs that sounded marvelous. They all wore fun Christmas sweaters, Santa hats, jackets, or whatever their own personal Christmas traditions from home were which I thought was very clever. In addition the Golden Blues a cappella group joined them with some of their own Christmas carols in the second half of the show. It was about an hour and a half long filled with beautiful music relating to this Christmas season.

One thing that the Naturals did that allowed for the audience to interact and make things very personal was introducing each member of the group, stating their name, year, and favorite Christmas dish that got the whole audience laughing and smiling about the joyous memories of their own favorite Christmas dishes. A little bit later in the performance in order to switch things up they asked the audience to pick two songs from their fall show to sing again for us based on our personal favorites. They ended up singing “Just The Way You Are” the ladies pick and “Go The Distance” a Disney pick both I think for the all guys group to win the hearts of the ladies in the audience.

=Defenders of Faith= Moeller High School Theater, Cincinnati, Ohio

Bradley Kuczynski
Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, performed the play Defenders of Faith. Going into the show, I knew very little about storyline. I was surprised at how emotionally worn down I was by the end of the show, and in fact, found myself surprised that a Catholic high school was allowed to produce such a violent, intense show, but overall was thoroughly impressed by the performance and the maturity of the actors.

What made the show most interesting for me was watching the very expressionistic style it was staged with. The costuming and make-up was realistic, but it took place on a nearly empty stage, with a prop brought on from time to time, and the back drop was completely black. At first, this took me back, but then I realized how it brought out the solemn feeling of the show. When the characters spoke with a spotlight on them, the audience was completely entranced in what they were saying. At the death of a character, the lights would flash or change color for a split second, sending chills down the spines of those watching. I think the way it was staged was necessary for the feel of the show. The audience was truly connected to the characters and their story.

=MS2 skit= Marquette University

Aaron Kramer
[] About every year each ROTC class is called on to produce a humorous skit. And so as oppose to being in the audience, I was the director of this piece of drama… The production was simple, a video camera that we barrowed and technical skills that were freely rendered. For other reasons it was that this year product was done at haste for there was little time to waste. As result of the little time from formation to the skit than to production, the scenes do have an appearance of roughness to it. When this play was shown last Friday I could not bring myself to watch most of it; for it was far more interesting for myself to watch the audience.

Getting into it, the play is anti-illusionist. There is neither makeup nor any real costumes used here. In the scene actors take a role and assume their role in a comedic fashion. In truth most of the scenes were only loosely scripted and largely based on the director, my own, prompts and the actor’s own improvising. Although one could argue that the stage for our play is a box stage, in truth it seemed much more as the Greek plays of old, staged on site. And given little control of the environment, and the time we had; I hardly considered that we had much control of the ‘box’ we presented the audience (between gym lights that take 8 minutes to turn all the way back on once turned off, and the cold winter weather for scenes in the early fall…Over all, in the end it turned out alright.

=Midnight Release of Harry Potter 7=

Margaret Sugrue
While this is not what one might imagine as a traditional performance, the things seen at Harry Potter midnight premieres do tend to resemble exactly that. Every year, when I attend one of these, I see more and more interesting things. Die hard fans not only dress up as their favorite HP character, they also stay in character and talk, walk, and act like them. This causes them to interact with their “enemies” as they do in the books. While they might not intend to be performing for people, it is hard to watch and not be entertained by these interactions while waiting the may hours to be let into the theatre.

The interactions seen at these premieres do relate back to class. Early in the semester we look at J. Huizinga and his view on play in cultures. I believe the interactions I witnessed at the HP premiere are an example of what Huzinga describes. "We might call it a free activity standing quite consciously outside 'ordinary' life as being 'not serious,' but at the same time absorbing the player intensely and utterly,” because these interactions are free of previous planning, and not meant to have serious meaning, however they consume those involved and those watching.

=Blue man Group= Charles Play house, Boston

Joe DePalo
Recently, I saw The Blue Man Group. It was located at the Charles Play house in Boston. The venue was small, probably between 500 and 1000 people surrounding a presidium style stage. While Blue Man Group does not fit the direct definition of a play, it is by all definitions of the word, a drama. I have never seen a piece preformed in this way. If you have ever seen Blue Man Group, you would know that this is a piece that is preformed throughout many different cities around the country, in which a group of actors or musicians depending on your view of the piece get up on stage and preform. Their entire goal is to entertain, but they go not do this with their words. They use music. Not the kind of music that you make with a guitar, or a saxophone, but the kind that they can create with a variety of different objects that you would never consider to be an instrument if you saw them back stage. Things like garbage cans, and a lot of different PVC piping. These men get up there and preform a skit every night that is partially improvised, making each experience there unique.

It is a great show that I would highly recommend, and would not hesitate to see again myself. In relating this class, this would align greatly with some of the ideas of Huizinga and Goffamn, where they talk about performance and the performance that we put on to please others. This could also be looked at as an anti- illusionist form of play, where while there is no real point, you are just there to have fun, and you know this from the start from the over the top Blue Man costumes, to the booming music, and the outlandish art work.

=Comedy Sportz: the curse of the deathly hallows=

Joe DePalo
This year at Halloween, The crew that normally does comedy sportz put on a skit, called the curse of the deathly hallows. This is the story of how Ichabod Crane came to be the headless horse man. In this re telling of the story, there is some attempt to stick to a plot, predetermined by the story, but if anyone has seen a comedy sports production before, they know that the vast majority of the things that they do is improvised. The production consists of a variety of scenes, that go through the telling of the story. There are 5 actors that play all of the roles in the play, meaning that there are multiple characters per actor. Previous to the play, the audience writes down a variety of different words and phrases. During the play, the actors regularly pick and use one of these phrases until there are none remaining. The story told was quite funny, but the real entertainment lies in the improvisation required of the actors to deal with the random words and lines from the audience input.

This relates directly to our class on the basis that this production is dramatic in the sense that Huizinga and Goffamn describe. The piece is anti-illusionist. As the audience, you know from the very start that you are there to see a performance, this is in no way related to your actual reality, just simply your enjoyment.

=Comedy Sportz Milwaukee: Midnight Improv Show=

Conor McInerny
I went to go see one of the midnight comedy shows put on by Comedy Sportz on a Saturday night, and I have no regrets. This show had me howling with laughter for almost the entire performance. Being a big fan of improv comedy, and being familiar with Comedy Sportz, I was fully expecting a funny show. This show surpassed my expectations. The way in which the performers interacted with the audience to collect material to work off of was impressive and their ability to think up one-liners and puns at the drop of a hat was spectacular. It was delightful to watch a few people be so comfortable with each other that they could play off one another to create an excellent performance.

While it was an excellent performance, the show did not employ any aspects of a performance that we had learned about in class. However, the lack of preparation, costumes, scenery, and stage direction did not take away from the delivery of the performance. There was no plot involved with the show, and yet it seemed like the performers knew what they were doing at all times. A big part of the performance was dependent upon the audience's ability to follow along with whatever scenario the performers created. Hand gestures had to be interpreted as props, accents as costumes, and so on. Overall, the more the performers engaged the audience, the more the audience was sucked into the show. This ended up creating a very funny show that was definitely worth seeing.

Dan Walker
I too went to go see an example of the Midnight Improv show and I thought it was hilarious. One of my friends who graduated last year was in town with his older brother who was actually a member of comedy sportz here when he attended Marquette and they invited me to go along with them. I had never seen one of these performances before, however I had heard they were great. I never expected kids my own age to be so clever with some of the jokes they had, and the short amount of time that they came up with some of this stuff was impressive.

This is certainly a unique version of theater, so unique in fact, that it didn't really connect with the elements of play that we have been talking about throughout the semester. Because this was an improv show, I don't think that any of the characteristics from Aristotle, or Huizinga or Goffman really pertain. In terms of Aristotle with character and the beginning, middle and end, everyone in this show was virtually the same sort of character, and really they began and ended when they wanted to. I do think however that Huizinga and Goffman's theories about play in everyday life altering yourself or your surroundings remains true, because in real life, I'm sure that none of the actors or actresses would really act that way.

=Comedy Sportz: Bye Bye Liver=

Dan Walker
This was great, I think that this show topped the improve show by far. Maybe it was because this had a definite plot line, in which everyone can laugh about since I think most of us, or at least the people that I was with to see it, have experienced similar controversies while going out. I think that drinking along with the actors and actresses at one point during the show was also interesting. I personally was not allowed to do that, but it was pretty funny watching my dad race with one of the actors.

Again, this is improv, however this show fits into the typical "play" that we have talked about. It had a definite plot, beginning, middle and end... it definitely fit Huizinga and Goffman's theories that we act on an everyday basis, changing who we are from situation to situation. I think that these actors are faced with the very difficult task of interacting with the audience, which in turn, determines their success, because if the audience can't relate, they won't think the show is funny and will not be amused. I think that I would pay to go see these people perform any day of the week, it is by far one of the most enjoyable "play" experiences that I have had.

=Cabaret= Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Quadracci Powerhouse Theatre, Milwaukee, WI

Liz Heinrich
I had the wonderful opportunity to see the Repertory Theatre's first-ever musical. I had heard rave reviews and, already loving the show, went to see it at the first opportunity. Cabaret is a show set in Germany at the coming of the second World War. It follows the life of an American author, Cliff Bradshaw, who traveled to Germany in an effort to force himself to write a best-selling novel, but ends up living in a hotel-of-sorts with one of the dancers in the Cabaret--Sally, a British girl. The play deals with the tensions of Germany at that time between the Nazis and the Jews, as well as the relationship between the groups of Germany and the foreigners. It also depicts the relationship between Sally and Cliff and forces the audience to contemplate the concept of "character." It is also interesting that the Repertory theatre chose to perform the original version of the play, rather than the more-popular version made for the movie. The biggest difference between the two is that, in the movie (and, because of the movie, it has become common now) Sally sings a song called "Maybe This Time." It is an extremely popular and well-known song, and is known for Cabaret (even though it was originally written for another show). However, the Rep decided to perform the original version of Cabaret, and left "Maybe This Time" out.

Cabaret is an extremely dark play overall. It does not have a happy ending in the least. However, it makes much more sense that the play wouldn't have a happy ending. It adds a great sense of realism to the musical. For example, Sally and Cliff do not end up together. The Jewish characters don't have a happy ending. This adds a lot to the play--it is already hard enough to believe that people immediately know songs, harmonies, and dance movements. This realism balances out the other aspects of the play.

