Private Lives Response Paper
The live production I attended was Private Lives by Noel Coward. The play was put on by Acting Unlimited Inc. at Theater 810. Overall, there were three main elements that were the primary contributors to my enjoyment of the live performance; they were the costumes, the set design, and the body language of the actors and actresses.
For instance, the costumes were very well done for a small local production. The play revolves around a divorced couple in the 1930’s, who run into one another while both on their honeymoons with their new spouses. Therefore, for me to enjoy the performance to its fullest potential, the costumes must appear time period accurate, otherwise I will be distracted and will have a difficult …show more content…
For example, the men were not wearing suits of the proper style for that time. The two main male characters are Elyot Chase, and Victor Prynne. Elyot wore a brown textured vest with a red bow tie. The issue with his vest is that it was far too loose for the 1930s. Suits in the 1930s were all about form fitting waistcoats for men. Only in the 1940s did loose suits become the norm for men’s fashion. Secondly, the actor playing Victor Prynne was wearing a tan suit with a bright blue bow tie and matching socks. The issues with his costuming were also very distracting to me. His suit is far too loose, and 1930’s suits were very fitted with wide shoulders and wide lapels on the jacket. His suit is not of the appropriate time period, he is not wearing a waistcoat, which was standard at that time. Furthermore, his patterned, bright blue socks are a modern design and had no place in proper 1930s men’s attire. In contrast, the actress playing Amanda Prynne is dressed extremely accurate for women’s clothes at the time. She was wearing a grey button up suit and skirt, nearly perfect in the details of a 1930s era women’s suit. Lastly, the actress playing Sibyl Chase was …show more content…
The set exceeded my expectations of a local production. I thoroughly enjoyed the design of the two rooms designed for this production. In act one the first set was introduced. It conveyed the feeling of a patio or garden, rather that the two balconies of adajacent, French hotel suites. The furniture did convey the feeling of the outdoors, with two sets of wrought iron chairs and a table. Overall composition was quite beautiful. The simplicity of elements in this first act, along with quality lighting, brought forth a outdoorsy feel. In contrast, the set of acts two and three conveyed the feeling of an apartment or living room, with all action occurring in the main sitting room. The set design of the apartment was not quite as successful as the balcony set, but overall contributed in a positive light towards conveying the 1930s. In essence, the setting used limited resources to convey what it was supposed to. Two light brown couches set into a L-shape were the centerpiece of the room. On the left of the two couches set a glass table with an old-school telephone and a glass vase atop it. The telephone was quite beautiful, but the shiny marbles and fake flowers in the vase detracted from the feeling of the room. Behind the couches, painted onto the wall were two sets of doors, each with a set of shiny silver curtains. In between the two sets of doors was a
The live production I attended was Private Lives by Noel Coward. The play was put on by Acting Unlimited Inc. at Theater 810. Overall, there were three main elements that were the primary contributors to my enjoyment of the live performance; they were the costumes, the set design, and the body language of the actors and actresses.
For instance, the costumes were very well done for a small local production. The play revolves around a divorced couple in the 1930’s, who run into one another while both on their honeymoons with their new spouses. Therefore, for me to enjoy the performance to its fullest potential, the costumes must appear time period accurate, otherwise I will be distracted and will have a difficult …show more content…
For example, the men were not wearing suits of the proper style for that time. The two main male characters are Elyot Chase, and Victor Prynne. Elyot wore a brown textured vest with a red bow tie. The issue with his vest is that it was far too loose for the 1930s. Suits in the 1930s were all about form fitting waistcoats for men. Only in the 1940s did loose suits become the norm for men’s fashion. Secondly, the actor playing Victor Prynne was wearing a tan suit with a bright blue bow tie and matching socks. The issues with his costuming were also very distracting to me. His suit is far too loose, and 1930’s suits were very fitted with wide shoulders and wide lapels on the jacket. His suit is not of the appropriate time period, he is not wearing a waistcoat, which was standard at that time. Furthermore, his patterned, bright blue socks are a modern design and had no place in proper 1930s men’s attire. In contrast, the actress playing Amanda Prynne is dressed extremely accurate for women’s clothes at the time. She was wearing a grey button up suit and skirt, nearly perfect in the details of a 1930s era women’s suit. Lastly, the actress playing Sibyl Chase was …show more content…
The set exceeded my expectations of a local production. I thoroughly enjoyed the design of the two rooms designed for this production. In act one the first set was introduced. It conveyed the feeling of a patio or garden, rather that the two balconies of adajacent, French hotel suites. The furniture did convey the feeling of the outdoors, with two sets of wrought iron chairs and a table. Overall composition was quite beautiful. The simplicity of elements in this first act, along with quality lighting, brought forth a outdoorsy feel. In contrast, the set of acts two and three conveyed the feeling of an apartment or living room, with all action occurring in the main sitting room. The set design of the apartment was not quite as successful as the balcony set, but overall contributed in a positive light towards conveying the 1930s. In essence, the setting used limited resources to convey what it was supposed to. Two light brown couches set into a L-shape were the centerpiece of the room. On the left of the two couches set a glass table with an old-school telephone and a glass vase atop it. The telephone was quite beautiful, but the shiny marbles and fake flowers in the vase detracted from the feeling of the room. Behind the couches, painted onto the wall were two sets of doors, each with a set of shiny silver curtains. In between the two sets of doors was a