Bursting the Grape- Modern versus classical

In reading the article on Bursting the Grape, I found myself most interested in the ideas behind the play. More specifically, why someone would decide to write an entirely new play, and combine modern aspects, as well as those we typically associate with Greek theatre. I have to say, I didn't think it was the best idea anyone had ever come up with, simply because I felt that some things are meant to stay in the past. The reason theatre has evolved so much over time is because people were no longer interested in the previous methods. As a modern society, I feel that we are far less inclined to see a bunch of grown men dancing around in body suits with fake penises attached to their costumes than they did in the times of Greek theatre . That sort of thing had a designated place and time, and that time has now passed.

I also found it extremely interesting that it was described as "a ritual for Eden," because of the play's roots in Greek mythology. It seems strange that they would think to combine the biblical term Eden with a play using themes that are undoubtedly from Greek mythology. This term may simply have been used because of the name of the Biome, being The Eden Project, but it seemed that whoever said that meant more than simply referring to the name of a place.

Upon further investigation of both Didaskalia and Perseus, I realized that there is no reference to "Eden" in any other context than that of Bursting the Grape. This, I feel leads me to the conclusion that perhaps the sources used weren't as advised in their knowledge of mythology as they thought they were. Then of course, as I did say before, there is a chance that the blending of these two worlds, these two philosophies was completely unintentional, and in which case, forgivable.

A photograph of the inside of the Biome, The Eden Project, just for curiosity's sake. It kind of reminds me of the Calgary Zoo's Rainforest exhibit, if anyone has been there.

Bursting the Grape - The Chorus

While reading Elizabeth Stewart's review of Bursting the Grape, I was reminded of the idea of the creation of a strong company. Dominic Knutton "encouraged the actors to work daily on giving and receiving impulses" which implies that he wanted the company to appear as a singular unit. Almost as though there would be no lead performers, and everyone had an equal part in telling this story. This is proven in the review. Stewarts says that "vocally, too, the chorus was strong. They varied between speaking simultaneously and bouncing sentences rapidly off each other." Because of the ability to work as a cohesive unit, this production was successful.


This reminded me of the professional theatre companies that operate in a manner where they don't create new ensembles for each production. Certain companies base their work off of a group of performers who use a similar method (eg. the Suzuki method) and create work/choose productions based on the performers they have. As an example, the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago or the SITI Company (Saratoga International Theater Institute). I was also reminded of this type of theatre company because Knutton "ployed the techniques of Jacques LeCoq, identifying a 'major', or leader, for movement and impulses who remains invisible to the audience and who can change throughout the performance."


The concept of the creation as a unified company really stuck out to me and it made me wonder if it was similar when it came to Greek Theatre. I know that there are different tribes that are represented at some of the festivals, but I wondered - did one group of performers do all 3 tragedies and then the satyr? Or did they have multiple groups of choruses (one for each play)? Also, did the already established choruses always start from scratch or did they try to get as many plays out of the same group of chorus members? Also, was there a standard way for the chorus to rehearse so they could operate as a mass? And so, I went to research.


Unfortunately, I was unable to find the answer to my question. Which leads me to believe that the Greeks did not operate in a manner similar to an ensemble-based theatre company. One of the main points that lead me to believe this is that 24 out of the existing 43 greek tragedies and comedies demand a female chorus. The reasoning behind this was because the chorus, in the orchestra area, would witness terrible acts of violence and would not do anything about it. When the chorus is men, the audience would be taken away from the story by noting how no one is doing anything to stop the violence. However, when the chorus was comprised of females, no one expected them to stop the violence as no one expected them to do anything. Though sexist, this made me think about my original question. It would be impossible for one chorus do to multiple shows without changing genders, and though this is possible with costuming, a 40-year-old chorus member would not be able to be portrayed as a woman. Only young (17-22 year olds) could potentially do it. 