Dominique Delgado
One thing that I found to be amazing about this play is that it was trying to return to the original vision of Cabaret, away from the Film vision. This play was also performed with a new cast of 38 members making their first debut along with the dance choreographer was the Artistic Director of Milwaukee Ballet. I was the first time I have seen a play performed by professionals and it was eye opening. Cabaret takes in Berlin, Germany during the 1920 which are coming years of War World II. It follows an American writer named Cliff, who enters the wonderful world of no cares called the cabaret, where he makes some interesting new friend, Sandy.

This play takes a turn for the worse as a New Germany leader becomes clear which turns the world of the Cabaret into a memory. This performance had an intense feeling of realism from the customs to the story itself as relationships and friendship turn for the worse and the history background but the dance numbers and songs added a sense of wonder and excitement.

=I Think You Think I Love You= St. Bede Academy, Peru, IL

Ellen Faletti
This was a play I saw one weekend at my high school during their Fall Theater. Although there were only two parts, one male and one female, it was hilarious to see the contrast between the female role (Branwyn), who used overexaggerated hand motions and extremely long lines, to the male role (Mark), who look frightened, intimidated, and barely said anything. The play was about Branwyn, just coming back from spreading the ashes of her mother, trying to sell her mother's house to who she thought was the real estate agent, Mark. Mark, however, was there picking Branwyn up for a blind date that she obviously forgot about. What was more impressive about this production was that it was directed by a senior.

The staging blocking of this play was very believable. The set were just two chairs, a side table, and a coffee table with a kleenex box, random knick knacks, and pictures of babies and cats. It was obviously trying to go for a realist, awkward portrayal of a living room, although there was no backdrop. Since the stage did not have a front curtain, you saw Mark come up to the "door" and "knock" on it. Branwyn gives a tour of the house, but merely points to different parts of the stage that are supposed to indicate the kitchen, bedroom, and dining room. This is an interesting way to set the stage, because while it tried to capture the living room exactly, it was up to the audience to imagine a door and other rooms in the house.

=Tape﻿= Pink Banana Theater Company, Best Western Inn Towne, Room 902, 710 N Old World Third Street, Milwaukee, WI

Katie Stahlmann
This was an excellent, intimate "site-specific" show. It took place in a hotel room with an audience of about 12 people crammed to one side of the room. The show concerns two old high school friends, Vince and Jon, who are meeting up in Milwaukee because Jon has produced a movie that will be shown in the Milwaukee Film Festival. The play revolves around the two sorting out their relationship with regards to an ex-girlfriend they shared, Amy, and Vince’s accusation that Jon has raped Amy. This intense subject matter and long history between Jon and Vince provided for a compelling and at times uncomfortable show that was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

The show was realist through and through, which I believe was incredibly important in broadcasting the serious nature and development of Jon and Vince’s relationship. The play starts off with Vince literally downing 6 Pabst beers and tossing the empty cans throughout the room. Throughout there are pornographic magazines, what appears to be marijuana and cocaine, and of course a set that is literally a hotel room. This set was practical for the actors, and Aristotle would be proud of how contained the set made the show. The intimacy of the room also made the show even more powerful, an effect I’m sure the producer had in mind. Because this contains mature issues it was a great tool to be so close to the characters and really get invested in the show. I would recommend this show for anyone who does not mind feeling a little uncomfortable to see an incredible, unique performance.

Meghan Wleklinski
This show was phenomenal in presentation as well as performance. The play was "site-specific" and therefore literally took place in a hotel room. This intense setting provided an intimate account of the already delicate situation that ensued. The plot was fairly simple but turned into something very complex, typical of Aristotle's idea of what drama entails. We enter Vince's hotel room as he spends the weekend here to see the Milwaukee Film Festival that his best friend from high school has a movie premiering. Vince and Jon catch up and tell each other about what they are up to as well as reminisce about the good and bad from high school. The bad happened to be a situation involving a common ex-girlfriend, Amy, who Vince claims Jon raped after her break up with Vince. Jon admits to this under pressure which was a followed by a silence where Vince unveils a tape recorder that he had hid, which caught the entire conversation. This reversal of fortune is essential to the interactions of the characters from here on out. The plot unravels and turns in dramatic ways, of which I do not wish to disclose out of fear of spoiling, when Amy comes to the room and other recognitions, using Aristotle's term, take place.

When you first walk in and take your seats, you have to move around the bed littered with socks and trip over beer cans strewn across the floor to sit down in one of 12 seats and wait as the shower turns off and a man walks out of the bathroom with wet hair and gets dressed. This situation makes us feel uncomfortable for we feel as though we are witnessing a very private few moments of this stranger; a deliberate move on the part of the director. This emphasizes the realism of the production and the unity of it for it takes place in real time (a span of two hours with no gaps) as the events unfold in the hotel room, something of which Aristotle would be pleased by. "Tape" was a phenomenal show that used a lot of the concepts discussed in class but in very unique ways.

=﻿Godspell= St. Pius X Middle School, St. Pius X Gym

Matt Rainey
On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the middle school I attended and the one my sister currently attends, put on a spectacular rendition of Godspell. It was funny, because my eighth grade year we did the same performance. This one was very similar; however, they probably almost double the size of the cast. In our performance we had overlap between some of the characters, and in their performance that actually even split a couple roles. I found this confusing at first, so I can only imagine what folks who saw this with for the first time thought. I also felt that their costumes were very impressive. They looked very similar to what I remember of the musical on video that we watched.

I would say that this play had an anti-illusionist feel to it. There was lots of singing and dancing, and very little in the way of background setting. They made up for this by using projectors and lightening very similar to that of Power. In fact, their lighting, in my honest opinion, was very good. I would say they had better lighting then some of the performances that my high school put on. They even have a "God" character in part of the performance that Jesus talks to. Also, the group used a very large cast, similar to that of the Federal Theater Project

=Hairspray=

Sean Moll
Bartlett High School, Bartlett, IL

Over thanksgiving break I went to my old high school that was having a performance of the play Hairspray. I had never seen the movie, but the high school students did a pretty good job of entertaining the crowd. There was a lot of dancing and the characters were all pretty funny. The guy that was supposed to be the host of the TV show was particularly funny because he kept saying a lot of smart-alecky jokes to the contestants. I think the play did a pretty good job of showing the culture of the 1960’s and how everybody would all watch the same TV show instead of having all kinds of shows to pick from.

The students did a pretty good job of expressing a realist form of play in their performance. The audience viewed the participants as if they were in another time and place and the actors acted up on stage as if the audience was not there, so they set up a fourth wall. The set was definitely set up to show an actual 1960’s TV set and the characters were portrayed as people who had lives outside of the play. The music was realistic because they had to sing to be on the TV show so it made sense that they were singing and they would do the same in real life.

Robert Matuszewski
Overall the play was pretty good. I am not really one for dancing and singing but the acting and upbeat tempo was pretty worth the time to go see the movie. As Sean stated, I have never seen the movie but the performance value that was demonstrated by high school and college age kids was pretty good. The play held to the values of the 60's aged values and social norms with costumes, haircuts and sayings of the time. There was also the whole need for the characters to get on the television show that showed a teens desire to belong and desire for what they don't have.

This was illustrated by the realism of the program. I think that the play and its attention to detail and fitting the form of the cultural and social norms of the 60's was well done. Yet it brought up a question in my mind of whether or not they style of the play could be changed and it still have the same effect. Overall I think the realism is able to be used no matter what time of history this play has taken place in. Because, the realism is so strong in the past or in the future the play still offers a glimpse into the time period and shows a simple plot of real issues for a teen.

Erin Sesil
New York production

I also went to see Hairspray this semester when I was home in New York during Thanksgiving Break. I loved it! I have seen the movie several time but it just does not compare the play version. From the actors and musical numbers to the set and costume design, everything was so well done. The songs were catchy and had me wanting to sing and dance around the theatre. I felt like I was part of the play. The costumes were so well designed. Particularly the big, updos the ladies wore everyday. Every character fit their role so well. I was really impressed with how much fun the cast as a whole seemed to be having throughout the play. At one point The two fathers couldn't even hold in their laughter after they said a funny joke. There fun, enthusiastic and energetic poise on stage made the audience completely captivated for the plays entirety. I never wanted it to end.

The actors portrayed a realist perspective through out the play. From the emotions, to the set design and costume design, everything fit the 60s so well. The school looked just like a school with desks and a chalkboard and the Jimmy Collins show looked just as a television set would have looked like during that time. The play discusses real time and real issues that occurred during the 60s. At that time, unfortunately, there was still so much racism. I thought it was fantastic how they brought such a devastating social issue into a better light. They showed the races coming together not drifting further apart. It was a hopeful play for a brighter future.

Dominique Delgado
Local

I also was able to see a viewing of Hairspray performed by a small local company. This vision of Hairspray had ties to the 2007 Film vision. An interesting that was done with this performance was the combination of both the Theater and Dance companies of this community, much like Euripides. It was interesting to see dancers be actors and actors be dancers. This vision of Hairspray involves young women by the name of Tracey, who fights for segregation to end by fighting for integration within the TV world. The play takes place in 1960’s in Baltimore, Maryland.

The dance numbers along with song gave this play a feel good feeling, like you wanted to jump out of your sit and join in. This play had a sense of realism in the costumes and setting of the stage but also a sense of expressionism when it came to the songs.

Kayla Wolf
Local

Clearly I'm late to fill this out, but I did them none the less. I saw a production of Hairspray this semester. I do love the movie versions a lot so going in I knew it was going to be hard to not critique it the whole time. I love the social commentary in the musical as well as how they portray it. They make the musical comical in a way so as to keep the attention of the audience. It has such a strong message, but is presented in a relatively speaking, fun and light manner. The version I went to see was okay. They followed the storyline well, but I just was not as entertained as I would be by the movies or a more professional cast. Obviously this cast was not professional so it is understandable, but I am just a tough critic. I feel like it was weird watching them try and depict the racial inequality and unfairness. It more seemed like them acting and trying to make it seem real, but it just wasnt totally convincing.

