The Theme of Feminism: a Mixture of Happy and Sad Moments for the Women - Book Report/Review Example

Reviews from 11 different articles What is Performance? Performance is the art of staging a work of art at present (Bial, 146). In this respect, performance draws its essence from the fact that it cannot be recorded or stored for future use, but only serves the purpose of the present time. Thus, there is neither circulation nor reproduction as far as performance is concerned, since the only recipients of a performance are the direct spectator audiences that are present at theater or any other artistic stage when the act itself is being staged (Bial, 147). Performance occurs in real-time, at a time when it will not be repeated. Therefore the recording through video cameras for the sake of future viewing of the artistic act that happened in the theater sometimes in the past, does not qualify as a performance. Further, the act can be performed again even for the same audience in the same stage, but even then, the repetition is a different performance altogether (Bial, 146). 2. What is Theater? A theater is an art space where performances are staged for the audience and spectator audience, who are at venue where the act or performance is staged. Therefore, a theater refers to a specific place where fine arts take the form of a live performance before a live audience (Huxley and Witts, 34). The theatrical performance might entail staging a show before the live audience which is either real or creatively imagined. The essence of theater is the exclusivity of the live performance before a live audience, which entails both seeing and hearing (Huxley and Witts, 37). Therefore, the full participation of the spectator is a fundamental aspect of the art of theater, since the essence of the art space creation is for the participation of the live audience, not just in hearing, but also in visually perceiving what is happening in the stage play or performance that has been staged in the theater. 3. What is acting? Acting is the physical performance of an artistic art that entails the muscular movement of the individual actor (Artaud, 132). The muscular movements produce the dramatic actions, all of which are localized within a particular location and at a certain time. It entails the pure use of emotions as the major tool, just like the wrestler uses his muscles (Artaud, 134). Acting may not provide as much physical movement as does the athletics, but its power of external expression resonates with the inner core of the spectator audience who are watching the act. Therefore, acting is a performance that is guided by vague instinct (Artaud, 133). Acting is the act of thinking with the heart and then projecting the same to the perceiving audience, that they may receive the thoughts with their hearts too. 4. What is Audience? Audience refers to the participatory act of the partakers of an artistic act that is being performed at a theater, such that the audience and the actors are all fused into forming a part of each other (Clurman, 155). The audience is the wellspring of the theater, which acts as the source of inspiration to the players on the theater to stage their performance. Thus, the audience plays the role of the lead actor, while the actors themselves follow the pattern of the audience. Audience must entail the component of seeing and hearing, and neither one of those can qualify for audience without the other. An audience is comprised of the conglomerate of the perceivers and partakers of the stage act, a conglomerate that inspires the staging of the act itself (Clurman, 162). For there is no theater without an audience, and neither is there any performance where the audience is absent. 5. What is directing? Directing is largely the creation of the team of actors and performers in a theater, which entails the careful selection of the actors in each of the different role of the play, which is tantamount to a doctor’s diagnosis. Directing is fundamentally the selection of the cast, and with successful casting, the director has performed 80% of his role (Clurman, 37). Directing is the careful determination of who suits the particular role, the ability to overcome the dilemma of choosing between the skilled and the perfect type. Directing is the act of bringing out the best in an actor. It is the ability to show the actors the abilities they have never known they possess (Clurman, 45). Directing is the act of putting the actor at ease, removing all the anxiety and pressure in him, and then invoking new strength that separates the actual person from what he does on stage. 6. What is Design? Design is the art of projecting to the audience what the author was able to project in time, in the space (Appia,, 29). Design entails the careful conversion of the actor into a body in space, where the relationship between the body, the space and the surrounding objects produces a pattern of agreement. Therefore, design entails the formulation of a pattern where the actor and the spatial arrangement of the objects and settings that are involved in the performance are in conformity with the three-dimensionality of the body of the actor. In successful theater design, the light, the shadows, the space, the music, the appearance of the theater stage, the paintings and the backcloths all produces harmony (Appia, 30). Design is the act of turning the spatial setting of theatrical performance from logic into magic, since what both the actors and the audience see in the theater determines the nature and the purpose of what they see and do, respectively (88). 7. Blood Wedding, Act 1 Does fate have a way of ruining people’s happiness by bringing into life what one does not expect, or at least what one wish they never would come across? Why then does the bridegroom have to love a girl whose fiancé was Leonardo; he of the Felix’s that killed his father and his brother? (Lorca, 12). When a wedding is destined to bring happiness to the bride, the bridegroom and their respective families, this wedding does not seem likely to bring any happiness to the bridegroom, or at least not to his mother. The girl seems like a mystery too, and so was her mother. Good, she is good, but no more is known about her, other than for being good. Is she likely to take after her mother who was good but never loved his husband? (Lorca, 10). 