MAGIC RAINFOREST CRITIQUE (250 POINTS)
a. At least 250 words, Provide a description before your entry “This critique was completed at the beginning of the semester and relies mostly on my pre-existing knowledge. I will be able to compare this Critique with my final Critique in this class to compare my progress and learning in this class” The critique must state the name of the theatre, play and playwright and your analysis of a performance
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING CRITIQUE (250 POINTS)
The name of the play was "Much Ado About Nothing" and he playwright is the infamous William Shakespeare. The name of the theatre that this play was presented in is Samuell Grand Amphitheater. The name of the director of this play is Raphael Parry. I would consider this good theatre. My reason being that the play has a message to convey through the performance and text.
Don Pedro and his military company some to visit Leonato to celebrate the end of a rebellion. In the first meeting, the young Claudio meets the young Hero and he falls madly in love with her and seeks her hand in marriage. Also in the first meeting, Benedick encounters his quarreling partner Beatrice, the niece of Leonato. Soon enough, young Claudio begins to question if he should or should not ask Hero to marry him, but decides to ask her with the help of Don Pedro. Leonato invited Don Pedro and his military company to the masquerade ball that they will have. At the masquerade ball, Claudio finds out that rumor of him asking Hero to marry him has spread and Benedick hears from Beatrice herself that he was 'the Prince's Jester' in her eyes. After Claudio proposed to Hero, him, Hero, Leonato, Don Pedro, and Margaret plan to make Beatrice and Benedick to fall in love with each other. Also, while they are setting Benedick with Beatrice, Don John decides that he should end the happiness of Hero and Claudio. Slowly, but surely, both plans were working. Claudio is beginning to believe that Hero hasn't kept pure until her wedding day and Benedick and Beatrice are falling in love with each other. Soon enough, Don John seals his plan, he tells Claudio that if he doesn't believe him about Hero not being faithful then he should go to her chamber window to see that is indeed unfaithful. On the wedding day, Claudio disgraces Hero in front of everyone that attended. Soon after, they believe that Hero 'died of shame and sorrow', but she merely fainted and they want to keep her life a secret until they figure something out. Later, the Constable and the watch find the two men that helped frame Hero. Beatrice, out of rage for her cousin, asks Benedick to prove his love by killing Claudio. Benedick challenges Claudio, and so does Leonato and his brother. Then, they all hear the news that Hero was framed, out of shame, Claudio said to Leonato to punish him the way he wishes. Leonato told Claudio that he is to marry his niece, from his brother, in order to really gain his trust again. On the day that Claudio is to marry this 'cousin' of Hero, This cousin is revealed as Hero. On the same day, Benedick and Beatrice got married as well. The celebrated by dancing, and that is how the play ended. The story is relevant today because we still have many cases of fraud against a woman who is innocent. I found the story very entertaining because I have seen this kind of situation of 'being a bachelor forever' play out in the same way, they end up married. My favorite moment in the story is when one of the men that the constable caught calls the constable an 'ass' and he makes a bid commotion about how he is an 'ass'.
The set was very simple. There were makeshift trees and bushes on stage. There was also one bench on one side of the stage and one just opposite of the first one. The costumes were Shakespearean clothing, which means that they had on dresses that were one color and the color white. The men had on tights and shirts that were fitted. The also had cloaks that rested on their shoulders that matched the color that they were wearing. The information that was given to me by the set and costumes was that this story could date back to the 1500s and that this play's setting was supposed to be outside most of the play. The trees on set were used to 'hide' the eavesdroppers from being noticed. Also, when Hero was put in all white and was holding a bouquet of flowers, you could tell she was getting married. When Beatrice and Benedick argued about Hero's situation, the stage lights changed to red and gave it an angry and violent feel. Also, when Claudio went to visit 'Hero' where she was buried, the dulled all the lights and brought out shelves that looked to hold little candle lights to give it the sense of death is around them. When they were at the place that Hero was buried, the only sound you could hear was the sound of low humming, which soon turned into singing. When the masquerade ball was going on, you could hear the music that the actors were dancing to.
One of my favorite acting moments was when Beatrice was talking to Leonato and Hero about how much she loathed the idea of being in the same room as Benedick. It was comical but a major action that happened. Another one of my favorite acting moments was when Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio were talking about they heard that Beatrice was in love with Benedick. The had the intention of making Benedick fall for her, but they performed it in a comical way. And another one of my favorite acting moments was when they revealed that Hero was 'unfaithful'. The way it was portrayed left me at the edge of my seat. The sudden gasps and the crying and yelling coming from the actors left me watching intently. The connection I felt was to the character Beatrice because I have a sense of what she went through and I act the same way she does at times.
