Learning Reflection #8

Well, I think that I have really learned some important things this week. Reading and attending Beaux-Stratagem made me realize that you really can't judge a play by the script. When I read the script, I did exactly this. I had extreme difficulties reading the script mainly because of the old english language. It really stood in the way for my understanding and perception of the play andwhat its about. The comedy did not surface for me and i think it is because I failed to read it in a comedic way.

So here I was, walking intothe play wednesday night with little expectations. I figured this to be a play brought to life by the performance an it was. The setup of the Memorial theatre suited the scene changes perfectly and the performers were stellar. I was very impressed with the overall experience.

This brings me to the main thing i learned from this play: that you can't judge a play from the script alone. I had low expectancies for this play because I couldnt get into the flow of the play. I have though about this and the reason I think that this play was so difficult for me was because I am an inexperience script reader. Before this class I had only read a few scripts and I usually performed part of them. My inexperience failed me when trying to follow and understand the script. Of course i have touched before on how people percieve and understand plays according to many factors. In my particular experience, I didnt quite catch the comedy of the play and did not expect much from the performance.

Opinion can change, however, especially once you go see the play. the characters have a role to play and as I have touched on before, are very important in filling or changing our expectancies. This play in particular is one that completly surpassed my expectations. The performers brought the play to life, as they were supposed to and they conveyed the jokes and language in an understandable way. I think that this would be a very easy play to understand if you went to see it without reading the script. Also, because the the direcor decided to take out many of the references to the time, the play was even that more easy to understand and enjoy. Not all people are going to read the script and research the play before seeing it live as well as some who read and research may not quite understand the nature of the play. Because the production crew put on a play with clear dialogue and great actions, the play was enjoyable for all.