Steven Truong Boy, Girl Wall The world of the play o The production had a Brechtian simplicity and

d it was had a feeling of reality (hard to explain but it felt real but surreal at the same time). You could also view everything from the stage to the women controlling the mechanics. The setting is of course in the city of Brisbane in contemporary era, however the world was of the two characters-Boy and Girl and the other intrinsic characters linked to them. The world was filled with the contemporary day materialism and goals of the modern era as well as its technology. The familiarity of the world is its Australian target audience (since its set in Brisbane) however it also easily relate to the people of this age. It is easily understood by its audience, there is no feeling of alienation or unfamiliarity. The stage was able to be manipulated and give a visual imagination, through the actor, props (especially the chalk), mood and music as well. It gave life to both the humanity of people and the personification of various objects, e.g. Wall, floor, door, Computer and ceiling, etc. The abstract was relevant especially in the symbolism of the light bulb (a central image of the play).

Matts quote and question o The play us aloud the audience to be the third person and sometimes active participant to the plays stories, we feel an involvement and affinity to the characters and the story. The discussion of the universe is something I agree with, but the scene that gave me chills (positively) and gave me a blissful feeling was the romantic climax when they met and kissed. You can imagine nearly every aspect of the play even with the play performed in front of you. You unconsciously in the back of your mind visualize the whole story as its told and shown to you. Though the scene of the demon crow can be imagine in mind to be even more horrific.

Thoms and Alatheas world. o Thoms world, clustered in his apartment with the universe and his dreams, while at the office is confusion. Aletheas world is a chaotic environment in the mood it gives; however her home gives us a feminine aura/charm. The places she travels seem to be stark with trouble. Her home is her sanctuary. They use the various props and equipment to enhance the performance; space creates the environment and the transition from one to the next is obvious. Light and darkness, as well as colours underline subtle tones and emphasis on moments in the play. The wall is the physical but invisible barrier (clich symbolism) that is personified as a matchmaker.

Everything is given a personality it creates a flow of time and rhythm; The days of the weeks are quite a bunch of characters who make us laugh as well as the objects in the apartment who have a linked relationships. The magpie was easily stark in everyones minds you could easily imagine the demon magpie. Mels a prick so he is a showoff and breaks the fourth wall to get a rouse up in the audience. He seems to have an awareness of the audience and will play up and exaggerate for the audience.

Structure and Narrative o The episodes were given signs for different scenes by change in character, music, lighting and narration.It works to create a linear narrative each episode is important part of the story. It cleverly uses time to give a story told through time sequence; from references to time itself to the histories of humanity to the daily week of a human. Time is relative and is an encompassing part of our lives. It could be said that its in three parts I would best describe it as a standard VCE essay. An introduction, a body and a conclusion. The introduction hits off with a bang, the body is split into 4-5 different bodies, however concludes spectacularly. The weekdays gave definite character thats shine when it was there turn by being on their appointed written day with the spotlight on them. They are the first aspect of the of any major sequence of the story of in the play especially in the details of the body. They introduce the time and placement to the audience. The narrator wasnt in a dodgy cardboard box?-If he was it would give a feeling of an entity of the world of theatre that has knowledge of the outside world. The narrator is firmly in control directing the audience to what is needed to be known and seen. The narrator is in my opinion an all knowing but debonair in nature entity like a creation from the imagination that takes forms and performs for the audience. The exposition is evident when he shifts from the character to the explanation by mainly looking at the audience when he is explaining, however when he is enacting he is looking everywhere necessary for the character. Enacting is to become a Character or a scene plays out, explaining is a pause whether obvious or subtle that gives the audience a silver spoon of the story and background.

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Theatrical studies o The fourth wall is the final barrier between performers and audiences. Usually in theatre there is only the standard relationship between performer and audience and the audience only plays an observer role in the play.

