ICP Photo and Luz

The photo I chose to analyze was one of the Soweto Uprising. It was taken by South African photographer Peter Magobane on June 16, 1976.

There is a dirt road. Litter made up of crumpled pieces of paper lies on either side of it. In the center of the road lies a solitary crushed soda can. On the sides of the road grass grows out of control. It’s clear thats it is unkept. The grass is dotted with the litter that was previously mentioned and with a large metal can.

In the foreground of the image there are four male figures in the center of the road. The man on the left has clenched fists. He seems to be advancing in the direction of the cameraman. He wears pants and a shirt with what seems to be a suit jacket. His face seems to be contorted with rage, likely this anger is directed at  his oppressors.

The second male seems more boyish. He wears pants and a shirt. He is armed with a trashcan lid in one hand, and a large stone in the other. There is a cloth wrapped around his the bottom part of his face, making it look like he is wearing a half balaclava.

The third male is slightly behind the two. He’s wearing a shirt and pants. He is slightly hunched over. He is cringing as though something might hit him at any moment. He is holding an open wooden crate and is raising it slightly, as if to block something.

The forth man has his back to us, but is looking in the direction of the camera. He is wearing pants anda suit jacket. Judging by the way he’s standing, it looks as though he’s running away from something.

The background of the picture is blurry. There are more figures in it, but they al have their backs to us. It’s unclear whether or not they are trying to get away from what the four men in the foreground are looking at.

Trip to see Luz at La Mama

Overall I really enjoyed Luz. I think it was great that the author chose to center the play around violence against women. I think its something that’s not discussed enough, especially in theater. I liked how the playwright Catherine Filloux was able to weave this theme into the narrative and have it connect such diverse characters. It speaks to the fact the violence against women is everywhere and transcends economic and country lines.

I liked how the author used dream/past sequences to reveal certain plot points. I think it was an interesting choice that highlighted the facts revealed during those particular sequences and helped aid in characterization. I also liked how the lighting and music changes helped emphasize the shit in tone during this scenes.

My only complaint with Luz would be the integration of the tangent story line featuring the other members of the law firm and the environment activist. While I enjoyed these sequences and the occasional comedy relief they brought to otherwise serious subject matter, I feel as though I missed their larger relevance to the story.