2013 Arts in the City

Orchestral Music in Der Rosenkavalier

I do not think I was prepared to appreciate an opera prior to attending this show, and as such my evaluation of the dynamics within it are frustratingly shallow. Having recently misplaces my glasses, I was under the belief that I would be able to focus more clearly on the effects of the music, and how they told of parallel story to that of the characters on stage. This was a little bit of a fanciful idea, seeing as how I have no classic training in music and lack the vocabulary to properly express what effect it is that it truly had. What did become very apparent is that the music was very much a frame for which the powerful and beautiful voices of the singers to be presented in the most appropriate way possible, working to help sonically emphasize the most important emotions trying to be communicated. Orchestral music is very soothing for me to hear, and in this case proved to be much to relaxing. Without a clear view of the characters onstage I could not follow the story as well as I would have liked, and swiftly fell victim to the music. I enjoyed what I saw of the opera, and hope to go next time after a good nap and some coffee.

Acting in a Mid Summer Night’s Dream

The performances in this rendition of Shakespeare’s legendary comedy displayed the many ways in which an actor can impact an audience. I saw in the acting a level of physicality, at times very flamboyant and at times more subtle, that added new layers to the words being communicated by the actors. The lines were at times exaggerated, undermined, or more artfully expressed, through the graceful movements of the actors.  Puck was given such a strong on stage presence what his charming wit and humorous antics. What really set him apart was his physical interactions with the sets and the other characters. His quirky mischief is personified through the actors physical interpretations of what Shakespeare has Pluck saying, and the otherworldliness of his character is given a stronger meaning through the flight so often incorporated in his scenes.

I can’t help but connect this to our study of Tibet Through the Red Box, in that they both work on two levels to add depth to a single story. The same way Peter Sis uses both his words and his art to demonstrate the different levels of the story; the directors and actors wield both the masterful Shakespearean dialogue and the incredible physical talents of the actors to provide a more fantastical, immersive, and impactful experience. I haven’t been able to shake the power of the moment in which Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena joined together to throw pillows at Hermia. Her solitude and the cruelty of a lost love created a deep empathy in me for her, while the humorous dialogue and the silliness of the pillows made me laugh. Feeling two such contradictory emotions adds depth to the experience and demonstrates the artistic effect of not only the acting, but also the expert directorial choices.

Grey Gallery Look and Look Again

 Modern Iranian Art

Revolutionary Posters

 Raised fists, c. 1979

 Look:

In this powerfully evocative poster we see the silhouettes of what appear to be several protestors with their fists raised creating a long black outline set to a bright red background. Inside of the silhouette and in accordance to it’s shape, are the words “There is no God but God” transcribed in Arabic with a bold white font. At first glance this poster seems almost to have designed to peak my interest as I am fascinated by street art both in it’s ability to create powerful images rooted in simplicity and style, as well as it’s implementation of words to add context and a message to the chosen aesthetic, both of which are elements this poster displays to great affect.

Look Again:

Further inspection of the image and a deeper understanding of it’s historical context add significance to some of the subtler choices made by the artist. For instance, this being a poster that is created in order to spur the people into some type of action, it would make sense that the people be portrayed not as individuals but rather as a unit brought together by a common message. A common message that calls for the defense of  a belief that this image suggests is a part of the people, as the affirmation of their faith is in this poster transcribed onto the people joining them with their cause. The powerful choice of coloring, what with the sharp contrast, add to the aesthetic as well as the political effect, as these could be considered “violent” colors.

Scene Analysis

The excerpt I’d chosen from Romeo and Juliette was that of Mercutio’s death. Mercutio is a vital character in the play, and his passing marks one of the most important moments in the play. I chose this segment originally because I thought it was a perfect example of the very real and raw emotions Shakespeare is able to communicate, even within the backdrop of what seems to be a silly love story between children. In my opinion, that is the primary purpose of his death in the play, it effectively reminds the audience that these children live in an adult world in which their childish romances have very real and very frightening consequences.

Watching the play, my opinion was only fortified, as the death of Mercutio was arguably the most powerful moment in the play. The character of Mercutio was given an extremely flamboyant personality, one that absorbed my attention whenever he was on stage. His presence was full of power, charisma, and slight perversion, making his character in this interpretation something of a controversy, but undeniably significant. That is to say, regardless of your opinions on the persona communicated by the actor, you can’t deny that his was a very prominent presence. This makes his death, his cruel and ugly death, a much more powerful moment, if at all possible, than can be communicated in just the text of the play. When reading the lines of Mercutio we do not grasp the large role he plays in the world of the play, it is hard to see what impact he has. It is not until you see him physically die, and until you can’t help but notice how large a void is left by his passing through the lack of his physical presence, that you truly understand the gravity of his death. No more short funny man running around from corner to corner of the stage.

This was not my favorite interpretation of Romeo and Juliette, but I can’t imagine them having done a better death for Mercutio. The raw ugliness of it, the anger and the confusion, they all worked together to expertly contrast the fluffy love the audience had just gotten accustomed too, and in doing so the audience feels the shock of youth as it learns of the cruel world. Shakespeare makes us, for a second, feel like children, and artfully destroys the rosy lovey lens with the death of youthful energy, passion, and misunderstood wisdom personified.

Choreography on Midsummer Night’s Dream

Duirng this play, as oppose to any other play that we’ve gone to watch, the choreography and movement of the many characters was especially important. What I noticed about the characters was that their choreography almost indicated their mood or role in the play. For example, Puck’s sporadic and flexible movement indicated to viewers that her main role was to be a form of comedic relief. Because she moved so fluidly, you could tell that she was always cheerful and giddy. I found this type of choreography to be consistent with most characters. Another example is when Lysander and Demetrius are fighting over the love of Helena. They’re movements were very fierce and aggressive and indicated their passionate love for Helena as well as their anger towards each other for wanting to pursue the same woman.

The choreography really helped me to understand the play better mainly because I had never read the play before. I also really enjoyed how the children and their choreography was utilized. There were many points throughout the performance where the children were used as a part of the scenery because of how they were moving. For instance, when Demtrius and Helena are running through the forest, the kids were rolling on the floor beneath them. This was supposed to be seen as logs that Lysander and Helena were running after.

The choreography was very important to understand different scenes as well. One scene that may have been interpreted different had it not been for the choreography was when the Lord of Shadows and Puck are on the stage but are supposed to be viewed as “invisible.” Lysander is professing his love for Helena while Puck and the lord of Shadows are making sly, discrete movements behind the bamboo sticks that represent the forest scenery. Had the lord of shadows and Puck been moving normally then the audience may receive the impression that they are just as visible as Lysander and Helena. Choreography played a very important role in the play being viewed as a fluid yet refined work of art. I thought the director did an amazing job in every minute detail of the characters’ movements.