8. Blood Wedding, Act 2 Leonardo might be hiding something from his wife, but his mother in law seems to know about it. Where does he race the horse to, all the time, yet denying having been out? And what does he mean when he says that the bride is a worry? (Lorca, 17). Since the bride was once his fiancé, maybe he knows much about her. Leonardo’s wife cries the moment she is reminded that her cousin was Leonardo’s fiancé, only to be consoled by him. May be there is a secret about the intended bride both knows, yet they do not want to disclose. After all, it is said that the bridegroom’s mother may not be happy with the wedding between her son and the bride (Lorca, 17). Why does everything about the girl (the intended bride), her mother or the whole wedding plan seem not to be adding up? 9. Blood Wedding, Act 3 Finally, the wedding plans are underway and the day is set for Thursday next week (Lorca, 23). However, is the maid happy about the wedding? At least she does not seem to be. The disturbing though is that it has now been revealed that Leonardo has been coming to see the bride. He rides his horse and comes at the window of the bride at night, every day (Lorca, 28). Therefore, despite the fact that she used to be his fiancé and they have been claiming that they have already finished the business they had together, the truth does not say so. May be that is why the bride is not happy with the wedding gifts that have been brought to her by the bridegroom (Lorca, 27). Maybe the wedding will not happen at all. Maybe the fear that the bridegrooms mother had in relation to the bride having had a prior relationship with the Felix’s will come true. It seems that the Felix’s will keep ruining her life all the way to the grave. They killed her husband and her son, and now it seems that they will ruin the marriage for her son. The mother’s instincts have proven to be real. 10. Martha Graham Appalachian Spring video An opening song, slowly humming opens the stage performance, as a note to the entry of the performers on the stage. The tone and speed of the theme tune keeps alternating, while new musical notes are introduced as the performers start entering into the stage one by one. The bridal guide starts the introduction, followed by the bride and then the bridegroom. Soon after each of these performers takes their position on the stage, the stage dancers follow the entry. While the stage dancers are entering the stage, the rhythm of the humming music changes and its speed increases, with all the actors on the stage starting to perform. The bride and bridegroom, who were initially looking in different direction changes their direction to face each other. At this stage, the rhythm of the music changes into a religious tone with increased rhythm speed, and it is at this point that the bride walks to the groom, almost kisses him, but before it happens she walks away and resumes her initial position fast. The stage performance by the bridal dancers now accelerates. 11. String of Pearls Amy is just about to get married, but one gift is much important than anything else she can receive as a wedding gift. Her grandmother’s pearl necklace is one gift that the grandmother feels that Amy must have (Blank, n.p.). The mere fact that the grandmother cannot be able to trace this pearl brings a chaotic situation that begins the journey towards tracing the necklace of pearl. This is the major action happening on the stage when the play begins, and it is the cause of the flashback into an interconnected life of women who are struggling variously through h life, yet all of them are unified by the passion and the attachment they have with the necklace of pearl, which is a symbol of different things for the different women. The theme of feminism is one that has been extensively explored by the theater play, A string of pearl. The play is a mixture of happy and sad moments for the women, starting with a transformed sexual life of Amy’s grandmother that brings happiness into her life, culminating with receiving an appreciation gift from her husband in the form of the necklace formed from precious pearl beads (Blank, n.p.). This item becomes an important emotional and sexual symbol to her, long even after the departure of her husband, and that is notably the reasons she wanted her granddaughter to have it. However, having passed the pearl necklace to her daughter Linda, who later succumbs to cancer and passes the pearl necklace to a woman friend who was taking care of her, then there is absolutely no way the pearl necklace would be traced again, unless through mere coincidence. The journey through which the pearl revolves until it gets back to its rightful owner becomes an illumination of the theme of feminism, demonstrating that whether a woman is a corporate executive, an immigrant worker, a single mother or a hotel attendant, they are all interconnected together by one aspect; emotional attachment to objects of sexual symbolism (Blank, n.p.). Therefore, despite the status of a woman in the society, there is something that keeps all of them equal, which is their emotional attachment to objects. Feminism is displayed in this manner, considering the fact that struggling for women has been painted as a common aspect for all sorts of women, but all these struggles are caused by their desire to satisfy their passionate sexual voids that have been left by the missing men in their lives. The tone, setting and performance of the play revolves around a group of women who extending to over two dozen, who are engaging in their different aspects of life, but sharing one common character; absence of men in their life. While the casting, acting, performance, and directing of the play are excellent, the design aspect of music is a bit interruptive, failing to harmoniously flow with the change of scenes and create an emotionally romantic feel in the audience. Works Cited Appia, Adolph. “What is Design?” in Actor, Space, Light, Painting: Texts on Theatre. London: Routledge, 1993. 114-115. Print. Artaud, Antonin. “What is Acting” in The Theater and Its Double. New York: Groove Press, 1958. 133-147. Print. Bial Henry. “What is Performance?” in The performance studies reader. Routeledge, 2004. Print. Blank, Christopher. Theater Review: String of Pearls weaves story lines: Production tugs at memories that tie together experiences. The Commercial Appeal, July 18, 2008. Available at: http://www.commercialappeal.com/entertainment/string-of-pearls-weaves-story-lines Clurman, Harold. “What is Spectatorship? “What is an Audience? in On Directing. Simon & Schuster, 1997. 155-163. Print. Clurman, Harold. “What is Directing?” in On Directing. Simon & Schuster, 1997. 155-163. Print. Huxley, Michael and Witts, Noel. “What is Theater?” The Twentieth-Century Performance Reader (2nd Ed.). Routeledge, 1996. 33-84. Print. Lorca, Federic G. Blood Wedding: A tragedy in three acts and seven scenes. A. S. Kline, 1933. 1-77. Print. Martha Graham "Appalachian Spring" Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgaKGSxQVw Read More