I was very excited to attend the Treehouse Troupe show on January 14th. The quality of the rest of the Treehouse Museum has been fantastic, which gave me very high expectations for the performing portion of the organization. Sadly, however, I was extremely disappointed with the quality of the experience that my daughter and I attended on that evening. My chief complaints, all of which can be relatively easily rectified, are listed below. Not all aspects of the production were poor, however, the things that were not well-done detracted significantly from the quality of the rest of the performance.
The idea of bringing lesser-known stories and fairy-tales to your audience is very admirable. Expanding a child's exposure to literature is very beneficial for the child and for those with whom that individual associates. The use of the technology in the production (video projections) was a great way to integrate different types of media into the performance. The costuming was very well done and added a sense of reality to the fantastical world of the play. The actor that played the king (Wes Whitby) was convincing, easily heard, and clear in his presence on stage. If the other characters/actors on stage could commit to what they are doing like he did, the quality of the performances would increase dramatically. A director that understands the basic principles of blocking, stage composition, and character motivation would also help the actors to bring their best performances forward.
The first thing that I took issue with (and the thing that took away from the performance the most) was that the scene changes were WAY too long. There is no reason for a scene change to take more than 30 seconds AT THE MOST in a normal theatrical environment. For a children's show there is no room for that kind of change to happen. Stops in the flow of the storytelling process kill pacing and pull the audience out of the world of the play. A child is very forgiving, however, in the theatrical environment, the potential to lose a child's focus and attention is compounded dramatically; and once a child's attention is lost it takes a lot to get that focus back. My child was not exception - after the first scene change she started to fidget and become distracted and by the time the second change happened she was out of her seat, more interested in the floor and the seat in front of her than in what was happening on stage. The scene changes that I saw at "The White Cat" averaged between one-and-a-half and two minutes! If a scene change needs to happen, there needs to be a way built into the flow of the show itself to keep things moving without stopping the show with a conventional scene change.
Approximately 40% of the performance seemed adlibbed and un-memorized. This is just unacceptable in a children's theatre environment. Children are extremely perceptive - the minute that something is not rehearsed and planned the way it should be, the child will know. Not only that, but it is unprofessional and demeaning to the child to give them anything less than what someone would expect form an "adult" performance. Acting begins when memorization ends. There is a time and a place for adlibbing and improvisation, and a children's show is not one of them. The script of the show must be well-written, tight, and memorized completely. The story and the child's understanding of that story should be paramount in the process. Once care is taken with these items and director, actors and all others involved take care to tell the story to the best of their ability THEN a successful production can happen. The director must get honest, organic, listening responses from the actors. The actors must be totally present on stage - in the moment of the scene taking place. Give the kids credit for what they are seeing and how they are interpreting what they see. Over-simplifying and hamming a performance for children is insulting and detrimental to a child's perception of what they are going to see at the theatre. Care must be taken to ensure that each participant desires to return to that space - to feel safe, encouraged, enlightened, and accepted.
There was not enough spectacle to hold a child's attention. Exposition, while an important part of the storytelling process, must be significantly truncated in order to hold a child's attention. Also, in the process of telling the story a general rule of "show me, don't tell me" should be implemented. If it is not, a phenomenon I like to call "talking heads" occurs in which nothing happens on stage - literally. The characters end up just existing on stage with little/no movement, just speaking lines for the sake of the plot. These "talking heads" become boring entities that no one cares about; and if you do not care about anyone on stage then you might as well not be doing the performance. My daughter was lost in the exposition of the story by the end of the boat wreck at the beginning of the story. By the time the audience was introduced to the White Cat the children in the audience were disconnected from the story and the events of the play. As I looked around the seats more than half of the children were looking other places than the stage at that point. Even adult audiences cannot abide a wordy, non-action oriented storytelling on stage. If they wanted that, they would read a book.
The total length of the production was too long for the target audience. Either a change needed to be made to the performances for different age groups with different attention spans or significantly shorten the length of the show to fit the target audience. Fixing the aforementioned scene change issues would significantly help a portion of this issue. However, an eight-year-old has a dramatically different attention span than a 3 year-old. For the sake of the children, whose parents have brought them to the event, do not bore them!
