Monday, January 18, 2010

Class Entry

Julius Caesar. Yes, that was the title of the tragic Shakespearean play that I witnessed this past Thursday night directed by none other than the teacher that assigned me this lovely assignment, Mr. Glenn. Now, I’m going to be honest, I was not particularly excited about going to this play because of a high amount of stress that was caused by a math quiz the next day, but those bonus points were very tempting. I was also intrigued by the modern adaptation that Mr. Glenn spoke of in class so I was interested in what he had worked up his sleeve for this production, I knew that I would most likely not be disappointed. But, there is also that “Ugh” feeling that always comes over me whenever Shakespeare is discussed because to tell you the truth, I am not the biggest fan. But, despite my math quiz and mixed emotions about Shakespeare, I decided that I could not pass up bonus points and that it will all pay off in the long run.
So, after volunteering to usher, I showed up to the play early to realize that this would not be a traditional spectator experience. The audience was actually placed right onto the stage with all of the action within a foot or so from them. I thought that this was a really cool effect and it made me feel a personal connection to the characters that could not have been achieved if I was sitting in the actual auditorium seating. So, already my expectations of a boring play were dwindling. The modern lingo that the characters would switch into occasionally also made the play more relatable and understandable to me in a way that Shakespeare’s Elizabethan writing could not have caused. Though I found the play to be humorous and enjoyable, I feel like it could have been a bit confusing to one who had not read Julius Caesar before. The use of unconventional props, modern music, and modern dialects could have added confusion to an audience without knowledge of the actual play. But, despite some minor confusion I thought the play was very well adapted by the characters and though unconventional, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole production especially the video news and the power points, I found those to be quite humorous and clever. I did have one question about the play, what was up with the musical introduction thing? That was the only thing that really confused me because I wasn’t sure how exactly the miming actions that the characters were performing had any connection to Julius Caesar. But, besides that I was pleasantly surprised and I guess a bad grade on my math quiz was worth it.

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