=A Christmas Carol=

Joseph Prisco
College of Dupage, Glen Ellyn, IL

This is not the first time I saw //A Christmas Carol//, however, it seemed to be one of the most well thought out and extravagant performances I have seen of it. Because it is such a well known play, the director had to find some way to make it different and memorable from every other performance done. First, the play wasn’t dragged out. The performance ended up being just over an hour. The director seemed to focus on hitting the high points of the play and almost assumed the audience had some knowledge of the story. The director focused on making a “wow” factor for the actual performance. The three ghosts in the play were a high point. The ghost of Scrooges partner, Marley, makes a loud entrance with an electronically enhanced voice through a opening wall. He came through with bright lights and a loud voice that was impressive. The other ghosts were represented in a similarly extravagant way. Another thing that really caught my attention was a scene pertaining to the ghost of Christmas Present. The ghost shows Scrooge’s nephew’s Christmas along with his employee’s Christmas. The director chose to alternate between the two scenes at the same time, having both scenes on stage at the same time. It was set up so that the lighting alternated from set to set, and when the light alternated off a particular scene, the cast members of the scene froze. For once scene, some of the actors had to freeze for 4 to 5 minutes in awkward positions.

This play most related to an anti-illusionist play. Many things in the play were exaggerated to make the point. The ghosts were not made to look like ghosts. There were represented as physical beings in a loud costume that let the audience know it was a ghost. Also, the scene with the alternating scenes on stage was representative of this. The play was designed to entertain with its fancy set to design, in a non-realist way.

Michael Berdelle
Goodman Theatre, Chicago

Over Thanksgiving Break, my family and I went to the Goodman Theatre in Chicago to see //A Christmas Carol.// This was the third time in my life I have seen the play performed on stage. My family and I had previously seen it performed at the Goodman Theatre a few years ago. It was interesting to see what quirks the director put into the play this year. Surprisingly, despite the gap of a few years, the plays were extremely similar. One difference that was noticeable was when Scrooge is taken up into the air with the Ghost of Christmas Past. In past years, it was fairly easy to see the chords attached to the back of his waist. Whether it was the lighting or the positioning of the chords themselves, it was very difficult to notice anything was holding him up, making him actually appear like he was flying. The Ghost of Christmas present was a male when I had seen it a few years ago, but was a female this year. Both ways worked out well, and I think all that matters is having a talented actor.

Having seen //A Christmas Carol// a few times, it was interesting to write this review as we have been talking about producing a same play at different places or in different periods of time. It forced me to think about the differences in the productions that I have seen. Unfortunately, since I have seen the play at same theater and only in the span of a couple years, there were only a few slight alterations in the performance of the play. It is much different than a play like //Macbeth// that I am writing my research paper on, because in that case I am comparing performances centuries apart.

Kevin Raasch
Oconomowoc High School Arts Center

This seasonal performance was one of the better high school performances I have witnessed. The props and settings were simplistic but Charles Dickens "A Chrisms Carol" does not require elaborate backgrounds. I was impressed at the lighting as well as the costumes. For a high school production I imagined more a more simplistic ghost of Christmas Present. In addition, the Ghost of Christmas Future was properly eerie partly due to the lighting.

One thing that I related to class was Scrooge's recognition. Instead of seeing the poor as a burden to society, scrooge after his encounters with Marley and the three Christmas Ghosts, realizes they are people who need help. Scrooge changes his thoughts on society much like Les did in Big white Fog.

=Joshua Radin: The Rock and the Tide= The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL

Lauren Krawczyk
This was a musical concert but it was very much a performance and could be related to concepts we have learned in class. I really enjoyed the concert because the artist, Joshua is very personable. The theatre was large but he made it seem very intimate by interacting with audience members and the telling stories behind each song and why he wrote them. What is unique of his performances is he uses very little props and sets. He doesn't have any backdrops or scenery but rather just has little props around the stage. He always has an array of different lamps scattered around his stage. He does this to set the mood which is relaxed and makes you feel like you are at a home. We discussed in class how the scenery and props that are used can transform a performance and I think the select usage of props really makes Joshua Radin performances stand out.

Another aspect of the performance that relates to class is that his selection of songs to play demonstrated a clear plot. Aristotle believes plot is the most important part of a drama and this can be seen through Joshua's musical performance. He went through his journey as a songwriter, from his first song, to first girlfriend, to first breakup, and then finally his recovery from the breakup. There were songs that represented each of these times of this musical journey and if one was taken out the story wouldn't have meaning and would not make sense. As Aristotle says if a part of the plot is taken out, the story loses its meaning. Goffman's theories could also be seen in the performance because he chose to tell certain stories and play certain songs for the specific audience. The story he got through during his performance could have come across very differently if he chose to share different things. He knew he was playing for an audience and therefore adjusted things to get his point across in the time he had.

=//False Priest// Tour= Janelle Monae at the Pabst Theatre

Jon Neidorf
//False Priest// is the latest LP released by the band Of Montreal. Opening for and sometimes performing with Of Montreal was singer Janelle Monae. I will be discussing Janelle Monae's opening performance, which was a combination of musical and dramatic performance.

Monae's performance was one of the best live shows I have ever seen. She performed with not just energy, but an enthusiasm I've never seen before. Her commitment to dance and facial expression and acting engaged the audience in a way I had never seen before. Her music is upbeat funk or R&B and she has a strong, soulful voice. The band was equally impressive and sounded spot on. The Pabst Theatre was a great venue as well. It is very ornate and beautiful, but maintains the rock club vibe. Though there are chairs going all the way up to the stage, everyone was crowded quite tightly into the front, even more crowded than a standing room front of a theatre. This added to the experience of Monae's performance, as everyone was dancing with much more enthusiasm than I have ever seen for an opening act.

Monae's latest release, //The ArchAndroid (Suites I and II)//, is a concept album depicting a dystopian future. An oppressive secret society is the totalitarian figure in the album, and they were manifested live onstage by figures in black cloaks with mirrors for faces. The secret society's mission is to suppress freedom and love, and their exaggerated clothing made this clear through the medium of expressionism. A theme of Monae's album is the oppression people put themselves through and the mirrors clearly symbolized this idea. This is an example of expressionism because mirrors are Jungian archetypes for introspection. The archetype engages the audience's subconscious mind and therefore exemplifies expressionism. Another expressionistic costume was the Puritan-esque clothing Monae and the female backup dancers wore. The costumes were exaggerations of the oppression we (or perhaps women, specifically) experience in an advanced society. The exaggeration of the costumes function in a similar way to the classic archetypes, but engaging the audience's knowledge of history rather than subconscious mind.

=The Diary of Anne Frank=

D. Gauthier
My high school performed, The Diary of Anne Frank, on Nov 12, 2010 at Whitefish Bay’s Dominican High School Auditorium. As we all know Anne Frank is about a young girl during the Holocaust who had to be hidden by her family. What was interesting about this performance is it was my first attendance of DHS theatre. It is a tradition that DHS theatre alumni come back and met up to watch the production and socialize after, however, not many alum from 2009 attended Anne Frank. So I really got to focus in on the production itself. I would definitely have to say DHS again has done a wonderful job at performing on stage. I also learned that the cast took an outside trip to the Holocaust Museum and listened to survivors stories.

That reminded me of something at the beginning of this course from Twilight: LA 1992. Smith stated that she wanted her actors to know and feel as if they are the characters by speaking and seriously acting like the characters. By knowing their situations and doing research about the events of the time. I found this interesting because the director was trying to do what Smith was suggesting. The director at DHS always has his actors connect with the play they will perform.

=The Complete History of America (Abridged)=

D. Gauthier
My high school also preformed The Complete History of America (Abridged), on October 9, 2010 by Tess Gronski. This comedy was a good way of looking at history if you are one of those people that hate history class. I have never heard of this play at all and this is not normal for Dominican to do. I thought the crowd turn out would be low but I was wrong. The support of family, friends, and alum filled the seats in the auditorium. One of the actors I know told me to attend with an open mind, have fun, learn and laugh. As I was sitting in my seat, I noticed the fourth wall was broken. I instantly thought of ‘Power’.

Power was about history as we decided as a class and it was interesting to see how close this play was performed like Power. The fourth wall broken, anti-illusionist, and just similar in context. I thought I would never see a play like power but I guess I have in a way.

=﻿2010 Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang Tour= Milwaukee Theater

Kimberly Poremba
On November 5th I saw Chelsea Handler perform a live comedy show at the Milwaukee Theater downtown. I’m a huge fan of Chelsea’s show, Chelsea Lately, on E! television so I knew it would be a good show. The show was hysterical!! I never stopped laughing. It is shocking to me that someone can just get in front of an audience with nothing but a microphone and perform to an audience for at least an hour. The show was so entertaining the time flew and I didn’t want it to end. She related a lot of the jokes to her own life which made it even funnier for the audience because we knew it was based off a true story and not just made up. Chelsea is a hilarious comedian and I would love to see her live again.

Chelsea’s show might not follow Aristotle’s guidelines for a good drama, but I think it could definitely fall under a form of drama. It did not have an exact plot with a beginning, middle, or end like Aristotle describes. Nor did it have a scene of visible suffering or other intricate details Aristotle discusses. However, it created a reaction from the audience and generated an emotional response. It took the audience away from their external lives and brought them all together where they shared the experience of the show. The audience laughed together as a group at the jokes Chelsea would say and it was a cool way of bringing all different kinds of people together. I would definitely classify Chelsea’s show, along with other comedies, as a form of drama.

Kayla Wolf
I went to see the Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang Tour at the Milwaukee Theater on November 5th. I am a big fan of hers so I was excited to say the least. However, I had heard many negative comments about her stand up. Some were saying she just isn't dynamic doing stand up and it is just not quite as good as her show, Chelsea Lately. But, me being the die hard fan I am, I loved every moment of it. From the opener to her final joke, I could not stop laughing. I like when stand up keeps the audience involved by picking on people in the front rows etc. Its sort of like breaking the barrier on stage in other forms of performance. She also walks around the stage and moves her arms around. I think that helps making it more interesting to watch instead of just listening to her talk. Chelsea Handler makes some quite rude jokes, but because people know who she is and what she does, they aren't taken seriously by anyone. People do not get offended. She is performing, it may not reflect her personal views. She just wants to make people laugh and put on a good show.