Grey Gallery at NYU

I was very disappointed to have to view these pieces of artwork online as oppose to having viewed them firsthand. The further I looked into these vibrant pieces, the more upset I became that I could not actually attend the tour and witness them in person. Both Modern Iranian Art and Radical Presence had pieces that were very exquisite as well as eye opening. I especially enjoyed looking through the different pieces in Radical Presence because they were all commenting on the larger social issue of racism. One of the most raw and interesting pieces I thought was Pretending to be Rock by Sherman Fleming. When I watched the video portraying Fleming and the woman hanging in front of him, I was in awe. Questions like “how could this be art?” started swirling around in my head but our in class conversation later that day helped me to realize just how profound this piece of work was.

Fleming was trying to convey the torture and agony of slaves that found themselves going through this type of torture on a daily basis. Fleming’s female collaborator was used to represent the superiority of whites during the time of racism. Although this display of self harm may seem very grotesque at first glance, it has so much meaning that it evolved into one of my favorite works in Radical Presence.

In the Modern Iranian Art exhibit, one of my favorite pieces was that of Sohrab Sepehri. A noted printmaker, poet and artist, Sepehri depicts a scene from his hometown in his piece labeled Trees with Figure. This piece automatically captured my attention. The juxtaposition between the colorful fruits and leaves located at the top of the tree with the somber and arid looking atmosphere was very perplexing to me. I stared at longer and longer and I began to come to a conclusion about what Sepehri was trying to show. He was trying to indicate to viewers that something, in and of itself, may seem very ravaged but every person finds beauty in a unique way. Sepehri finds beauty in his hometown in a way that no one else might and that symbolizes the animated fruit and leaves at the top of the tree. This painting really supports the cliché “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Someone may not even find a moment of beauty in that which you find absolutely mesmerizing. Sepehri’s painting was one of my favorites in the Modern Iranian Art exhibit because it fused elements of Iranian art with modern art that many viewers would find relatable. I wish I had been able to see many of these pieces in person because viewing them electronically does not do justice to the meticulous attention to every detail and every brushstroke.

Der Rosenkavalier

This was my first time watching an opera and I really was grateful to have seen such an involved work. The interaction between the different characters and singers definitely played an important role in how the audience viewed certain scenes as well as the emotions that were being conveyed. In the first scene, when the curtain rises on Octavian and Princess von Werdenberg, you can see their intimate yet secretive relationship because of how they are on the bed and very very close to each other. The secretness of their relationship is also portrayed when he is told to hide behind the bed and then he forgets his sword and then goes back to the bad and you can see worry in her face. Although, at the angle I was sitting, it was a bit difficult to view every move that was made by the characters, it was clear the conscious choices made by the singers played a role in conveying a particular mood or feeling to the audience.

Another scene where the interaction of the characters was important was when the Notary first entered along with a multitude of different characters. I thought that because of the many characters all having their own individual role in that scene in the context of the whole stage showed just how prestigious this family was. So many people in one room indicated that they were socialites and had many people attending to their tasks. This scene was almost an example of a lack of interaction between the characters that helped  the audience to see the elite privileged life of the family we will be viewing for the remainder of the play.

I enjoyed watching the opera although we had very high seats. I think my first exposure to the opera was a very good one and the subtitles that were provided to the audience greatly helped me to understand the opera scene by scene.

Romeo and Juliet Scene

I chose to examine Act 3, Scene 3 specifically where Friar Lawrence is reprimanding Romeo for all of his foolishness up until this point in the play. When I first read the scene, I imagined Friar Lawrence to be playing the fatherly figure that Romeo really lacked throughout the entire play. I also imagined the Friar’s tone to be stern and instructive. While watching the play, this was exactly how the lines were interpreted. Romeo began preaching to Friar Lawrence his love for Juliet and that without her, his life was not worth living. Immediately, Friar Lawrence tries to show Romeo how foolish he is being.

One line in particular from my section that I was really intrigued to see interpreted was when Friar Lawrence says “Fie, fie, thou shamest thy shape, thy love, thy wit // Which, like a usurer, abound’st in all // And usest none in that true use indeed.” Watching these lines were very different than just reading them. When these lines were played out, Friar Lawrence began to shift his tone a little from reprimanding to caring and comforting. This made sense to me because Friar Lawrence doesn’t want to just insult Romeo. He genuinely wants Romeo to understand that this is his first love and potentially his first heartbreak. His life will go on and that he should not waste the potential that he has in life. I enjoyed watching the play very much and it helped me to understand the lines that I chose so much more.

The Role of Orchestral Music in Stauss’ Der Rosenkavalier

During the overture, the mix of the orchestra seemed like it lacked a firm bass section, utilizing only a single tuba. At first, this threw me off— I had thought to myself, “Isn’t this supposed to be a MET Opera, one of the most refined in the world?” I was right. Upon hearing the interplay between the character’s voices and the orchestra, I had realized that would have been an all out dynamic brawl between the singing and instrumentation is intelligently avoided by the minimal bass section. Overall, the interplay between the two resulted in a beautiful aural landscape.

Grey Gallery

Visiting this gallery was a very unique experience. I learned about Pope L, who was previously unheard of by me, as well as got a glimpse of Iranian art that I would have never gotten any opportunity to see.

Music in Der RosenKavalier

I must admit that I bit off a bit more than I could chew on this particular event by choosing to focus on music. I have very little professional experience in the world of music, and no experience whatsoever in the world of opera. As such, I am unable to fully appreciate the nuances of each performance and use complex terms like “scoopy” to describe how each vocalist sounded.

That said, however, My key observation was the ease with which I could identify characters based on differences in their voices. I had entered the opera skeptical that I would be able to distinguish one soprano from the other, a particularly difficult job in an opera with so many female vocalists, but I quickly became familiar with the differences in overall texture and sound between each performer and was able to easily use voice to determine the singing actor, instead of having to guess based on stage direction. Of course, being able to know who is speaking doesn’t add a great deal to any performance, but being so familiar with each singers’ voice on such an intimate level really led to a stronger connection with the characters leading to a greater investment in the events that unfolded over the three or so hours that I was there.

Interaction between Dancers

Of the four performances in the Fall for Dance presentation, the one in which dancer interaction was most clear was the second, “Mo(or)town.” The performance was based primarily on Othello, a play focusing around betrayal and a white handkerchief which eventually tears a group of friends apart. The performance can be divided into two categories – moments in which the entire cast is onstage, and moments in which just two characters are interacting.

In the full group scenes, the entire group moves as one, having very unified movements involving a great deal of physical contact and unity with one another. They are a close group who are comfortable with one another, and attempt to maintain this facade as the dance continues.

In the separate scenes, however, every motion is an attempt by one dancer to steal away the white hankerchief from the other. Each graceful movement is coupled with a desperate reach for the object of each character’s desire, and each dance becomes an elaborate duel between the two performers, doing all in their power to claim the important object.

Staging in MidsummerNight’s dream

MidsummerNight’s dream was remarkable in a number of fields, but it excelled in one place above all else – set design.

