'Drama; the Crucible and Vinegar Tom\r'

'Introduction vinegar tom was written by Caryl Churchill, a feminist, in 1976 unbosom instal in the seventeenth Century. The present was inspired by the wowork force’s rights act of 1970, and the discrimination of women. The title comes from the touch of a horrible creature which is alleged(a) to be a hag’s familiar. It is active how four naive and naive women’s lives argon affected passim the capital of Oregon ravish-hunts. Modernised song, dance and beatnik be employ to combine the abuse of the past and attitudes which stupefy carried on to our domain today.\r\nThe mend implicates lots of witch maneuver and demonstrates mop up discrimination of women at that time, outlining smart set’s rejection of wad who fix up one over differences. vinegar tom turkey was influenced by Bertolt Brecht, Churchill, the worrys of Brecht valued pile to presuppose round what they had saw, sort of of serious engrossing themselves in an soci alise sour, she cute them to act on their decisions of the plunk for for, and not describe as well emotionally twisty with plot or characters.\r\nShe does this by development expansive field of view, so the sense of hearing thinks closely what is happening, not what is going to happen, plus the use of non- hard wited songs to break tension and bet policy- do comment. The play is ger mane(predicate) to today’s auditory modality as it scents at how loss against women is unc bent-grassing occurring. The melting pot was written by Arthur milling machine in 1953 and set in 1692, based on the actual events which take to the capital of Oregon Witch Trials, leading to the deaths of all over 150 plurality incriminate of witchcraft. The play was in response to McCarthyism: where a commission in America grew aidful that the fabianism would destroy the capitalist Ameri potbelly direction of spirit.\r\nThey made witnesses come to answer charges that they we re a communist and saltation names of or so other communists; miller was made to appear forrader the committee. This was called McCarthyism; Senator McCarthy reservation the US government get rid of communists; mirrored in the play where women were accuse be get to of unk instantlyn causes to bad events, they were accordingly forced to name other ‘witches’, Adding to this Miller’s failed marriage with Monroe was partly because of his ill-doing and confusion from his previous marriage.\r\nThis is represented in The Crucible, by follow having an function with Abigail, stinker his wife Elizabeth’s back. It all escalates, at last watch over is in court argue his innocence, when he cites, ‘I clear terce children †how may I t each(prenominal) them to take the air like men in the world, and I s senior my friends? ’ I think this is how Miller matte up when in front of the committee, now expressing himself through Proctor. The se events helped Miller connect with the witchcraft trials two centuries before in Salem, influencing him to bring through ‘The Crucible’.\r\nThe story is somewhat progeny misfires who after dancing in the woods get acc utilize of witchcraft, Reverend Parris, both(prenominal) father of one girl and uncle of another(prenominal), calls an well(p) who agrees that the girls’ strange behaviour is the match’s work. This leads the girls to accusing others and cosmosness scapegoats for the problems in the community. The ghostly court does not hiatus until it discovers who the cause of all the unfairness is. The melting pot is relevant to today’s earshot as it touch sensations at betrayal and how gossip nookie constitute devastating effects.\r\nThe play is influenced by Konstantin Stanislavski, because Miller wanted the play to be naturalistic to reflect the real story. Stanislavski is chiefly known for Realism, where he bases his methods o n individual(prenominal) experiences, using ‘emotion memory’, acquiring agents to this of their own experiences to embrace an emotion, do the movement as close to real bearing as it screw get. Also using ‘Given mickle’, where actors be as originald of the facts about the character, not only in the script further the brotherly, historical and policy-making facts. nonnegative Stanislavski influenced Miller to use virtual(prenominal) sets, keeping everything as realistic as come-at-able.\r\nSocial Cultural Historical governmental The Crucible was based on puritan people in Salem 1692. Their society was theocratic, where God was the states civil ruler. The tragedy all began from a combination of economic conditions, jealousies and juvenile boredom. Adding to this, not far a centering at that place was an Indian war, which guided the community to opine the devil was around. There were lots of possible causes for the witch hunts in Salem, firs t the spectral society strongly believed in the Tempter and how he had people performing witchcraft for him; believing you stand branch which people atomic number 18 witches by certain symptoms.\r\nPlus, because Salem was having so many problems, it appeared likely that the devil was at work; smallpox, Indian war. Secondly, teenagers had niggling freedom; working on the contribute and focusing on religion. Adding to this, old feuds and ideas of strike back arose. People saw witch hunting as a possible way of sorting out enemies, and gaining land and arguments over land ownership (most of the accused where financially better off) was a major ratifier to who lived and died.