=The Beaux’ Stratagem= Helfaer Theater, Marquette University

Katie Hishmeh
This was my second performance that I attended and I thought it was very entertaining. This play was first produced in the early eighteenth century, so the language was difficult to understand, but it was easier to follow with the way they were acting and their facial expressions. However, It was a very successful play and very funny. My favorite character was Lady Bountiful who was everyone’s healer, but went about it in very interesting ways. She always was saying something funny whether it had to do with her daughter Dorinda, or son who was always drunk, or with the way she was healing others with her interesting “potions”.

During this play, some of the characters would stop and narrate to the audience. They would tell us what they were thinking at the time or what their next plan of action would be to get the girl. I thought this correlates with what we talked about in class about breaking the fourth wall. At one point in the play the characters froze on the stage and Archer just started talking to us out in the audience. This gave the play a touch of anti-illusionism. I also thought the stage design was very interesting. It made me think of the day when we went to the theater to see how the Spelling Bee design was made and all the details that had to be in place just to make the stage work with the characters.

Brian Post
//The Beaux Stratagem// is the second play I’ve seen that was produced by Marquette’s Department of Performing Arts. The play itself was very different from the //25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee// that I saw earlier this fall. The costumes and scenery in //Beaux Stratagem// were extremely detailed and, I thought, did a good job of mimicking 18th century English life. Overall, I was impressed with the actors and actresses, but particularly by their Old English accents. This play required breaking the 4th wall in a way that was more obvious than any other play I’ve seen. The actors would walk onto a second stage platform in the center of the theater and offer details about their characters’ thoughts.

My favorite characters were Aimwell and Archer the servant and master duo who are trying to trick Lady Bountiful’s daughters into marrying them. I also thought that Lady Bountiful’s alcoholic son did a great job keeping the audience laughing. I thought the Marquette students did a great job performing this play but if I had one complaint it’s that //The Beaux Stratagem// was a bit too long.

Lauren Diaz
//The Beaux’ Stratagem// was the second play I attended this semester and was very interesting and entertaining. It was different because it took place in such an old time era that the characters lines where harder to follow. The props, costumes, and scene design however made it easier to follow. I thought it was very interesting to see how many scene designs they used such as signs, doors, tables, chairs, curtains, stairs, etc. The characters were very endearing and funny as well such as Lady Bountiful who was the person people would come to if they were ill and never go back to because of her extremely crazy ways to cure them.

The way that each character would stop and talk to the audience and include them in certain parts of the play was very anti-illusionist. It broke down the fourth wall and also made the play easier to follow and funnier. Also I thought that the plot was very important to this play because of all the delusions of the two men after rich women. This goes a long with Aristotle’s view that plot is the most important part of a drama. However, I also that that spectacle or the way that the play is performed and the scenery was extremely important in this specific play because of the time period and the different settings of the scenes.

Charles Mark
//The Beaux Stratagem// is a tale of two young rogues who have left London for the English countryside in search of suitable wives from which they may glean a small fortune for themselves. They are disguised as master and servant, and at the beginning of the play establish themselves in a local inn. The play itself is the humorous and wily antics that follow. I went to the play not knowing what to expect, however I left fully satisfied. The costuming, scenery, and characterization that were incorporated into the play, truly gave it a realistic and enveloping feel. I found myself laughing along with the rest of the antics throughout the play.

The play used a thrust stage which worked well as it offered a prominent position for character’s mid-story monologues. These monologues were important as they both served as an anti-illusionist piece and a primary source of humor and sarcasm. It allowed the audience to enter the thoughts of the characters without having to guess at their actual intentions. The actors played their roles excellently with perfect accents that added to the realism of the play. Combining this with the dance sequence at the end of the show, the play represented all three types of play: anti-illusionist, realist, and expressionist.

Jillian Morrissey
This was (as the others above) my second play I attended at the Haelfer Theater this year. It was really weird to see a lot of the same characters that I saw in The 25th Annual Spelling Bee in new characters. Sometimes the play was a bit hard to follow because of the Old English but overall it was pretty easy to follow. Overall I didn't really enjoy this play. I found it really long and dragged on. I also, since I had seen the actors and actresses before, started to notice somethings. One character tends to scream when he acts. This worked well for this in the Spelling Bee but in this play it was annoying and too dramatic. Another actress acts well by acting snobby. Once again it was good for one play but not this play. There were some funny parts within the play but none of the humor like Spelling Bee.

One thing that I noticed that relates back to class is how this was a anti-illusionism play. The characters frequently broke the forth wall between the audience and the actors by pausing the scene and giving their own monologue. Another event that added to the anti-illusionism was the props. Within the stage there were normal realism props to give the audience a belief of where the characters actually were. But the interesting thing, though, was on the outskirts of the stage there were large boards that had audience members drawn in them as if they were in a theater in the early 1900's. These two things really added to the anti-illusionism of the play.

Lauren Krawczyk
This was my first play that I saw at the Haelfer Theater. I thought the actors were very talented and it was entertaining to see fellow students perform. The play overall was okay, I found it hard to understand what was going on at times because of the old english used throughout. There were a few funny parts but it wasn't the most entertaining performance I have ever seen. The sets were well designed and they used doors to change scenes. Both sides of the doors were painted differently to indicate a change of scenery. I liked how the actors were the ones who changed the scenes and they stayed in character as they did so. This made the play flow better because there wasn't down time that left the stage black during scene changes.

This play was an anti-illusionist performance. The actors frequently broke the fourth wall by interacting with the audience. They would share their feelings about the other characters and tell us to stay tuned for what was coming up next. The actors changing sets also made it anti-illusionist because the audience was fully aware of the fact that they were changing scenery and that the play was not realistic. Another thing was that there were theater boxes drawn on scenery on each side of the stage. There were couples drawn to look as if they were watching the play with the audience which also made the play seem anti-illusionist. This was the first play I have seen where the actors broke the fourth wall and I thought it was interesting but I think I prefer a realist play.

Jonathan Neidorf
I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Beaux' Strategem. Although it was written three hundred years ago, a lot of the jokes still translated well to modern times. I was also very impressed by the scenery--I'm always surprised by how thorough the sets of these shows are, especially when being made on such tight deadlines. I felt the characters definitely aligned with traditional archetypes of whatever role they were playing, but there still was an adequate amount of depth given to the characters, especially considering it was intended to be a lighthearted comedy. The costumes were also very impressive. There was no breaking of the illusion of the 1700s considering the authenticity of their wardrobe.

The play had anti-illusionist tendencies. I found it clever and entertaining the way the actors themselves changed sets in between scenes, all the while remaining in character. This, along with the asides and soliloquies, broke the fourth wall of the stage and engaged the audience in a funny way. These aspects of the play made it funnier, because although it pointed out that this was a performance, it gave the characters more depth in a way, because they had a separate life and sense of humor outside of the script. I also thought the stage added a lot to the performance. There was a scene in which the two main characters were hiding on the wings of the stage. The director utilized the parts of the stage that break out of the traditional proscenium frame. Another way the audience was engaged in anti-illusion was when a character would step on to the small platform in the front of the stage. The fact that this area was lower than the rest of the stage and was surrounded by seats made for a very interesting introspection and the placement allowed the audience to assume that this was a key intimate moment of characterization.

Michael Berdelle
This is the first play I have seen at Haelfer Theater. Although the Beaux’ Stratagem was first performed in the early 18th century, I was really impressed with how well done it was performed by our fellow students. Marquette University’s Department of Performing and Media Arts did an exceptional job of both setting up the stage and creating costumes with noticeable detail. The actors are all talented and in this specific play were funny and entertaining. All the actors effectively enunciate their voices, speaking loud or soft depending on the scene. This made it somewhat easier to follow the play, especially because of the Old English.

Multiple elements of the Beaux’ Stratagem relate back to what we have talked about in class. The very first thing I thought of when watching the play was our class’ meeting with Stephen Hudson-Mairet and how much work is devoted to developing the scene designs of their plays. It forced me to notice and appreciate the smallest details of the set. This play took an anti-illusionist form, which was clearly demonstrated by the actors breaking the fourth wall and engaging with the audience multiple times. This play was different from other anti-illusionist plays, like Power, because the stage and costumes had certain realistic characteristics, but overall it definitely had the anti-illusionist feel.

Sean Reed
This was the first play I had seen at the Helfaer theater. I thought the play was actually pretty funny, and even the "out-dated" humor was done in a way that modern audiences would understand it. The set design was very innovative, with drop-down set pieces including a bar and an entire wall piece. Perhaps my favorite part of the intricate staging is how the stages were set up in between scenes. Rather than having stage-hands, the entire cast would come out and rearrange the setting. What was fascinating though was the decision to keep the actors in-character, for instance, the gentlemen would flirt with the girls they were pursuing in the previous scene, or the villains, such as the corrupt preacher, would move the stage around in an almost maniacal manner.

The Beaux' Strategem relates back to the class in it's modern retelling of a classic play. The version I saw was not the original written by Farquhar in 1706, but instead was a modern interpretation to update the language and comedy. Although the Beaux' is still a very popular piece in its' native England, Early-18th Century British humor was very different than what we consider good humor to be today. One can see this in the very definition of "comedy," and how it has changed over time. Today, comedy is seen as a program that seeks to inspire laughter and humor. In the 18th century, however, comedy was a term used to denote a play that was neither tragedy nor history. it did not relate a historical event and did not end in death, but it was not necessarily funny. The Beaux' was intended as a satire of the differences between men and women, and a modern retelling was required to keep that interpretation.

Jordan Swenson
This was the second play that I have seen that was put on by the Helfaer theater. I thought that it was very funny, even though it was from the 1700s. The set was interesting, and I like the way that the crew switched it between scenes. It was a way to get the whole cast involved and made it interesting for the audience to watch. Sometimes the cast would stay in character, which made it entertaining for the audience to watch while they waited. I thought that the play was very successful and I would for sure go and see it again, either at Marquette, or any other theater to see the differences that a different director and cast would do.

The main thing that i thought of while watching this play was that the style was breaking down the wall between the cast and the audience. The cast would converse with the audience about things that were happening at the present time in the play and also instances that would occur later in the performance. They would give hints about who would end up getting together, and it made it quite entertaining. Another thing that really contributed to the play that we also talked about in class was the set and design of it. The field trip we took before the Putnam County Spelling Bee really made me think about this play as well and all of the things that were incorporated with that. Before the play started, I was looking at the stage and thinking about how important the spectacle was to this performance, because the time period like pieces were needed for the realist aspect of the play.

