Play Production Review
Many works of art are made to impress the audience. Play is an example of such a piece. It is a presentation of a story using different characters, each playing a written role. The production of a play is vital since it determines the reaction of the audience. Several aspects need to be considered when producing a play. Some of them include lighting, the flow of the story, use of literary devices, among other elements. Shakespeare remains one o the strongest playwrights in history with his plays and poems being read worldwide. Certain aspects may be interesting in the plays he created. This paper is an analysis of the play Much Ado But Nothing by William Shakespeare.
The first aspect of the production of a play is its genre. Much ado, but Nothing is a comedy. Its main intention is to make the audience laugh. The style affects the setting of the play in several ways. The first aspect is lighting. Due to its jovial mood, the play is made such that the lighting is bright to match the genre. If it was a horror, then most of the time, it would involve dark scenes.
Based on the comedy effects, most of the scenes in the play are lit and acted during daylight. In the video, the role of Benedick is presented perfectly. The jokes he makes are seen from the beginning of the play when he is welcomed, and his enthusiasm makes the play more enjoyable. It also catches the eye of the audience, making them feel attached to the play from the beginning to the end. I, however, did nt enjoy the acted the role of Don John- the illegitimate Brother. Based on what I read about the play, I expected a more troublesome character who was at conflict with most of the other actors in the play. He did not match up to my expectations.
Besides that, the set up of the play matters in the process of production. In this case, the play is based on traditional times when the people used to go to wars. This aspect is seen when the play begins, and Leonato is welcoming some of his friends who had been in a war. Based on the setting of the play, one may determine the era in which the play was created. Based on the ideas expressed in the play, one may determine that the play was set when the Monarchy of Italy was the core ruling power. It was a hereditary monarch that went on from 1861 to 1946.
One may, therefore, conclude that the setting of the play was during the era. The Italian accent should be portrayed by all the actors based on the time and place that the play was set in. The character in the acted scenes in the video meet up to the expectations. Leonato was one of the people who made it look even more real with his speeches. He observes some of the key aspects of Italian accents, such as the lack of diphthongs, missing letters such as H, the rolling of some letters such as r. The aspects make the play very interesting, especially when Benedick makes funny jokes with Beatrice.
The climax of the play is very interesting. It is marked by the abortion of the wedding ceremony where Claudia rejects Hero is marked with significant emotion. It is, however, an essential aspect of the time in which the play was set. In the time of Shakespeare, a woman was supposed to be chaste, and families were based on the ability of the couple to remain loyal to each other. The community was so focused on the importance of morality that one could no be married if they were not chaste. If one was involved in an unholy act, they would lose their social standing and all the respect that they had earned. The producer of the play is, therefore, on point when creating this scene. The act of Leonatto to try and obliterate Claudio also rhyme the era that the play was performed. There was one aspect of the play that made it miss some critical aspects of the setting. The costumes that the characters use in the video are a significant failure. Based on the time that it was written, the play was supposed to consist of costumes that matched the time of writing. The women in the play were supposed to wear dresses that had brims that expanded on the lower end. The play lacked some important aspects such as the Indian Shawl that women in Italy wore.
On occasions that were not official such as weddings, the characters were supposed to wear gowns with a flowery pattern in the lower sides. Mens fashion in the play is also supposed to be baggy suits. The aspect was not observed in the video.
The enthusiasm at the beginning of the play was also questionable. The stories told about the wars in traditional eras, grief, and sadness were common characteristics, especially for the fighters in a battle. They lost friends and family in the battleground, sustained wounds or injuries, and destruction of property.
Though the play was a comedy, the aspect should have been demonstrated on a higher basis. It is important to maintain the realistic nature of the play. It is what makes it more interesting and relatable. In the beginning, some aspects of sadness o coming from war should be seen. I also expected more joy when the soldiers returned from the war alive. The reaction of Leonatto when the soldiers arrive is awesome. It matches the happiness that is expected after soldiers return to their homes after the war.
In conclusion, the play Much Ado But Nothing, as presented on the PBS website, is almost perfect. The aspects of comedy are also seen in most of the te scenes, especially the character of Benedick. The accent is also on point and rhymes with Italian culture. However, the clothing is a significant failure since it does ot match perfectly with the setting of the play.