Who was the target audience? Parents? Kids? If not parents, then do not cater to them. Yes, they have to be there for the kids, but they do not need to have anything specifically designated for them - there is a reason it is called CHILDREN'S theatre. The production that I saw did not seem child-centered. The jokes, events, bits, scenery, and all other portions of the performance should be for the child! Letting a child's imagination take hold and giving them the opportunity to use their imagination in the viewing process will help them to desire to return and experience the theatre again. If they feel invested in the imagination and creation process (at least this is the case for my daughter) then the likelihood that they will want to return will increase dramatically.
There is a lot of potential for greatness in a program with such a sound, well-planned, and well executed children's museum backing it. I believe that Treehouse Museum could provide a much needed niche for the gaping hole that is children's theatre in the Ogden area. Placing solid talent and leadership in the Troupe along with people that have the right skills set to help it along will make a world of difference for the organization. It is unfortunate that this kind of work and quality is not in place already for such a solid organization otherwise.
An Election Year with the Wrong Focus
Yes, it is an election year. Yes, I understand the everything that will get covered by the mainstream media will be GOP focused (unless the incumbent does something miraculous...). However, I find myself particularly uninterested in the GOP election. NONE of the candidates are people that I would feel comfortable running the country. There is too much fanaticism, too much complaining, too much "anti-Romney" bull$#!@ clouding the campaigns of EVERY candidate (Romney himself seems misguided, unfocused, and not genuine in any respect.) for me to get behind, much less consider, any Republican at this moment.
What about the incumbent? It seems to me that people keep saying that he has not lived up to his promises. To that, I say, how can you fault a man/his team for having set goals that would improve the country as a whole, the economy that needs help so badly, and tried to fix the awful quagmire of a mess that previous administrations have dumped in the lap of the American people? Yes, he has not met all the goals that he has set - but who does? I would like anyone to give me a President that actually DID live up to ALL his promises, met all his goals, and cured every ailment that the country had during his time in office.
Pres. Obama has done the best he can with what he had. He set goals, tried to achieve those goals, and when he saw that they may not be realistic or practical, he CHANGED his plan!! How can you fault a man for being adaptable and who looks forward to the consequences that may come from pursuing futile endeavors? You can't. He has been a proactive, conscientious, leader who wants the best for our country and the people who live in and make it what it is. How can I NOT support someone like that? Now, this was not meant to be a Pro-Obama plug by any means, but he has done an admirable job with what he has been given.
On a more basic level - I LIKE that the I have services like police, fire, and garbage disposal. I LIKE that we have people that, for the most part, are given stewardship over our basic rights (education, security, etc.) so that I do not have to worry about them. I like having organizations that defend and promote the self actualizing activities of art, music, theater, etc. I am fine paying taxes in order to support those people. I am willing to give up some of my own "liberty" so that the government can help to take care of my family and I. By virtue of having a government, it is expected that that is what the majority of the people desire as well. I dread the day that we get someone actually in control of those organizations that wants "less government control". What happens then? I shudder to think...
What about the incumbent? It seems to me that people keep saying that he has not lived up to his promises. To that, I say, how can you fault a man/his team for having set goals that would improve the country as a whole, the economy that needs help so badly, and tried to fix the awful quagmire of a mess that previous administrations have dumped in the lap of the American people? Yes, he has not met all the goals that he has set - but who does? I would like anyone to give me a President that actually DID live up to ALL his promises, met all his goals, and cured every ailment that the country had during his time in office.
Pres. Obama has done the best he can with what he had. He set goals, tried to achieve those goals, and when he saw that they may not be realistic or practical, he CHANGED his plan!! How can you fault a man for being adaptable and who looks forward to the consequences that may come from pursuing futile endeavors? You can't. He has been a proactive, conscientious, leader who wants the best for our country and the people who live in and make it what it is. How can I NOT support someone like that? Now, this was not meant to be a Pro-Obama plug by any means, but he has done an admirable job with what he has been given.
On a more basic level - I LIKE that the I have services like police, fire, and garbage disposal. I LIKE that we have people that, for the most part, are given stewardship over our basic rights (education, security, etc.) so that I do not have to worry about them. I like having organizations that defend and promote the self actualizing activities of art, music, theater, etc. I am fine paying taxes in order to support those people. I am willing to give up some of my own "liberty" so that the government can help to take care of my family and I. By virtue of having a government, it is expected that that is what the majority of the people desire as well. I dread the day that we get someone actually in control of those organizations that wants "less government control". What happens then? I shudder to think...
Thundercats - Updated and AWESOME!!!
