The Ancient/Modern Mixer

Upon reading Bursting the Grape, I quite enjoyed the integration of modern concepts with ancient concepts in regards to theatre. 

One of the elements that struck me was the question of Ariadne’s virginity in the play; generally, Ariande’s virtue was not as much of a discrepancy as portrayed in the play.  This question that was drawn into the play was a new twist on the myths of Ariadne.  It was intrigueing to see the director and writer's spin on these mythically prevalent characters and the relations between them.  The combination of ancient Greek theatre standards with modern influences was also interesting- according to the review they had a chorus of satyrs, as well as several main actors, all of which spoke with rhythm or in song, which is what is believed today as accurate in ancient Greek theatre.  However, there were also elements of creative, modern theatre- the guiding of the audience into the Citrus Grove by an actor was something perhaps not done in ancient times, but rather a creative choice by the director.  There was also a woman on stage in this production which was not typical in ancient Greek theatre.  Normally, the women were played by men in masks; this production included a female playing the women’s roles and she did not wear a mask in the role of Ariadne.

I quite enjoyed the creative choices made in this play.  It interested me to imagine a play based on ancient times and ancient myths portrayed in a modern way, but still integrated with ancient Greek elements.

Below: Ariadne with Dionysus in a Greek vase painting http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Ariadne.html

Bursting the Grape - Set and Prop Use

   Many of my classmates have beaten me to the punch on this one so it was a bit of a struggle to find something that hadn’t been touched on already!  What struck me about “Bursting the Grape” however, was the fact that there was minimal prop use/set changes used throughout the play.  This left the actors to rely on the imagination of the audience and the interesting structure of the outdoor theatre to create a believable setting and story.

   For example, instead of creating some huge and intricate maze system, they simply used “red tape manipulated by members of the cast, into a hugely effective labyrinth for Theseus to enter.”  Another example is when the back of the theatre house, which was nothing more than a cliff, was utilized as a way of making Ariadne seem as though she were in the heavens shining as a star.

   According to Didaskalia - The Journal for Ancient Performance there was very little, if any scenery and scene changes in ancient Greek theatre as well.  The skene, which is the hut located behind the orchestra where the actors go to change masks and costumes, was sometimes used “to suggest the type of location required for a particular play, but such properties and scenery as existed appear to have been more symbolic than illusionistic.”

 

Bibliography:

Didaskalia - The Journal for Ancient Performance. 1994-2012. 29 January 2012 <http://www.didaskalia.net/studyarea/greekstagecraft.html>.

Bursting the Grape

Hello all,


What stood out most interesting to me was this excerpt:

"Knutton says the satyr masks were among the most effective masks he has ever used in performance as they completely transformed the wearers into misbehaving, chaotic beings, while admitting that this was a double-edged sword, as they were occasionally difficult to control in rehearsal."

I do not believe that one can put on a mask and somehow become that character. I think it takes much more for that character to emerge. For one thing you have to do research if your character is historical, and you also have to take time and understand how that mask should both influence your body to move, and also inspire your movements.


A second note of that excerpt I found rather ridiculous was the fact that these actors were "difficult to control in rehearsal." I find that absolutely absurd, these actors should not be behaving like children, they are professionals and they should make so that way.


When I researched Perseus I found it very interesting because I've never looked that far into his life and reading things such as him being the first Mythic Hero of greek mythology and his battles and stories quite intrigued me as well.


http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/research


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus

Bursting the Grape

I do not like when people talk about how good their own performance was. What stood out to me was when they claimed they had summoned Dionysus. I felt the way the presence of Dionysus was explained was exaggerated and a bit conceited. I have a tough time understanding how in 2003, an artistic drama group brought back a 2500 year old god just for a few seconds while he says something he supposedly said two and a half millenniums ago. They said sometime his presence was not pleasant because some of the actors would get out of control. I feel like the actors might have been taking what they were doing too far rather than having their bodies taken over by the ancient Greek god for a moment. Of course, I wasn't there. I don't know and it really just could be the point of view of the review author that I didn't like but based on what I read, it was a bunch of overzealous actors who take themselves too seriously.

Bursting The Grape - Citrus Grove

What I found interesting was the "Warm Temperate Biome" which is called the Citrus Grove. I really like how the audience enters, and stands or sits in the limited amount of seats. The different point of views can make all the difference in the show. Whether you are able to see fine details up close, or having to stand back to appreciate the painting . Having different plants and trees located around the audience is also pretty cool. Behind the audience is a tall cliff. In the play, Ariedne goes to the top and shines like a star which forces the audience to move around to see the show I think this adds some reality to the experience because you can be surprised and be more weary. The constant sound of the small waterfall adds to the sensual experience of the play, along with the smell of fruits from the fruit trees.

Bursting the Grape Vs. Cirque du Soleil: an Overwhelming Dedication to Performance

   Upon reading this review of, "Bursting the Grape", one element of the performance stuck out to me. The element of which i am speaking is the production's overwhelming dedication to performance. This dedication becomes apparent as the review talks of the cast actually leading the audience into the theatre, "As the audience entered the Warm Temperate Biome they were greeted by Silenus, the raucous, anarchic leader of the satyrs, who guided them to the Citrus Grove, following a thread, as used by Theseus later in the play". Through this action the audience is invited into the world of the play before it even begins, a tactic I have only seen mirrored in productions performed by Cirque Du Soleil. One particular performance of which I am referring is, Cirque Du Soleil's, Mystere. Prier to this performance clowns, later seen within the show itself, escort audience members to their seats all the while performing tricks and practical jokes in relation to the show. This resemblance led me to the question, were these pre-show antics actually existent in ancient times, or merely a modern adaptation? Through some pretty extensive research the closest i could come to these "pre-show antics" were apparent pre-show song and dance performances. From what i can gather, these performances were used for the same reason as those in, "Mystere", and, "Bursting the Grape", to help transport the audience into the world of the play. The only real difference between the two would be that the pre-show song and dance performances were considerably more formal then just leading the audience to their seats. The following are images of characters from both shows, enjoy!

