A Circus in Winter
Within my first month of college I have learned that any no-cost opportunity, within reason, is an opportunity to take. Naturally, when I heard I could go see a play for no charge I was all for it. So after a daylong leadership conference on Saturday, I went to see the production of A Circus in Winter. I really cannot think of the right words to sum the show up, but if I had to give it one word it would be AMAZING. As A Circus in Winter opens up, a chorus reminds the audience that we are all the same in some way, shape, or form. It is a message that is carried through to the very end of the show. However, this is not the only message that is portrayed. When the audience is first introduced to Wallace Porter, he is a man from Indiana, married to his work and without much passion for anything. It is not until Wallace meets a girl by the name of Irene in New York that a spark is formed within him. Irene teaches Wallace that material items and possessions do not matter; what does matter is that Wallace is the best he can possibly be. As the production moves from happiness to grief, to happiness and then grief again, these two concepts continue to shine through. In order to be successful it is important to recognize two things; always push yourself to be the best you can be and remember that we are all not completely different from one another.
Quite honestly I loved every aspect of this show. From the music, costumes, and set to the message within, it was apparent how much work had to have gone on to produce such a show. When the first scene started and the giant elephant walked on to the stage I was completely blown away by its life-like appearance. The detail that went into such a puppet was extremely important for the symbolic role the elephant plays. He is one of the most prized possessions the circus owns. Yet, we watch as this majestic beast is abused and mistreated. Pulling from such scenes we find messages of standing above those who wish to harm you and persevering through hard times. It is suggested that the elephant is not so different from humans. We can either choose to stand above our demons or lay down before them.
One final message I was able to take out of this production is the importance of having people who support you. In the beginning Irene tells Wallace the only thing she needs is for him to be the best he can be. Irene is simple in her ways and looks to support and love Wallace at all times. From that point on, whenever Wallace finds himself in a “valley” he is reminded of those words of encouragement Irene always gave him. Support, love, and encouragement are essential in motivating others to be their greatest.
Some students have been required to read this book for certain classes and I honestly wish I was one of them. The musical was enough to encourage me to want to immerse myself in the original script and vision of this story. You can bet that I will not be satisfied until I get my hands on this book. Maybe one day I might even get the chance to meet (Cathy Day). It is so great to be part of a university that gives each person an opportunity to take something local and make magic. Seeing the results of immersive learning projects like this make me even more excited to see what I can do in the future.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
In middle school I was chosen to participate with our school’s English academic team. Until this point, I had not read many books written prior to 1990. The first year we read Mark Twain’s Puddin’ Head Wilson, which was slightly hard to read, but nowhere near as difficult to interpret as Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The entire story was almost too much for my middle school mind to wrap around. As I read I often found myself asking, “Now who loves who? Why are they doing this? Who is Puck?” My best friend was also on the team with me, so we spent a good amount of time deciphering and trying to make sense of the words on the page. In the end we resorted to watching a movie production, which cleared up much confusion.
When I heard Ball State was going to put on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream I was pretty ecstatic. Not only did it bring back fond middle school memories, it also gave me the opportunity to experience a different portrayal of a confusing story. And may I say it was VERY different. To begin with, a friend who saw it the night before told me the story was told using the music of the Beatles. It seemed like a pretty radical idea to me, but one that excited me none the less. As I sat down in front of the stage that night, the first thing I noticed was a huge circular platform. It took up the entire stage and looked a lot like the moon. Very clever indeed, given the play’s title involves night time. Beatles music was already playing faintly in the background, which really added to the calm look of the set. Then the play began and I was puzzled. I was fairly certain Puck was male in the original play, so it caught me by surprise to find a female playing the role. (Seems like a bit of a Shakespeare reversal if you ask me.) But I was even more curious to figure out how Shakespeare could be told using the Beatles’ music.
As I watched, I began to pick up on how each song tied into the story and it was actually pretty cool. I will admit I was skeptical at first, but within the first ten minutes of the production my mood lightened. I thought it was funny how the characters all started out dancing to Beatles music before the dialogue even began, but I think my favorite parts of the play occurred during the fairy dance scene. In high school I was in color guard and going to show after show really made me wish I had taken dance classes as a child. The way they all danced was so beautiful and I find it amazing how we can use the body to communicate without words.
Once again I was struck by the talent on stage. My personal favorite was the character of Helena. In the original play you gather a sense of Helena’s position, and Allison Sill really brought out how hopelessly in love Helena is with Demetrius. What made it even more enjoyable to watch was that Sill made her role extremely comical. From the expressions on her face to the way she phrased her lines, Allison made me believe she really was someone in love with a man who refused to love her back.
I simply cannot end this report without mentioning Nick Bottom and his gang of amateur actors. When I was not laughing at Helena, I was in stiches from the spectacle these men created. Bottom was the typical wannabe star of the show and the drama he put forth was perfect. It was almost a relief when he was finally put in his place given the head of an ass.
Watching this production definitely made me reflect back and remember what I had read my eighth grade year. It still blows my mind how well Beatles music ties into the story and I will not be so closed minded in the future.
