Blog: Write a concluding statement

Overall from this class I have created a new point of view of theater. Before taking this class, theater was not something that I considered neither interesting nor fun. Theater in my eyes was defined as actors who acted on stage. I never took the time to actually look deep into what it was all about. As I started to work on the post, blogs, and quizzes, I was starting to understand that theater was more than just individuals acting on a stage. Theater plays are made up more than just the actors, they are also made up of the lighting, costumes, scenery, and connecting with the audience. I learned that each one of these elements is a huge role that impacts the overall theater experience.

Lighting is an important element in theater world. In the past times, lighting was just as popular as it is today. Since there was not electricity then, the lighting used for performances was consisted of candles, lamps, or torches. Each one created special effects and visibility for the audiences. Today, lighting still creates special effects and visibility, but has been upgraded to a more technical way. There are many functions that give an artistic effect. The first function is illumination which gives the audience the ability to see what is happening on the stage. The second function is focus. Focus is when the lighting is directed to a specific area on the stage, which allows the audience to be distracted to the area. Mood is the last function of lighting and the one that I feel is the most important. Lighting sets a tone of a scene, which helps create a mood to the audience of what emotion is occurring. For example, if the lighting of a scene is a light color (white) the mood that may create to the audience is calm and still. Throughout a play there will be a variety of different lighting changes that will create many emotions and moods in the audience.

The second element that makes a theater play is the costumes. Costumes take a couple of roles when it comes to the performance. The first role is to reveal the essence of the character. Costumes help define the identity of the character to the audience. By doing this, the audience can grasp the idea of who that actor is trying to be throughout the play. The second role is to tell a story. What is meant by telling a story is that the clothing and accessories tell a tale. For example, if a character has dirty, holey clothes the audience may think that the character doesn’t have a home and lives off the street. The little details that are added in are what help bring the costumes all together.

Scenery is the third element that is consisted into a play. The scenery is important to have because it gives the audience an idea where the action is taking place. For example, if there were medieval props set up the audience will believe that the scene is taking place in a castle. Scenery can also create a mood. If a scene is painted dark with gravesides and skeletons, the mood will be presented as spooky and thrilling. Overall scenery is to serve the performance and text of the scenes throughout a play.

Connecting with the audience is a fourth element and the most important element. This element is important because in order to have the audience’s attention, the actors need to make sure they can draw them in first. In order to draw in the audience, the actors need to have a lively spirit when they are acting. When an audience sees an actor acting well, they put their focus on them because they find them entertaining. Also when connecting with the audience, actors need to use great eye contact. Eyes can tell a story, so if there is great eye contact given by the actors the audience can feel how real the acting is being performed. Actors should also know the script in and out. By actors doing this, the audience can see that the actors are serious and want to give a great performance.

Not only have I learned what makes up a theater play, I also had learned that I play roles in my daily life just like actors do in theater. I have roles as being a student, friend, a daughter, sister, granddaughter, employee, and even a pet owner. Before this theater class I never realized that role playing would ever be a part of my life, but now that I know it I love it. I love that each role I play affects each one of my friends and family members much differently.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this class much more than I thought I would have. I love that I got to experience something new which turned out to be a positive effect on me. In the near future, I hope to keep my knowledge from this class and experience with more theater plays. Thank you for engaging my interest with theater.