There are simply a ton of things to discuss with the set of Midsummernight’s dream -the use of poles to create a forest atmosphere, the outrageously creative and varying uses of large sheets, projections, and even the use of a wide assortment of hidden passages in the stage floor were all expertly planned and executed. I feel, however, that there is one particular set that stood above the rest of it, and that was the set outside of the traditional stage. There were a great deal of scenes throughout the production in which child fairies would sit amongst the audience, or when Oberon would watch from above in the background as dramatic events unfolded between the main cast. The members of the fairy world incorporated themselves into the play not simply as characters, but people observing the shenanigans that other characters were involved in, a role brilliantly represented by allowing these characters to break the fourth wall and use the seating around the stage as a stage.

It was a really good show.

The soprano who played the Marschellin debuted in the Ring Cycle as Sieglinde. I had seen her in Die Walküre, and it was wonderful to have that sort of connection here. I have also never seen a stage so cavernous or a set so intricate. I was astounded by the engineering. (And for those who didn’t stay until the third act, you missed an epic high-five in the orchestra pit.)

Acting in Romeo And Juliet

The most noticeable thing about the acting performance in this production of Romeo and Juliet was the amount of subtlety that the actors could afford to use in their performances due to the size of the theatre. Actors often need to employ extremely exaggerated motions to make their emotions clear to audience members in far away seats, but the actors in this performance were far more controlled in their motions, while still conveying a great deal of emotion and passion. Being so close to the action, I could feel the passion and the conviction in each aggressive footstep and repositioning, no mater how small.

Representative to abstract, then from abstract to insightful…

The concept of changing representative things into an abstract form of art was something I hadn’t seen before. It was pretty clever the way the artists also protested through those works of art. I was also able to appreciate a bit more the Iranian culture in the sense that they took censorship as their drive to new creations of art. Based on our conversations and what we learned from the guide, poetry at that time wasn’t a free form of art, therefore, finding painting as a venue to still voice poetry and the messages behind it was, I thought, an authentic form of expressing oneself.

Dance…dance…dance :)

Not only was the theater gorgeous, but the performances themselves were of great quality. I truly enjoyed the tap dancing. Those tend to be the kind of performances that set the standards pretty high for the rest of the night. I did see that that night as well. All of the different rhythms and beats the performers conveyed through that wooden floor made me sit at the edge of my chair. I consider myself to be a crazy romantic, and seeing that Motown theme on the next performance was very enjoyable. The couples danced so beautifully together. Although I was sitting far away from them, I could sense the connection they all had through dancing. I did enjoy the rest of the performances, but the highlights of my night were the tap dancing and the Motown segment.

My favorite Shakespeare play of all times…

Puck in my opinion did a great job. The actress did not overdo the acting that was expected of her. She was exaggerated, however, I think that was what Shakespeare was attempting to show through this character; mockery of human actions with a taste of wisdom.  The interactions between the four lovers was portrayed beautifully making them fun, but they also dealt with real life situations. The kids did an amazing job at decreasing whatever tension would build up within the characters. The acting of Hippolyta and Thesus was very royal-like, but they did not include the arrogant part that usually comes from the folks that are part of the upper class.

First time at the Opera

Because it was the first time I had had that kind of experience , I did not really know what to expect. But as the evening progressed, I became more intrigued with what Richard Strauss had written for his audience. The music captivated my attention right away. I tend to listen to a variety of classical music, especially while I am studying. I also consider myself to have pretty good memory when it comes to recognizing the songs I’ve heard, and what fascinated me is that all of the music that reached that ears that night was new. I definitely feel like this was a new experience to me in every sense.

Act 3, scene 1

The play overall took a very interesting modern turn in the sense that costumes, for instance, were no where near my expectations. It wasn’t a bad thing, in fact, I liked the way the director decided to adapt the play to more current times. The lines from act 3, scene 1 I chose were represented fairly well. Mercutio’s dominant performance throughout these few lines was, again, vivid and very touching. Seconds before he died, he said the famous phrase that predicts the outcome of everyone’s irrational actions. Actions that shouldn’t only be attributed to the lustful love of young Romeo and Juliet, but also to their rival parents and society as a whole. Not only did his words summarize one of the main themes of the play, but also his death was very symbolic. It started a trend in Verona that neither the Capulets nor the Montagues could halt. Slowly but surely, we see the decay of this society because the youth starts to die. We know that without young people, there isn’t a civilization that can thrive.

Act 1 Scn 4 – The Queen Mab Monologue

I loved this play overall. I was enthralled with how they brought it into such a minimalist, modern viewpoint. I would have never thought to do so. It was like Shakespeare Lite, the quick breathy version that doesn’t force too much thought. It has a bunch of laughs, a lot of sentiment, and then it’s over and you walk away happy.

As for Mercutio’s monologue, I thought they sped through this scene too quickly. The actor playing Mercutio didn’t really take the time to develop the scene to it’s full potential. He was saying the words, but the emotion and subtlety behind it wasn’t there. It was all just a big mush of words, that ultimately were lost and quickly forgotten in favor of scenes that were given more time.

Midsummer Night’s Dream – Lighting

In the production of Midsummer Night’s Dream that we saw, the lighting was everything. Some of the characters, like Oberon and Titania, had special lighting effects: Oberon’s costume glowed in the dark, illuminating everything around him, and Titania’s costume had two lights stemming from the hood of her costume. These lights made these characters (who are fairies) really appear to be otherworldly. The fairy children also carried lights, helping to distinguish them from the humans.

Other lights were used to create ominous shadows. For example, when Helena chased Demetrius through the forest, small amounts of light were used to cast the tree’s shadows on the floor. This helped to create the frantic mood of the scene.

Der Rosenkavalier – Tenor

The tenor in Act I of “Der Rosenkavalier” had a very smooth voice. He was able to project loudly over the orchestra and perfectly in tune, while retaining the warm and sweet characteristic of many choir tenors. This was astonishing, as most opera tenors usually have some “grit” in their voices because of the volume they have to project; slight natural harmonic distortion is usually produced and wild vibrato usually follows. But this tenor had little of these characteristics. The color of his voice also matched well with the orchestra; he had a very pure tone.

Der Rosenkavalier Review: Acting

I only stayed for Act I of Der Rosenkavalier, but I was able to witness the way that both the music and the voices themselves contributed to the acting as a whole.  We were really high up and the faces were blurred, but it didn’t hinder from realizing the emotions that the actors were portraying.  When you close your eyes, you could still feel every emotion and every response that each actor conveyed through the sound of their voice.

Four Directions of an Arist: Charles Hossein Zenderoudi & Eating the Wall Street Journal: Pope L

Four Directions of an Arist: Charles Hossein Zenderoudi

At first I thought this was some crazy abstract piece that I could never wrap my head around.  I thought that it was a beautiful pattern that I would wear on a dress, some kind of contorted floral print.  After explanations, you realize the power in this piece.  They are words without meaning.  The artist took Arabic symbols and contorted them into nothing.  It really shows how we are the ones who give words power.  The actual sketches on the page are meaningless.

Eating the Wall Street Journal: Pope L

At first, I thought this was just some construction going on in the museum.  I didn’t understand why newspapers were all piled up to lead to a toilet thrown, but when you watch the video of his performance, you can’t help but want to throw up.  People stood as he ate the Wall Street Journal and proceeded to throw it up.  It inverts the social ladder, bringing the elite newspapers down to the bottom, and these mundane things like ketchup and milk and human excrement up to the top.  It also turns this representation of elitism into something as mundane as a bodily excretion.  We give the elite the power and we can easily take it away.

