Maybe my pun is a cheap knock off of Dr. Burton's, but so what? It will all makes sense. Theater and I have an on again, of again relationship that has never quite reconciled. It all started when I was 9 and I got rejected in an audition for Peter Pan... too melodramatic? Nevertheless, I was excited to see Urinetown, everyone I had talked to about it said it was great. I had also never been to a theater in a round. In this sort of arrangement the crowd encircles the stage as opposed to the proscenium stage that I am used to. I first want to discuss the cons of this form of seating. There were a few times when characters would make a dramatic gesture or humorous face that I could not see because the actor was not facing my direction. This also made it difficult to hear the actors at some points as their voices projected away from me. On the other hand, this setting allowed the audience to be more involved in the play. Those in the very front row got up-close and personal with the actors. The play itself was witty, self-aware (the narrators frequently point out flaws and holes in the story), and not lacking moral substance. The music was great and the story was entertainingly original. There were a few refences to Les Mis too! Urinetown combines elements from many genres: satire, comedic music with tragic scenes, and elements of high and low comedy. Although there were numerous points when the actors fumbled with their lines, I came away very pleased with what I saw.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Coming around to drama
Maybe my pun is a cheap knock off of Dr. Burton's, but so what? It will all makes sense. Theater and I have an on again, of again relationship that has never quite reconciled. It all started when I was 9 and I got rejected in an audition for Peter Pan... too melodramatic? Nevertheless, I was excited to see Urinetown, everyone I had talked to about it said it was great. I had also never been to a theater in a round. In this sort of arrangement the crowd encircles the stage as opposed to the proscenium stage that I am used to. I first want to discuss the cons of this form of seating. There were a few times when characters would make a dramatic gesture or humorous face that I could not see because the actor was not facing my direction. This also made it difficult to hear the actors at some points as their voices projected away from me. On the other hand, this setting allowed the audience to be more involved in the play. Those in the very front row got up-close and personal with the actors. The play itself was witty, self-aware (the narrators frequently point out flaws and holes in the story), and not lacking moral substance. The music was great and the story was entertainingly original. There were a few refences to Les Mis too! Urinetown combines elements from many genres: satire, comedic music with tragic scenes, and elements of high and low comedy. Although there were numerous points when the actors fumbled with their lines, I came away very pleased with what I saw.
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I saw "Christmas Around the World" in the round last year. I, too, wished sometimes I could see everyone, but I think with a dance it's easier to split into different groups to face every direction. Still, it's an interesting dynamic, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThe play I saw wasn't even in a round but two parts of the set were at far ends of the stage and I found that I had a sore neck at the end from having to turn so hard to the side to see what was going on. I can understand how this type of stage can be even more problematic.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a cool dynamic and even though it was frustrating at times I definitely enjoyed the experience overall.
ReplyDeleteBriggs! I am so happy you saw this play, too! It is one of my favorites, and I love plays in an arena theatre. Did you see it on a M/W/F or T/TH/S??!
ReplyDeleteI saw the Saturday matinee
ReplyDelete