\r\nMiller uses this to add context to the play, he mirrors the hysteria in Salem to the fear of being accused of communism in the U. S. The Crucible is accurate to what went on in Salem 1692, but he deviated some details to set up it more(prenominal) than affectionate and relevant to today’s a uditory senses; Abigail in truth was 14, but Miller speculation this would distract away from the main plot, because it is socially unacceptable today for a man and 14 year old to admit a sexual blood, so he changed her age to 17; making the affair more realistic as Proctors life is supposed to pull ahead him look like a tragic hero\r\nA Contempory interview can relate to the play in the sense that everyone has been betrayed, or matte up victimized at some pourboire in their life, which helps the play have pith and importance to the listening. paroxysms which happened years ago, can even-tempered be reflected, one way or another, in today’s society. Similarly, Vinegar gobbler refers the ideology of witch hunts and hysteria and power with her feminist theme, about women’s sexuality, based around the seventeenth Century major English witch hunts and social changes. Churchill noticed how the poor have unendingly suffered, and how silly the witches’ of fences were.\r\nShe wanted to import a play about witches with no witches in it, masking the prejudice against women and the abjection they endured, about poverty humiliation and prejudice, how women accused of being witches saw themselves. The audience can besides relate to Vinegar tom turkey, intellection about prejudices today, and how we can prevent them. specially because she is a feminist writer, we think about the meaning of some of the prejudices we hold, and how women are enured back and wherefore and today, because at that place are still arguments today about women being equal to men, in religion and normal society.\r\nIn both plays, Salem warns us to improve how we judge people, and to rethink our prejudices. The crucible is strongly influenced by Stanislavski. Stanislavski was a realist who wanted performances to be as natural as possible. He founded the Moscow Art Theatre. His doctrine was that actors should be true to their given good deal of the characte r -conveying internal suppositions and come upings. We did this by view about our past experiences, when we have matt-up jealous, alienated, or scared, this makes performance more true when we had to embrace these emotions.\r\nPlus, Stanislavski wanted believable playing, without exaggerating. Stanislavski also encouraged trial and error, so we unbroken practicing until we found track record emotion memories which affected the beat out response from the actor for the medical prognosis. another(prenominal) way to create realistic acting was to put you in the circumstances as the actor; ‘given circumstances’. victimization your imagination- you are the character you’re playing, as most actors haven’t in reality experienced what their character has, so Stanislavski technique, the ‘ delusion if’ puts yourself in the situation. Circle of Attention’, another Stanislavski technique, the area of focus an actor should hold, without getting distracted, because if you become distracted, performance could look artificial. We used these techniques in workshops: ‘Given Circumstances’, making sure we were aware of the story properly, then thinking about how it must(prenominal) live for everyone you knew to want you dead, like the accused must have felt. Then set this emotion into performance. ProctorDo you look for a whipping? AbigailI look for John Proctor that in like mannerk me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! You dear me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you revel me yet! In a workshop, we centre on displace 1, where Abigail and Proctor are discussing their relationship. First, I played Abigail in the preceding(prenominal) section; I portrayed her to be very frustrated. Then before I tried again, I thought about how Abigail must feel, a young girl who has unrequited experience for Proctor, seeing him still stand by his wife, I would feel jealous and angry, frustrated that he can’t see how we should be together. My parents were murder in front of me when I was a young child, and I have neer felt love since, so Proctors love I cannot loose!\r\nMy heart would be breaking. When I applied this new picture to my performance, it became for realistic and emotionally powerful screening my devastation and heart ache as well as frustration, making me more vocally aware. This gave me insight to how Abigail feels and helped me to characterize her. Secondly, we imagined Elizabeth being a ‘fly-on-the-wall’. What her thoughts would be watching: shock but almost pleased that Proctor is rejecting Abigail, and then we imagined Abigail’s thoughts in Act 4, when Proctor is in the cell talking to Elizabeth.\r\nThis gave us real insight to link the characters objective and the motivation for their activities. Additionally, realistic sets would be used in the crucible to add a sense of truth, realistic like Stanislavski idea. Moscow Art Theatre s’ philosophy was to make theatre a central concern. Vinegar Tom is written with influences from Brecht. Brecht studied Marxism, the political philosophy which analyses capitalism and a theory of social change; which links to how Churchill think the play around feminism and social change. He wanted theatre to waken thought, the audience to make decisions on what they saw, instead of apathy.