VCCS
Litonline Introduction to Literature
English 112 (English Composition II)
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5 of 19 |
VCCS
Litonline Introduction to Literature |
page
5 of 19 |
The photograph above is from a production of William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Doesn't look like Shakespeare, does it? Notice how much has been added to the play to make it work on stage the way this particular director wants it to work--lighting, costumes, props, and the way the characters are grouped on stage. All are elements that you would miss without looking carefully at the playwright's and/or the director's stage directions and notes.
Notice, for instance, that the two ladies on the balcony are both holding hand fans. Click on either of the fans to discover their potential significance in this staging of the play.
(This version of the play was produced by the Moscow Alternative School Center in Idaho--not Russia. Click here to read more what these students attempted to convey in their production of Shakespeare's comedy.)
 A Midsummer Night's Dream (UCLA Shakespeare Reading and Performance Group) |
 Uncle Vanya (Chekhov) |
 Henry IV |
 The Glass Menagerie (Tupelo Community Theater) |
Do the masks and fanciful costumes in the photo from A Midsummer Night's Dream suggest something about the mood of the play? How does that mood contrast with the mood set by the staging illustrated in the photograph at the top of this page? And how are both different from the mood set by the staging and lighting for The Glass Menagerie? What was the director trying to tell us about the male character in Uncle Vanya by dressing him in uniform and by casting a large, heavily bearded actor in this role? And in the lower lefthand corner, which character is a lovable rogue? How can you tell?
Return to your word processor (maximize or re-open it*).
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for a hint on re-opening a word processor. Click your Word 7 (.doc) Rich Text
Format (.rtf) Generic Word Processor
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The URL for this site is http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/drama/visual3.htm
each of the photos. Try to identify the ideas, concepts, impressions,
etc., being communicated through the visual elements--costumes, physical appearance of
actors/actresses, makeup, lighting, etc.