Interaction Between Characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The interaction between the characters in the play added a great deal of comedy to the piece as a whole.

The relationship between Hermia and Demetrius is mirrored in the relationship between Helena and Demetrius.  Hermia scorns Demetrius just as Demetrius scorns Helena, but both Demetrius and Helena chase after the person who caused them pain.  I don’t understand how anyone can continuously go back to someone who has hurt them so.  Yet, these relationships are presented in a comic way.  Helena even says that she is Demetrius’ dog that will follow him to the end no matter how much he beats her down.  Unknowingly, Demetrius acts this way towards Hermia.  Even though it is obvious that Hermia is hopelessly in love with Lysander.  This unrequired love had a comic twist to it. 

Order of the Playbill

Whoever decided the order for the playbill and placed the Martha Graham Company’s performance of “The Rite of Spring” immediately after the Russian Ballet’s performance was a genius. Traditional ballet is full of pointed toes, grace, and elegance. However, in “The Rite of Spring”, there was stomping, no pointed toes whatsoever, and the concept was full of savagery and sacrifice and the music sounded like a battle cry at times. The order of the performance could not have been any better planned. It helps the audience realize that “The Rite of Spring” is not to be taken lightly and to understand how controversial it was when it first was performed. Today, all forms of expression are accepted and to not accept would award one with the title of being “Conservative.” Of course, the combination of music and choreography were the main components to setting this performance aside from all other, but the order of the “Fall for Dance Festival” helped it unique character become more emphasized.

“We Turn Minorities into Majorities”

Transitions inc. “We turn Minorities into Majorities”
Daniel Tisdale

At my first “look”, I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. Boxes of “Dark and Lovely” stood perched in a way that one would see boxes of cereal stacked in a shopping market. In India, there is a similar product called “Fair and Lovely” that actually does make one’s skin fairer which, to Indian people makes you lovelier. They have crèmes of this product for both men and women and both genders have been known to stock up on “Fair and Lovely” bottles. I thought during my first look that perhaps this art piece celebrates darker skin color. Instead of associating “fair” with “lovely”, it was associating “dark” with being beautiful. However, it was only in the look again and after the guide explained a few things that I realized that this was more than just an art piece, it was a performance. A performance that satirizes how society thinks social mobility is directly linked to fair/white skin color and that any darker shade fixates a person to an inferior class. Daniel Tisdale, acting as Tracy Goodman a sales associate, stood on the sidewalks trying to sell beauty products that claimed to make one fairer subtly advocating that only being white would allow one to live a better life. There were even before and after photographs of “clients” who used the products. A particular quote from a Native American struck me and it said something like “I used to live to live on a reservation, but thanks to Transitions inc., I now live in a condo!” While some people responded in outrage, the fact still remains that a good number of people actually considered the products. The array of responses received during the performance is a reflection of how society feels about what is necessary to social mobility.

Lights: the Wonder of Projections

White light, red lights, and tons of projections. This production of Midsummer Night’s Dream basically used only the lights mentioned above. However, what made it magical was how they used such lighting. When the play began, the magical, mystical, but eerie setting of the fairy realm was depicted with a soft red hue created in the background. It was the start of the play and Puck was simply waiting by the bed for the house to quiet down. The soft red that shined in the background signaled that the creature on the stage, though innocent and good also had a darker and trickster side to him- that he belonged to a group of creatures that could do both good and harm. Of course many of these emotions were developed throughout the play, but at the start of the play, the eerie aspect of the fairy world was evident.
Puck and Titania wore pale but creamy costumes, I believe, purposely for the projector’s full effect to become present. The projections- whether of flowers, grass, bamboo rods, or bats- filled the entire back wall and added to the scenery, ultimately becoming a prop in itself. The scene in which Titania is in her hammock against the back wall of the stage and reels in Bottom- who by that time was transformed to have an asses’ head- using white sheets, used a projector to display a huge flower on Titania. The mouth of the flower pointed at the audience, the purple and yellow petals, the constant moving of the projected flower as if it were sucking in Bottom– were all so beautifully intertwined to make- what could have been a very sexual and R-rated scene- into a more moderate one that still gave justice to the passionate and thus horrid love of Titania’s for Bottom with his asses’ head. I never thought a projector would be used so extensively in a play, but it was what made this performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream so memorable.

Choreography: The Use of Diagonals and Corners

The use of corners was extraordinary and so brilliant. I noticed that there was never moment in which two performers would stand side by side with each other unless they were in constant movement throughout the course of their dialogue. Performers were always placed at an angle of each other and left the scene using the corners of the stage. I loved how the timeless balcony scene became Juliet simply sitting on a row of chairs at no high elevation whatsoever while Romeo looked “up” at her from the opposite corner of the stage. There was no need for grand props or special effects, rather the mere wit of a choreographer was enough to bring a balcony scene to life with a few chairs and a square shaped stage.
The use of diagonals- especially during the costume party at the Capulet’s and during the fight that ends with Mercutio’s death was so clever. The costume party scene used the diagonal to it maximum potential: changing the direction of the diagonal, freezing some characters while allowing others to talk, placing Capulets, Montagues, and the Prince all back to back, — all of these techniques truly did justice to this scene. It was easy to focus on the character that would be talking and made it so that the audience could see everyone in full action. The choreographer of this particular interpretation of Romeo and Juliet made sure to tell the audience right at the beginning how performers would be stationed and used around the stage. He/She immediately shows us the differences between characters that are in the scene, or are watching a scene unfold, or are about to enter in on the scene quite soon. Act I begins with all of its characters facing backwards in a horizontal line and only the characters in Scene 1 actually in the lighted up section of the stage.

Music Transcends all Barriers

Though my focus was on choreography, I could not pull myself away from the emotion that radiated through the singers’ tone and simply the way they delivered their lines. Regarding choreography, there would be moments in the play where very little movement was needed and then other scenes where all of a sudden a parade of characters would come onto the stage and the audience must reluctantly give up trying to follow each and every character’s actions.The scene that blew my mind is when the widow, the three orphan daughters, a hairdresser, a group of tradespeople, a man of letters, a flautist and a tenor parade into the living room and all go upon their own activities with the tenor drawing in the most attention with his melody or aria. The choreographer of this scene takes a huge risk and had to have planned out what they wanted most out of this scene. Did he/she want to create a busy scene – so busy that one should not be able to follow each character’s activities in detail? Or did he/she want a busy scene and in the midst of it all want the audience to notice that one character—in this case the tenor- and by doing so placing a greater emphasis on the beauty in the tenor’s aria? Such planning is what makes a great choreographer admirable and one of the greatest assets to making a performance a great performance.
What I wanted to address quickly was how the singers could bring out my feelings of sadness, anger, and disappointment even though the entire opera was in German. Sure there were subtitles, but whether I looked at them or not, I could still feel my eyebrows being pulled together and the corners of my mouth turning down as the Marchellin was realizing that Octavian would end up leaving her and that it was best if she let him go. It is amazing how music can transcend all barriers- in particular language and visual since we could not see the actors facial expressions at all. My heartache was probably the high light of my experience at the opera.

