Site - Specific Plays Day 1

Chandler: Chandler's play actually reminded me of mine in some ways, and I thought it was very interesting the way she decided to show the audience how her character was feeling. The breathing heavily, telling Hannah to shut off the light, and pacing - there were very specific movements that really enabled us to get a sense of what she was going through. I also had a lot of questions throughout the play - where were the two characters and why they were there, when they left the area, where they were headed and what did it mean to each character, and answers were slowly revealed through the dialogue between the two.

Hannah: The way this play was done was very interesting. I liked the light being turned on and off at specific points (as John said). Having her pull the light at one point, and then having it go dark again really worked. While there were some points when I was confused, there were definite points when it was clear when there was a specific change of character, for example when Chandler held the gun in her hand and then I think a point when she leaned against the wall and collapsed to the floor (?). I thought the use of the clanking sound added something to the play, and I also liked that the audience stood at the back and was watching the play from that angle because we looked at the space in a completely different way.

Julie: I really liked how we didn't exactly know where the two characters were until the very end of the play. Because of this, throughout I had so many questions - Where are they? Why are they there? Why do they think the world is coming to an end? - and by the end it was clear and the questions were answered, and I loved that the play took place in a shelter, something I wasn't expecting. It's hard to figure out when to reveal the answer to a certain question (timing it to make sure it's not too soon or too late) and I think Julie did a good job of figuring this out - even if I was confused about where the play was taking place exactly, it didn't stop me from understanding what was going on between the characters or keep me from enjoying the play. I also liked that it was a dramatic situation but really funny at the same time. I'm not sure if that's what Julie was going for, but I think it worked really well.

Kayla: The idea of using her space as a place to go once you have died - with one set of doors being the entrance to heaven and the other set leading to hell, was really interesting and really made us view that area in a completely different way. Because of this we were able to imagine the world where the play took place, and I completely forgot that we were in school (except for the fact that people kept walking in and out). Having Oliver explain to the audience why he was there, but then having Julie not know what we knew was interesting, and I liked knowing something the other characters didn't; it created a sense of mystery and we were left wondering throughout when and if Julie would find out and what would happen. I missed the ending of the play! I don't know if it was because I couldn't hear or see what was going on, but from the point when Kayla came in I was confused and couldn't figure out what she was saying, and I wish I had.