project#1: reflection

This project was interesting to me, because it allowed me to see how time and location, as well as artistic sensibilities and creativity effect the timeless art of Ancient Greek theatre. These plays are centuries old, and the stories (to so many of us) are nothing new, yet I could see the distinct fingerprint attached to each production in these photographs.

One thing that struck me as I was putting this morgue together is that in many cases one could divide the colors of the lighting, costume, and set design into two groups: one being stark, neutral, dark tones and the other being vibrant shades of many colors, ranging from deep reds to cool blues. The mood of so many productions could be determined by looking at the designer’s use of color, and also I felt I could see what aspects of Greek theatre the director chose to focus on, be it the heavy, dramatic elements of the stories themselves, or the beautiful, exciting elements of the language and performance style.

While there are few photos that I picked that I do not like, some really captivated me in a particular way. My hands down favorite is the photo of Medea, in which the actress is behind a screen of fabric, which makes her look as though she were swimming in a sea of beautiful, soft colors. The picture stunned me completely. I had to do research to make sure it was really from the production, and not a poster design, because I thought there was no way it could possibly be created on stage that perfectly. But it was. It just looks like a painting, and captures the ancient beauty preserved in the poetry of Greek tragedy.

Another that really captured my imagination was the one with the man in the mirror, wearing the white wig. He plays Pollux and Castor in Electra, and I thought the image was highly intriguing. Greek theatre, in so many cases, is either beautiful and lavish, or dark and weighty. This seemed to be neither. There is something simultaneously comical and sinister about the costuming and use of props. I felt that that production would have kept me on my toes.

The photo of the 1971 production of Trojan Women was also interesting to me, not because I like it necessarily, but it is perhaps the best example of how a specific time period can impact a production. I looked at several pictures, and the groovy, “trippy” elements of the set and make-up are indentifiable immediately as being from the early seventies. It had an extremely clear visual perspective, and it made me wonder what the hippes would have had to say about Greek theatre.

This project was, again, a wonderful reminder of the creative world that theatre truly is. These pieces that have existed for ages and ages are given new life and meaning every year, across the globe.