Ryan Gaulke
//The Beaux' Stratagem// was a funny, yet somewhat dated play. I enjoyed the comical situations and especially the inadvertant sexual references. This particular aspect seemed to bring out the fact that society at this time had a negative view towards this theme in both the real world and in the theater. Also, I liked the energy of the actors. Each member of the cast brought there own personality into the characters which pushed the action forward while allowing for development. The situations brought out by the characters involved the audience through the use of asides and lines that were clearly for the audience's sake. Overall, I felt that the play can still have meaning so many years later.

What I found myself instantly noticing were the realistic qualities of the play. It seemed that it fit the "well-made play" description we discussed in class. However, it is easily argued that the material could also align with the expressionist goals. While it is not appropriate to attribute the label of "tragedy," the play consists of events that are driven by characters. I feel that Aristotle might disagree with the particulars of the play because they focus more on the character development and relations as opposed a chronological string of events. In conclusion, the play provided a satirical look at life in the 1700's and the social values of this period. The humor brought out by the play allows for a glimpse into the history of the theater.

Kim LeRoy
I really enjoyed seeing the Beaux Stratagem at Marquette. I thought it was incredibly well done, especially for a period piece. I was afraid that since it was originally written in the 1700s that it would be really dry and hard to follow, but this certainly wasn't the case. The actors did a remarkably good job of making it easy to understand, and there was enough action and romance (sorry, but I'm a sucker for romance) to keep it interesting. I even found many parts of the play hilarious, which I know is thanks to the modern rewrite of it. I was also impressed by their accents, because I know I could never pull that off. I recognized a lot of the cast from the Putnam County Spelling Bee, and it was really neat for me to think about their role in that and compare it to their role in this play. Some of their new characters were polar opposites and it was fun to see how much the actors changed to fit their roles.

This play had elements both of realism and anti-illusionism. The sets were extremely realistic and it looked exactly like you were where it was supposed to be set. The bar looked like a bar, the fancy sitting room like a fancy sitting room, etc. Also the costumes, language and accents matched the time period very well to give it a more realistic feel. However, there were also some strong anti-illusionist aspects as well. At times, characters would break the fourth wall and address the audience, which obviously isn't keeping with the style of realism. The cast members were also the onces to do the set changes, which is very anti-illusionist because it is a form of laying bare the device. Instead of trying to pretend it wasn't happening or not showing scene changes to the audience, the cast stayed in character as they moved furniture around, which drew even more attention to their set changes.

Megan Marren
I had never heard of this play before this year. It was the second Marquette production I have seen and I was very impressed. I didnt really know what I was walking into, but I thought it was very funny and it had me laughing out loud. I thought the set was really neat, and I thought the costumes were so fun and creative. I thought the actors were so talented and played their parts very well. I would not be able to speak in an accent like they did for so long in addition to performing memorized lines. I saw the Spelling Bee too so it was a lot of fun to recognize the actors and compare their characters in Beaux Stratagem to their parts in Spelling Bee.

Beaux Stratagem can be related to our course because it is a great example of both anti-illusionist and realism. The play is anti-illusionist because the characters had several monologues which were presented for the audience. I thought the monologues were the funniest part of the production. They had me laughing every time because all of them were so sarcastic. The play was also an example of realism for the obvious reason that the set and the costume were all very realistic for the appropriate time period.

Joel Plakut
I had never heard of this play before hearing that it was going to be performed at Helfaer Theatre here at Marquette University. This was my second time attending a play at Marquette University, first being The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I liked the fact that I recognized some of the same actors from that play in The Beaux Stratagem. Overall, I was definitely impressed with the production. When I first saw the title though, I was worried that it would be an overly complicated play because I didn't have the first clue of what the title even meant. Going into it, I was worried it would be over my head, but I was actually able to follow it fairly well. I was surprised at just how good my fellow students here at Marquette University were at acting.

Something from class that I can definitely relate to this play is our talk about anti-illusionism and realism. Anti-illusionism came in to play with the actors as they would do set changes instead of a stage crew. They came out of their element as a character in the play and would take on the form of stage crew. Even though they did stay in character as much as possible during the set changes, it still was interesting to see them move things around. The initial plot and set of the play was a good example of realism. The scene design was excellent and very believable for the audience looking in. This again reminds me of how much I admire Stephen Hudson-Mariet's work on set design and just how much time and effort is put into creating the most realistic and compelling set possible, while still staying on a small budget.

Katie Stahlmann
This play was a fantastic show to attend. I have seen shows at Helfaer Theatre before, but they have been Capstone performances with only a few actors. It was a great change of pace to see a bigger show and witness some of the talent we have at Marquette. The actors' accents were convincing and the costume and stagecraft were true to the time. Going in I had no idea what //Stratagem// was going to be about, all i knew is that it involved some sort of love story. Imagine my surprise when alcoholics, swindling, and a large amount of crude jokes permeated the show! That said, I would say that the show is best suited for an older audience, as they will understand the wit, bawdy humor, and overall have the patience for muddling through the accents!

This show was a good combination of realism and anti-illusionism. As I stated before, the acting played into the time period, with accents that denoted various social classes within English society. Additionally, the costumes were convincing for the time period, and the set was convincing while remaining practical. These elements, along with believable character development, play into the realism aspect of //Stratagem.// As my classmates have pointed out, the actors themselves were responsible for changing the set around, but I believe they did a very good job of staying in character throughout these changes as the men would chase the women around or vice versa. This provides a mixture between anti-illusion and realism. Additionally, while plotting the two main male characters would break the fourth wall and address the audience while time seemingly stood still for the rest of the characters. This was quite effective in allowing the audience to understand what was really going on and providing character development regarding their true intentions with the women they were meeting. Overall I would recommend this play to any viewer who is looking for an entertaining night of trickery.

Aaron Kramer
Beaux Stratagem at Marquette has broken my rule of avoiding school plays; a precedent set and reinforced from elementary to high school…which were all unnecessarily long in my opinion. This play kept the audience’s attention, flowed nicely, and kept the plot moving. Also, the Victorian music which complimented the time period of the day was quite a nice touch. Additionally, after the end of the play the characters ended up doing a sort of couple dance on stage, which reminded me of learning that Shakespeare’s actors would after the stage entertain the audience with a dance or a jig at times.

The stage itself was a box stage, with enough attention to props and costumes to fit the bill of being stage realistic. Although during certain asides the actors made it clear that they were in a play. For example in the first act, the main character said loosely that ‘if this were a play then there must be some damsel for me’. So, this is a play that is realistic, but with anti illusionary elements to it mixed in. Also, when the actors helped with the stage transition they moved about in character which I thought was brilliantly executed. From an Aristotelian point, the play’s action was closeish to being within one day. For the action took place over the course of less than a week.

Greg Meyer
This was the second play I saw at Helfaer theater this year. Although Beaux Stratagem was originally performed centuries ago, I believe my fellow students did a great job at bringing the play back to life. I thought all the elements of the play were meticulously prepared and arranged. Everything from the Victorian music to the details within the set and costumes created an ambiance that transported the audience back in time. The actors were phenomenal, and the thing I appreciated the most was how easy they made speaking in old-english for an entire play look. Not only did the play keep my attention the entire time, it also had me laughing at multiple points. I thought comparing the actors roles in this play to the ones I remembered from Putnam County Spelling Bee was another entertaining aspect.

I was suprised to see elements of anti-illuisionism and realism included in the play. The play displayed realist elements in the set(the bar and other rooms looked like you would think), their accents were appropriate for the time period, and the costumes were pretty much what I would expect for the time. Along with these things, the character development added to the realism of the play. Their were, however, elements of anti-illusionism involved. The actors broke the "fourth wall" numerous times, engaging in monologues with the audience. These monologues allowed the characters to tell the audience of their true feelings/motives. The combination of these two elements made for a great play that was easy and enjoyable to follow.

Emily Foster
Marquette University’s performance of The Beaux Stratagem was far better than I expected. I knew the show was considered a “classic”, and therefore took it to mean I would have a difficult time understanding the language, as I do with many “classic” plays. But to my surprise, being in front of the stage watching the well dressed actors on the magnificent set, I found myself enticed by the storyline.

This performance was a realists interpretation of the show, which I believe aided in the comprehension of the period dialogue. The sets looked as if we were actually inside a great manor or a dingy bar, and the costuming and staging brought the audience into the period piece. The only times the play would slip into an expressionist like or anti-illusionists like interpretations came from the actual script, where it was clear that a character was directed to break the fourth wall and talk directly to the audience. However, this breaking of the fourth wall was not distracting, and came across less like the character talking to the audience and more like he or she was having an inner debate which just happened to be portrayed in reality and not inside their heads. Overall, I thouroughly enjoyed the show, which had me belly laughing most of the time!

Patrick Savoie
The //Beaux Stratagem// was the first play that I saw this semester at Halfaer Theatre. Entering the theatre I had no idea what the play was about and found out that the play takes place in the eighteenth century. I found the plot humorous how the main character fell in love with the heiress that he was trying to take the money from. My favorite character was the drunken son because he kept the audience laughing. Overall I enjoyed the play and thought they did a good job with their accents. The only thing that I did not like about the play was how long it was.

During the play there were two things that I noticed we talked about in class. First I could not stop thinking about the stage director that we met with and the strategy and time it takes to put together a set. I also enjoyed that I could actually tell what type of play this was. The play was anti-illusionist and I could tell because the actors broke the fourth wall by engaging with the audience. This play reminded me of the play Power and how that play broke the fourth wall.

Robert Matuszewski
The Beaux Stratagem was one of the plays I went to see this semester. It took place at the Helfaer Theater. What I found interesting in the play was how the sets were designed to act as continuous parts of the play, That is to say that the characters would come out and turn door 180 and pull in stairs and the entire setting would be different. What was even more interesting was the use of comedy and breaking the fourth wall and almost making the audience a part of the play. This seemed to accomplish the goal of a serious play with comedic styling.

This play relates to the sense of Catharsis that we talked about when speaking about //Big White Fog// and Aristotles //Poetics//. The play took a very simple plot and made if very comical. Which in the sense of Catharsis allowed the viewer to become entrapped in the plot and feel a release of laughter and their own sense of release into things they may find funny in their own life, or just a simple need to laugh and feel more cheery. The sense of Catharsis allowed the entire audience to purge themselves of emotions that were brought out in the play and relate them to their own life.