Bursting the Grape

Hello,

So I was curious about masks because last year I did a jazz piece with a mask and it was not as much fun as you'd think. I couldn't find who originated the concept but learned that in Greek theatre masks were used because if you weren't in the first few rows all facial expressions were lost and it was difficult for the audience to recognize and differentiate between characters. In the theatre of Dionysus (very large) the masks brought a more natural look than bare faces and keeping in line with that, their decor was quite simple. Contrary to some belief there were no megaphones in the masks so the actors must have had amazing projection. I was surprised to find that masks were not only made of wood or cloth, but also leather; to me this seems the most practical of the three yet I had never heard of it before.
http://www.didaskalia.net/studyarea/greekstagecraft.html

I also found a tidbit on the second site that talked about the Roman history of masks. It is said that people of greatness had their "likeness handed down" in the forms of busts or masks that were kept somewhere safe but brought out on special occasions to celebrate the dead. I'm curious, if we followed this practice instead of using photography, how masks of today would have evolved from then.
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0019:text=Agr.:speech=2:chapter=1&highlight=masks

Bursting the Grape: Evoking Dionysos

In reading the review of Bursting the Grape, I was fascinated by the idea of the actors spending so much time trying to personally and collectively "evoke Dionysos", and all the mischief, chaos, and freedom that he embodies. I found it incredible that the cast was so invested and on the same page that they genuinely believed they could "feel when the god was present". From what I gather they were successful in channeling Dinonysos; the performance worked in a strange discordant harmony where everything ran smoothly but the possibility of spontaneity and making changes on an impulse was present the whole time which is very commendable taking into account the great difficulty and risk present as well.

The decision to give masks to the mythical characters while leaving the human characters barefaced is also particularly intriguing. The decision enhances the idea of surreality regarding the supernatural beings and simultaneously grounds the human characters in opposition while still keeping the epic Greek style alive.

I surfed Didaskalia to learn more about masks because they tie in with what we will be doing in improv and I was surprised at how specific an actor has to be to emote while wearing a mask:
"one learns how crucial neck movements become. By directing actors in masks, one discovers how a certain head tilt can convey heartbreak." -http://www.didaskalia.net/issues/vol7no1/editorial.html
I was also surprised to learn that masks actually help amplify the voice by creating a separate resonance area in front of the face:
"The mask is also an instrument to project the voice into space. Speech becomes powerful, clear, and attractive. The entire theatre space 'answers' to the actor; it vibrates. The mask helps the actor develop an acoustical energy field, an acoustical aura that surrounds him or her."- http://www.didaskalia.net/issues/vol7no1/vovolis_zamboulakis.html

Bursting the Grape - Intense Masks

As I read ‘Bursting the Grape’, the chorus of Satyr’s really grabbed my attention. Hearing them illustrated with such detail by their costuming and the total surrender of the actors to them really made them stand out as interests.

The Satyr's seem like my dream role of Greek Theatre. Reading about them I was excited to hear what chaotic thing would inhabit them next, and I found myself wanting to hear what it was like for the actors in those roles. Holy cats they sound fun! The physicality, dialogue (The bit about the steak and the plum made me laugh) and the mask work all really intrigued me.

I think my favourite quote front he article was, "Knutton says the satyr masks were among the most effective masks he has ever used in performance as they completely transformed the wearers into misbehaving, chaotic beings, while admitting that this was a double-edged sword, as they were occasionally difficult to control in rehearsal."

I decided since the masks were making me think so much, they should be what I go research!

The big word that keeps popping up is the word ‘intense’ when referencing masks, usually when they are talking about their look. They have a very intense way about them, very fixed. I started wondering if this had a mental affect on an actor wearing a piece like this, in my head comparing it to when actors say things like when they put on a certain part of the costume, the character is fully realized for them (i.e. Jason Isaacs putting on his Lucius Malfoy wig) Not long after thinking this I read a passage in the article I was reading that summed up my thoughts!

“The entire construction of the mask leads the actor towards a state of increased energy and presence, during which the actor senses the experience of a bodily and vocal expansion—a state of communication.”

http://www.didaskalia.net/issues/vol7no1/vovolis_zamboulakis.html

Bursting the Grape- Maenads

The thing that most caught my eye about Bursting the Grape was actually not the play itself, although the description of the "Warm Temperate Biome" was highly intesting, especially that the audience stood in front of a cliff. It was actually the word Maenads that caught my eye. The word itself was subtly familiar, yet I couldn't quite grasp what exactly it was.

Upon more research, I found it was a female follower of the God Dionysus. The more I researched, I found an article on Didaskalia. It had to do with the question of if women were actually on stage or not in performances at those times. Generally, it is thought that no, all women parts were played by men. But what I found was that women did in fact participate a little. A few researchers believe that some women took part in "walk across roles" or statues. Their reason for believing this is because there are painting on canvas and vaeses of performances where men are playing the leads, yet there are women (naked, of course) standing on the sides. Another reason for the belief of minor parts for women is at the end of Eumenides, Athena says,

'For may the eye of all the whole land of
Theseus come out, a glorious band
of children, women, and a troop of elder women...'

It is believed that there may have been an actual troop of women.

I found this interesting because I have always thought that back in those times, women were not at all allowed on the stage. Finding this out gave the "female actress" side of me a little smug smile!