Questions for 1001 Grains of Sand:
Did the lights have an effect on the scenes? What kind of effect?
Did the costumes reflect the mood and/time intended?
Was the setting clear and appropriate to the story?
What did you think of the Director's vision? Were you able to detect what it was?
These are just some ideas about what you could talk about. They are mostly here to serve as a jumping board to our discussion. Feel free to talk about whatever impressed you the most about the performance - please do not feel restricted to these questions!
To discuss, just add a comment with your name on the end.
I personally thought the play was wonderful. Music played a very large part in the narrative, which I thought was interesting. I thought the setting was pretty apparent. Overall, I thought it was a very good production - I don't remember ever once feeling as if anything was out of place or awkward.
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This was definitely my favorite play of the SDSU productions so far. I was fully engaged in all of the fascinating scenes and the lively crew of actors/actresses. The amazing journey along the Silk road and the caravan of many nationalities came to life and unity in this play and it was almost like a mini history lesson! The lights, the costumes, the songs all added so much to the play that there was no real need for any other extravagant or detailed set construction/ scenic design. I think the director's vision was not only to expose us to the medieval history, music, stories etc of the Middle East,it was for us to realize how much we have in common with the culture/people and embrace our global inheritance.
ReplyDeleteLexi Larcher
I have to say that I enjoyed this play the best so far! It was really funny, very colorful, and the msuic really hepled set mood.
ReplyDeleteThe background lighting for the sky was amazing and really added to the entire set. Not on were they really beautiful colors but they really helped portray the mood of each particular scene.
The colorful costumes were really interesting to look at also helped set the tone for the play. I thought that the camel was a very fun and unexpected touch.
I have to say that there was one instance, I think it was during the sand storm, where the music scared me a little. The moment was so intense and the lighting was dark, and I think that they used all of the elements really effectively to set the mood and tone of that scene.
I didn't really understand the significance of the narrator on the left side of the stage moving the sand around.
Kimmie Spears
I really enjoyed this show. The lighting was very well done and the costumes were excellent. The colors were amazing. The music really helped take us on the journey of the Silk Road and all the different costumes helped symbolize the different nationalities we met along our journey on the Silk Road.
ReplyDeleteI loved the camel and the sandstorm and the great way the lighting was used. I didn't feel like I was sitting in an auditorium at San Diego State but felt at times that I was in desert with the characters on stage.
I think the director's vision was to underscore that we are not at all very different with the people in the Middle East.
Robin Goret
I thought the play was really interesting. it started out a little slow for my taste, but it quickly picked up! I really liked how funny it became the more we got to know the characters. The costumes were amazing. I loved the twin's outfits and of course the Camel! I was also really impressed with the way they used minimal settings, but I was still engaged. It really brought attention to the actors and did not distract me.
ReplyDeleteMegan Caudle
Jose said...
ReplyDeleteThe lights contributed to the illusion of night and day during the play. They also worked well as part of the special effects used for the time travel sequences. The costumes did reflect the mood and/time intended when the characters were supposed to be from the 21st century or from the Middle East in 1300 BCE. The setting was something I found unusual at first because I still often think of the Middle East as a not urbanized area that hasn’t changed their way of living that much since their early days. The fact this cultural region was a primary theme of the play helped me learn a little more about the Arabian people and about my own misconceptions of this region. I believe the director’s vision was not necessarily to educate but to remind its audience of the importance of understanding and respecting other culture’s way of life and history because by doing this we might be learning something about ourselves.
Questions for 1001 Grains of Sand:
ReplyDeleteDid the lights have an effect on the scenes? What kind of effect?: Yes I believe that the lights had an effect on the scenes. They contributed to the elements of the scene. For example, when there was a dust storm in the desert the lighting would change to reflect that better. This greatly enhanced the believability of the story.
Did the costumes reflect the mood and/time intended?: The costumes reflected the time intended. Not only did they reflect the time intended, but they greatly depicted from what region/time period each character is from. For example, the girl who traveled back in time from the future was dressed as a typical teenager, but she was then dressed in a time fitting dress when she met the other people in the caravan.
Was the setting clear to the story? : The setting seemed clear to the audience. In the story there were two settings: the desert and the museum. They were well represented through the sets and as discussed above, the lighting.
What did you think of the Director's vision? Were you able to detect what it was?: I could see what the directors vision was. He wanted a play that children and both adults would enjoy. There were parts that appealed to both age groups. For example, there were jokes and references that only adults would understand.
I really enjoyed this play too! I thought that the lighting really helped to set the mood and it also helped me to understand what was important and whom I should be paying attention to in the scenes. The costumes were great and definitely helped to distinguish between the two time periods portrayed in the play. I loved the camels costume! I thought that it was very realistic, even though you could see the actors face. The settings were very clear even though there were not many props or backdrops. It was very easy to distinguish between the desert/silk road and the museum. The vision for the play was very unique. I thought it was interesting how one girl was off to the side playing with the sand, but I think that part made the play a little more mystical and mythical. It was a very fun way for kids to learn about history and other cultures myths and lifestyles.
ReplyDeletethe above is by Emily Hyatt
ReplyDeleteI thought that there was a very clear directorial view being show in this production. I could really see where Margaret was trying to go with this play. I know that like her productions in the past she really likes to take these older tales and add some sort of modern twist on them. I thought that her idea to start the play in a museum was a unique way to approach the play.
ReplyDeleteShe was clearly trying to take the audience on a journey with her, the way that the characters in the play were also on a journey. I thought that the music used deeply enhanced the mood of the play and helped to keep the action of the story moving and interesting to watch.
I really felt the director wanted the audience to experience a journey! I think her vision came across clearly and it was done in an interesting way. I loved the turning stage and I felt it added to the time travel aspect of the story. I also really liked how the characters from both time periods were portrayed similarly.
ReplyDeleteThe lighting definitely made the audience feel like the were in a dessert on the silk road. This was definitely my favorite so far and the twins were hilarious. All the actors did a great job. Like Kimmy said I was a little confused about the singer and sand off to the side of the show, but overall the play was really good
The lights definitely helped with the effects because without them the sand storms wouldn't have seemed so real. It made the audience more absorbed into the whole thing. The turning stage also helped with the effect of the whole journey because they could walk and the scenery would change rather than them just walking to the same place.The costumes were also very reflective of the theme as a whole. My favorite was the donkey.I really enjoyed the narrarators singing voice too, it was mysterious and set the mood. They did a good job choosing her.
ReplyDelete-Kari
The lights did have an effect because you were able to tell when the moods were shifting and when it was night and day. It was funny and that made it more enjoyable. The setting was clear and I felt appropriate because it helped the story flow better and you could understand the significance to plot.
ReplyDeleteI thought the play was great and presented in a very unique way. The lights really directed the audience's focus towards the emphasis of the scenes, especially when the singer on the side would take over to distract the audience from the main stage.I was impressed with how captivated I was with the storyline. I thought the costumes were great and emphasized the difference in time periods well. The emphasis of the difference in the time periods was very poignant and showed that human nature hasn't changed too much over time.
ReplyDeleteAllison Aubrey
For this play I think that the set was the key element. It allowed us to get a better understanding for what was going on in the play and were it was supposed to be. I think that the lights further emphasized this idea, because the lights added more color to the set, and drew our attention to specific places on the set. I think that the costumes were amazing and went very well with the play. I think that the rotating stage was also a good enhancement to our visual appeal. I think the directors vision was to give us insight on two different time periods, both with very distinct elements. Since this play was also geared toward children, I think the director was also trying to show the power of working together. Kayla Del Casale
ReplyDelete