Tonight, the reboot of the classic 1985 Rankin/Bass Thundercats aired on Cartoon Network. The original cartoon was one of my favorites from that era (along with He-Man and Silverhawkes). I remember loving the characters and the awesome adventures that happened in the 30 minute spot. I was very excited to hear that the series was going to get a reboot, but I was nervous at the same time. If this series were to get the same quality (or lack thereof) treatment that the He-Man series received in 2002, I would be totally turned off. The total disregard for what the purpose and message of the original 1980's He-Man series and not so much as a wink at the original character design (the characters looked like Neanderthals!!) left a very bitter taste in my mouth that took me watching several of the original series episodes to clean out.
To my joy, none of the worries that I had were a problem with the new Thundercats. From the time that I saw the first previews for the new series I was pleasantly surprised. As I watched the 1 hour debut special and I saw each of the characters show up my immediate response was "Yes!" and occasionally, "Really?! They put Gruun in the first issue, too!?" The shocking moment of the evening, though, was when I said to myself "WHAT!!?? They killed off Panthro in the first episode?! We do not even get to see him?!" Each of the characters were very easily recognizable and each had the familiar feel of the original series.
The new series has done an excellent job of updating the plot and the relationships of the characters within that plot very seamlessly. Even the changes that were made from the original characters (like Tigra and Lion-O being brothers and Wilie-Kit and -Kat beign vagabonds) created a much more dynamic and interesting opportunity for conflict to surface. I also appreciated the simplification of the Thundera portion of the plot. Placing the Cats already on Third-Earth and having an already established conflict with the lizard mutants tightened up the plot and location greatly from the original space-travel idea. It is a refreshing change as well to have appropriate sexual tension between Lion-O and Cheetara (and if you think that it was not there, watch the episode again...) in the show.
Overall, I am very excited for the new series! There are still a lot of great characters to meet and the new conflicts and plot points show great promise for the this reboot!!
To my joy, none of the worries that I had were a problem with the new Thundercats. From the time that I saw the first previews for the new series I was pleasantly surprised. As I watched the 1 hour debut special and I saw each of the characters show up my immediate response was "Yes!" and occasionally, "Really?! They put Gruun in the first issue, too!?" The shocking moment of the evening, though, was when I said to myself "WHAT!!?? They killed off Panthro in the first episode?! We do not even get to see him?!" Each of the characters were very easily recognizable and each had the familiar feel of the original series.
The new series has done an excellent job of updating the plot and the relationships of the characters within that plot very seamlessly. Even the changes that were made from the original characters (like Tigra and Lion-O being brothers and Wilie-Kit and -Kat beign vagabonds) created a much more dynamic and interesting opportunity for conflict to surface. I also appreciated the simplification of the Thundera portion of the plot. Placing the Cats already on Third-Earth and having an already established conflict with the lizard mutants tightened up the plot and location greatly from the original space-travel idea. It is a refreshing change as well to have appropriate sexual tension between Lion-O and Cheetara (and if you think that it was not there, watch the episode again...) in the show.
Overall, I am very excited for the new series! There are still a lot of great characters to meet and the new conflicts and plot points show great promise for the this reboot!!
Light Plot Deconstructed Review
Let me begin by saying that I was very excited for the opportunity to read and review this book. If there is one thing that an educator and freelance designer needs to understand, on all levels of production, whether you are a set, costume, properties or even sound designer, it is the light plot. What happens with and to each of the design elements when light is included can make or break an entire design or show! How to read, interpret, communicate about, and understand the fundamentals of this design communication tool should be a fundamental learning experience for EVERY theatre practitioner - from Artistic Directors to designers to directors and actors. If you can read, understand and communicate about what is happening in terms of light on the stage then your individual responsibility will be more clear and you can do that job more skillfully.
I was appreciative of the history lesson that Greg Hillmar gives the reader in Light Plot Deconstructed, but after 10 pages of history of hand drafting plots I started to wonder about the thesis and purpose of the manual, particularly since the entire manual is only 92 pages in length to begin with. I had picked up the book to hone my skills and hopefully learn some shortcuts that would speed up my workflow when it came to plotting. However, just like the long winded (albeit very interesting...) history lesson was not practical, I found most of the manual very general in nature. Specific Vectorworks Spotlight plotting did not begin until page 41 - up to that point the reader get a general "this is Vectorworks" introduction, however, a few preference modifications specific to plotting ARE included that are worth taking a look at. Even when the reader DOES get to Spotlight specifics the history narrative creeps back in to the book with "In Ye Olde Days..." speech that seems to bog down the purpose of the manual.
