It’s My Senior Year!

Ok, I should probably do some homework but I can’t be bothered. I can’t believe how 3 hours flew by. I suppose it’s all this organization for my show that has really occupied my thoughts; making it hard to accomplish other tasks. Ok, I will sign off!

Oooh! Mama Mia!

I can’t believe how time has flown! Just a couple days ago I was lounging on Sant Sebastian beach in total disbelief that my holiday would come to an end. So, here I am. It’s actually great to be back. I am so in debt but the experience was so worth while. I can’t believe I managed to get in 4 courses for the 3-week program! So much to account on about my experiences while abroad but I will just detail you guys on what I have gained from the study abroad. I really didn’t know what to expect or anticipate. I was anxious my first week; dealing with my classmates practically every waking moment. I honestly wanted to drive away but that never was an option. I learned the importance of working as a team and making the most of my time. I gained many friendships with individuals I would never have cared to become better aquainted with given how busy I am here in Miami. I was surrounded by gorgeous architecture that only America could reproduce and never claim as history. One of my highlights was attending the PQ and getting some perspective on national identity. I would like to try to attend PQ 2011. Only time will serve as my guide when the time approaches. I could go on….but I have to get going by starting my day. It’s 1:11 p.m. and I am still in my bedroom. I hope this entry will encourage the rest of you to comment and share about your own experiences.  I appologize to those I didn’t comment on their blog entries. Not being able to use the internet regurarily hindered me from following up on everyone’s entries. Ok! I Hope this finds everyone in good spirits.

Divadlo Metro: Another Black Light experience in Prague.

So, I took Jeff to see Life is Life at Divadlo Metro on Národní Třída last week. Unfortunatley, that is the only show they are doing for the rest of our time here (I really wanted to see Miss Sony). Divadlo Metro is the theatre where they have a “workshop” after each performance, so I was really looking forward to it.

It more or less is about some of the aspects of one man’s life: birth, different things he does, love life, etc. But what you really want to know is if it was any good, right? Should you go see it? Well, it was far more entertaining than Alice, I must say. This is mostly due to the pace of the show. Lots of things going on. It has less of a plot than Alice, which will astound some of you. Visually, Metro has a unique look about what they do. Everything is rather cartoony, which is somewhat interesting. As for the Black Light “bits”, there is nothing really special and—for me—no moments of “How did they do that?”. I liked it just fine (despite the crowd of German children), but Jeff wasn’t crazy about it.

Of course, the idea of a workshop held promise for me. Essentially, they showed how they did one or two bits—again, nothing surprisng—and then invited a very reluctant audience to come up and try it. Interesting, but a VERY loose use of the word “workshop”.

Tickets were 440 Kc. Should you go? I don’t have an answer here. Some of you would love it and some would loathe it. I may try to see the black light Faust playing somewhere. A familiar and stronger plot encourages me.

Manny’s experience with deafness.

About 97% of the enrichment from reading Shakespeare comes from enjoying the language, so sitting through the Tempest was somewhat like watching a talk show on mute. The costumes and set design however, were exceptional. The sails, the use of party city blood, etc. all made the experience that much more palatable for my non czech speaking self. I especially liked the way they improvised with a single set to render multiple locations, i.e. the windows forming a backdrop, the sails for the ship, etc.

Manny’s take on Wonderful Circus

In Wonderful Circus, Svboda’s panoramic depth perception walks a tightrope between novelty schlock and a legitimate stylistic presence. I felt it redeemed itself particularly during the second act, which is when I felt strongest that the style was truly there to elevate the action like Svboda insists. The kabuki segment and others really made the theme more diverse and thus appropriate, like a panorama of world visual entertainment rather than a Conan O’ Brien skit, which is how some of the first act came across.

Michelle’s Post

Well, I am about to embark on a new adventure here in jolly o’ England! I must say that seeing a variety of theatre in Czech Republic has motivated to see what England has to offer. Any recommendations? Anyway, I will be shortly commenting on my overall experience. I hope you all care to the same. The trip was just the beginning and whet my appetitie….so to speak. PQ 2007 totally rocked and I plan to head over in 2011. Who is in? Ok, I have less than a minute…. till the next time! TOODLES FROM THE BRITISH ISLES!

Svoboda’s Wonderful Circus

After reading the section on Josef Svoboda in our world theatre guide I really didn’t know what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised to see his work on stage really come into play!