Matt Markowski
One of the plays I decided to see was //Beaux Stratagem//. The play took place at the Helfaer Theater on Marquette’s campus. I thought this play was very interesting and it was cool to see a cast of students acting out a play that took place in the 18th century. One thing I think that relates to what we have learned in our class, is the costumes that were used in the play. There was a lot of detail in the costumes that were used which helped give a feeling of being in the 18th century. I feel like one of the hardest things to do for a play that takes place well before the current time period, is to get the audience to feel like they are in that older time period.

Another thing that took place during the play was the actors/actresses breaking the fourth wall. I like when actors break the wall in a play because I feel like it keeps the audience engaged in the play, and I feel like it also makes the audience feel like they are part of the play. I don’t think that this would fit Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy. Even though there was a strong presence of the characters, there wasn’t any true drama which I think would make Aristotle say this is not a tragedy. Overall, I thought the play was very good, and I was surprised to the attention to detail in the costumes.

Yisha Chen
The Beaux Stratagem was the first drama I have seen at Marquette’s Helfaer Theater. It is a comedy! It definitely had me laughed though the whole show! If you ask me rate it on a 1 to 10 point scale, I would give it an 8. Why? I think it is overall all a successful play. The stage arrangement, the music, the costumes, (I will talk about them more in detail in my second paragraph), the actors and actresses. However, I took 2 points off because I think that if they (the director, the actors and actresses, and etc) paid more attentions to the small details the production could have been even better. Since I do not want to offend any actress or actors, I will not mention the specific character here. But I really think that two of the actors/actresses need to improve their acting to fit their characters and to bring their characters alive. Both my mother and I really liked the lady who played Mrs. Sullen, She was great, her acting, her posture, her emotion, and etc, are very good and they do fit her character.

Now let me talk about the stage, it is a Thrust stage, in my opinion, because the theatre not only have audience seats in the center facing directly at the stage, it also have two blocks of seats on two sides at an approximately 45 degree angle. In addition, most audiences (except the first and second roles) are higher than the stage, so the throughout the show, I as an audience did not stretch my neck all the time, in seated, I am looking down most of the time. Furthermore, though I do think the stage arrangement is very realistic, the doors, the furniture, the windows, the book shelves, the costumes, and etc. I have noticed two main elements/aspects of the play that is anti-illusionistic. The first one being the background itself, though I mentioned above they are realistic, but I think the artistic style of the painter made it a little bit anti-illusionistic because they looked like painted with oil-pastels, or color pencil in a not very detailed way. As an audience, I can definitely see they are painted, not realistic but is supposed to suspend my beliefs and pretend that they are “real”. In addition, I the actors and actresses change the stage background and move the furniture in front of the audience’s eyes and we are supposed to pretend we did not see them.

Good job overall! Bravo, Marquette!

Michael Belknap
//The Beaux Strategem// is the second play I have seen at Marquette University. The Marquette Performing Arts group does an excellent job preparing for these productions and I was extremely impressed by their talents. The costumes and set designs were detailed and unique. I would imagine that the resources are somewhat scarce at the Helfaer Theatre as opposed to a professional production, but I thought the Marquette students made the best of their situation. The actors and actresses in the play did an excellent imitating the 18th century style. The Old English made the play more difficult to follow, but the performers were effective in their delivery.

//The Beaux Strategem// relates back to a number of topics we discussed throughout the course of the semester in this class. The play was written and performed in an anti-illusionist style. The actors continuously broke the fourth wall and interacted with the audience. The set designs and costumes were very realistic, but overall the play upheld the anti-illusionist style. Numerous characters performed monologues that were clever and amusing. They unveiled the true feelings and emotions of the characters and gave me a better understanding of the play. I truly enjoyed watching this play and was shocked at how talented some of the performers were.

Phil Ceratto
I thought the Beaux Stratagem was a very interesting play because of its comedy. At first glance, my assumption of the play was that it would be full of dry British humor which is acceptable only in small doses. I was quite off in my assessment though, as it turned out to be a well written modernly-styled comedic play. I thought the acting was pretty good, and the stage and costume design was very simple and eloquent in its execution. I thought having the doors and walls on wheels was a great way to change the sets quickly between scenes.

I also thought it was interesting how when the set needed to be changed, it was done by the actors themselves, still in character. The interactions between the two outlaw characters pretending to be master and servant were very cordial, while those of any character to a women they were after were very playful. This is an interesting choice by whoever made it, whether it was this productions director or the writer, as it ignores normal conventions for set change where either a curtain drops or the stage is blackened and the audience is unable to see the changes being made. I thought that this choice actually helped progress the comedy of the play beyond the story line itself in an anti-illusionist way.

Mark Hampton
The play //Beaux Strategem// was quite the funny comedy but also a little too long. It thought it was quite interesting that something this 'raunchy' would have been made into a play at such an early time in history, mainly because this is when people wore 5 shirts during the summer months so that they would not show off too much skin. I am curious to how past audiences would have perceived this play because it was a great time to watch. The actors stayed in character the whole time, and half of the fun came from watching them even when the spotlight was not directly on them. Along with the comedy there were many suspenseful parts where the actors were close to getting caught sneeking around but they were able to narrowly escape danger each time.

One of the downfalls of the play is that it ran very late and I found myself at somepoints letting my mind wonder to areas of focus foreign to the play I was supposed to be watching. This is one of the side effects of a play that runs well over two hours. Even though the play was long there was lots of action and humor to bridge the gaps. One of the very impressive parts of the play was the staging and how many different pieces of the stage there were. There were multiple scene changes and within these there was almost a new room for the set added and taken away each time. I enjoyed the play and I would recommend it for anyone who has not seen it yet.

=Million Dollar Quartet= Apollo Theater, Chicago

Michael Hale
On October 14, 2010, I attended the “Million Dollar Quartet,” at the Apollo Theater in Chicago, Illinois. The play mainly was derived from a picture that was taken at music manager, Phillip Simmon’s studio, which contained 4 of the biggest stars of that time: Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash. The play represented dialogue on the night of the occasion, collaborated songs that were sung by the musicians, and concluded with the picture being taken.

I was impressed with the realistic depiction of the stage, which was made up to look like an actual recording studio. The audience was right outside of where the stage would be. Also the songs that were performed were only sung as being part of the recordings. This was described in earlier notes as depicting realism. The costumes and style of the actors depicted the people present at the time as they were in real life. I was most impressed with the actor for Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash because both the movements in playing their instruments, and their actions seemed to directly coincide with how the musicians acted in real life. The only aspect of the performance that seemed anti-illusionary was that the manager Phillip Simmons acted as a narrator for a portion of the show to describe each characters background and accomplishments. However, other than that aspect there was no other audience to performer interaction, which created a fourth wall. I was thoroughly entertained by the realism of all the performances and learned significantly more about the artists than I knew before. The most interesting information I learned was that Carl Perkins originally made the hit, “You ain’t nothing but a hound Dog,” which then became popular by Elvis Presley’s performance on the Tonight Show.

=Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde= The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL, Theatre Hikes

Joseph Prisco
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a very non-conventional play. It was a play done outdoors that involved hiking from spot to spot. It was six different scenes in total. The actors essentially relied on nature for scenery. It took place at the Morton Arboretum which is somewhat of an upscale nature preserve. The crew only used one prop that was multi-functional. Its main two uses were as a door and the other side was used as a stretcher for dead bodies. It was six actors/actresses in total. Some of them played multiple characters. One thing I thought was very interesting was how they chose to cast Jekyll and Hyde (who are the same characters). Every member in the cast was used for the characters Jekyll and Hyde at some point. Jekyll and Hyde were both played by different characters and then the other four members were used to portray the differing personalities of Jekyll/Hyde.

The play was done in such a way that there was an imaginary “fourth wall”. Interestingly enough, in the type of performance this group of actors did it can be difficult to hold that fourth wall up. Doing a play outdoors from site to site presents a lot of unknowns. Everything is not static. It is dependent on weather and other environmental factors and the actors have to work hard and be alert to make sure that doesn’t become a distraction. In the case of our performance, our last scene had to be moved at the last second. There was a wedding going on that was running late and using the last scene of the play, so the actors made a very fast judgment. The host of the play also mentioned that the company used to have an actress climb in a tree for a certain play. In one instance, the branch broke and she was stuck in the tree. None of the actors could get her out because they had stage shoes on and no grip on the bottom so an audience member had to help. This type of play sometimes makes it very difficult to maintain the fourth wall and always provides the element of unknown to the performance. No two performances are every the same.

=Ryan Jerving's Song Perfromance from Green Grows the Lilacs= Marquette University

Matt Markowski
I was only able to make it to one formal play this semester, but I think that Professor Jerving’s song performance from Green Grows the Lilacs can be considered a performance. I thought this was very cool of Professeor Jerving to do. Since I am an engineering major, I don’t really get to see a teacher sing a song for the class. I was very surprised to see a teacher sing a song in front of the class, but I enjoyed it very much. I think it was a good way of getting the classes interested in the play. I feel like it is hard for teachers to get students interested in the class sometimes, and I thought this was a good way of getting the classes attention.

I thought the performance was very good, especially since it was singing and playing the guitar [JERVING'S NOTE: actually, a ukulele!]. I also liked how Professor Jerving tried to get the class to sing with him even though it didn’t really work. Professor Jerving’s performance wouldn’t be classified as a tragedy because it wasn’t really a play. I think that the performance also helped the class get the class in the mindset of the time period that Green Grows the Lilacs takes place in. I also feel like it helped give the feeling of the older Western culture that the play takes place in. Overall, I thought the song was performed very well and I think it helped the class out a lot.

=Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune= Marquette University

Ryan Gaulke
This is the second play that I have seen at Marquette University. It was not a largely staged production as with other Varisty Theater productions. It was actually a group project for Theater majors I believe. Anyways, the play (which took place through many different acts, some of which I could not stick around for) focused on the dramatic tensions between a brother and father. Eventually, the brother killed the father in a rather tense scene. The play as a whole was entertaining. It was obvioisly an unrefined production that was without the required rehearsals and repition of a larger scale production; but nonetheless, it was an enjoyable story.

Throughout the play, I felt that Aristotle would disagree with the main aspect of the story. It was not so much about specific events as it was the character's feelings about those events. The writing was done in a way so that it could elicit emotion with a minimalistic setting. This, I believe, was key in its writing and performance. As far as its format goes, it is difficult for me to determine if it was expressionist or focused on realism. The emotions set off by the actors drew the audience into believing that what they were seeing had or was actually happening, yet I felt the these emotions were "expressed" in their own particular way.

