Production Response

Watch the “Crash Course in Theatre History:  The Musical” video.  https://youtu.be/4kxzD4ASioI Pick a staged musical (filmed) you think you might enjoy.  Watch it. Write a 600-1200 word response to your viewing experience.  Your paper should tie in some of what you’ve learned about musicals, and focus on how the “means of delivery”  (Aristotle’s Elements of Diction, Music, and Spectacle) reveal Plot, Character, and Theme.  You will want to narrow your topic and detail several from the production to illustrate your point.   As always, specificity is de rigeur.  An appropriate scope of focus might be something like: An examination of how the director’s vision of creating a dark melodrama is clear in an examination of the costuming and set. An exploration of how the costumes reveal the 4 levels of character. An exploration of how lighting works with staging to emphasize key plot moments. An exploration of the ways in which the characters are brought to life through the interaction between costuming and music. A look at the ways in which casting choices illuminate the themes of the play.     The above are examples-the list is by no means exhaustive, and of course some topics will better suited to some shows.    The introductory portion of your paper should not only allow us to know what you viewed (company, date produced, viewing mechanism, etc.), but should also provide us with a little context for the work.  For instance, if you’re viewing “Hamilton”, you may wish to tell us a bit about the playwright and his goals for the work, as well as its production history.  If you’re viewing an historic musical, the “crash course” video may help you to contextualize it.     This is meant to be an entertaining way for us to explore musical theatre-and maybe have a little break from reality this week.  You’ve earned it