Music

In this performance, the music relied heavily on the french horns. I was surprised to see this because in other bands I’ve seen, the french horns were either completely not in the band or very small in number. Seeing them play a huge role in a production like this was like a breath of fresh air.

William Pope L., Eating the Wall Street Journal

I thought this piece was extremely grotesque; it captures the race/class division problems that exist in New York, and America. The “simulated” vomit on the newspapers on the floor was almost as bad as if the real vomit was there. For a moment, I felt the rage that Pope L. must have felt– after all, he must have been really passionate about these problems if he was willing to eating newspapers and regurgitate them as part of a performance. I noticed the toilet as the throne for his performance.

After looking at this piece again, I noticed the fishing pole that was apparently used to pull the stacks of newspapers up to his throne. This piece is full of irony, as Pope L. uses common objects to fight against upper class corruption. (Other objects used are ketchup, milk, the toilet).

Romeo and Juliet – Music in the Play

The music was mostly modern dance music, and especially in one of the dance scenes. It was particularly interesting how the director of this play chose to make the dance scene look like a crazy house party. The music was like rave music, and definitely added an exciting modern twist to the play.

There was also what seemed to be cinematic, eerie music that played during certain points in the story. When the plot moved forward dramatically, or there was a fight, the creepy music played. The inclusion of this modern, and unconventional music in this play is an interesting choice and, again, I think it helped to add to the modern element.

Look and Look again on: Transitions Inc and Unnamed piece

Transitions Inc.
My initial reaction to this piece is based heavily on the reactions people had to the work.instead of being offended by the statement it makes on American culture, they welcome a chance to be “assimilated”. I had hoped this piece would make people realize how terrible it was to feel like assimilation was *necessary,* but instead it had the exact opposite effect.
Upon further thought, I realize that the fault lies not in the minorities who are so desperate to fit in, but in the majority who are so reluctant to accept minorities.the products on display in this piece are designed specifically to help people assimilate into a more “acceptable” society, and are both produced and marketed primarily by white businesspeople, the real cause behind the racial crisis that this piece is mocking.

Golden egg amidst grid of white eggs
My initial reaction to this was to draw comparisons between it and the works of Andy Warhol. My understanding of Warhol’s pop-art pieces I’d that he aimed to point out how modern society has become somewhat “copy-paste.” There are too many followers and not enough leaders.the Iranian piece seems to have a similar message, glorifying individuality and nonconformity as a bright gold egg that stands out from the rest.the Iranian identity sets this artist apart, and (s)he is happy to embrace it.
My second reaction is shaped by a similar, adjacent, piece in which the Iranian “hand” icon appears black amongst a grid of white hands. It sends to me to say that while standing out as an Iranian artist is a blessing, it is a black curse, as well.the Iranian artists in this exhibit all have to struggle to overcome some of the the stereotypes and expectations attached to their identity, which is the curse that this adjacent piece seems to bring up.

Der Rosenkavalier

The Opera was absolutely beautiful, both in the artistry and the set and costume design. The sets were incredibly elaborate, especially the Marshalin’s bed chamber, complete with huge bay windows. The set was designed to evoke the royal courts of the eighteenth century, though the opera was written in a later century. The set immediately established the characters as well as the setting. The luxury present signaled to the audience that the characters are wealthy and powerful.

Look & Look again

Calligraphy (1964)

Siah Armajani

I looked at it initially and it reminded me of the art is history piece of art I had brought into class. The type of art is called microgrpahy, where pieces of texts are placed in positions to create an image of some sort. The pieces of text in this piece of art are verses of poems written in Arabic. Within the calligraphy I hadn’t noticed any image, all I saw were Arabic words almost mashed together with no specific order or pattern. When we were told that the picture was created from Arabic letters I was surprised not to recognize the letters.

Costumes

In the play the Midsummer Night’s Dream, the costumes the characters dress plays an important role in the way the play is presented. The beginning of the play featured the characters in clothes that would be worn by those of Shakespearean times, which was not surprising and it was very befitting. The attire consisted of long jackets, poofy sleeves, and collars called “ruffs.” The Shakespearean attire was dressed by the main human characters, Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius. The Fairy Queen, Titania was dressed in this dress that seemed similar to a dress that Lady Gaga would wear; the dress had lights sticking out of her breasts and she had a plastic cape-like garment. She looked as though she came from another planet. By portraying her as almost extra-terrestrial, they help us, the viewers, differentiate between her and the other characters. The King of Shadows, Oberon, looked as though he was the Indian Chief. He had all those sticks, coming out of his attire and he had face paint. Puck, the fairy, that observes all the characters at all times and is subservient to Oberon’s commandments. Her costume was basically regular clothes, however, she had facepaint that distinguished her from others. Her facepaint was very white and allowed her to be distinguished as a fairy. I noticed that all the fairies were given something to make their skin whiter; this included the kids that played the fairies, the queen of fairies, and Puck herself.  The kids that played the other fairies were dressed in a white bodysuit so that it seems as though they are naked, which is how the fairies were portrayed in the original play.

I enjoyed the play very much; I loved the way there was a modern twist to it. The modern twist made it more comical than the original play was written out to be which made the play more enjoyable. The play was a great interpretation of the play and the play was a wonderful way to spend my evening.

Der Rosenkavalier – Sets

For the hour that I was there, and from the sky-high seats we were in, the sets looked pretty impressive. The sets appeared as though they belonged in a castle. The curtains were luxurious, and the walls were magnificent.  Everything just looked beautiful, with the costumes it really looked like they were in the 1700s. Another aspect of the set that I noticed was the window, how the shades were closed and opened to differentiate between night and day. The first act took place in The Marschallin’s bedroom and to think that that was only room in the whole house you could imagine how big the house is painted out to be.

OPERA OPERA OPERA!!

Der Rosenkavelier was wonderful. The costumes were exquisite, the sets were ornate, and the music was mind blowing. The ending was sad but beautiful. The voices were gorgeous and carried all throughout the theater, and the singers played their characters perfectly.

The ending of the opera was bittersweet. It was beautiful but also sad. The Marshallin gives up Octavian, her love, so that he can be with Sophia. She doesn’t want Sophia to end up married to a disgusting older man whom she does not love, like the Marshallin had to at her age. She’s giving up love so that the person she loves can be happy and to change the fate of a young woman whom she knows nothing about. This act of selflessness is moving and sad, although the lovers are happy to finally be together. It’s a beautiful contrast that was executed perfectly.

My First Opera

After years of listening to Andrea Bocelli, I thought of opera as a beautiful expression of human emotion. When I walked into the theatre, I was amazed by the size of the room, the elegance of the lights, and the size of the orchestra. When the orchestra began to play, I deeply appreciated the unity and chemistry of the large orchestra, all members playing as one. First impressions can mean so much.