=The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee= Performing and Media Arts, Helfaer Theatre

Liz Heinrich
Wauwatosa East High School, Dale K. Hidde Theatre

I saw The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at my old high school, Wauwatosa East. It was a great performance, and it was honestly a good show for them to do right now; the graduating class last year took a lot of their stronger singers, and this show allowed the group that was still there to perform a great acting show. Although this is a musical, it is such a musical where--if you're a good enough actor--you can get away with just-okay singing. Unlike shows like Oklahoma! and West Side Story, where the leads needs to be fantastic, 25th Annual gives acting a chance, moreso than singing. However, I wish that I was able to see this play both at MU and at Wauwatosa East. It would've been quite interesting to have the ability to compare the two shows.

One great ability of this show is the ability to break the fourth wall. In this show, the actors don't make up all of the characters; there are numerous walk-on roles "performed" by the audience members. These members cause great versatility to the show; because different audience members have different reactions every night, the actors themselves are forced to adapt and change the script in order to keep the show moving along.

Margaret Sugrue
This was the first play I’ve seen at Marquette University. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed it. I thought the acting and singing were great. The tone of the musical was very comical, and it kept me entertained and laughing throughout. I was impressed with how well the theatre department put together awesome sets and costumes. I’ve never seen the original, but I felt like the musical was geared to a young audience and was a good choice. The aspect that I thought was most interesting was the audience participation. I enjoyed the unpredictability of their answers, and especially the reactions of the cast.

This play is easily related to class because of the different types of stages we were studying, and the meeting we had with Stephan Hudson- Merit. I learned from class that the stage used was a thrust stage. Also, I did not fully understand everything Stephan was talking about until I saw the play. The Jesus moment was impressive, as was the audience participation. It was interesting to see the different reactions of chosen audience members. Some even purposely spelled easy words wrong to leave the stage. They were not “seriously” acting in character. Seeing the play helped me fully realize all the different aspects that Stephan discussed, and how the come together to form a successful production.

Sean Moll
The Putnam county spelling bee was a very entertaining play. I enjoyed it mostly because it was unlike any other play because it was a spelling bee. A lot of the characters were hilarious, especially the Barf guy that kept dancing with his right foot whenever he spelled a word. Also, it was funny that they brought up people from the audience to be in the play. I found it amusing how they reacted to all the crazy things that the spelling bees contestants were doing and how they had to go up there and actually spell some words. The plays creativity really made it enjoyable and different from other plays.

In class we talked a lot about the nature of play and how when putting on a performance there is the actors are seriously performing their roles, yet they are still having fun because they enjoy what they are doing. However, this play is different because people from the audience are forced up to be a part of the play which may take the enjoyment of play out of the equation. For instance, one of the women that were chosen randomly to go up there did not seem to be enjoying it because she purposefully spelt cow wrong so she could get off the stage. However, I don’t know if these people would count because they were not aware that they were going to be a part of the play and they willingly went up there and participated. So there may still be a sense of seriousness within the role they played.

Mark Hampton
I went to see the Putnam County Spelling Bee at our very own Helfaer Theater. I thought this play was a riot. The songs during the play (which I found out was kind of a musical) ranged from middle-school depressed, to raunchy songs and jokes about all the fun changes within a body of a child going through puberty. One of the most unique parts of the play was the audience participation. Certain seat numbers were called and the people would go on stage and participate and interact with the actors and actresses without any lines being fed to them.

The stage was impressive and looked every bit what a middle school gym should look like, probably because it looked so much like mine. The actors and actresses did a wonderful job staying in character even when the spotlight was not on them and they provided a very convincing range of emotions which I was not expecting from a play put on by students. The ending of the play was well scripted as for which of the greedy students should take home the trophy. I would recommend this play to anyone who is looking for a Laugh-Out-Loud experience which is enjoyable and informal.

Brian Post
Throughout my life I’ve had very little exposure to theatre. In 8th grade my class put on a play for the school, I was an extra. This was a terrible first experience and left me with the impression that every play was as torturous as mine was. But tonight I realized this is not the case. Spelling Bee was funny, clever and gave me a familiar glimpse into middle school tragedy. My favorite character was probably William Barfee, the socially challenged spelling bee champion. Who, coincidentally, was played by my friend Ashley’s older brother.

Seeing Spelling Bee performed helped me visualize many of the things guest speaker, Stephen Hudson-Mariet was talking about. Specifically I remember being confused when he was talking about his “Jesus Moment” when the scenery changes. What I wasn’t expecting was that his “Jesus Moment” actually involved Jesus. I loved how the play incorporated the audience that kept both the actors and the audience on their toes. By the way, I still cannot believe a woman misspelled “Mexican”. I never thought I’d admit it, but I actually enjoyed the musical portions of the play. Spelling Bee may have just turned me away from my anti-theatre attitude.

Katie Hishmeh
The Putnam County Spelling Bee was an entertaining and enjoyable show to attend. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but it was extremely funny and had the entire audience laughing through the whole performance. The “spellers” in the musical were much different than I had expected. I thought the actors who played William Barfee and Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre were very funny in the musical and they portrayed their characters very well. I also thought the way they incorporated the audience into their play was very creative. The way the audience members who had to go on stage reacted to the real actors made the musical that much more humorous.

It was interesting to relate what we learned about Goffman and the term “front” to the musical Putnam County Spelling Bee. Each character had their own “front” they all had specific character traits that you knew what to expect when they would go up to spell a word. For example, William Barfee would always spell out the words with his foot, which is what made him so funny and unique. However, even though every character at the beginning of the musical had their specific “front”, by the end of the musical each character realized something different about them, which ultimately changed their perceived “front”.

Ellen Faletti
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was one of the funniest and most fun performances I have ever attended. Before going to the show, all that I knew that it was extremely funny and relied on audience interaction. I was one of the audience performers chosen at the beginning of the play to come up and participate in the "spelling bee". It was a lot of fun, and almost embarrassing, to be on stage with the actors. Having the chance to see them perform up close and from a seat, the actors did an excellent job performing each of their characters and their seriousness to the role made the show that much more enjoyable. The Putnam County Spelling is unlike any play I've ever seen before, and I am very happy that I went to go see it.

It is easier to see the point J. Huizinga was trying to make with the relationship between play and seriousness. As I said, this was one of the funniest plays I have ever seen, but when I was up on stage, I could see how serious the actors were with their roles. I sat next to Marcy Park, a character who was "all business", and I was convinced with her act as a very, very intense person. Even with myself, as I was on stage, I could feel myself enjoying the play element and, although it was very chaotic being on stage with no idea what to do, I took seriously my role as trying to spell. As Huizinga says though, once the play is over, the actors return to their normal selves and are no longer embodied by their characters.

Kim LeRoy
I thoroughly enjoyed the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. It was absolutely hilarious. I applaud the actors for their remarkable ability to stay in character no matter what happened, as having audience members participate can certainly be a curve ball. They did a fantastic job portraying some ridiculous characters. Although the characters could be a little over the top, they were still easy to relate to. This play did a great job not only of showing the spellers at the bee, but showing what is going on in their lives that makes them who they are. This adds an extra dimension to the play that allows the audience to really connect with the characters on stage.

Obviously, the actors themselves embody Goffman's concept of performance. However, unique to this play, the audience members have to perform too. Out of the four audience members pulled on stage, some seemed to feel out of place on stage, while others tried to act like they really were spelling bee participants like the actors. This is an interesting aspect of Goffman's theory of performance. As soon as these people were pulled on stage and put in front of an audience, they started acting even though they had no clue about the role they were supposed to be playing. Goffman talks about how people are always performing, and this is a prime example of people trying to act as someone else when put in the spotlight.

Jillian Morrissey
The play was not only extremely hilarious but very entertaining. It was nice going to the play after having had the presentation by the scene director. I was able to notice all the things he had pointed out and felt somewhat connected to the play before it even began. This summer I was able to actually watch an official spelling bee on ESPN and the jokes that the play cracked on these types of atmospheres. I remembered that the scene director told us there was a surprise at the end of the show and when Jesus came out and down the slide, it was absolutely hilarious. I loved that he chose to have him coming down the slide and all the other almost tacky parts of the Jesus scene.

Specific to the play that can related back to what we have learned in class is the type of stage. They chose (or maybe not chose but were forced to) to use a thrust state. I believe this was ideal because of the interaction that they wanted to get with the audience. The point of this play was to make people laugh and a technique that was used to accomplish this goal was to pick some of the audience members out to come up on stage. By having the thrust stage they were able to be closer to the audience and therefore almost relate to them more. Also since it was a small theater it made the play almost more intimate.

Lauren Diaz
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was a very entertaining play. It was very different than the plays I am used to seeing and really caught me by surprise several times. I loved how unique and different each character was. They each had their own special twist that made them stand out and made them funny to the audience. Barfe especially made me laugh with not only his stories and songs but just the way he spelled and acted throughout the play. Also, the part where Jesus came into the play randomly caught me by surprise but in a good and very funny way. I knew that there was a surprise but I just assumed it was bringing people from the audience on stage. I thought that doing that was also very fun and new to me because most plays are more professional and serious when it comes to actors on stage. I enjoyed the play not only because of the characters and script but also because it was a fun and simple play that included the audience and never had a dull moment. I had a fabulous time seeing it and I think it did an excellent job entertaining the audience and performing the play accurately.

Relating the play back to class brings to mind the type of stage it was. Although the seats were facing the stage, the actors used the aisles in order to not only include the audience but as a way of entering and exiting. This is known as a thrust stage. Another thing that was talked about in class that I could see was the fact that audience members were brought up to act on stage. They had to “act” or “pretend” to be these characters that they were not in order to go along with the play and be convincing for the audience. Also, learning about scene design, fronts, props, costumes, etc. really made me appreciate how much goes into making the scenery/stage for a play. I was able to notice how the actors clothing and props made up a part of their character. Fr example you could see this when one of the characters had to go from being a participant in the spelling bee to being the father of another girl in the bee.

