Rosaline...Who is That!?

Many people are shocked and appalled when they are either told of or witness for themselves, through reading or seeing the play, Romeo's love stricken desire for not Juliet, but Rosaline in the beginning of Romeo and Juliet. This shock is due in fact to the focus of the play's main characters, Romeo and Juliet. However, Rosaline is a very imperative character, specifically to Romeo, because if it wasn’t for her there perhaps wouldn’t be a Romeo and Juliet! Why you might ask? Well if you didn’t already know, Romeo goes to the Capulet party because he knows Rosaline is going to be there. He wasn’t in pursuit of wanting to crash the party or to even meet some Capulet honeys. He wanted to see the initial love of his life. - Benvoilio: At this same ancient feast of Capulet’s sups the fair Rosaline whom thou so loves...Romeo: I’ll go along, no such sight to be shown, but to rejoice in splendor of mine own. (Romeo and Juliet Act 1: Scene 2)

Now you might ask what does Rosaline have to do with a theatrical abstraction, she is in the play Romeo and Juliet. Well just as it is astonishing knowing about Romeo's infatuation with Rosaline, it is also astounding to know that Rosaline is a character that was originally only referred to in Romeo and Juliet. So in laymen's term, she was originally an unseen character. Starting in the 1950's film and theatre directors began to have Rosaline's character physically appear. Franco Zeffirelli and Renato Castellini are credited for being the first film directors to have Rosaline appear on camera. Now Stofer states that dark matter refers to the invisible dimension of theater that escapes visual detection, even though its effects are felt everywhere in performance. (Dark Matter, Page 3) Although Rosaline is a character that isn't represented in a naturalistic detail, her dark matter inevitably plays a vital role in the production of Romeo and Juliet. She not only impacts Romeo's life, but Mercutio and Benvolio are affected as well. She even serves as the catalyst behind Mercutio's Queen Mab speech. If Romeo wasn't head over heels in love with her and rejected by her at the ball, would he have noticed Juliet? It is Romeo's love for her initially and decline of reciprocated love that affects Romeo and even gives Juliet a chance. Some directors choose to have Rosaline represented on stage which many of us witnessed with Ashley Adams (pictured above) playing Rosaline in Swine Palace's 2014 SummerFest Production of Romeo and Juliet. The audience was able to witness for themselves through Rosaline's decline to Romeo, that he wasn't in love with her, but in love with the idea of being in love. 

Now I am a firm believer that if you choose to represent something whether through artwork, film, or the theatre, it should be a true authentic presentation of it. I don’t care how ugly or disturbing the subject is. Beautifying something horrific to me is a contradiction to its being. Either go big or go home. If you don’t want to give an accurate depiction, then just leave it alone. This goes beyond just the Holocaust. This can be said for Slavery, 9/11, even the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  

A Spontaneous Theatrical Experience

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." -Lao Tzu

An example of a disturbance in the theatre world which brought about change in how theatre is typically performed would be the I Am Trayvon Martin protest that happened all over the country, but specifically on the campus of Albany State University on April 6th 2012. Albany State's Theatre Ensemble felt inclined to stand for justice and show our unwavering support for the I Am Trayvon Martin campaign. We went to our advisors and asked for funds so that we could rent a performance space at the Municipal Auditorium, perform several monologues and songs that spoke on the severity of injustice against youth, and raise money to donate to the Martin Family. We were devastated when our advisors informed us that this pursuit was declined by our department chair. So...we decided to take things into our own hands!

We met as an ensemble and planned to do a flashmob/protest performance in our cafeteria during its busiest lunch time hours. We wanted to make an impact on our fellow Golden Rams and wanted to do it at a time where we knew we would have their undivided attention. We got approval from Mr.Walker who was in charge of Food & Dining and at 11:45am we performed our show. The show consisted of several inspirational songs/dances and a re-enactment of the Trayvon Martin story. This turned out to be Albany State's first flashmob experience and also the beginning to iPerform Dinner Theatre, which is now an ongoing project that helps raise funds for the theatre program and allows students/community members the chance to eat a 3 course meal and watch a show at the same time. This spontaneous and courageous move also peaked awareness in our SGA and a week later Albany State participated in the Million Hoody March were over 700 students were involved. 

This theatrical disturbance was an example of Guerrilla Theatre. It gave us the opportunity to present a social and uncomfortable subject in a theatrical form that was devoid from the standard or normal way of presenting theatre that Albany State and the community of Albany, Georgia grew accustomed to seeing. R. G Davis says, "The motives, aspirations, and practice of U.S. theatre must be re- adapted in order to: teach, direct toward change, and be an example of change...The Guerrilla company must exemplify change as a group. The group formation-its cooperative relationships and corporate identity-must have a morality at its core." These were all entities that our ensemble embodied. He also says, "Ideally, the universities should be examples of socially committed theatre...It is our obligation to gather audiences and excite them into being provoked and confronted, and into returning!" This theatrical protest not only motivated our students but it set a new precedent for future performances. This performance disturbance is also example of theatre found in the ACT UP reading. For it is a form of theatre that can be done in the community or public areas and it faces immediate social issues.