Now before you think I am totally discounting this book, let me explain from what perspective I am reading it. I have been teaching all aspects of theatre for years. I consider myself a director at heart and a designer by trade. I have worked on all sides of the theatre in many different capacities. My formal training is in education - which has forced me to become a jack-of-all-trades. When I have taken design classes, in college and out, they have always focused on theory or have been extremely basic in nature in order to reach a larger base. I have, at large, had to teach myself the technology (specifically software like Vectorworks) and software I needed to use beyond a very basic application. It would be my hope that a book that professes to focus on light plots would do that throughout, with minimal tangential trips down memory lane.
Once the book actually starts covering the specifics of a plot (pg. 49) the quality of the instruction significantly increases. Mr. Hillmar takes a very sequenced and logical approach to laying out lighting positions, focus areas, and instrumentation (this section was especially helpful, particularly when it comes to label legends and accessories). There is also a brief section on paperwork, however, the assumption that if you are using Vectorworks you are also using the additional program Lightwright makes this section less useful. As a teacher I am lucky to get an educational license for Vectorworks, however, Lightwright has no such option and dropping the serious cash for a full license of the program just is not at the top of the priorities list when Arts Ed. is being hacked to pieces as is...but that is a discussion for a whole separate review...
So, my overall review of this book would have to be pretty split. Fifty percent was less than useful review of the basic software coupled with a history lesson that felt rather like grandpa telling me about hiking uphill both ways in the snow to get to school. The other fifty percent I found useful and enlightening as a guide to the basic use of Vectorworks Spotlight to create easily readable plots to help communicate what needs to happen for productions. When Mr. Hillmar starts talking about the nitty-gritty work behind putting together plots, the manual becomes very easy to follow and allows the reader to create clear, concise, and professional light plots.
Light Plot Deconstructed by Gregg Hillmar is available for purchase from Nemetschek North America, the makers of Vectorworks at http://www.nemetschek.net/training/guides.php. More information about Mr. Hillmar can be found at www.hillmardesign.com.
Nick Hutchinson is currently a freelance director and designer in the Salt Lake City, UT area. You can find follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nthutch, his handle is @nthutch.
I was appreciative of the history lesson that Greg Hillmar gives the reader in Light Plot Deconstructed, but after 10 pages of history of hand drafting plots I started to wonder about the thesis and purpose of the manual, particularly since the entire manual is only 92 pages in length to begin with. I had picked up the book to hone my skills and hopefully learn some shortcuts that would speed up my workflow when it came to plotting. However, just like the long winded (albeit very interesting...) history lesson was not practical, I found most of the manual very general in nature. Specific Vectorworks Spotlight plotting did not begin until page 41 - up to that point the reader get a general "this is Vectorworks" introduction, however, a few preference modifications specific to plotting ARE included that are worth taking a look at. Even when the reader DOES get to Spotlight specifics the history narrative creeps back in to the book with "In Ye Olde Days..." speech that seems to bog down the purpose of the manual.
Now before you think I am totally discounting this book, let me explain from what perspective I am reading it. I have been teaching all aspects of theatre for years. I consider myself a director at heart and a designer by trade. I have worked on all sides of the theatre in many different capacities. My formal training is in education - which has forced me to become a jack-of-all-trades. When I have taken design classes, in college and out, they have always focused on theory or have been extremely basic in nature in order to reach a larger base. I have, at large, had to teach myself the technology (specifically software like Vectorworks) and software I needed to use beyond a very basic application. It would be my hope that a book that professes to focus on light plots would do that throughout, with minimal tangential trips down memory lane.
Once the book actually starts covering the specifics of a plot (pg. 49) the quality of the instruction significantly increases. Mr. Hillmar takes a very sequenced and logical approach to laying out lighting positions, focus areas, and instrumentation (this section was especially helpful, particularly when it comes to label legends and accessories). There is also a brief section on paperwork, however, the assumption that if you are using Vectorworks you are also using the additional program Lightwright makes this section less useful. As a teacher I am lucky to get an educational license for Vectorworks, however, Lightwright has no such option and dropping the serious cash for a full license of the program just is not at the top of the priorities list when Arts Ed. is being hacked to pieces as is...but that is a discussion for a whole separate review...
