Chandler's: I thought the idea behind Chandler's was really interesting. The way she made the florescent light bulbs a part of the play was really effective. I also thought that her stage directions kept the audience very engaged; as each character exited, the other would do something to develop the plot (such as read the other character's journal). I think Chandler captured the anxiety of the character she played very well, and she skillfully included some of the roots of her character's problems in her dialogue.
Hannah's: Hannah's play revolved around a very unusual concept, which in the end, made a lot of sense. Hannah mastered ambiguity in her play. I loved the way she made Chandler's character move forward as the play progressed, turning the lights on as she went. Aesthetically, her play really worked. Even when audience members were very confused, they were engaged.
Kayla's: I really enjoyed working with Kayla on her play. Firstly, I thought she came up with an extremely appealing and unique concept: going to purgatory. I think she did a very good job with the development of her characters. Even though the man had monologues throughout the play, the audience was still able to get a sense of who Claire was through the subtleties dialogue. Kayla also picked an idea that worked really well within her space. She came up with unique ways to make the space more interesting, such as having Claire tape her and the man's sweaters to the wall.
Oliver's: Oliver's play was fun to be a part of. I think the extreme personalities he used for both of his astronauts were very effective, giving audience members insight into their relationship before it was even specifically introduced. I also think using the vestibule as a spaceship was an extremely creative and difficult undertaking, but also a sensible one. The dialogue was witty and fast, and the concept was clear.
Sophie's: I think Sophie did the best job demonstrating the relationship between the characters in her play better than anyone else has thus far. The dialogue was extremely believable, and that is something that can really sell a play. She effectively used simple props, like the newspaper and the snuggies, to make the set her own. The idea she was going for was easy to picture in the space. On the acting end, I thought that Natalie and Hugo did a very good job, which was an important aid for the audience.
Natalie's: Natalie was really effective in making all of her character's motives very clear. She also cleverly victimized the assistant theater director. I think Natalie's had the most character development out of all the plays we've seen thus far. Within the five minute snapshot Natalie gave us, we were able to see insights into her character as well as insights into how people around her perceived her. The dialogue and "beats" felt very natural as they were read.
Hugo's: Hugo's play was the most thought-provoking for me out of all the plays thus far. Initially, the audience is focused on the mysterious girl behind the wall. However, Hugo crafted a very interesting plot with a fast (and sad) reversal. The play becomes very much about his character, and the audience automatically becomes sympathetic towards him and his mundane lifestyle. The play also made audience members think afterwards about how depressing life can be sometimes. Audience members were also left wondering about who the girl behind the wall really was, as well as what her beliefs were.
Allison's: Allison definitely utilized the space she chose for her play. The concept behind her play was perfect for an area as dark and depressing as the commons. She gave the therapist a great, calm disposition. Similarly, she gave the claustrophobic character a very believable nature. Allison did a great job with the whole "arrive late, leave early" concept that we have discussed in class before. Through the subtleties in her dialogue she gave great insights into the background of Montana's character; the audience didn't have to live through her entire story to know her story.
Ben's: Ben's play left audience members thinking about an interesting concept: voluntary solitude. Montana's character was very unusual in the sense that she intentionally locked herself in the basement. Ben cleverly left Montana's character's background very uncertain, and to me, that was the most effective aspect of his play. Ben's play benefitted from being ambiguous, which is an idea that other playwrights in our class haven't taken on as much. He also made good use of Allison's character
Montana's: I think the relationship Montana created between her two characters was really effective. Audience members easily sympathized with Allison's character. At the same time, not so expectedly, it was also very easy to sympathize with Ben's character, who doesn't seem like a completely normal kid. The relationship they formed was very interesting; by the end of the play audience members felt a sense of security once they knew that Allison had a friend in the building even while her parents were fighting. The play had a good balance between somberness and comfort.
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