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Friday, July 20, 2018
Theatre Review: ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ by Synetic Theater at the Davis Performing Arts Center
Maryland Theatre Guide: Like many of the best children’s stories, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” is a journey of transformation through imagination. Synetic Theatre’s innovative new staging of the iconic tale is itself a refreshing transformation of a classic.
3 comments:
ZTR DP Summer
said...
On one hand, it makes me happy that classic old works can be redone and adapted in successful ways. I think that the use of dance and avant-garde design sound really interesting and I think they probably bring new life to the piece. The balance between preserving old pieces and also making them applicable and relevant to the modern world is always interesting. On the other hand, I do think that the more new works and lesser known adaptations that are done, the better. Wizard of Oz has been done so many times while other shows that have been lost in time are hardly ever performed any more. Although this is a modern version of the show, I still think that it is usually better to take risks with newer works so that new voices can be heard. It also sounds like there are many talented designers working on the show who could also be spending their time helping a lesser known work come to light. That being said, there is also something important about preservation and looking at old works in a new way. Especially with a story that’s as classic as Wizard of Oz, it’s always cool to put a modern spin on it to see how it still applies and how it can apply in new ways to our everyday life.
I have seen The Wizard of Oz more times than I can count because it is such a recognizable and generally loved production. Though it will always hold a place in my heart as a fantastic musical, this project really excites me. No matter how much you may enjoy a show, it is nice to see innovation and witness a less common view on classic stories. In what I have seen, The Wizard of Oz is not focused as a dancing show and tends to stick to its roots, so it would be a unique experience to see a form that actively works to separate itself from the common interpretation. My opinion is that this is the genre of theater that should be promoted in the professional industry. It sometimes feels as if professional shows don't take artistic or interpretive risks out of fear that the audience will not appreciate the choices made or the meaning won't stick. This may have something to do with the inclusion of theater in pop-culture, which involves the masses in an artistic field. To me, this is very similar to visual art; some people understand it and some do not, but the important lesson to learn from this other art form is that the general public's opinion does not discourage artists from pushing boundaries. To me, it is important for designers and directors to take risks because the cheapening of theatrical interpretation helps no one.
The Wizard of Oz has been an all-time classic for me and my family, by having seen the show on stage many times there's a part of me that wishes I could see new creative differences in the show. By reading this article and seeing the different costumes and lighting it's nice to see a change in the show but still be able to respect the original designs. In my opinion, I think it's very difficult to adopt an original production and change the designs to make it your own. Especially with this show being a well-known movie, it's even harder for the designers to not upset people of the new changes in their production. Overall by reading this article, I think the designers have created a design in which it changes a few things from the original but still respects the original production.
3 comments:
On one hand, it makes me happy that classic old works can be redone and adapted in successful ways. I think that the use of dance and avant-garde design sound really interesting and I think they probably bring new life to the piece. The balance between preserving old pieces and also making them applicable and relevant to the modern world is always interesting. On the other hand, I do think that the more new works and lesser known adaptations that are done, the better. Wizard of Oz has been done so many times while other shows that have been lost in time are hardly ever performed any more. Although this is a modern version of the show, I still think that it is usually better to take risks with newer works so that new voices can be heard. It also sounds like there are many talented designers working on the show who could also be spending their time helping a lesser known work come to light. That being said, there is also something important about preservation and looking at old works in a new way. Especially with a story that’s as classic as Wizard of Oz, it’s always cool to put a modern spin on it to see how it still applies and how it can apply in new ways to our everyday life.
I have seen The Wizard of Oz more times than I can count because it is such a recognizable and generally loved production. Though it will always hold a place in my heart as a fantastic musical, this project really excites me. No matter how much you may enjoy a show, it is nice to see innovation and witness a less common view on classic stories. In what I have seen, The Wizard of Oz is not focused as a dancing show and tends to stick to its roots, so it would be a unique experience to see a form that actively works to separate itself from the common interpretation. My opinion is that this is the genre of theater that should be promoted in the professional industry. It sometimes feels as if professional shows don't take artistic or interpretive risks out of fear that the audience will not appreciate the choices made or the meaning won't stick. This may have something to do with the inclusion of theater in pop-culture, which involves the masses in an artistic field. To me, this is very similar to visual art; some people understand it and some do not, but the important lesson to learn from this other art form is that the general public's opinion does not discourage artists from pushing boundaries. To me, it is important for designers and directors to take risks because the cheapening of theatrical interpretation helps no one.
The Wizard of Oz has been an all-time classic for me and my family, by having seen the show on stage many times there's a part of me that wishes I could see new creative differences in the show. By reading this article and seeing the different costumes and lighting it's nice to see a change in the show but still be able to respect the original designs. In my opinion, I think it's very difficult to adopt an original production and change the designs to make it your own. Especially with this show being a well-known movie, it's even harder for the designers to not upset people of the new changes in their production. Overall by reading this article, I think the designers have created a design in which it changes a few things from the original but still respects the original production.
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