Critical response for spelling bee - Essay Example

Number> 08 October An Assessment on a Spring Musical En d “The 25th Annual Putnam County SpellingBee” The musical production performed by Newburgh Free Academy in the year 2010 is considered worth watching. However, similar to other theatrical productions, it also has its flaws. Hence, this paper aims to evaluate the pros and cons of the entire musicalin terms of three elements of theatre: the literary, the technicalities and the performance aspect. The literary element of the musical is obviously outstanding.

Impressive story selection is already a given since the piece entitled “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is always known for its simplicity but yet catchy synopsis. The words in the script are hilarious; therefore the feedback from the audience only depends on how the actors just portray their characters and how the other elements on the stage coordinate with each other. After watching the performance, it seems like the playwright intends to provoke a light and interactive feeling between the actors and the audience.

Empathy is prioritized than aesthetic distance, meaning the audience’s general response with the story must be more of involvement. On the other hand, the technical aspect of the performance corresponds to the stage elements. First is to evaluate the stage background. The stage background is a wall made of bricks installed with bulletins displaying protocols that must be followed inside the school. Along with these bulletins is the basketball ring board implying one of the activities at which students usually participate.

Considering this view, it can be concluded that the background is sufficient enough to describe the setting of the story. Next to consider are the props or the properties of the stage. The props set on stage include the essential components of a typical classroom such as the chairs and the professor’s table. A trophy placed on top on the table located at the center of the stage is satisfactory to describe that the plot is all about competition between the characters. The position of the props specifically the arrangement of the chairs and the tables are definitely right to control the blocking of actors during the performance.

The only conflicts that can be observed in the stage are the messy bottles of water used by the actors to quench their thirst and the monochromatic lighting pattern. The dim-focus lighting effect is not sufficient to support the dialogues of the actors at certain scenes. Overall, at this point, it can be deduced that the stage manager of the production is well informed in this type of craft. To complete this assessment, the performance aspect must be criticized. Definitely, the performance element of a theatrical piece refers to the behavior of the actor.

The actors in this production are really good in singing. Their voices are full and expressive. The pronunciation and delivery of the lines are clear. On the other hand, in terms of behavior, some actors portray unnecessary gestures. Some adlibs are exaggerated that these insertions come to a point that the communication between the audience and the actors, as well as the concept of actors’ cue are not maintained.