Happy New Year's Eve Eve!
Today, I'm gonna try to create a post about a play and not a musical--don't get me wrong, I like plays but musicals are easier to find a clip for.
Today, I'm gonna try to create a post about a play and not a musical--don't get me wrong, I like plays but musicals are easier to find a clip for.
Anyway, as of my last school night a few weeks ago, I auditioned for and was casted in a ten-minute Directing I Final scene. At my school, there's this course called Directing I where students learn all of the tools to directing a production and the research that is done to prepare before casting even starts. For their final, each student had to choose a scene from an actual play, cast it, and direct it.
The scene I was casted into was from a play titled Picnic, written in 1953 by William Inge. It takes place on Labor Day, where the play focuses on gender norms during the 1950's, where being physically attractive was how you landed a spouse. The main action of the story is that Hall, Madge, and Millie desire to break away from those norms that are confining them, while Flo wants to keep everything the way it was. Here's a small synopsis of the play.
I have grown to appreciate this play, primarily because it takes place in a simple setting with regular, everyday people, but it is the action that really drives this play. Dealing with gender norms doesn't seem like such a big problem now, but the play highlights flaws with those stereotypes that are relatable to all that watch it.
The scene I was in was in the beginning of the show, when the initial conflicts are introduced between Millie and Madge's envy towards the other, Madge's doubt on marrying Alan, obvious attraction between Madge and Hal, and Flo's disproval of Hal.
Here's a trailer the Roundabout Theatre Company created for the play when it was on Off-Broadway last year, starring Maggie Grace (Taken) as Madge Owens, Sebastian Stan (Captain America movies, Once Upon a Time) as Hal Carter, Madeleine Martin (Californication) as Millie Owens, and Mare Winningham (St. Elmo's Fire, Amber Waves) as Flo Owens.
The scene I was casted into was from a play titled Picnic, written in 1953 by William Inge. It takes place on Labor Day, where the play focuses on gender norms during the 1950's, where being physically attractive was how you landed a spouse. The main action of the story is that Hall, Madge, and Millie desire to break away from those norms that are confining them, while Flo wants to keep everything the way it was. Here's a small synopsis of the play.
I have grown to appreciate this play, primarily because it takes place in a simple setting with regular, everyday people, but it is the action that really drives this play. Dealing with gender norms doesn't seem like such a big problem now, but the play highlights flaws with those stereotypes that are relatable to all that watch it.
The scene I was in was in the beginning of the show, when the initial conflicts are introduced between Millie and Madge's envy towards the other, Madge's doubt on marrying Alan, obvious attraction between Madge and Hal, and Flo's disproval of Hal.
Here's a trailer the Roundabout Theatre Company created for the play when it was on Off-Broadway last year, starring Maggie Grace (Taken) as Madge Owens, Sebastian Stan (Captain America movies, Once Upon a Time) as Hal Carter, Madeleine Martin (Californication) as Millie Owens, and Mare Winningham (St. Elmo's Fire, Amber Waves) as Flo Owens.
