thesis!?
Next week I present my top three choices for a thesis production. This not only amazes me (how could I almost be done!?) but also kind of terrifies me. I really don't know which 3 I'll present, but I have a short list:
Akhnaten by Philip Glass
The story of an Egyptian Pharaoh who went against the powerful priests and tried to adopt a monotheistic religion. Didn't work out too well for him - perhaps he should have tried the slogan "change we can believe in"? The music is quite interesting and the libretto is very open-ended. I think there could be some good potential for a lot of abstraction in the set, giving lighting a lot more importance.
Harvey Milk by Stewart Wallace
I've known the story for a long time but only just found out about the opera. The story is very modern and compelling, and for a long time made me very angry with all concerned. The music is great and the piece itself is an interesting mix of opera and musical theatre styles.
The Crucible by Robert Ward, based on the play by Arthur Miller
An opera based on (and using most of the text from) a play with huge cultural significance. The issue of private life versus personal life as related to the role of the state and society give the opera some real meat. I always liked the play, and the opera is pretty fantastic.
The Adding Machine by Elmer Rice
I designed a severely edited version of this play years ago, and really loved it. It's on the verge of Symbolism but has a distinctly grounded American flavour. What do the Elysian Fields look like, I wonder?
Endgame by Samuel Beckett
I really love this play, possibly more than all other ones I'm thinking about for thesis. The only trouble is that since it's Beckett there's not a lot of design room. I might propose doing Endgame and adding a short to it (Krapp's Last Tape is a possibility) so there's a bit more to work with lighting-wise.
Other options include The Skin of Our Teeth (Wilder), and Venus (Suzan Lori Parks).
Who will make the final cut? Stay tuned...
Akhnaten by Philip Glass
The story of an Egyptian Pharaoh who went against the powerful priests and tried to adopt a monotheistic religion. Didn't work out too well for him - perhaps he should have tried the slogan "change we can believe in"? The music is quite interesting and the libretto is very open-ended. I think there could be some good potential for a lot of abstraction in the set, giving lighting a lot more importance.
Harvey Milk by Stewart Wallace
I've known the story for a long time but only just found out about the opera. The story is very modern and compelling, and for a long time made me very angry with all concerned. The music is great and the piece itself is an interesting mix of opera and musical theatre styles.
The Crucible by Robert Ward, based on the play by Arthur Miller
An opera based on (and using most of the text from) a play with huge cultural significance. The issue of private life versus personal life as related to the role of the state and society give the opera some real meat. I always liked the play, and the opera is pretty fantastic.
The Adding Machine by Elmer Rice
I designed a severely edited version of this play years ago, and really loved it. It's on the verge of Symbolism but has a distinctly grounded American flavour. What do the Elysian Fields look like, I wonder?
Endgame by Samuel Beckett
I really love this play, possibly more than all other ones I'm thinking about for thesis. The only trouble is that since it's Beckett there's not a lot of design room. I might propose doing Endgame and adding a short to it (Krapp's Last Tape is a possibility) so there's a bit more to work with lighting-wise.
Other options include The Skin of Our Teeth (Wilder), and Venus (Suzan Lori Parks).
Who will make the final cut? Stay tuned...
posted by Mike at 10:03 PM
2 Comments:
I'm teaching The Crucible right now!
I've always liked the play, and the opera is pretty good! It uses almost all of Miller's text as the libretto, which is great. It keeps the integrity of the play and adds another greater emotional dimension with the music.
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