So, my overall review of this book would have to be pretty split. Fifty percent was less than useful review of the basic software coupled with a history lesson that felt rather like grandpa telling me about hiking uphill both ways in the snow to get to school. The other fifty percent I found useful and enlightening as a guide to the basic use of Vectorworks Spotlight to create easily readable plots to help communicate what needs to happen for productions. When Mr. Hillmar starts talking about the nitty-gritty work behind putting together plots, the manual becomes very easy to follow and allows the reader to create clear, concise, and professional light plots.
Light Plot Deconstructed by Gregg Hillmar is available for purchase from Nemetschek North America, the makers of Vectorworks at http://www.nemetschek.net/training/guides.php. More information about Mr. Hillmar can be found at www.hillmardesign.com.
Nick Hutchinson is currently a freelance director and designer in the Salt Lake City, UT area. You can find follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nthutch, his handle is @nthutch.
A Major Change & Diving into the Unknown
Things happen... Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Well, for me and my little family one of those changes has taken place. I am no longer teaching. I probably will not be teaching for a while. I am currently looking for a new job in the hopes that I can keep my family afloat. I am doing some major soul searching, getting help, and trying to move forward. I know that the right thing will come up eventually, but right now it is a little rough feeling like I cannot/am not providing for my wife and children.
I am searching daily, praying constantly, and trying to better myself professionally and personally so that when the right job does show up I will be ready and able to proceed and progress. For those that read this and want to know what's going on - ask. I will tell you my little story.
I am looking for a job wherever I can find one at this point. Almost having a Masters Degree has opened some doors and made some other opportunities kind of difficult. I am also looking for a venue to finish my thesis project and produce the show that I have chosen and worked so hard to put together.
Trying to stay positive. Looking to the future & praying for the right things to fall into place for my family and me.
I am searching daily, praying constantly, and trying to better myself professionally and personally so that when the right job does show up I will be ready and able to proceed and progress. For those that read this and want to know what's going on - ask. I will tell you my little story.
I am looking for a job wherever I can find one at this point. Almost having a Masters Degree has opened some doors and made some other opportunities kind of difficult. I am also looking for a venue to finish my thesis project and produce the show that I have chosen and worked so hard to put together.
Trying to stay positive. Looking to the future & praying for the right things to fall into place for my family and me.
Glee - Unavoidable. Period.
How can I, as a theatre teacher, ignore a phenomenon that speaks to nearly every aspect of what I do on a daily basis? The characters of Glee, the situations, the performance aspect, and event the assignments for class speak so closely to my students, my assignments in class, and what my students need that I would be foolish to ignore this pop & popular series. Initially, I watched the first couple of episodes of the first season and thought it was fun, but I figured it would be a passing fad. It was fun, had some good music, but I did not think that it held a broad enough appeal to hold on for more than one season. As a result, I did not watch very many other episodes (that and the fact that my wife did not like the show at all... she does not like the relationship that exists between Matthew Morrison's character and the students - she feels like it is too informal and condones that kind of a relationship between teacher/student. I can see where she is coming from, but at the same time since it IS such a popular experience, how can I ignore it?). I did get the chance to watch a more recent episode, however that changed my whole view of the show.
I think the episode that gave me this epiphany would have to have been the Lady GaGa/KISS episode. When Matthew Morrison gave the assignment to be bigger than life and to get into the persona of the situation I was absolutely caught up by the whole experience. Now, yes, I understand that the show as a whole may not be phenomenal (face it - if you are not a main, recurring character in the show you do not even have to be able to act, let alone sing...and even then, there are a few of the regulars that could use some objective/obstacle classes), but the fact that Glee is SO accessible to such a diverse demographic makes it a show that should not be ignored by any educator - theatre or otherwise. I was totally captivated by and thought I need to adapt and use some of the assignments that get used in the show.
I am going to have to go back and watch at least this most recent season and get back into the whole show. I have to pay attention to this relevant, usable show in order to enhance my curriculum and further reach my students.
I think the episode that gave me this epiphany would have to have been the Lady GaGa/KISS episode. When Matthew Morrison gave the assignment to be bigger than life and to get into the persona of the situation I was absolutely caught up by the whole experience. Now, yes, I understand that the show as a whole may not be phenomenal (face it - if you are not a main, recurring character in the show you do not even have to be able to act, let alone sing...and even then, there are a few of the regulars that could use some objective/obstacle classes), but the fact that Glee is SO accessible to such a diverse demographic makes it a show that should not be ignored by any educator - theatre or otherwise. I was totally captivated by and thought I need to adapt and use some of the assignments that get used in the show.
