On The Golden Pond Reflection

The technical aspects of the production such as scenery, properties and costumes also played a keynote in the productions success. The scenery was fabulous it truly made the play. It was very realistic and extremely vibrant. Almost the entire play was performed in one setting, except for the railcar and dance scenes. The house, the main setting, was magnificent with painstakingly placed detail in every corner. All elements in the house matched wonderfully, for example the furniture, the photos on the wall, the telephone and even the trash can. Little bits of detail were everywhere adding to the beautification of the set, for example the lace decorations on the chairs, the etched glass above the front door and even the Christmas tree.

The play was very well done and was not dull even though it was catered to a large audience. The musical numbers are very entertaining, and the spectacle, both visual and emotional, is well accomplished. I would recommend this to most children and adults, due to the Christmas themes and general lightheartedness of the play.

The design of the costumes and the stage was, overall, very well done. The colours of the floors, and walls, the shape of the house and the setup of all the interactions was very smooth. There was also a bit of confusion laying underneath too. The way the stairway worked was confusing, as it led to a dock, and the floor being painted with water and floating boards was also a weird nitpick, but once you saw the flow of the scenes, and what those designs meant, then everything came together neatly. The costumes tied in really well with the times. The casual wear was a lot more fancy than modern clothes, but they were still very sleek and comfortable looking. The glasses were not as thick as some modern glasses are, and the containers that hold the liquor and the other drinks look old too. The way the living room was set up also gave that 60s vibe, which is when this play took place.

I know that it is a small stage so you couldn’t do much to it, but I wish they at least put up an actual door instead of a pretend door so that you could distinguish between houses. In the end I really did like the play because it kept me interested and wondering on what was going to happen next. My boyfriend came to the first half of the play, but then had to go to class for the second half. Since the ending caught me so off guard I had to tell him what happened in the second half. The play was like a delicious dessert that you could not just stop halfway in; you have to keep enjoying it until the very end.

As I have seen some performances prior to this one, my expectations are kind of not that high. As the play was prepared and performed by a team of theater students, I just expected there will be basic elements a play should have. I also did expect some extraordinary performances from the main actors because I got that every time I attended the plays on campus. LMU actors and actresses / theater-majors tended to surprise me every single time I attended their plays. I know they will eventually act for a living but the fact that they could memorize pages of script, successfully get into character and act all at the same time still baffled me very much.

The scenic design in this play was extraordinary, and I could tell there was a lot of effort put into it. In this play there was a stairway towards the back of the stage. It brought in a new way for the actors to enter/exit the stage. I thought this was very creative idea that was easy to move on, and off stage if needed. There were many scenes that had the moon and the stars in the background. I loved this because it showed the audience when it was night time. I also love looking at the moon and the stars, I feel it creates a very romantic atmosphere. There were times the setting was inside a house or a pub, and then there were times that the setting was outside like the war scene, and the balcony scene. I

Knowing we would only get about fifteen minutes with each set of characters kept me on the edge of my seat begging them to get their happy ending before time ran out. This unique dimension of the play was so different than anything I had ever experienced watching any other performance and the actors embraced it beautifully.

Two productions that I had enjoyed seeing very much were Lend Me a Tenor and One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Both of these productions were great and had very great storyline and I really enjoyed both of these productions. Each production had great actors and each portrayed their character very well, by using many of the aspects of the six elements of theatre that Aristotle used to explain the aesthetics of theatre. Each of these productions had very interesting characters and also had great plots that kept audiences on the edges of their seats. In each of these productions there were also many recurring themes and important messages that were underlying the whole play. The design and furniture of both plays were also very stunning and visually pleasing. In Lend Me a Tenor, there was a set of a house, which was very neat and very pretty. The house was very great and also had other doors to other rooms that were very neatly and visually set up. In the production, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, the design of the set was very horror filled and it was very dark because the setting was inside an asylum. A lot of the plot production and set and use of characters to reveal the theme was prevalent in both of the plays. Both productions had very great and visually pleasing sets, but also had difference in the mood each set gave off.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini takes a solid focus on the lives of two young women, Mariam and Laila, who grow up in a struggling and turbulent Afghanistan. This book emulates the lives of those who have actually been affected by the extreme changes of power within their culture. From the Soviets to the Taliban, these people are caught in a war they cannot win but must deal with the consequences of. The lives of Mariam and Laila are consumed and silenced by those with power over them, namely males with traditional values. The book conveys the idea that even with an immense amount of destruction and terror wrought throughout Afghanistan, underneath lies a beauty that has been muted but it still provides hope for the future.

The stage background was very realistic and rustic. They made the house in the background seem very real. Not only that, but they didn't have too many props on the stage. They also placed the props on the whole stage, then the props weren't all clustered together. The costumes that the actors were wearing were very minimal. I feel that they did a good job putting the whole scene of the play really well. Also the actors were very good with expression and trying to use up the whole stage and as many props as

One thing that I did not like about the visual components was the furniture and the costumes. I say this because in the playbill, the time and place is set for now in the English Countryside. I did not know this until after watching the play. Throughout the duration of the play, I was given the impression that this play took place somewhere in between the 1920s and 1950s. The plaid furniture just gave that kind of old timey feel. Also, the costumes were old fashioned as well. The mothers’ dresses especially, and also the police uniform aided in this thought.

All together the play was performed remarkably well and I will definitely be returning to watch the Wimberley players in more plays. It might be a small little play house but they are some very fantastic actors. They excelled passes the expectation that Ken Ludwig set and definitely flew passed my expectations that I set. Since, I’m from a larger city our theatre is much larger so I was used to a large setting and being able to have more than one scenes set up on one stage but, they worked with what they had which turned out

This semester I learned a lot about writing in English 151. It has been a roller coaster ride with these essays for me this semester. I learned step by step how to write a good essay and how to have your readers be engaged in what you’re trying to tell them. Each essay I did has taught me something valuable I can take to the next level of English. I feel as if as the semester went by I did not take my writing that seriously and that reflected in my grades I received in each essay. It made me a better student and writer and it will reflect next semester. In this essay, I will reflect on what I learned throughout this semester that you should apply in your writing when you begin English 151.

The actors in the play were very remarkable and true to their roles. Each actor was cohesive in portraying realistic and natural emotions as well as humor in the play. There was a particular scene in the play that was very emotional, causing me to tear up. In this scene, Gladys is sitting in her kitchen crying, feeling lost and confused about her own existence. Not only was this scene emotionally touching, but it helps the audience to connect with the characters on an emotional level. The comedy in the play consisted of satire and was effective in keeping the audience interested and entertained throughout the play, with lots of laughter. The acting certainly contributed to the goal of the play, making it a successful

Throughout the play, I enjoyed the role of music used to set a comic atmosphere and replace the dialogs during comic scenes (e.g. when they chase each other around). I also thought that they made a good use of light to indicate the moment of the day the scene was happening or to set the atmosphere of the scene (e.g. pink colour during the romantic moments). Lastly, I liked the way the play ended. Even though it was a little messy with everyone running after each other off and on stage, and this policeman coming out of nowhere, which really surprised me; I couldn’t think of a better way to end the play.