Proposal for solo project (revised)

After reviewing the solo project video from the last semester, my teachers and classmates were able to remind me many of my strengths and aspects that I can work on more. In this reflection I am going to talk about what I did well last year and what aspects I wish to do differently and improve on. Just a reminder, my theater theorist is Brecht and his aspects that I have referenced are: coming out of role, multi-rolling, third person narration, and stage techniques such as costumes are laid bare for the audience. The text I used is from Into The woods by James Lapine.

Overall, my plots were brilliant, the costume for each character is simple, and I also picked good source of texts and materials and music too. The scenes I picked has a clear story line that consists of a setting, conflict, climax, down fall, and final resolution. Thus, the audience can easily understand the story and its messages. In addition, particularly changing the costumes and the carnival and circus music have provided my audience a obvious feeling of Brecht’s way of theater.

Now let us talk about the things I wish to do different and improve on this year. First is the transition between different characters. For example, since I have placed the narrator’s position in the down stage right and the main story would be happening in center stage, I have to walk a long distance while taking off and putting on my costumes and grabbing my props. This seems a little bit embarrassing for the audience. I might want to put the narrator on down stage center so that when the story begin I do not have to walk for a long distance. Also, I can have some costumes that are more representative and are easier to put in and take off. The lighting and music can be adjusted too to resolve the embarrassing transition. I even want to set myself as a puppet like figure on the stage. This is to refer to Brecht’s intention of showing his audience that everyhing is fake: the story, the narrator, the characters, and the costumes. Also, this is for expressing another message of my own that, whereas a temporary and overwhelming crush can be very attractive and strong in someways, but people are all controlled or ruled over by their dark side of morality and their fates. Second is to add more distinction between different characters. It was really good that one of my classmates pointed out in class today that he was confusing about how many roles I have. For example, the narrator has a very similar tone to the baker’s wife and the angle and the devil just seem like two different consciousness of the baker’s wife. To add more distinction, I could enhance different tone and posture of each character. Specifically, the angels and devils can be very cartoonish , the baker’s wife would have a higher pitch than my normal voice, and the prince can show a much more tougher posture and lower pitch. Also, letting each character to use one word to classify their identity before they start talking is a good idea too! Thus I need to fix my script. The third one is to minimize my purposeless movements on the stage. Fourth is to enhance and emphasis the aspects that I reference from Brecht.

Also, when I plan the changes and adding new stuff, I shall keep in my what is the focus of my theater production and what elements of my theorist and theater overall I do I want to show the audience. How can I show them and who are my audience. In terms of audience, what kind of impact and feeling do I want for my audience. What message do I want to convey to my audience. And how can I make this happen?

What do you intend to set as your intention(s)?

Base on my plots of my scene, I want to express a central message: whereas a temporary and overwhelming crush can be very attractive and strong in someways, but people are all controlled or ruled over by their dark side of morality and their fates.  For example, whereas the baker's wife and the prince really had an affair in the woods, there were still parted by their own destinies: the prince need to find Cinderella and slaughter the giant, and the baker's wife need to find the things for her son. And why they  had an crush on each other is not they really fell in love but for their own desire of wealth and lust. The Prince liked the Baker's wife because of lust and loneliness; and the baker's wife had an affair with the Prince because she thought she could use him to be her fate to wealth and thus a much better life.

What do you hope the impact(s) on the audience will be?

I want the audience to come to my theater thinking that they are just watching a fairytale, but when they leave I want them to actually bring some reality about the actual world when they leave. For instance, although In To The Woods is just a fictional story and all the characters in the text are fictional too, specifically my own piece will reveal to the audience the truth of momentary love and crush are just as easy to fade away as bubbles in real life. I want the audience to feel how weak and small love and fascination are in front of fate and death. And also another moral lesson that people's selfishness and desire are sometimes stronger than love. 

How might you assess the efficacy of that in the talkback (what questions can you ask, etc.)?

Ask my audience what do they think the message(s) of the piece is(are). Do you think there is absolutely true love? What do you think my piece's argument about love is? ...