Whether what makes a theatre production stand out is the acting, or the directing, or the technical elements, what really makes a theatre production excel is having all elements, artistic and technical come together to bring out a clear and artistic interpretation of the script. And the duty to bring everything together with one single vision is the director.
We are now going to watch a recorded production of Alice in Wonderland. This particular production was praised for its directorial vision, which was clearly shown through the technical design elements. The acting is good, not excellent, but it is the technical aspects of the show that made this production stand out when it first came out.
It was so good that the production was then moved to a TV studio for recording and it was here, where the production seem to have "flat acting" and "lack of energy." I mean, it must have been a challenge to transfer a stage production from a big theatre to a TV studio in order to record it. And it was this TV studio transfer that limited how "big" the actors could perform their roles, how grand they could get with their gestures, speaking, singing, and dancing, and how much a director could do about directing a play for the stage but in a small space with TV cameras. Now, if we wonder why they didn’t just record the show from the theatre itself, let’s just say that such a concept didn’t exist yet.
As we watch the show, I want you to concentrate on all the technical aspects of the production, less on the acting, singing, dancing, directing, and more on everything regarding technical design, such as costumes, lights, sets, props, make up, etc…
I also want us to clear our minds from "prior" knowledge about Alice in Wonderland. Whatever knowledge we have about such a story, let’s put it aside. Let us not think that because we saw one show or film about Alice in Wonderland, that we have seen the official production. In other words, let’s leave our previous expectations to the side and watch this production as if we have never seen nor heard about the girl who followed a white rabbit down a rabbit hole.
If we are ready to watch the recording, click the link below to start.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
This assignment is based on the lecture, "Theatre as Collaboration." It is advisable to review the lecture before doing the assingment.
Goal: To demonstrate how the technical elements in a theatre production can be interpreted to enhance the story and the vision of the director.
Look at the different aspects of design: costumes, makeup, wigs, lights, sets, props, sounds, etc… while keeping in mind the director’s vision of the show.
This is an essay response. You will be writing between two and three pages. Answer the two questions and then use the answers to write your essay.
1 How do all the aspects of design come together to bring a single, focused, and unique vision in this production?
2 What does such a design style represent or is trying to represent, etc?
Follow MLA format when writing your paper.
Please remember that assignments have no point value but they do have an evaluation of "Excellent, Good, Completed." Your assignments will be part of a "Class portfolio" that will be evaluated at the end of the semester in order to assign the final grade.