www.cmu.edu: Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama’s production of “The Rover” opens Thursday, Nov. 17, and runs through Saturday, Dec. 3, in the Purnell Center for the Performing Arts’ Philip Chosky Theater. The play portrays the adventures of Willmore the Rover during Carnivale in Naples in 1650.
4 comments:
I'm really excited to see another show in the Chosky and to read about how CMU is weaving contemporary discussions in with their/our main stage show. I skimmed over The Rover script over the summer and what the director said about how unconventional the characters are is true, there are still very 17th century typical social conventions the women and men follow. I'm interested in seeing how these gender conventions are followed in the script and what is tested to reveal contemporary themes. I'm also looking forward to seeing the design elements. The intents and insights research images were so colorful, abstract, and organic and I worry a bit about how all the elements will work together. Also I was on the focus crew for Playboy and got to see the set be built, the paints and props added, etc. but I haven't seen any other the process work for The Rover. I can't wait to experience some of the wonder and surprise audience members felt for Playboy for this show.
Like everyone I'm excited to see over. Between the trap door and the giant flats being backstage on crew has only grown my curiosity. Along with the things I find standardly attractive like the design factor I am interested to find out how the rape scenes play out. We didn't discuss them during conservatory hour so I am completely in the dark on how many and to what extend they will be included from the original script. Also from talking to the dramaturgs I have found out the original script has one less sister than our performance, and I want to know how the extra female presence will work with the rape situations.
Like the others, I can't wait to see it! I'm seeing it tomorrow and am super excited to see my first main stage (since I was on Playboy) at CMU. I think the show is extremely relevant to the contemporary society because it touches on huge topics such as sexism, patriarchal attitudes, and misogyny. In addition, the elements of rape portrayed in the play shouldn't be ignored as its an integral part of story telling that I know we'll be discussing during talk backs at conservatory hour. In addition, I think the setting of the play is an interesting one to work with. There's plenty of bling from what I've seen already which can add to the chaos going on. I'm excited to see how Rover compares to Playboy since it's more abstract. I currently have mixed emotions on the set because the way it was designed usually isn't my cup of tea but I can't wait to see how it's integrated into the story line. Finally, I know there have been some really hard times with the creation of this show when it came to scheduling and other things but I'm sure it turned out great and I'm excited to see the work put in by all of my peers on it!
"Big" is certainly the word for this show.
Having worked on much of the scenery during load in and having experienced the challenges of its scale, I must admit I am a bit weary of a show which I suspect I may find to be technically overwhelming. Design wise I am thrilled to see what the Rover has in store, but a part of me wishes in a rare turn of events that I did not know so much of the show's technical aspects. Normally, I find knowledge of a show's technical makeup more enriching to the experience of watching it. However, I fear in this case that I will be distracted by the sheer marvel of its structure. Also, knowing many of the obstacles which made the process of instillation more difficult, I fear I will find myself watching for mishaps rather than enjoying the plot and acting and dialogue. It will be a challenge to immerse myself in the show as a whole - which I am sure is beautifully directed and acted and designed - when all I can think of are the technical elements. I'm sure it will all look beautiful, but I also know too much about how it has come to look that way.
Spiderman Live, anyone?
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