Culture Reports =]
A Circus in Winter
Within my first month of college I have learned that any no-cost opportunity, within reason, is an opportunity to take. Naturally, when I heard I could go see a play for no charge I was all for it. So after a daylong leadership conference on Saturday, I went to see the production of A Circus in Winter. I really cannot think of the right words to sum the show up, but if I had to give it one word it would be AMAZING. As A Circus in Winter opens up, a chorus reminds the audience that we are all the same in some way, shape, or form. It is a message that is carried through to the very end of the show. However, this is not the only message that is portrayed. When the audience is first introduced to Wallace Porter, he is a man from Indiana, married to his work and without much passion for anything. It is not until Wallace meets a girl by the name of Irene in New York that a spark is formed within him. Irene teaches Wallace that material items and possessions do not matter; what does matter is that Wallace is the best he can possibly be. As the production moves from happiness to grief, to happiness and then grief again, these two concepts continue to shine through. In order to be successful it is important to recognize two things; always push yourself to be the best you can be and remember that we are all not completely different from one another.
Quite honestly I loved every aspect of this show. From the music, costumes, and set to the message within, it was apparent how much work had to have gone on to produce such a show. When the first scene started and the giant elephant walked on to the stage I was completely blown away by its life-like appearance. The detail that went into such a puppet was extremely important for the symbolic role the elephant plays. He is one of the most prized possessions the circus owns. Yet, we watch as this majestic beast is abused and mistreated. Pulling from such scenes we find messages of standing above those who wish to harm you and persevering through hard times. It is suggested that the elephant is not so different from humans. We can either choose to stand above our demons or lay down before them.
One final message I was able to take out of this production is the importance of having people who support you. In the beginning Irene tells Wallace the only thing she needs is for him to be the best he can be. Irene is simple in her ways and looks to support and love Wallace at all times. From that point on, whenever Wallace finds himself in a “valley” he is reminded of those words of encouragement Irene always gave him. Support, love, and encouragement are essential in motivating others to be their greatest.
Some students have been required to read this book for certain classes and I honestly wish I was one of them. The musical was enough to encourage me to want to immerse myself in the original script and vision of this story. You can bet that I will not be satisfied until I get my hands on this book. Maybe one day I might even get the chance to meet (Cathy Day). It is so great to be part of a university that gives each person an opportunity to take something local and make magic. Seeing the results of immersive learning projects like this make me even more excited to see what I can do in the future.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
In middle school I was chosen to participate with our school’s English academic team. Until this point, I had not read many books written prior to 1990. The first year we read Mark Twain’s Puddin’ Head Wilson, which was slightly hard to read, but nowhere near as difficult to interpret as Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The entire story was almost too much for my middle school mind to wrap around. As I read I often found myself asking, “Now who loves who? Why are they doing this? Who is Puck?” My best friend was also on the team with me, so we spent a good amount of time deciphering and trying to make sense of the words on the page. In the end we resorted to watching a movie production, which cleared up much confusion.
When I heard Ball State was going to put on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream I was pretty ecstatic. Not only did it bring back fond middle school memories, it also gave me the opportunity to experience a different portrayal of a confusing story. And may I say it was VERY different. To begin with, a friend who saw it the night before told me the story was told using the music of the Beatles. It seemed like a pretty radical idea to me, but one that excited me none the less. As I sat down in front of the stage that night, the first thing I noticed was a huge circular platform. It took up the entire stage and looked a lot like the moon. Very clever indeed, given the play’s title involves night time. Beatles music was already playing faintly in the background, which really added to the calm look of the set. Then the play began and I was puzzled. I was fairly certain Puck was male in the original play, so it caught me by surprise to find a female playing the role. (Seems like a bit of a Shakespeare reversal if you ask me.) But I was even more curious to figure out how Shakespeare could be told using the Beatles’ music.
As I watched, I began to pick up on how each song tied into the story and it was actually pretty cool. I will admit I was skeptical at first, but within the first ten minutes of the production my mood lightened. I thought it was funny how the characters all started out dancing to Beatles music before the dialogue even began, but I think my favorite parts of the play occurred during the fairy dance scene. In high school I was in color guard and going to show after show really made me wish I had taken dance classes as a child. The way they all danced was so beautiful and I find it amazing how we can use the body to communicate without words.
Once again I was struck by the talent on stage. My personal favorite was the character of Helena. In the original play you gather a sense of Helena’s position, and Allison Sill really brought out how hopelessly in love Helena is with Demetrius. What made it even more enjoyable to watch was that Sill made her role extremely comical. From the expressions on her face to the way she phrased her lines, Allison made me believe she really was someone in love with a man who refused to love her back.
I simply cannot end this report without mentioning Nick Bottom and his gang of amateur actors. When I was not laughing at Helena, I was in stiches from the spectacle these men created. Bottom was the typical wannabe star of the show and the drama he put forth was perfect. It was almost a relief when he was finally put in his place given the head of an ass.
Watching this production definitely made me reflect back and remember what I had read my eighth grade year. It still blows my mind how well Beatles music ties into the story and I will not be so closed minded in the future.