I am going to have to go back and watch at least this most recent season and get back into the whole show. I have to pay attention to this relevant, usable show in order to enhance my curriculum and further reach my students.
Realizations & Changes - Thesis Show
I have just finished reading my thesis script, Dark of the Moon by Howard Richardson & William Berney again. It seems like every time I read it there is something new that comes out of it - a change that needs to happen, a realization about one or more of the characters, a new image that speaks to me about the show. There are some basic changes that I think need to happen in my original set design to help facilitate the story. 1. There really needs to be a large log that sits next to the house for the wood chopping scene. It really should live about center stage and run diagonally UL to DR. 2. The Rock where the Conjur Man & Conjur Woman live needs to be revamped. It needs clearer platform-like levels (I am thinking circular) that need to step up to the main platform with the cave. This will facilitate the look that I think is necessary for the end scene with Barbara laying on the rock, dead, at the end of the show.
There are some basic things that I know, however, that I do NOT want to change:
1. I want the show to be seen through the eyes of John. His world needs to be the one that is "normal" for us, the audience. It is his choices and his changes that drive our feelings for the rest of the town and the other characters (specifically Barbra) in the show. John and the witches need to be in their own little world that is normal for them - flying on eagles and playing in the fog, the magic, etc. all need to feel like that is what SHOULD be happening; however, the town needs to feel very foreign to John. The things that they do, the way they treat each other and outsiders, etc. needs to feel like it is very out of place in John's life.
2. The Conjur Man & Woman are the only ones that should seem like they are a part of both worlds. They need to seem like they could live in both worlds simultaneously, but if they were to live in just one world they would be out of place.
3. There has to be something that draws John to Barbra Allen and visa versa. I, at this point, am not sure what that something is, but it needs to be there.
4. EVERYONE in the show messes up at some point during the story. There is a point for those characters that are a part of John's personal life that feel remorse, regret, pain, suffering, or sorrow. It is what those characters do at that critical time of change that defines for us (the audience) who they are and how we should feel about them. The only characters that do not really feel that sorrow or regret are the townspeople. Their bigoted fanaticism, coupled with their closed-minded stubbornness make them impervious to the effects of such REAL emotion which, in turn, makes us unable to empathize with them at all during the course of the play.
5. I am toying around with the idea of leaving Barbara dead at the end of the show. She would effectively stay in the dead position on stage throughout the curtain call (she would not get one). I like the idea that the consequences of people's actions are going to affect those around them. This is no different. Dead is dead. She is not going to come back to life and I do not want the audience to have that option be available to them as they leave - if Barbara STAYS dead when they leave then she will STAY dead for them later.
There are some basic things that I know, however, that I do NOT want to change:
1. I want the show to be seen through the eyes of John. His world needs to be the one that is "normal" for us, the audience. It is his choices and his changes that drive our feelings for the rest of the town and the other characters (specifically Barbra) in the show. John and the witches need to be in their own little world that is normal for them - flying on eagles and playing in the fog, the magic, etc. all need to feel like that is what SHOULD be happening; however, the town needs to feel very foreign to John. The things that they do, the way they treat each other and outsiders, etc. needs to feel like it is very out of place in John's life.
2. The Conjur Man & Woman are the only ones that should seem like they are a part of both worlds. They need to seem like they could live in both worlds simultaneously, but if they were to live in just one world they would be out of place.
3. There has to be something that draws John to Barbra Allen and visa versa. I, at this point, am not sure what that something is, but it needs to be there.
4. EVERYONE in the show messes up at some point during the story. There is a point for those characters that are a part of John's personal life that feel remorse, regret, pain, suffering, or sorrow. It is what those characters do at that critical time of change that defines for us (the audience) who they are and how we should feel about them. The only characters that do not really feel that sorrow or regret are the townspeople. Their bigoted fanaticism, coupled with their closed-minded stubbornness make them impervious to the effects of such REAL emotion which, in turn, makes us unable to empathize with them at all during the course of the play.
5. I am toying around with the idea of leaving Barbara dead at the end of the show. She would effectively stay in the dead position on stage throughout the curtain call (she would not get one). I like the idea that the consequences of people's actions are going to affect those around them. This is no different. Dead is dead. She is not going to come back to life and I do not want the audience to have that option be available to them as they leave - if Barbara STAYS dead when they leave then she will STAY dead for them later.