The show was an incorporation of black light majic, funky music, pantomime, grace and of course the trademark of Svoboda…panoromic projection of images that are served as a depth perception (Guys I forgot that art/architecture term for creating perception!)to complement the performance. I was really blown away to see how so many elements just worked! From seeing so many elements work together I was brought back to my childhood waiting for what would happen next. Everything was seamless from the birth of the clowns to their end. Nothing upstaged nor lagged behind.  It was exciting and very creative.

Svoboda’s work is “deeply rooted in feeling” by there being a lack of dialogue and made a simple concept of circus relateable for all who have been to the circus. It was like watching a pop-up book from scene to scene with psychodelic elements. Although Svoboda believes that scenographers are not “circus magicians” it was pure socery! I don’t know about anyone else here in blogsville but I would sure love to see more of Svoboda’s work or some how be a part of his creative team.

What happened to the elephants?!?!

Svoboda’s incorporation of several different theatrical techniques into one performance is quite unsusual but, when done correctly, very cool!  I thought the use of projection and black light along with the stage acting was well integrated and, as Cari mentioned, very well balanced.  I kept expecting the actors to go behind the curtains too early/late, but everything was so well rehearsed that I found myself drawn into the performance, not critisizing it.  Even the prop and costume changes were for the most part seemless and percise.  Suprisingly, all of the elemets worked wonderfully together in an attempt to tell the story of the two clowns.  Svoboda mentioned that, “This is the big issue….Scenography must draw inspiration from the play, its author, all the theatre.”  In this case, I believe it did.  Even the audiences’ experiences were taken into accout and utilized.  For example, pretty much everyone knows (or has an idea) of what it is like to be in a circus tent.  The projections and the stage props took full advantage of this common experience and made it easier for the audience to feel as though they were the other half of the crowd in the circus tent.

Granted, I wasn’t too thrilled with the story in some parts (namely, the part with the murderous hand puppets on a rampage), but it didn’t hinder me from being able to follow along with the story and what it was attempting to convey.  In all, I thought it was a really good example of Svoboda’s imagination and creativness come to life.

Great but freaking cold

OK so this is my second attemot to write this blog. The first one was erased accidentaly any way. I thought the play was good but had some items out of place like what was up with the clothes hangers on the top of the stage. The acting was par in my opinion. and the consumes seemed allitle off. I thought i actually understood Czech for a second their when the actor suddenly spoke english. i also thought about why purple and pink sails just  wondered why purple. Also it was freaking cold and i did not prepare well for that temperature. The play was good for what they had to work with and the whole location made you feel like you where part of the set and not so much like, thats the stage and here i am almost there was no clear line drawn where one ended and the other started. it was a great experiance.

It was wonderful!!!

I guess I’m the first one to blog about this, and I must say that I really enjoyed the performance.One of the sad parts for me was the fact that black light theatre was used in part of the show and was much better than the actual group called  Black light  theatre.  The show itself was very interesting and the effects were very nice.  I first I thought that I would be too distracted by the projections to  notice the action on stage but as it turned out there were only a couple of times that I found myself just looking at the screen for longer than I was supposed to.  I rather liked the idea that this show didn’t have any actual dialogue with words, although it had a lot of dialogue with body language and  expressions,  I felt it still conveyed the story  and that it didn’t take the audiences  concentration or focus from anything else.  It was well balanced.  It was also very difficult to make a story that had a beginning, a middle and an end without words just projection’s and action.  I really like the use of the projection and the pictures, after re-reading the text I realized that the pictures did indeed set the mood and the tone for the story.  I must say that I was really captivated by the story that I realized towards the end, I wasn’t trying to see what was going behind the curtain but just focusing on the show.  I really enjoyed the story but at the same time I’m trying to figure out what was the point of it? Was it that beauty and happiness are a never ending hunt? or is it that we must go through and search for what we want even though obstacles are thrown our way? I’m still thinking about that one.

During the reading I was a little confused because I felt that most of the techniques that were discussed were mostly for straight plays and not enough of the process of La turna Magika were discussed.  I do like Josefs ideas but he puzzles me in the sense that he sometimes is for traditional theatre but at the same time he is finding new ways of doing theatre.  He likes traditional theatre buildings but then he has this whole idea of the true theatre building.  I do appreciate his appetite for needing to keep developing old and new techniques, it is a great gift to theatre today.  Okay cheers folks and enjoy.