There is no fourth wall for this play for there is a more intimate atmosphere and which needs the audience reaction to gauge an understanding for the actor to perform better. The theatrical style is non-naturalistic and follows the convention of direct address which is Brechtian in this case. Love stories; The reference to clichd and famed love story in pop culture is to reveal our notions of romance and love as influence by film and literature. The love story is through the romantic nature of the wall, and the romanticism of the universe that somehow linked the two character-boy and girl together, creating a perfect moment of romance and love at the climax of the performance. Bridging the gap; Reference to pop culture and personas are straight up, stand-up comedy material. The Personification of objects or becoming a stereotyped character is big in stand-up. The narrators role gives the main emphasis for story telling as well as the scenes surrounding Thom and Aletheas troubles in life as they progress in the play. One of the biggest story telling is the introduction of the boy and the girl which was told in a clichd but with a twist of humour narrative form. Brecht; the conventions of Brechts Epic Theatre- a non-natural style that utilizes a montage technique of fragmentation, contrast and contradiction, and interruptions. That with simplicity and a multitude of changes in representation of props, character (actors play many role) and actors. The post-Brechtian style still respects Brechts rules but uses them along with modern studies and techniques to create a new and evolved performance The sock puppet: The inclusion of the sock puppet created a humourous link to the audience as they relate the sock puppet to childhood but understand with the play the adult element of the sock puppet and the comedy it brings to the performancewith this they are able to lightly empathize with the puppet that may be a universal representative of dreams and what we become in our dreams. Styles: Thomas line of evolution is portrayed physically through his movement descending to backwards and forwards to the iconic associated image of the evolution road. The wall is a romantic, a peaceful, barrier type persons, that contains but sort of matronly observes everything. The doors have a personality. Floor is shown through his low voice and sort of almost depressed nature. The ceiling is a stuck up with a high voice and is trying to control all below. Dennis and Cathleen get together is a physical-showing of the era through music and stereotype disco moves. It seems almost corny like an 70s romance/get together (in the horizontal sense) scene. The movements are obvious and characterized to Dennis and Cathleen. Dennis a Italian and a man of the disco era, Cathleen is more the social but shy young woman. It all works to sort of play on a

humorous clichd nostalgia of parents story of how they embarrassingly met and had you. o The absurdity of the production works perfectly to links the performance-keeping the audience thoroughly entertain as they along the way contemplate in the back of their mind the more serious messages of the performance. These absurd scene works for they are even with the absurdity are absolutely possible. Like a Goth reading a children story and scaring the kids, or being inspired to have an alphabetical conversation like Thom and Mel. (This is the first actual absurdist play Ive seen.) The slap stick is subtle is used on purpose (cant pinpoint/remember the exact scene) to create an emphasis of the moment to create humorous effect. Mime is incorporated into the production through paused, silent moments and physical motions that are commonly viewed as mime type movement.

Characters & Expressive Skills o The narrator is a character is an iconic part of the performance and like any part is needed to make the performance work. He has a personality and influences the performance, unlike standard narrators who act like passive god telling a story that bore them. The character of the narrator is inevitably linked to the characters In the performance, he seems larger than life but intimate to the audience in his ability to the convey the story. He is astute and witty in his projection of his voice and image. His expressions are almost superficial (Hollywood storyteller) but are able to all the time become human in his speeches. Clark Kent is the Human persona of Superman associated with the character Tuesday for they are both unassuming, diligent and hardworking people who do not like to draw attention to their true hidden selves. Friday is of course the most memorable a sort of screw everything day, Thursday is always pissed off due to being next to Friday, while Wednesday is flighty but also a workaholic in a way. Thom and Alethea are more rounded and unique with a full detailed background and personalities which make them more naturalistic in their qualities; others are personified beings while some characters like Mel the prick and Aletheas boss are sort of a stereotyped individual given life only for the specific parts of the performance. Anthropomorphism is the concept of giving something form by human ability and imagination (belief), this idea gives the non-naturalistic style a form that is only seen in the surreal and fantasy world. Like personification. However defined by me Anthropomorphism is as said above is the abstract ability of humans to give something existence where existence did not exist. Such common anthropomorphized figures include; Death, Santa Clause, Mother Nature, Grandfather Time, God, the Tooth Fairy, etc. The Inanimate beings of the apartment

