The Politics of Art & Authenticity

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The play that witnessed Thursday evening was, once again, a new experience for me. The way that this play was structured was diverse in the way that it went between two similar situations that were characteristic of two vastly different time periods. The concept itself is very ingenious but the medium chosen to portray it was not my cup of tea. I’ve never really been a fan of the theater or plays but I tried watching this production with an open mind. Unfortunately, my prior views on theater  this made no difference in my opinion of the show. I’ve always found the actors in plays to be very over exaggerated in the portrayal of their roles. No offense to those who love theater but it’s just not for me. Overall, I was immensely impressed by the way this seemingly farfetched story was skillfully pulled together but wish that it was conveyed through another medium.

I was totally blown-away by the multimedia magic that was used to make House/Divided. As a mildly ADD person, I found the continuous shifts between the different forms of entertainment to be a huge relief after our last performance involved sitting for 3 hours listening to French.

I had never before felt personally moved by the plight of those who are forced out of their homes. I knew it existed, of course, but I never gave much thought to it. I can’t even fathom having my stuff thrown out on the street and being told that the place I call home is no longer mine. Even though it seemed like this performance was villainizing the “Big Bad Banks,” I know that of course there are two sides to every story. So I’m not sure what the banks should have done if these people were simply not keeping up with their payments. Maybe they should’ve given them more time? Or helped them come up with a way to repay them more slowly and in smaller increments? In any case, I’m usually wary of anything that seems totally one-sided.

The part that I felt was most dramatic was when Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers were slowly going bankrupt. I knew what the outcome would be, so I was holding my breath, waiting for when they would announce their predicament. I also found the two stockbrokers to be hilarious, so I looked forward to them coming on stage.

In terms of “The Grapes of Wrath,” I thought that the olden-day scenes pretty much echoed John Steinbeck’s famous work. The modern day bits were merely a more applicable spin on the same theme. That being said, I didn’t enjoy the old parts as much as the modern ones. Maybe it’s because I can’t relate to the farming life as much, but anyway I found those parts kind of boring. Still amazing though, just not as enjoyable as the rest of it.

House/Divided is a  really cool show, and very original in how they put a new spin on John Steinbeck’s classic work. I would love to see another multimedia performance like this one!

That was my first reaction to the play. The combination of the ancient,  falling-apart look of the theatre, the fact that our seats were fifty feet above the ground, and the extremely technological multimedia play all blew me away. The technology, mainly, blew me away. I could only imagine how long it must have taken behind the scenes to create the powerful presentation we all saw. It’s one thing to see recorded movies, but seeing all of this, which I guess seems more like a live movie, gave me a new appreciation for technology.

I also read John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath in eleventh grade, and when I read it in school, I read the book as part of an American literature course, and in turn, I saw the book as a part of American history. A story about a family in the Great Depression, in the great Dustbowl. Something that could happen in the olden days, but more unheard of today. Well, this play certainly changed that view. The juxtaposition of this classic novel with today’s current issues was so interesting for me, and gave me a new outlook on this novel. This work now has more of a timeless feel for me.

In both the older and modern economies, the antagonist is nature – the nature of the unrelenting Dustbowl, the refusal of crops to grow, and the nature of the economy that all work to prevent people from making a living, and living in peace and prosperity. No matter what era people live in, there are always hardships and challenges that we inevitably face, whether it is against other human beings, or against non-humans, such as “machines” or “the bank.”

The idea of people losing something dear to them, having to move, getting kicked out, is a powerful idea, and it is something that everyone faces at some point in his or her life. These two storylines display this idea on a grand scale, but perhaps every person faces this on some kind of level. I could feel the hard work of the actors, the depression and devastation of people who were losing things. I could see myself, and some of my own losses, mirrored in this play. Maybe that is the crucial point. To truly engage the viewer in the plot.

I thought this play was fantastic. The storyline was great. I loved how it jumped back and forth between these two vastly different yet simultaneously similiar stories. The message was clear, and it was easy to follow the transitions between the two different time periods. I always wonder what the original producer of a work of literature would think if he saw his work getting redone. Sometimes when work is redone, when books are made into movies, or books are translated or abridged years later, much of the content and meaning is changed or lost. But I think Steinbeck would have liked this.

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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.