The Opera

No one told me Quinquin was a woman. Maybe he was played by a woman so that the Marschallin’s lover would seem less masculine so that he doesn’t overpower her. The way Quinquin got down on his knees and kissed her made it look like she was his master. The Marschallin obviously loved Quinquin, but it was a different kind of love. It was kind of like the way I love my puppy.

Choreography

What stood out for me the most was the choreographed moves of the fairies, who in a sense became the forest while dancing as a unit. In this fairy-composed forest, Lysander tries getting away from Helena; they don’t run, they dance. It’s almost as if they are playing a game of tag.

Calligraphy by Siah Armajani

I love how Armajani combines visual art with written words. I think she is trying to bring out the point that just as words can make a statement, so to visual art can be used as an outlet for (in her case) political critique.

Acting in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

This performance of  “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was the first time that I had come into contact with this play both as a visual performance and a written play.  I noticed that Hermia had the only authentic sounding British accent, which made her lines seem and feel Shakespearean.  Lysander, on the contrary, had a completely Americanized accent which made it difficult not to concentrate solely on his accent.  Oberon, the king of the fairies, fit the role he was cast in because he was a bulk and demanding actor, as a king should be.  The way Robin Goodfellow pranced around and performed stunts, by use of wires, was the greatest part of the performance.  Since Shakespeare’s play is tied together by Robin Goodfellow as an integral character in the play it made sense that the actor in this performance performed the most stunts out of all the other characters and that the play focused on her ability as an actress to perform those stunts.

Calligraphy Made Contemporary

In Armajani’s Calligraphy (1964), numerous poems in arabic were separated and placed on a canvas in a random order.  In this way, Armajani is trying to show his audience that even though calligraphy is an old form of writing that is not used often it can be something seen as modern as well.  Siah Armajani is an Iranian born sculptor and knowing this extra bit of information made his piece even more understandable because, like in his occupation, he took basic materials and created something greater that can be interpreted numerous ways by each individual.

Der Rosenkavalier – Lighting

The opera used lighting in a more subtle manner than in plays and other performances. Act 1 started with a dim light to represent the rising sun. As time went on the light became brighter until the whole room was well lit. Act 2 started out bright, but dimmed out slowly until the its ending. The lights during act 2 help illuminate Octavian as the Rosenkavalier since she was wearing a shiny coat.
Primary lights were yellow and white, no other colors were used. Yellow for the rising and setting of the sun. White for lighting up indoor scenes. A spotlight was also focused on the conductor of the orchestra, only during the parts where the music was the main focus.

Costumes (as per usual)

Let me just start by saying that I loved the opera. The first act certainly was slow, but as time passes I found it absolutely breath-taking and enchanting. I have certainly fallen in love.

The glittering silver costumes Octavian and Sophie were so incredibly perfect. They fit together, shimmering under the spot light. That said, that was the only time this couple really matched. Oddly enough, the costume designers choose a more untraditional role in matching couples costumes by not matching their costumes. Most of the couples were put in scenes together with contrasting colored outfits, while enemies had complimentary tones. This is usually not so.

Also, I loved the characterization of the Marschallin through her costumery. She not only had the finer clothing of the cast, but also was much taller as well. This played into her large stature and mature viewpoint. The Marschallin was by far my favorite character, and I really appreciated her view point.

This doesn’t relate to costumes, but I figured I throw it in. I honestly don’t think that this had a sad ending. Yes, in the end, the Marschallin gives up her love, but she does so without pouting or complaining. She knows that Sophie is best for him (for she still has a husband.) The young love of Sophie and Octavian is done very well, very sweetly and true to life, but also in such a way that it does not rub such love in the Marschallin’s face. I think while the ending is not perfect, but it is very beautiful and true to how life is. I appreciate the Marschallin accepting her fate, and in such, see a stronger and more powerful character who I truly admire. It would be a sad ending for me if she had let down my standard of her.

Playing with Costume

I loved the way the costumes took a whimsical approach to the show.

Throughout the play, we see Helena, Hermia, Demetrius, and Lysander slowly lose articles of clothing. Hermia especially loses her stuffy apparel and slowly comes to look more like herself as the influence of the court slips away. My personal favorite scene was the pillow fight scene, where all the clothing was lost and so many laughs had. The director and costume designers both most have had fun with that scene, making it both applicable and ridiculous.

Oberon had a commanding presence with tribal based clothing and a shimmering purple-toned blackface addition. He was a perfect contrast to sparkling Titania, who literally brought light along with her. Together, these otherworldly beings contrasted not only each other, but the more human of the play.

Der Rosenkavalier

Watching the opera was a very entertaining experience. The voices were harmonious, the orchestra produced beautiful music, and the singers added personality to their characters. This personality was nicely portrayed through their movements.

The lovers conveyed their feelings for each other in the first scene through body language. When the baron visits, his pompous air is portrayed by the way he walks and talks. Overall, the choreography brought the character of the actors to the surface. For those of us who could not see facial expressions, choreography was sufficient enough to convey the emotions and feelings of the characters.

Look and Look Again: Eating the Wall Street Journal–Pope L

When I first looked at this piece I found it very intriguing. What caught my eye was the pendulum looking object in the middle of the structure that for some reason reminded me of Miley Cyris’ “Wrecking Ball.” I also loved the paper mache effect and the way the newspaper overlapped. I didn’t even notice anything on the top of the structure. On my second look with the guide, I looked up and saw a toilet, and a bottle of ketchup, and flour, and a carton of milk. Now I was confused. Then I saw the TV in the background. At first I thought that maybe the whole structure was simply to symbolize that the world of business isn’t elite and that businessmen aren’t superior, which is why there was a toilet and other everyday items on top of the structure. Then I watched the video a bit close and the guide explained what the performance really was: A man eating the Wall Street Journal with ketchup and milk and regurgitating it every so often. Well. If I wasn’t already uncomfortable, I was now. The thought of someone damaging themselves like that makes me cringe, and watching someone swallow newspaper on screen makes me nauseous. I understand the concept and the profound meaning behind it now; I was right to an extent when I first looked at it, except this performer took it to a whole other level.

Music in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

There was, surprisingly, a lot of music in this show. In this rendition of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the lines that are usually spoken but written as a song were actually sung, which I thought added a lot to the performance. The fairies were played by children, so their voices were young and had a children choir sound. Their pieces were often sung from the balconies, which created an ethereal,above-our-heads feel. They were also dissonant, which made the sound otherworldly. Their were two boy soloists that sang over the choir. Boy soloists and choirs are often called “angel choirs” and are used to get that angelic sound.
These pieces were used to establish mood and vibe. Music was also used for humor. When the actors thought that Bottom was dead, they began singing a funny version of Amazing Grace with improv. This made the audience laugh and further convinced us of the silliness of the characters.

