The Tartan Online: Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama opened its 2013–14 season on Friday with the American classic, The Crucible. Directed by Carnegie Mellon faculty member and alumnus Tony McKay (A’69), the show features a strong cast led by senior acting major Brian Muller with a deeply moving performance as antihero John Proctor. The Crucible grabs your attention and holds it tight until long after the house lights have gone up.
7 comments:
I really enjoyed CMU's production of the crucible, and having seen several different productions of it before as well as doing the show once, CMU's production was definitely distinctive. From an acting/directing perspective, I really liked the kind of "greek chorus" of sorts in the background always looking in on the action, and constantly judging the characters. I also really liked the subtle comedic nature of the show. The acting in the show seemed to overly emphasize the ridiculousness of the salem witch trials and the accusations. I thought this brought a new level of complexity to the show which i havent seen in any other productions.
I think this production, on the whole, was very good. The acting and directing were among some of the best I've seen here at CMU. It's one of the first times I've ever heard an audience laugh during the Crucible, which I think is an accomplishment. The scene design, costume design, and lighting design worked extremely well together, pulling the acting and directing into an environment that captured the audience. Bravo to everyone who contributed to such a powerful piece.
I loved watching the Crucible! I saw it once, and worked the filming of it another time. Both performances were very strong and convincing. The line delivery was particularly memorable. John Proctor's speech near the end was moving and powerful and definitely left the audience in awe in both performances. I heard very few negative comments from those who saw it. I think it was very effective and a great piece to start the CMU 100th anniversary season with.
It was an incredible production! It is really easy for The Crucible to fall short but CMU is just genius! The actors were all amazing. and the use of media and projection mapping made the show so unique and intriguing. My favorite part of the production was the people sitting between the trees. They wouldn't move but then when the actors speaking would say or do something shocking or important, they would turn their heads or move. They made such an impact on the audience. I don't even know how to describe it, but it scared me and yet felt so appropriate.
Having never seen a show on CMU's stage before it really amazed me how much talent surrounds me everyday I walk into the building. The subtle moments of comedic relief allowed me, as some one who is typically not into the genre of play that encompasses the crucible, to remain engaged the entire time. From a design standpoint I really liked all aspects of thee design. I feel like they all complemented what was happening on stage without over doing it. Over all i liked the production and am excited to see more of what our amazing school has to offer.
I think the Crucible, although an American classic, still had the CMU touch. It was spectacular in a thought-provoking way that is unique to CMU. Director Tony McKay took some artistic liberties that really added a level of depth to the play that isn't found in the text. The lighting, media, and sound design also told a story that was full of mystery, deceit, and despair. Overall, the acting, the design, and added theatrical motifs and symbols created an intriguing and powerful performance that really stood out and was immensely captivating.
Full disclosure: doing run crew for The Crucible has probably scarred me for the rest of my life.
Aside from my brief experience in indentured servitude, I think CMU's presentation of The Crucible was pretty awesome. I think all the elements of the show came together in a really cohesive fashion. I think each designer offered up something unique to this production, and I certainly enjoyed seeing everyone's work. In particular, I really liked the media design projected onto the trees.
Post a Comment