are given a personality making them personified/anthropomorphized. The Ceiling is a High and mighty snob with a high pitch voice, the wall is melodramatic with a low, baritone voice, and wall is a romantic and peacekeeper, while the computer has a severe complex. o In terms of the actors ability to create a definite character shining in the spotlight with the audience recognition is skilled. For example he made Dennis doing the Disco move, while Cathleen was in a sort of hesitant and shy form, and shifting between them is obvious as he changes over the stage to become the character. Lucas signals clearly to the audience a change in character by literally showing the audience what he is going to perform, which clearly illustrate what character he is at the time. Transformation: the effectiveness and skills of his transformation were indeed almost flawless; his ability to transform character gave no feeling of awkwardness and flowed brilliantly. A device to change characters would be a unique theme for them. Or call out the characters name when he, she or it enters the stage. The voices the actor creates are exaggerated to a sort of normality one hears, form the exaggerated to the stereotype voices. Such as the case of the one eyed Scottish Cabbie, easily recognized as an old man with a stereotypical Scottish brogue.

Use of Stage Craft Sets and Props o o Minimalist style was perfect Props such as cardboard, a projector, chalk, boards and some miscellaneous items were used The performer generates set items by placing them, where they are needed in the performance at the right moment. The minimalist and ever manipulated props and stage firmly state it as nonnaturalistic in style. Props were able to become other thing, the projector became a sort of border, and the bike was portrayed by the actor and the steering bar of the bike. The projected image gave the audience an image to look at but allowed them to embellish the image in their mind. In discussion of the stage, set and design I believe was great and see no reason to change what the performers envisioned. Though I can agree the focus enhance the audience attention to the performer making it non-naturalistic as we are not entirely drawn into the world of the story. Everything was meant to be childlike create an intimate, nostalgic link with the audience. The props and setting reminds us of thing in childhood form a sort of school room to child-like things such as attachable wall stars, bike and chalk all symbolize a childs ability to imagine and create.

Chalk; is central as it symbolize the ability of the possibility and manipulation of everything. An allusion to the power of creation through words and drawings- tools of communication and power of the universe. It is permanent but at the same time not for it is used due to its reliability, but it will deteriorate and disappear.

Sound o The walls theme gave an innocent, idealistic tone it adequately represented the wall. I did not know how to answer the question on music for the epic introduction.

Lighting o The led torch is awesome in its ability to reflect a spec of light/energy and life, it illustrate the power of transference. Certain events used lighting to stage important events that are in our mind most fitting for scenes. For example the power box, light and darkness- on and off like a lights with constantly flicked or surging with energy that goes into the light bulb. Lights were used to set the mood and an atmosphere, certain light and colour sort of seep into us and give us a feeling of time and space as well as the theme behind the lights.

Costume o The costume is so simple you tend to ignore it in favour of focusing on the actors expression and gesture. It is ignored throughout the performance so even if he changes characters, you do not notice.

Theatrical Convention o o o o Direct Address: Mel talks to the audience talks about breaking the fourth wall. Story telling: The narrator tells of the girl and boys life in summary. Transformation: Transforms into various characters. Stylized gesture: Seems to always have a gesture or pose for every movement he makes right from the start. Episodic Structure: Story is like a sequence of events, jumps from one to the next. Flashback/Disjointed time: From present to future and past to future. Birth to adulthood- Adulthood to how one is procreated embarrassingly. Exaggerated movement: Mel and Fridays gestures are very crude. Pathos: You gain empathy for Thom and Aletheas dilemmas Song: Actor breaks into song mid narration or improvised to follow along with the performance.

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