Costumes

The costumes in “Romeo and Juliet” played a very important role in establishing who each character was. Juliet, for example, always wore a white dress, which represents innocence and purity and youth, with black combat boots, insinuating that she is rebellious. Romeo wore a white v-neck shirt with a blazer, giving off a cool, young, hip vibe. Capulet wore a long, robe like suit jacket that was red and ornate, signifying both his rank and his old fashioned way of thinking. Lady Capulet wore a cheetah print outfit and a lot of pink, which I took to symbolize her desire to be young and reminded me of the mom’s we see in popular movies like “Mean Girls;” she just can’t relate to her daughter because she’s a little too caught up in herself. The costumes were not traditional or coordinated with each other in any way (they even crossed time periods) but I thought it worked.

Fall for Dance Story/Review

“Fall for Dance” was a unique show in that the program had a wide range of styles and stories. The first part was a tap dance section, where there was no music, only the tapping sound of the dancers feet. It started off with three dancers on blocks and expanded to a line of dancers. At one point there was almost a competition vibe on stage because of the call and response section between three soloists. Although there was no clear story told from expressions or acting, the tapping beat never dropped and each person was playing a unique character through the way he or she danced. It was astounding because at times there were up to twenty people on stage, yet there was never a stray tap. The second act we saw had used a kind of ballroom dance and more modern, at times Motown, music. This told the story of Othello, the Shakespeare tragedy. In the first part we see a happy couple, representing Othello and Desdemona. They look happy and romantic, and the music adds to this vibe. Then, we see Othello give her the handkerchief. She drops it later in the story and we see another dancer (Iago) pick it up. There is a scene where Both couples (Othello and Desdemona, Iago and his wife) are dancing, and it seems a little competitive. We also get a dance segment where we see Iago mistreating his wife, and Iago and Othello seemingly bonding before the handkerchief is revealed. The last scene is a harsh dance where we can clearly see that Othello has killed Desdemona. I thought that this was an interesting take on the story, however I did not enjoy it as much as the first piece. Contrasting to this section, the next was a calm modern ballet duet with a bass and piano duet. The piece was called “Brothers,” and both dancers were extremely masculine looking, however one was female. The dance also looked like a romantic one, so I’m curious as to what exact story it is telling. I love this dance because of the calm and romantic feel and the live duet happening behind the dancers, The last section was a portion of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” which at one point in history had been banned because of content. The portion we saw had harsh movements and seemed almost cult like. We saw a young woman being kidnapped for sacrifice and tortured an raped all through the dance movement. The music and sharp movement made this piece scary and unsettling. I though that it was very well done and an interesting way to end the program, since it was the oldest piece on there.

Making Minorities Majorities

Making Minorities Majorities

From viewing both exhibitions there was one piece that really stood out to me, and it has left a permanent impression on me. At first glance “Making Minorities Majorities” this piece was one that I did have some sort of an understanding of what the piece was trying to illicit. However, by viewing it again and putting together all the different ideas and emotions that I got from this piece, made me grasp a deeper understanding of the whole purpose and meaning behind the display.

The piece displayed simple products. Products that could be used to make minorities majorities

A way to get  minorities to become majorities was by first making them look  as close as possible to a typical American.  This could be achieved through the use of the products they had displayed. By using these products, they could get a desired look that would change how they are viewed.

Midsummer Night’s Dream

Music

The music throughout the performance was very important. The music was like another piece of the set in this play. The scenes that included the fairyland had music that was magical and light. You felt as though you had entered a magical land because the music was whimsical and light.

Puck reminds me of the jingle bell boy. He was playful but wise. When he entered, or was about to enter you started hearing the jingles and you knew who was coming on set. Puck’s music united the magically and worldly part that were two key aspects in the play.

Der Rosenkavalier

The opera was beautiful.

As the lights dim, and the curtains open it’s as if you are transported into a different era. The sets was amazing, with the  different levels and all the detail.

The costumes that were worn gave an extra piece of information about the characters to the audience. Marie Thérèse von Werdenberg wore peach, corset gown, and this made her look very elegant. On the gown there were small detailing and embroidery in gold that gave off a sense of effortless beauty. She is after-all an more mature woman and very knowledgeable and her attire attested to this.

Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau was an obnoxious character. He needed everyone to know when he entered the room. He wore a bright red and gold piece in the second act. The red gave a sense of wealth and you could tell that he was from a higher class than some of other characters. But the extravagance of his attire also gave off the sense of him being the obnoxious character he was suppose to be.

Fall for Dance

Watching the performances were beautiful.In particular the Motown piece, was a tap performance. Watching them move along the stage and creating their own music with the tapping of their feet was breath taking. During the performance there wasn’t just one beat that was continuous throughout, but there were able to create a wide variety.

In contrast the ballet was very soft and fluid. While the Motown performers had to rely on the taps they made for their music the ballet performers were very light on their feet. You could hardly hear them as the leapt across the stage.

Being able to watching the two pieces were amazing and seeing the differences between the types of dance performances was a learning experience.

Romeo and Juliet

Act2 scene2,

The importance of this scene is to show how much love existed between the two. Whether we would call it love or not, is a different question. It is also to show that love  comes in different forms and it can literally make you crazy.

Throughout the performance the costumes that the actors wore were simple. Juliet, wore a simple plain white gown. This is symbolic of the part she represents in the play. Juliet’s white represented youth and innocence. Though she wore her white gown she had on combat boots. This represented the rebellious side of her and an inner strength.

Music

Music in this performance was crucial to determine the setting of each scene. In the fairy kingdom, children’s voices were utilized to portray their young and whimsical life style.

Look and Look Again

Persian Telephone – Parvis Tanovoli

At my first look at this piece, I thought it was a representation of the human being, representing both men and women. The part protruding from the sculpture could have been the male gentital while the part that the protruding part could have been the female part of the sculpture. At first glance I believed that it was trying to say how men and women are both the same, emphasizing a probably androgyny in the time it was created. But looking at the title and blurb, the sculpture is a telephone. Looking at the detail of the telephone, there are spikes in both the base of the telephone and the number pad. This is probably trying to change objects that are known to Iranian society. Turning the phone into a phallic object could possibly be another way Tanovoli to change traditional compositions of that phone.

Spade – David Hommons

At first glance I see that the piece puts a black man on the face of a card. More importantly, he’s on the face of a spade which is the highest suit in a deck of cards. This is probably saying that the black man is powerful, that he can beat anything that comes against him. Looking deeper into the painting a second time, I saw that the man had features that are pinned to the stereotypical black man. He had big lips and an afro, both of which looked imprinted onto the card. Thinking about it, it seems as if the man had fallen onto the card like  maybe he was dropped. Maybe the man was forced there and was forced to be played like a game.

Lighting

The lighting in this production was very minimal, switching on and off immediately between the two parts separated by the intermission. One of the more obvious uses of lights though, was the portrayal of night and day, changing between scene and scene. Light was also used in the beginning of the play to separate the two families. A red line ran down the middle of the stage, creating a separation between the two groups of characters.

Music

The music in the third performance created a new dimension to the dance. The cello was very dissonant, making it feel like it was revolving around the piano. In perspective to the dance, the music made it feel lonely and small compared to the space that the music created.

Costumes in Midsummer Night’s Dream

The costumes in this play truly made the entire experience an even more magical one. Each costume added more depth to the character and truly transformed the plot into a lifelike experience.