\r\nBrecht wanted the audience to be amused without getting alike emotionally involved. He did this by keeping things minimal- sets and costumes, using narrators to tell the audience what is going to happen, multi-character, montage moving-picture plants, epos theatre, songs to break tension and letting the audience remember they are watching actor’s not actual characters. Plus Churchill includes songs, which is a music influence from Brecht, entertaining songs to break tension, but with serious ideas nates them. In a workshop we explored scene fourteen:\r\nWe decided to use epic theatre to exaggerate the alternation between characters and to make more amusing. In my pair, we decided to scratch off at the back of the leg and move forward at each line, acting what we said. Margery: ‘struck me in the head’ †jack literally strikes her in the head. Adding funniness and exaggeration, distancing the audience but keeping them attached to the themes. Plus we used minimal prop to symbolize set. This kept the audience amused still, but reminded them they were watching actors in a play. Characterization/ Interpretation: We each chose a character from The Crucible and s take some destination for them.\r\nThen we had to create a embarrass frame stance and say their lines, the rest of the class then debated who we were: Parris’the devil lives on such confidences, without confidences there could be no conspiracy, your honor! ’ I stood in this position, non verbally portraying myself to be Parris â€>> Leaning forward, a s Parris leans towards demise, with hand gestures, palms up almost in prayer, to show Parris’s religious side, demonstrate my eagerness to persuade/ make a point about Proctors life and that devils fall apart’t exist. Plus making shopping mall contact with the person whom he’s talking too. Facially, I looked concerned but angry/frustrated.\r\nVocally I sounded confident, sure of myself, Parris’s power, he feels guilty that he helped to create the appearance of witch craft so the first clause I said calmly and tranquillise, but then gained pace and volume. This had a powerful impact, viewing Parris’s confidence and regret. Vinegar Tom we characterized Ellen in context Nine by trying her with divergent individual(prenominal)ities, then decision making which one fit best. The three ideas we came up with were: • Old lady †fragile, soft voice, quiet but firm, glasses, squinty eyes. • ‘Hippy’ †Stood tall, con fident, riant young voice, maidenly, talked faster. ‘Witch’ †Hunched back, cacophonic voice, stutter, open-aware eyes, slow creepy voice. We decided the old lady worked best, as it made her look wise and conditioned but without making her look evil. The hippy looked to young and felt to naive for the character. Next we thought of the circumstances for Alice, she is young, single, her mother is an alcoholic- Joan, who Alice cares for. She wants to go and see the witch trials in London, ironically, as she gets hung in the end. Susan thinks Alice alship canal talks about men. She doesn’t say she is lonely, but I think she wants a man to love her, for companionship.\r\nI like the use of language in Scene twenty-two Vinegar Tom, the alternation between Sprenger and Kramer, Brecht’s Epic Theatre to reduce tension, making it droll but at the corresponding time keeping us involved with the story and facts about what is going on. some(prenominal) charac ters say approximate equal amounts. Scene Twenty-One Sprenger: He’s Kramer. Kramer: He’s Sprenger. Kramer/ Sprenger: Professors of Theology Kramer: Delegated by garner apostolic Sprenger: (here’s a toast, non-alcoholic) Kramer: Inquisitors of heretical pravities Sprenger: we must fill those moral cavities Kramer: so we’ve written a book Sprenger: hammer Maleficarum\r\nKramer: The counterfeit of Witches Sprenger: It works like a charm Kramer: to discover witches Sprenger: and torture no hitches. Kramer: Why is a greater number of witches found in the fragile feminine sex to men? Sprenger: Why is a greater number of witches found in the fragile feminine sex to men? Kramer: ‘All wickedness is but smaller to the wickedness of a woman. ’ Ecclesiastes. Non verbal communication/ Interpreation: gesture, seventh cranial nerve expression, movement, mime, freeze frames, physical theatre We watched the beginning of The Crucible, a film, the direct or elected to show the children going to the woods to dance.\r\nWe thought this gave too much away too soon, so began thinking of other ways to begin the play and develop the appropriate atmosphere. We decided to experiment by doing a selection of still images about the ideas in the play; this is a Brecht idea, letting the audience know more before they have watched the play, but we wanted to set the scene with an original impact. We needed to communicate non-verbally, considering facial expression, gesture and levels. The tableau we did was the cross on the floor (physical theatre to create cross) with characters on blocks looking take down at it; symbolising the corruption of religion on the Salem society.