The Politics of Art & Authenticity

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I’m always a little hesitant about these events. Partly because I count down the minutes until classes are over everyday, partly because I’m sleep deprived. I had no idea how interesting these directors could make the foreclosure crisis and The Grapes of Wrath so I was also worried I’d end up falling asleep.

Well I walked in and hiking up to our seats was probably the most exercise I’ve done in a very long time. (Only slightly pathetic, mostly hilarious so I thought you all would enjoy this) Then we got to our seats and apparently I’m afraid of heights because I freaked out a little. I was like, “Great, now I can’t even doze off because if I do and lean forward I’ll plummet to my death…”

There were several things throughout the production that could have been done a little better. Sometimes I was confused by the way the actors delivered their lines. In the modern scenes, we could see the actor facing a camera and speaking into it and also see his or her image on a larger screen up above. I didn’t know why they were doing this? If the actor was supposed to be communicating with the ones already on stage then I don’t think it was necessary for the audience to physically see him onstage.

Also, in the older scenes, there were a few instances in which it looked like the family was inside the house but there was a thin screen separating them from the audience. I didn’t really know why that was there or why it was necessary. Threw me off for a little bit.  Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention and someone else can explain this to me or I’m looking into it more than I should.

Lastly, all the wires and extra machinery hanging out behind the screens and actors were a little distracting. I didn’t know if they were supposed to be there as props in the first scene. The more I watched, I realized that they weren’t a part of the production and just extra things that possibly couldn’t be placed elsewhere? It made it look a little messy and rushed.

I must throw in here that I felt pretty smart understanding all the business related things discussed. Thanks to O’Malley and the unhealthy amount of studying I did for his midterm I actually knew what was going on for this production.

It was definitely a different theatrical performance. I thought it was interesting. They made the comparison between the two eras both evident and relevant. The transition between each time period was clear and well done. Both were captivating in their use of music, sound effects, and props. It was incredible to see the screens transform from scenery in California to a stock exchange screen. I was able to articulate the message the directors were trying to portray and I think this is the biggest challenge in any project. They succeeded, and therefore the production was a success as well. I would love to watch another one of these productions sometime in the near future.