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When I was watching the preview video for House/Divided I was pretty skeptical on whether or not the production would be a success.  From the preview it seemed that they were incorporating the past and present, and using all different types of media, which can definitely be risky.  Basically, the performance would either be fantastic or would be a failure.  Luckily it was the first.

I was very impressed with how well The Builders Association was able to use multi-media to its fullest; using video previously recorded and also live footage.  It all meshed together perfectly and nothing seemed out of place, or random.  As a person experienced in editing film, I know how much time it takes to make sure everything is perfect, and having to do all of that live is very impressive.  I also really enjoyed the way they created the music for the performance, using some sort of synthesizer.  It brought in a whole new-age feel to music for performances.

The combination of events from the past and present was also very successful, and made viewers see how history repeats itself.  The play is based on the famous novel, The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck.  The director, Marianne Weems, explained that if you changed the word “farm” to “house” it would sound very similar to the banking crisis we experienced a few years ago.  There was a lot of juxtaposition between the two time periods.  It was interesting to see just how similar the two times were.  Both had to struggle fighting the system, both had to see their belongings thrown on the street, and both had to find a way to make it through.  There were some odd aspects of the stage directions, such as how the actors were sitting in the house and talking off into the distance.  It didn’t seem like acting, but more like a bad soap opera. Overall though, the execution of the two time periods worked very well.

I really must commend The Builders Association and Marianne Weems for all the hard work they had done to make this production.  They had to make sure every piece of media was done perfectly and that the set was assembled and dissembled on stage at the right time.  It was also really fascinating that they used remnants from a foreclosed home to build the house they used for the show.  The time and effort put into this production was seen throughout the entire show, and I think it made the audience appreciate the show even more.

When I entered the theater last night to see “House/Divided,” my first impression was negative, just because the building seemed old and decrepit, and I felt like I was about to fall off my chair onto the people on the ground level. And when the presentation finished, my first impression was that it was really interesting – as in, different, cool, strange, weird. Between those two feelings, though, many things went through my head.

The show began and I was immediately captivated. I loved the multimedia aspect of it, but that also made it somewhat confusing. I think the idea behind the production is ingenious, connecting a major historical event to a major recent-day event.

I was drawn into the drama of the foreclosure. The fact that live actors were playing in the show made it very real-life. My heart was beating as I watched a group of men taking apart someone’s house, only because he was late on his mortgage one month! I just wanted to stop them and explain that they couldn’t do it! I couldn’t help but sympathize as I heard phone calls with customer service representatives who were no help. I know the feeling of trying to explain your situation to annoying customer service people who don’t listen to what you have to say, cut you off, and have no feelings. It’s like talking to the wall. The show portrayed this very effectively. Previously, I didn’t feel personally affected by the economic crisis, but now I have a better understanding of what happened and how people’s lives were crushed physically and emotionally.

Although the production was very dynamic, I thought the olden-day part was a little boring and the narrator’s voice really annoying – it was monotone and it just didn’t stress the right words. However, the reference to Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath” was very powerful. One reviewer said, “You can look at the story of ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ and replace the word ‘farm’ with the word ‘mortgage’ or ‘house’ for what is happening now and the story is very much the same.” “House/Divided” effectively compares the two eras and shows how similar the events were. Reading “The Grapes of Wrath” and watching “House/Divided” elicits the same responses and emotions. The characters in both are helpless and paralyzed compared to the powerful people they come up against.

I’m not sure why, but I got the feeling that it wasn’t a completely finished production. Maybe because the video once replayed by mistake, or because a different video was cut off in middle, but I just felt it needed to be rehearsed one more time to make it perfect!

All in all, though, I think “House/Divided” was a great production and the multimedia production was the perfect way to convey its message.

I loved last nights theater production at BAM. After climbing all million steps and then climbing into my impossibly high chair, I was sweating and not so in the mood. But i got excited when I saw the fragmented house on the stage, and got ready for a show that was bound to be interesting.

It was incredible.

When I was in 12th grade, my school put on a production, and I was “tech head”, in charge of all technological aspects of the production. The production was multi-media, with projections and videos and serious props and acting, dancing, singing. I spent countless  hours in the computer lab, working in powerpoint and flash- I felt like I was best friends with Adobe. Even more hours were spent in the back of the theater, on a headset, explaining to the guys behind the scenes when to point which light where, when to open the projector lens, where to stand at what moment. I had to stand in the back during the actual play, pressing play and pause and stop and go. And our Manhattan High School production did not come anywhere near House/Divided.