Also, unfortunately, no one seemed to note how the chorus rehearsed and how they were staged. I assume that the staging for a chorus was very much along the lines that they moved as a mass. It is unfortunate to note that people only seem to be interested in how the chorus changed in numbers over time and not about how they rehearsed. I did however find an article on Didaskalia that discussed a university class in Illinois and their attempt to discover how the Greek's actually put on these plays and without having to modernize it. Which I found really interesting and I agree with the concept behind this experimental class - theatre majors as a whole study Greek theatre as an academic and the fact that they actually performed/rehearsed is semi-overlooked. Students don't really associate what we learn in out Greek theatre courses with the practical modern systems of acting and production that we learn.  I also like that in this article it says that they choreographed the chorus mostly based off of the vases/artwork that depict the Greek chorus and what the movement appears to be. It is a real shame that no one bothered to record how they chorus learnt their staging. 


For more fun articles - The use of a female chorus is discussed here. An interesting article about Suzuki performing Greek theatre can be found here.

Burstin'

Personally, the thing that I found most interesting was the use of the red tape to create the labyrinth. I have always been fascinated with Greek mythology, however I'm not too sure that I would enjoy this show. It sounds pretty darn graphic to me, and this is coming from a guy who ranks Evil Dead in his top musicals. Personally, I really don't think I would enjoy this show too much. After some research on Didaskalia, I came upon another Dionysos related performance, one which I found much more intriguing, found here: http://www.didaskalia.net/issues/8/24/

My thoughts of "Bursting the Grape"

There are a couple of things that I found interesting while reading the review on “Bursting the Grape.”

The first thing that stood out to me was the detail and thought that had been put into the audiences’ environment, even before the play had officially started. Having the Biome as a theatre space, is such a great way to bring audiences into a different world, and allow their minds to accept the story they will be shown. However, the Biome is not the only element that prepares the audience for what they are about to see. Having Silenus guiding everyone to the Citrus Grove by following a thread, also involves and allows the spectators to connect with events that take part in the show.

Another thing that caught my attention while reading, was how minimalistic this piece seemed to be. Due to personal preferences, it really made me appreciate the play more when reading the rest of the review. As it is, the audience is presented with a large cast and an overwhelming theatre. To add in a majestic amount of props and set piece would be quite bombarding. For example, a simply red tape is more affective in creating a labyrinth, because it involves the imagination, and it opens up the stage more.

Finally, I enjoyed that it was a somewhat modern take on a Greek myth, yet there was still a traditional aspect to how it was presented.

Bursting Grape

I personally did not find this article interesting to read. I find that costume are a big part of a production and would not have enjoyed the "phallic creatures pranced and danced drunkenly about the stage....guzzled down fresh body parts: and fondled their comical, erect, two foot phalloi". Although I have never seen the play, I don't feel like the costumes for the chorus really needed to be as graphic as some photos have displayed. The bluntness of the costumes could possibly take away from things the chorus has to communicate to the audience. I also found the the review author somewhat glorified the performance. The amount of over exaggeration I found in the review may have also turned me away from completely enjoying the review.

Bursting the Grape

I find it very interesting how the subjects that we, today, find compelling in theatre and everyday life have not changed much since the time of Greek Theatre. As celebrated in the play, food, wine and sex (I would extend that to relationships in general), tend to be focal points in today's society.

I also love how people can be fully entertained today by a play that was written thousands of years ago. It just goes to show how theatre, despite constantly evolving, has permanent roots. These roots are apart of our heritage and have been integrated into our humanity.

The chorus, just like today's musicals, serves the purpose of keeping the audience informed and invested. Although the leads usually make a lasting impression, the chorus creates the ambiance, mood and overall tone that carries the story. Again, this is something that has been relatively constant since the beginning of theatre.

After reading this review, I was inspired to research these modern day productions of Satyrs and other Greek plays. I want to find out how often these plays are being produced and what their popularity and success are amongst today's public. I researched with little success. However, it seems that these Greek plays seem to be a bit of a "go to" which leads me to believe that they are counted on for a positive run.

Here are some pictures of Greek play adaptations.