Kim Poremba
I’ve never been to a play quite like The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee production. I’ve seen plays such as Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, but never a play that actually brought up members from the audience to act as characters. It brought somewhat of an improv element to the performance. It forced the characters to deviate from the original script and alter their dialogue and actions. The characters all made it seem very natural though. The individual characters of the play were hilarious. I laughed the hardest when the character with the sock would have his sock spell out the words because it was in a completely different voice and the lighting affect made it really dramatic. I also loved watching how the characters acted when they weren’t actually speaking. They always remained in character no matter what. Overall I really enjoyed the play.

Many elements of this play correlate with things discussed in class. Specifically, the setting of the play relates to Goffman’s idea of fronts. In an attempt to fully capture the audience into the play, a lot of thought and effort was put into the setting of the stage. The painting on the floor, plain walls, and basketball hoop made it obvious to the audience that the play takes place in a school gym. The posters and adolescent decorations exemplify a gym of an elementary or middle school. Additionally, the “Go Iguanas” slogan implies a comical feeling for the play. Basically, the producers set the audience up with a basic feel for what the play is going to be before it even starts. This play made me realize there is a lot more that goes into the production of performances than we are aware of.

Jordan Swenson
I found the musical the Putnam County Spelling Bee very entertaining. It was different than other musicals that I have been to. I really liked how the script called for audience participation. It gave the musical a different aspect that creates something more for the audience. I also liked how it was entertaining. It also brought me back to my elementary school days and I remember being in a spelling bee. I didn't do very well, but it was still exciting.

In class we talked about the different kinds of performances. It was realistic by having all the elements of an elementary school involved in some shape or form on the stage. As mentioned by Stephen Hudson-Merit, they did incorporate school-like aspects into the set. This was a realist play. In a way this play was also kind of an informal performance because it had aspects of it that i thought were not traditional for a play. It incorporated the audience and brought them up on stage. This made the play really interactive and funny. I enjoyed. it.

Erin Sesil
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was one of the best student productions I have seen. It was unique because the whole play was performed in one scene, a gymnasium, during a spelling bee. The stage was designed to look exactly like a grade school gym would look. The actors were terrific. They acted out their individual personalities so well and had me laughing the whole time. The actors never got out of character. Even when the spot light wasn't directly on them they were acting in the background. There was honestly never a dull moment throughout the play's entirety. I thought the actress with the lisp did such a great job maintain her lisp while she sang her songs. I also thought that the man in the back with the sock puppet on his hands did a wonderful job transitioning from his main character to the young girl with the lisp's father. I really enjoyed that this play engaged the audience by pulling them up on stage to be a part of the production. I knew that they were going to do it but i thought they would ask for volunteers or at least pick from the rows closer to the stage. When I realized they were randomly selecting out of a hat that unknown made me a little but anxious. The people that were called up on stage did a good job they never showed their nerves and I believe it was because the actors made them feel most comfortable as possible.

I really enjoyed our class with guest speaker Stephen Hudson-Mariet in the theatre. I was a little confused after leaving that class with things he said. However, the second the play began everything began to piece together to me. Stephen discussed how he wanted to add humor to the scenery. I went to the play with a few friends who are not in this class and knew nothing about the production. Upon sitting in our seats, she right away started laughing and talking about how funny she thought the signs on the "wall" on the stage were. This was exactly what Stephen wanted the audience to do. Also, after seeing spending time at the theatre and looking at the scenery I was able to take in more of the actors instead of looking around at all of the posters and props on the stage. Furthermore, I wasn't really sure why Stephen wanted to go with a gym that looked a little flawed. But then once I saw the play I realized that the flaws were the beauty of the play. Beauty is in the flaws these characters and that stage portrayed.

Megan Marren
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was the first Marquette production I have seen. I thought it was very good but a little bit long. The actors and actresses were all so talented and played their parts very well. They really brought the play to life. They were very funny and had me laughing out loud throughout the entire production. I cant even say I had a favorite character because all of the story lines were so silly and were performed so well. It was a very different kind of musical than I am used too. There wasnt very much dancing which is what I usually think of when I think musical. Although they didnt dance, it was still very entertaining.

I was very happy that I decided to go to the performance after we talked with the guest speaker. I thought it was so neat that we got that opportunity. I was introduced to a whole new perspective or department of planning a production. I was in a couple plays when I was younger, but nothing as advanced as high school, college or professional levels. I was unaware of how much planning it takes to create a set even before it is actually built. I also didnt know there were so many different kinds of stages before I took this course so I thought learning about all of those was really neat.

Joel Plakut
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was the first Marquette production I have ever attended in terms of plays. I have been to the famous fashion show and to a few comedy sportz shows, but no plays so I had no idea what to expect in terms of performance. I really wanted to see this play after seeing the set and learning about designing the set and such from Stephen Hudson-Mariet. He really intrigued me with just how much goes into a production, even if it is on a small scale. I really liked the play because it wasn't your typical act, intermission, act. There was audience interaction, adding to how well the production spoke to the viewers on a personal level.

The most relateable thing in class that we went over compared to this performance was Goffman's ideas of play and performance. Especially with watching the actors perform after learning about all of Goffman's ideas and theories about performance and that we are always performing. It made it even more complex to watch an actor performing in a play, while he or she was already "performing" in real life. Also, his ideas of fronts was easy to relate to the play. I really think it was set up really well for them to be able to be in character because the set was so well put together. The school gym was a perfect set up for the play with all of the posters and banners, and of course the Iguanas as the mascot. I am excited about seeing another play at Marquette later in the semester.

Greg Meyer
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was the first Marquette production I had ever seen. I thought the play was extremely enjoyable, and it was different than my idea of what a musical would be like. The aspect of audience participation was something I never imagined, and it added a lot of comedic value and intrigue to the play. My favorite character was William Barfee, played by Matt Wickey. Barfee was your typical "outcast", and had me laughing nearly everytime he took the spotlight(specifically his technique of using his right foot to help him spell out words).

I was delighted to have had the opportunity to listen to our guest speaker Stephen Hudson-Mariet. Hudson-Mariet showed us how much effort and time goes in to preparing a play-specifically the set and layout design. I can honestly say that without his insight, I would never have appreciated the set as much as I did. It was truly remarkable how well the stage was set up to mimic and school gymnasium, and I felt like I was transported back to my grade school/middle school. I loved everything from the basketball hoop to the banners lined up on the walls. Overall, the superb acting of the cast, the set, and the interaction with the audience made for a great experience.

Meghan Wleklinski
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was an interesting and hilarious musical that not only was hopeful of audience participation but forceful of it. The fact that the actors brought up the audience members and put them on the stage, truly broke the "fourth wall" for there no longer was a distinction between actors and audience. The basic plot of the show was that of an elementary school hosting the county's spelling bee that consisted of very unique individuals. These characters are entertaining because most audience members can recognize them to be some "nerd" or "outcast" that went to their school and also brings up some funny and awkward moments from their childhood. The show was so entertaining because it brought up many common embarrassing scenes like that of a boy's first erection, a child's attempt at being cool by dressing himself, and a little girl's shyness because she gets nervous in front of people that allow us to relate better to the emotions of the little kids.

Talking with Stephen Hudson-Mariet prior to seeing the show helped me appreciate his work a lot more. When he talked about all the detail and research that went into the set, I was shocked by how much work was done. All the details really made me believe the set to be more than just a set but an actual gymnasium, something I would not have fully acknowledged. The best kind of set for a realism production is one in which no one thinks twice about; one that is simply accepted, for then it shows the quality of the set itself. And that is exactly what he accomplished.

Michael Belknap
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was the first production I had ever seen at Marquette University. When I heard the play was a musical I was a little hesitant to go, but the class we had at the Helfaer Theatre changed my mind. I ended up going anyways and was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. The audience was very involved in the play as many of the characters broke the fourth wall. They even called some audience members to the stage to spell words. This play was very different from others I had seen in the past. The play’s script is extremely comical, and the actors and actresses in the play were able to deliver that humor effectively.

This play is unlike almost any other we looked at this semester, but it still contains many elements of play and performance that we studied. Stephen Hudson-Mariet gave me a basic understanding of how a set is designed as well as the use of props during his speech. There is a lot of time and effort that goes into designing a set, and it is something that is often overlooked. This play used only one set so it was important for him and his crew to design it very carefully. His speech made me appreciate the hard work that goes into these productions.

Patrick Kelly
I just transferred to Marquette this semester and The 25th Annual Putnam County Speelling Bee was my first play I have seen at Marquette. I couldn't have asked for a better play to see. It was fun, interactive, entertaining, and well produced. I have never been to a musical where the audience played such an active role and were actually brought up on to the stage. I do not go to many plays but when I do I usually enjoy them. This play was no exception and it was probably the most interesting play I've ever been to. I believe this is mainly due to how the play broke the "fourth wall." The audience wasn't just a spectator it was an extra actor. This allowed the play to add another facet that usually is not included in typical plays. I also thoroughly enjoyed the comical aspect of the play as well.

This play reminded me a bit of "Power" which we read during this semester. I think this is due to the fact that there was a direct effort to break the "fourth wall." It was interesting to talk to Stephen Hudson-Mariet about the design for this set and then actually see how all the parts fit together to create a desired effect. The lighting, stage area, props, and positioning of actors are all important factors that a stage designer has to take into consideration before making a set. I feel like looking at the technical aspect of putting together a play and all the effort put in makes you appreciate the play even more.

Michael Hale
On September 24, 2010, I participated in seeing the “25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee,” performed at Marquette Theater. The overall base of the show was representing a spelling bee, where a group of teenage school students participated for winning first prize. A second theme that is underlined during the play is the representation of certain pressures that occur during a teen’s life style including peer pressure and the pressure of failure. The setting of the play was well detailed having an actual basketball court outline, basketball hoop, exit doors, bleachers, and other school propaganda that would be depicted in a school gym. The stage jutted out to half court where it broke apart revealing the audience. This allowed for the performers to break the fourth wall and make it seem like the audience is actually participating in the event.

The actors also called upon certain crowd members to come up on stage, and participate in the events. This allowed for a comical effect because the actors worked off of the awkward expressions that were found on the audience. The fact that the actors would actually take people from the audience, inspired me and my two other classmates to be more intone with the events that were occurring during the production. I feel that it was this emotional feeling of excitement that made me fully connect with the performance. I believe this production is very anti-illusionary because it allows for actual dialogue between the actors and the audience members. However, the actual stage set up was very convincing and therefore I can see the play being performed as a realist production also, but I feel it would lose its comical sense.