Seeing the Quartet was an interesting experience to say the least. When I first got there I was taken back by how high up we were. I usually don't mind sitting in the back but the seats where we were made me feel like i was dangling over the stage. I was so terrified! It didnt help that the actual seats themselves were high off the floor. Various times during the play my foot would slip off the little pole on the stool and my heart would sink and I would feel as if I was about to plumit to my death. It was very much like a roller coaster ride. While it was frightening, I think this fear added to the play. In my opinion the entire play was very scary. It had an eerie feeling from the ghostly white of all of the actors to the devil red of Valmont, I was quite spooked througout.

When the play began I was confused that there were 5 actors sitting around the table. I thought the male and female actors would be the only two showing up. However, when more people walked in I was confused. Then I thought "ok maybe this one will actually have a quartet of 4 people" then there was a 5th person and i was really thrown off. I'd very much like to understand each character. I think it's pretty clear that the woman in purple was Marquise and the man in red was Valmont. The woman in green the virgin niece, but the other two I do not understand. Someone came up with a theory after the play finished that it was young and old Valmont. Old Valmont makes sense since Marquise dies, which is why there was only an old man and no old woman but why young Valmont? 

I was a little dissapointed at first that the play was in French because that meant I had to look up to the words all the time. At some points I tried to just watch instead of focus on the actual text but my eyes would just roll up to the words every three seconds, so I gave up trying to ignore them. However, if I was given the choice to have viewed the play in English I dont think I would accept. I think the play being in French added to the confusion (in a good way). I dont think this play was meant to be shallow and very easy to understand. The theme itself was confusing. Who can easily pinpoint anything about love, adultry, or the relationship between men and women. No one! It's such a complex theory in life so its only fit that it would be depicted in such matter.

The voices was also something I found so interesting. I couldn't decide if they were actually using their own voices. Perhaps it was because I was so high up and could not see percisely, but at times I thought it looked like they were acting with voice overs. Of course the animal noises were not their own (or maybe they are, they were very talented actors) but the actual speaking was also questionable to me as well! Such as the way Marquise was able to put on such a deep voice. I was later told that there was an echo on her voice at those times. But it just seemed as if when the actors became different characters, they had different voices. Perhaps this was done to emphasize that they were different characters or perhaps it was just my imagination working with the plot.

I wonder what was the purpose of the animal noises. At first I thought it had to do with the theme of love and the actors being so animalistic. I'm not sure though.

There was a lot about the play that I did not understand, which is fit since there was a lot about the text I did not understand! However, I think seeing the Quartet opened my eyes to its themes so much more than I would have ever taken away from just reading.

It'll be good to talk about it in class. =)