The Tartan Online: "Gao Xingjian’s The Other Shore is the first Chinese play to be incorporated into the School of Drama’s regular season. Xingjian is also the first person of Chinese descent to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he won in 2000."
I saw the Other Shore this weekend and I was amazed. The look of the show was stunning and the simplicity of it all made it even more powerful. I thought that the way each of the design elements worked with each other "not to be noticed" was brilliant. The acting was definitely the star of the show, but the designs fed off of that performance and became part of the show. (Maybe this had to do with the organic rehearsal process?).
ReplyDeleteI thought that the use of the scrim in the last scene with the "dolls" was really cool, it enhanced the feeling of isolation and being alone. Also, the sound design was inspiring.
Great job Cast, Crew, and Designers!
The Other Shore blew my mind. It was SO well done. Not just the amazing job by the actors (which was incredible) but the design choices made were fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI loved the mannequin scene,it was so powerful. Like Chris said, the use of the scrim was amazing. It went from the large feeling of Chosky, to a very small space, it felt all of the sudden incredibly enclosed intimate.
This show was amazing, it made me speechless, and this creation was definitely one of a kind!
I saw the Other Shore this weekend and was utterly blown away. It was one of the most gorgeous plays i have ever seen. The grace and beauty to which the actors moved was awe inspiring. Although I am usually a fan of intense sets i adored the simplicity of this one, or the lack their of. The blank stage heightened the audiences attention to the actors, and thus the connection to the peace. Finally i thought the lighting design was brilliant. It so subtly adjusted you from warm, to cold, with bursts of intensity. It really beautifully flowed with the peace, which i might add had a great sound design also. The quality was warm and cold perfectly to the atmosphere of the play. What a great experience!
ReplyDeleteMy initial impression of the Other
ReplyDeleteShore was simply wow! It was definitely something i have never seen before! The design aspects were unique and original. I loved the white dress scene it felt so serene and just unexpected. And like Liz said the whole show had this intense feeling of intimacy.
Alright, because I really like being unpopular, I feel I need to talk about this play. I did/am doing costume run crew for the play, so my perspective is admittedly based on what I've seen from the side and the handful of run throughs I've seen, so I may have a different perspective from everyone else.
ReplyDeleteIn my perspective, their are some really really cool parts of The Other Shore. The opening scene with the ropes is one of my favorite openings to a play of all time. That being said, I'm not a big fan of the play. I get the message, or at least think I do, and the play just moves to speratically for me to enjoy it.
That being said, my real reaction to The Other Shore was that it was the play that the season opened on. While a lot of people in drama seem to like like this play a lot, from what've I heard the play is just weird in the majority of everyone else's perspective. I'm all for weird theater, but I also think that theater should start it's season with a play that a lot of people will come see and will continue to draw crowds.
At first I didn't really get this play (who did). but as I learn more and more about it, I become more and more amazed at all the things that are going on here. When I saw it, I was pretty excited about it, but now I'm even more since I've learned more about it. You know, I think I'll watch it again...
ReplyDeleteI would go see The Other Shore for the sole purpose of appreciating the magnificent lights and costumes. I agree with Sarah how beautifully the designs were strong in their own right, but not overpowering enough to steal the spotlight away from the actors. I find this to be particularly poignant in that Chinese art in itself has a few strong minimalist design elements. I felt like the designers for The Other Shore captured this perfectly. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteI thought that the Other Shore was both thought-provoking and and visually stunning. Let me say that the lighting, which served to both move the actors and shed tones over the stage gave me a chance to feel isolated from the audience, alone and able to rest in the pattern of my thoughts as i followed the process of the show.
ReplyDeleteThe other shore left me speechless. Quite honestly - after I left the theatre - until I entered the lobby, I couldn't think of anything to say to my cohorts. Probably the one thing that fascinated me was the ability of the actors and the show to convey a story using non specific characters and neutral scenes (along with the lighting, scenery, and costumes) to create an over-all journey. Genius!
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