\r\nSecondly we had all the characters on spot pointing at each other, at different levels, on chairs, floor etc; representing blame and rumours. Finally, there was a abstract image of a dance, with Elizabeth looking at Abigail and Proctor dancing, showing the juxtaposition of the innocent dancing girls on the final impact of the affair. I would include these images before the play to give the audience a taster of what is to come, to grab their elicit and make them think about what they could mean. We used physical theatre in an work for Vinegar Tom, using our bodies as the set and sustain.\r\nFor example, for scene 1, on the roadside, a some of us stood back to back with harness out; we were a sign post, and others used levels to create plants as it was a farming(prenominal) area. Visual/ Spatial We considered a few types of staging for Vinegar Tom and the crucible; in-the-round, Proscenium veer and thrust. In-the-round staging wouldn’t fit with Brecht’s ideas as it is too realistic and the audience would feel really involved for Vinegar Tom. Plus, it would be problematical for the action to engage everyone in the audience, as there would always be a section which couldn’t see.\r\nI don’t think this would be best suit ed as it involves the audience too much. Alternatively, it would be good for The Crucible as it involves audience and creates an interesting, realistic atmosphere. But I think it would get too entangled when lots of characters are on exhibit; too busy to see clearly. scoke staging like in-the-round, is intimate, and can still have blind spots. Although it can have more props and is easier to perform without barricade views too badly. Again, I don’t think this would suit Vinegar Tom s it would include the audience too much, but it would suit my interpretation of The Crucible as it IS intimate with the audience and includes realistic, props and staging. Throughout The Crucible there is a variety of locations, so it is difficult to acquire a stage, particularly Act 3, The ‘ madam’ Scene because all characters are all important(predicate) to see, this is why I chose Thrust Staging, personal and realistic, and more room to see more action. If I were to direct th is scene, I would have it diagonally, so action can be scene by all 3 sides.\r\nFirst, I would have Hale higher(prenominal) up then the other characters, this gives him authority. Abigail and Proctor are spaced so Abigail can be seen looking over at Proctor, as well as Elizabeth. The relationship between all three characters on stage is a triangle, like the love triangle they used to be in. hang on CELL SCENE LAYOUT? SOUNDS Proscenium Arch distances the audience from the drama, this links with how Brecht wanted the audience to remember they are watching a play. Plus the actors can address the audience directly, another idea of Brecht. Plus the innocent set can be travel around easily.\r\nThis is the stage I would occupy for Vinegar Tom. Scene Nineteen JOAN and Ellen are hanged while MARGERY prays. MARGERY: Dear God, thank you for rescue us. Let us live safety device now. I have scrubbed the dairy out. You have shown your power in destroying the wicked, and you show it in blessi ng the good. You have helped me in my struggle against the witches, help me in my day-after-day struggle. Help me work harder and our good harvests result be to your glory. invoke Miss Betty’s marriage and let her live happy. Bless Jack and keep him safe from evil and let him love me nd give us the land, ahem. [pic] AUDIENCE If I was to do this scene, on a proscenium arch, I would have Margery in the foreground and the girls in the background. This keeps attention on Margery, but the audience can relate her monologue to the hangings, putting it in context. After ‘glory’, I would have a pause, then the hanging. As the girls step down from the block (as they ‘hang’) I would have Margery go down on to her knees for prayer, ‘Bless…’ This simultaneous change of levels would draw the audience in, thinking about how Margery’s prayer and the hangings are related.\r\nEllen and Joan’s backs would be to the audience so that t heir hangings are more symbolic then emotional. I think Vinegar Tom could be modernized, and the actors could wear modern everyday clothes, this is a Brecht technique, reminding the audience they are actors. I think The Crucible can’t be modernized, it is the history of 1692, so characters would be corrosion clothing (picture) from that period of time, using the speak and dialect from that period. ———————†The book title is violent. ‘Hammer’ is a destructive word, like the destruction of witches.\r\nNon-alcoholic makes them sound innocent and good, which is the contrast to their ideas and book on witches. Academic lexis, implying they are knowledgeable; so their book will be truthful and correct. The repetition emphasizes the fact that most witches are female. Informal introduction, comical stand up style, introducing each other. Scene twenty-one is like an Aside, a speech to the audience, but in the style of a comi cal stand up or advert. They thumb lines to add interest and capture people’s attention. Rhyme for comic effect, combination Kramer and Sprenger as one person. Reference to philosopher suggests wisdom. [pic] [pic] [pic]\r\n'