I definitely agree that in order to change theatre we must become more aware of what are the needs, wants, and desires of our community. For they make up the audience that will either become repeat supporters of our theatre or take their money and invest it into other gratifying forms of entertainment. I'd love to say...LETS DO MORE PERFORMANCES IN ECCENTRIC LOCATIONS! But honestly, we have to do a better job at marketing our shows, show selections, and of course finding new and creative ways of presenting productions. One thing I'd like to see more of is technology infused into the theatrical experience. I know that this would of course mean that more money would have to be invested into the show, but I think it would be extremely appealing and would have audience members coming back more and more! If we could combine a strong and moving script with fantastic and authentic acting with technological experiences found at Universal Studios...then that would be one hell of a production. Now I know that you could experience this in NYC or in Chicago, but if we brought this kind of theatre to places like Baton Rouge it would make a huge impact on the theatre scene and the community!

-Amar

My Heart Cries For You Soweto...

Attending an Historically Black College and University granted me several opportunities to experience and be involved in several productions that were examples of documentary theatre naturalism/realism. At the time I didn't quite grasp why these shows were so vital to our audience and community. I was just an anxious young actor who yearned to get on the stage. I was truly in for an eye opening and rude awakening experience. The two shows that I will discuss will be From Africa to America written by Dr. Wendy Coleman and Cries From Soweto written by The Love Sisters. 

The first production that I will discuss is From Africa to America written by Dr. Wendy Coleman. This was the first show I was cast in at Albany State University. I was elated to be apart of the ensemble because I was the only freshman cast and at that time only upperclassmen were cast in shows, especially lead roles. From Africa to America is a play that explores the legacy and history of African Americans. It starts as an afro centric exhibition of slaves from their native continent of Africa to their forceful journey to America. The audience is then guided through a sort of theatrical lesson as the actors reenact momental and significant events that have happened in Black History. Its told through songs, dance, poetry, and dramatic interpretation. Several historical figures such as Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, and Barack Obama are depicted. I had the privilege of portraying Langston Hughes and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  As a member of the ensemble I felt that it was my duty as an actor to remind the audience of how rich and valid African American heritage is. This was pivotal because students at my school seemed almost ignorant to what their history entailed. Technology, fashion, and the hottest music seemed to be the only imperative things that mattered to them. This show aimed to challenge the audience to consider what should be appreciated and what at times have been taken for granted. Although the show discusses notable figures, I personally felt that we were just breathing life into biographical stories of prominent African American pioneers through vignettes. These vignettes were powerful and evoked empathy from the audience, but the costumes, props, and sets were not historically accurate. We discussed the natural world of the play rather than being in it. 

     The last production I was in was Cries From Soweto written by the Love Sisters. This was a very challenging and at times disturbing process because our director aimed to be as authentic as possible with our portrayals of a group of high school students who brutally lost their lives during the horrid 1976 Soweto Uprising in South Africa. This show to me is the perfect example of documentary/verbatim theatre. The script was unbiasedly written based on edited historic material. Peter Cheeseman said, "Actuality in our terms is either actual utterance in documentary form, in written form or reported form by participants or eye witnesses of actual events or recorded material collected by us by means of the tape recorder, it is that material edited together and turned into a play, nothing must be made up.  (Verbatim Theatre 213) The material that we pulled from were interviews from high school survivors, family members, policemen, reporters, and political figures during the Soweto Uprising. From the set to the lights to  the costumes everything was historically accurate. There was a particular scene that I will never forget. Inde who was the young and militant leader of the kids stood up to one of the police offers who just so happen had a guard dog in his police car. Before Inde could utter a word, he released the guard dog on him and with numerous bites and flesh tears, Inde was left laying in a puddle of blood screaming for God's help until he died. We reenacted this scene the exact way it was described in police reports by fellow police officers and students. Through the use of real audio clips, a real german shepard, a actor padded with protection, and a backdrop we were able to stage this moment through silhouette.  Documentary theatre is a form of theatre in which technology is a primary factor in the transmission of knowledge. (Bodies of Evidence) We incorporated many projections into the show. We showed video clips, images of victims, and politically targeted artistic paintings. This show left our audience speechless, emotionally moved, and urged to fight against injustice. This was a joy for our ensemble because the script didn't slander or ridicule South Africa's political reinforcement, all we did was present the facts through documented material. "You cant write a documentary-  You can only edit documentary material. “We have to find a way of asking disturbing questions which do not take a single viewpoint or single political alignment "(Verbatim Theatre 213). 

       I feel that performances that offer some kind of (new or classified) truth and performances that strive for documentary "verbatim" or naturalistic reality are similar in the sense that they both aim to present theatrical truth and authenticity. I feel that they differ based off their scripts and what they're based off of. I feel that performances that offer some kind of truth are written with the desire to be truthfully portrayed, while a verbatim theatre performance will be based off a true and authentic person, place, or thing. Verbatim theatre is also urged to be depicted from an unbiased standpoint, while the lighter can do whatever it pleases. Either way it is up to the audience to decide what performance is indeed factual.  