Audio Thoughts on Grey Gallery Art

Audio Look and Look again of pieces in the Grey Gallery.

1. Come Clean, a performance score by Nsenga A. Knight

2. Calligraphy, 1964 by Siah Armajqni

Grey Gallery

I particularly liked the photograph of the homeless man selling snowballs of different sizes. This simple gesture was both moving and inspiring to me. In a life full of lemons, this man has successfully made lemonade.

Acting in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Puck was undoubtedly my highlight for this production, as he (or she) single-handedly created the magical atmosphere of the fairy realm. I was also mesmerized by Oberon’s character, who had a uniquely regal air about him.

Script Doctoring

Shakespearean nerd that I am, I came into this with expectations, despite my best efforts to keep an open mind. It is still debatable if those expectations were met. I found the play diverting and entertaining. But I have to admit that it felt like a SparkNotes version of the play, the most stripped take the director could get away with and still be able to call it Shakespeare. With minimalist set, costumes, lighting, and special effects, the play depended on the acting and plot to drive it, but it had neither full cast nor plot. Cutting lines is one thing. Cutting death scenes and characters is another.

Lighting

As Jenny Hynes would put it, the lighting was “super pretty” for the classical ballet number: blue lighting to soften the stage and accentuate the somber tone of the music, and gold spotlighting on the dancers. The colour choice gave the piece an ethereal and attractive quality. Contrariwise, the Motown lighting changed depending on the mood the dancers were conveying at the moment. It appealed to the base associations we make to those specific colours: red for passion, green for envy, and so on. The tap dance focused on the dancers’ feet, and the lighting helped direct the audience’s attention appropriately. The performance of Rite of Spring used lighting to add depth to the stage and set, fiery orange depicting the glare of the sun, or the heat of an active volcano.

Costumes in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

In contrast to the adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” that we saw, which defied traditional roles of Elizabethan dress, in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” the dress was mainly traditional, renaissance-like dress. The fairies also kept to their traditional roles through dress. Bottom and his friends (“the workers”), however, were dressed as modern-day workers. They were wearing plaid, army, construction outfits, tool belts, baseball hats, scarves, gloves, and were carrying toolboxes.

Anthology by Clifford Owens, Last Poet in Iran by Parvoviruses Tanavoli

Anthology by Cliffod Owens is a series of photographs in which the photographer, Clifford Owens took photo’s of his performance art piece where he kissed random audience members. The images look extremely intimate, but are all very diverse. The audience members range from young women, to men, to older women, older men, etc. The photos have a very voyeuristic quality.

The Last Poet in Iran is a painting by Parvoviruses Tanavoli. The picture is a white canvas with neat rows of amorphous black figures. The figures are indicative of people, but are very abstract. In the bottom right corner is a bright red figure, which symbolizes the last poet of Iran, who stands out of the crowd of nondescript figures.

Storytelling through Dance

In the opening tap number, there wasn’t any single story. There were multiple stories all told through the taps. Tapping back and forth between two dancers created a sort of dialogue, and the story was told through those “conversations”. The motown number was a very dramatic re-imagining of Othello, and so the story was central to the choreography, and was brilliantly acted by the facial expressions and body’s of the dancers. The third number was very somber and fluid, but very open to interpretation, there was no set story. The Rite of Spring followed a very scary, but clear story that was told through costumes, choreography, and music.

The Grey Gallery at New York University— Look and Look Again

Siah Armajani, Prayer for the Sun, 1962

At first, I had not a single clue about what this painting meant. It seemed like a division of water and land, as one orb is blue and the other, brown. However, upon further inspection, Arabic characters can be seen within, perhaps distinguishing between two types of calligraphy.

I was blown away when I learned the actual meaning behind this piece. It represents the border between traditional Iranian art and contemporary Iranian art. I believe that the background is also blue because it tells the reader that that specific painting is contemporary.

William Pope.L, Eating the Wall Street Journal

This piece of performance art is radical, to say the least. It features a toilet mounted on a gigantic platform, surrounded by newspapers, milk jugs, and ketchup bottles. At first glance, I would be surprised if anyone knew what this piece meant.

Upon learning the true purpose of this piece, I was moved. Pope.L ingests the newspaper with the help of milk and ketchup, and regurgitates it onto the audience. Although disgusting, this work informs the victim (viewer) of the exploitation of the lower class. By ingesting the Wall Street Journal, Pope.L is fighting against them, and the regurgitation of the papers is symbolic of the purging of greed from his body.

Romeo and Juliet— The Impact of Lighting

This performance of Romeo and Juliet was peculiar in the sense that there was no set stage. Instead, actors performed in a small space on ground level, surrounded by the audience on three sides. Because there was no stage, lighting played a crucial role in both transitional and emotional aspects. Many scenes, such as the Capulet’s dance party, was only made possible by the erratic and dance-esque lighting.

Lighting in Fall for Dance

A critical part of any dance performance, lighting accentuates the mood and emotion of the dancers. From the color of the lights to the brightness, lighting provides a subtle yet crucial connection between the viewer and the performer.

Midsummer Night’s Dream – Lighting

All the previous dances and plays paled in comparison to this production. Lighting was used extensively to demonstrate time of day and setting. The large white sheet often served as a projector screen to show a variety of colors from the purple flower to the blue woods. The dark stage with white spotlights was the primary standard for indoor scenes. The shadows projected by white light were used to amplify emotional effect during Oberon’s speech and when Puck is misleading Demetrius and Lysander. Simply put, a high production play with high quality lighting.

“Say it Loud” by Satch Hoyt and “Four Directions of an Artist” by Charles Hossein Zenderoudi

“Say it Loud” by Satch Hoyt is a depiction of the endurance of blacks in regards to all the challenges they were faced with (slavery and segregation, to name a few). However, it seemed ironic that the words “I’m black” were removed from the song, since the piece was celebrating the black struggle and the blacks’ perseverance.

“Four Directions of an Artist,” by Charles Hossein Zenderoudi, portrayed calligraphy, or beautiful writing, being broken down into an alphabet soup, and being muddled into incoherence. This piece struck me as challenging and protesting the artist’s rich Iranian tradition of calligraphy by stripping away its meaning.

Say It Loud – Satch Hoyt & Persian Telephone II – Parviz Tanavoli

Say It Loud by Satch Hoyt is a podium made of books that all focus on the black legacy. The music that accompanies the podium clearly defines its function. A place for one to feel proud of their heritage is heard from the line “Say it loud – I’m _____ and I’m proud.”
Persian Telephone by Parviz Tanavoli is a piece of art from the saqqakhaneh art movement in Iran. The sculpture combines elements of religion with pop art to produce a peculiar telephone.

Romeo and Juliet

I loved the intensity of the scene when Romeo and Juliet first meet. They flirted on a careful balance between innocence and mischief; it seemed precisely the way Shakespeare intended it to be.

Fall for Dance
music
What was so clever about the use of music in the first performance was that there was none; it radiated from the feet of the dancers.
I noticed how well the song choice matched the mood of each individual dance. When the music was ominous, the audience felt it too.