My overall opinion of the performance was that it was amazing. I would recommend this play to a friend and I will re-watch the play myself. I learned that the way women were treated was really different from how men were treated. The way that Leonato was ready to kill his daughter when they made a false accusation about her not being a virgin anymore proves that they treated women as if they were rag dolls. I can apply this knowledge to everyday life by looking at the way women are treated now versus how they were treated then to see if there even is a difference.
Don Pedro and his military company some to visit Leonato to celebrate the end of a rebellion. In the first meeting, the young Claudio meets the young Hero and he falls madly in love with her and seeks her hand in marriage. Also in the first meeting, Benedick encounters his quarreling partner Beatrice, the niece of Leonato. Soon enough, young Claudio begins to question if he should or should not ask Hero to marry him, but decides to ask her with the help of Don Pedro. Leonato invited Don Pedro and his military company to the masquerade ball that they will have. At the masquerade ball, Claudio finds out that rumor of him asking Hero to marry him has spread and Benedick hears from Beatrice herself that he was 'the Prince's Jester' in her eyes. After Claudio proposed to Hero, him, Hero, Leonato, Don Pedro, and Margaret plan to make Beatrice and Benedick to fall in love with each other. Also, while they are setting Benedick with Beatrice, Don John decides that he should end the happiness of Hero and Claudio. Slowly, but surely, both plans were working. Claudio is beginning to believe that Hero hasn't kept pure until her wedding day and Benedick and Beatrice are falling in love with each other. Soon enough, Don John seals his plan, he tells Claudio that if he doesn't believe him about Hero not being faithful then he should go to her chamber window to see that is indeed unfaithful. On the wedding day, Claudio disgraces Hero in front of everyone that attended. Soon after, they believe that Hero 'died of shame and sorrow', but she merely fainted and they want to keep her life a secret until they figure something out. Later, the Constable and the watch find the two men that helped frame Hero. Beatrice, out of rage for her cousin, asks Benedick to prove his love by killing Claudio. Benedick challenges Claudio, and so does Leonato and his brother. Then, they all hear the news that Hero was framed, out of shame, Claudio said to Leonato to punish him the way he wishes. Leonato told Claudio that he is to marry his niece, from his brother, in order to really gain his trust again. On the day that Claudio is to marry this 'cousin' of Hero, This cousin is revealed as Hero. On the same day, Benedick and Beatrice got married as well. The celebrated by dancing, and that is how the play ended. The story is relevant today because we still have many cases of fraud against a woman who is innocent. I found the story very entertaining because I have seen this kind of situation of 'being a bachelor forever' play out in the same way, they end up married. My favorite moment in the story is when one of the men that the constable caught calls the constable an 'ass' and he makes a bid commotion about how he is an 'ass'.
The set was very simple. There were makeshift trees and bushes on stage. There was also one bench on one side of the stage and one just opposite of the first one. The costumes were Shakespearean clothing, which means that they had on dresses that were one color and the color white. The men had on tights and shirts that were fitted. The also had cloaks that rested on their shoulders that matched the color that they were wearing. The information that was given to me by the set and costumes was that this story could date back to the 1500s and that this play's setting was supposed to be outside most of the play. The trees on set were used to 'hide' the eavesdroppers from being noticed. Also, when Hero was put in all white and was holding a bouquet of flowers, you could tell she was getting married. When Beatrice and Benedick argued about Hero's situation, the stage lights changed to red and gave it an angry and violent feel. Also, when Claudio went to visit 'Hero' where she was buried, the dulled all the lights and brought out shelves that looked to hold little candle lights to give it the sense of death is around them. When they were at the place that Hero was buried, the only sound you could hear was the sound of low humming, which soon turned into singing. When the masquerade ball was going on, you could hear the music that the actors were dancing to.
One of my favorite acting moments was when Beatrice was talking to Leonato and Hero about how much she loathed the idea of being in the same room as Benedick. It was comical but a major action that happened. Another one of my favorite acting moments was when Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio were talking about they heard that Beatrice was in love with Benedick. The had the intention of making Benedick fall for her, but they performed it in a comical way. And another one of my favorite acting moments was when they revealed that Hero was 'unfaithful'. The way it was portrayed left me at the edge of my seat. The sudden gasps and the crying and yelling coming from the actors left me watching intently. The connection I felt was to the character Beatrice because I have a sense of what she went through and I act the same way she does at times.
My overall opinion of the performance was that it was amazing. I would recommend this play to a friend and I will re-watch the play myself. I learned that the way women were treated was really different from how men were treated. The way that Leonato was ready to kill his daughter when they made a false accusation about her not being a virgin anymore proves that they treated women as if they were rag dolls. I can apply this knowledge to everyday life by looking at the way women are treated now versus how they were treated then to see if there even is a difference.