I Swear...OHH REALLY!?

How many times in your life do you think you've said the performative utterance...I SWEAR? Matter of fact, how many times do you think you said it in the last month or week? There are several entities that the word swear holds alone. Swear could be defined as a term cognate to such terms as promise or vow. An example would be I swear to love wholeheartedly or I swear he took it. We would typically find these examples in marriage vows or oaths. Another similar association would be to swear from a facetious or serious standpoint. An example would be I swear I will hit you if you don't stop. This example could arise in day to day conversations with friends or loved ones. A last association could be I swear as a way of seeking acceptance or consent. An example of this could be I swear to God.

I was perusing youtube and I came across this interesting video from the show The Big Bang Theory were Leonard embarrasses himself in front of Dr. Pimpton. He insists on seeming highly intellectual and fails the minute he sees Dr. Pimpton due to being overtly nervous. In aims of alleviating his embarrassment he says, "I swear to God, im smart."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PwMWyu8BcU

This example is a performative utterance because we literally see Leonard not only saying I Swear, but we all see him performing the action of swearing. Were not indeed sure if Leonard is telling the truth or not, but what we can observe is his intention. Austin says, "In the particular case of promising, as with many other performatives, it is appropriate that the person uttering the promise should have a certain intention." (11) Leonard's intention is to seek verification either in his roommate or Dr. Pimpton that he is intelligent, although his serious of actions suggest otherwise. Being a huge fan of Dr. Pimpton's writings, we see how her presence makes him nervous which in return causes him to appear dumb. Since Leonard's intention is good his performative utterance is an example of an felicitous or happy sentence.

 We swear constantly no matter the extremities of the situation or problem. Why do we do this?Are we that desperate to come across as believable, and if we are already telling the truth, does saying "I Swear" help to validate our truths? Adding God to the end of the saying does nothing but remotely show a more intense need for validity especially since there is a strong connotation with God and truth. I think we definitely find ourselves in plenty of situations similar to Leonard where we say this performance utterance. I personally try to limit swearing both literally and figuratively, but its become such a passive and common saying in society today that we all say it sometimes unconsciously.

What is Performance...HMMM...?

When I started reading Marvin Carlson's introduction to Performance: A Critical Introduction, entitled "What is Performance?", I immediately found my self pondering on the very essence of the question. My initial definition was that performance was any display of an artistic form. An art form that could range from acting, singing, dancing, etc. What I didn't initially infer was that performance could be an essentially contested concept, which means that performance is just a concept, developed in an atmosphere of “sophisticated disagreement” by participants who “do not expect to defeat or silence opposing positions, but rather through continuing dialogue to attain a sharper articulation of all positions and therefore a fuller understanding of the conceptual richness of performance. (Carlson 1 and 2) Although this phrase was based off of Mary Strine, Mary Hopkins, and Beverly Long's observation, it doesn't concretely solidify what performance is. It simply expresses what performance has come to. This idea is one of many that Carlson explores in aims of discussing the varied ways in which performance has been interpreted. 

Carlson's emphasis on ideas/theories regarding theatrics and the presentation of it through performance art, made me contemplate even harder on the original question...What is Performance? He explores the traditional view of what makes something performative; the physical presence of trained or skilled human beings whose "demonstration of their skills" is the performance. (Carlson 3)  He discuses Richard Schechner's idea of "restored behavior". This idea focuses on the distance between "self" and behavior in comparison to the distance between an actor and the role the actor plays on stage. Thus this a form of performance, where there is a display not necessarily of skills, but rather of a recognized and culturally coded pattern of behavior. (Carlson 4) His third  performance ideal is the one that struck me the most because it discussed the idea of performance involving a consciousness of doubleness. With this idea it says that the actual execution of an action is placed in mental comparison with a potential, an ideal, or a remembered original model of that action. He then adds to this that performance is always performance for someone, some audience that recognizes and validates it as performance even when...that audience is the self. (Carlson 5 and 6) This struck me because it made me decipher between the audience observing a performance and what is the line between performing and doing which is supposedly consciousness. If an actor that performs for an audience is conscious of the fact that they are performing and also performing for someone, does this then make that performance truthful? Because I always inferred that more consciousness equated to less theatrical truth. I also thought that more consciousness caused a diminished presence for the performer. So I have pondered deeply with this last ideal because although it makes sense it clashes with the ideals that I feel represent theatrical truth or good theater. But I guess it all depends on the performer and the audience.

The audience to performer relationship is pivotal because if an actor becomes overly conscious of their audience, it can either add or subtract from their performance. An example of this would be in Peter Brook’s The Empty Space where the audience in Europe heavily influenced the actors performance because they were a “good audience”. (Brook 24)

I would have to say that my idea of what makes a performance and what makes a performance good is quite opaque still, but what I am happy to know is that its not necessarily about emphasizing on what performance is, but rather the general use of the term itself and how its utilization can foster varied meaning.