I guess I can appreciate the technology a lot because I first-handedly understand how much effort needs to be put in (the computer really doesn’t know what to do on its own). It was truly incredible. I cant even put into words how impressed I am.

Aside from the technology, the actual content was incredible also. Comparing the content of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, about the economy of yesteryear, with the present day’s economy was such a creative and powerful idea. Then, they were kicked out of their homes and oppressed because the times were changing. They had no power to stop it, they were helpless. Today, there is no difference. The people are kicked out of their homes, and there is nothing they can do about it, even as they watch their possessions being dumped at the curb.

The ending of the production was also great. I love the comparison of the green grass that will come tomorrow with the positive green ticker symbols that will flash on the stock exchange screen. It brought hope to the table, which is always a good way to end a production.

The feelings and emotions that the play’s content produced could not have been conveyed the same way without all of the technology, and it is so important to realize how much the media matters.

It was incredible.

On my way to the BAM I continued to think I’d have a bad experience.  For one, “House/Divided” was an experimental show so it would either be good or bad.  Also, I get lost easily when using the subway.   I was positive I would have a ton of trouble getting to the theatre.

It took three tries asking directions to figure out where I was going.  I didn’t even see Professor Davis bedside me even when Nayoung specifically told me where to look.  Finally when the production started, I hate to say it, I thought it seemed dry.  It was just a projection on a house with someone narrating away.   It was boring.  Then two people came on stage and they sat there for minutes doing, what I thought, was nothing; one man sitting at a desk and someone else cranking some sort of device.

However it immediately picked up when the two men working for Bear Stearns were brought out.  Anything business catches my interest but this caught my interest for other reasons, one of which was that it was very relatable for me.  For one, one trader was obviously shorter than the other and seemingly more aggressive.  The taller trader was a bit more laid back and made fun of the shorter one.  This is just like the two ex-Bear Stearns traders I know, George and Josh.  George is short and curses up a storm when it comes to Josh who is constantly making fun of him, especially over his height.  I also believe they made this very life like.  Traders often get calls from home when they’re not busy, like the short trader did.  They are also known for their broad sense of humor and cursing up a storm.

I also like how they portrayed the CEO of Bear Stearns.  At one point I read a book called Memos from the Chairman. It was a book filled with memos from the CEO to all of his employees and associates.  Much of what this character said was stated in many of the memos, which made it truly life like.  I also took an interest in the scene where Lehman went bankrupt.  I never actually thought about it, but seeing it in this play, with background music, and seeing the actors depressed putting their heads down as if to say “it’s all over” actually got me thinking.  How did those who were involved feel when it happened?  How truly devastating was that event?  Then they showed hope at the end.  While grass beginning to grow again was being talked about, among all the red on the ticker, scattered green began to appear.

The scenes I found least entertaining were the ones of the people traveling out west.  They seemed boring however I also feel they were very much needed for the storyline.  They also got me thinking as well.  How did those people feel knowing that when they arrived at their destination there would be nothing?  Both scenes with the eyes really got me.  The first was where the man was telling the travelers of his horrifying experience.  On the screen his eyes continued to look which indicated he was thinking back.  The other scene was with Alan Greenspan.  His face was on the screen in the background as he spoke.  Toward the end of his talk there seemed to be more emphasis on his eyes as he spoke with a more authorative tone to show that he wasn’t saying but telling the people how it was.  I believe this was well done considering eyes are a window into the soul.

There were some mistakes that I noticed.  The woman attempting to sell the house fumbled her lines almost saying $7,000 instead of $4,000 so stopped, addressed the man in the back again, and corrected herself.  She also almost tripped while going up the stairs.  One of the videos repeated itself for some reason.  I also realized that the narration was actually being cranked for at one point the voice became slow, and when I looked, the man doing the cranking immediately sped up in order to correct the problem.

Throughout the entire narration I waited for seven words to be said.  The moment we were told this production would include the Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck I was sure it would be somewhere and it was.  “Live off the fat of the land.”  One line that always stood out in Steinbeck’s works.

All in all I thought this was a well-done play.  The storyline was great and very entertaining.  I enjoyed the humor that was added in like the grandpa being a big doll and the trader’s lives at work.  I have already recommended this play to two people and hope they find it as entertaining as I have.   This has made for one of my better evenings this week.

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