Title of Event: Electra directed by cfrancis blackchild
Date and time of event: Thursday, February 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Location of Event: Tustin Studio Theatre
Type of Event: Play
1.) Provide a brief detail-oriented technical description or summary of the event you attended. (This section should remain journalistic and should not be reflective of your opinion.)
Electra is a play written by Sophocles and was redirected by cfrancis blackchild. The event was a performance by Bucknell’s undergraduate students of the revised play containing elements of musical art, dance, visual art (costumes, stage design, etc), and acting.
2.) Use the section below to write a well-structured paragraph focusing on your personal critical insight/response to the event. How did you interpret or react to what was presented to you?
The main actor who played Electra was an amazing performer, with her ability to portray the emotions of her character and channel all of her energy into the storyline was exquisite. In addition, the other actors did an amazing job on the stage, which was surrounded on three sides by chairs for an audience (I viewed the dress rehearsal so the seats were not all filled). In addition to these aspects, the actors’ ability to use interpretive dance during scenes and the director’s creation of rituals throughout the play to contrast our modern rituals (hugging, handshaking) was another impactful layer to the play. The interactive set in which the light shifted as the play continued and the costumes that fit the context of the play are only certain perfected characteristics of the complexity of this play. As someone who does not often view plays or musicals, this performance was one I was enthralled with the whole way and I left thinking deeper on ancient stories of women in situations of power struggles.
3.) What information, ideas, images, etc. most impressed you and why?
I was most impressed by the main actresses’ ability to complete long and complex monologues with perfect tone and emotion. In addition, I love consistent themes and messages conveyed in art, and in this play the overarching themes of power inequalities and feminism were amazing.
4.) Overall, how would you rate this event (10 being the most worthwhile)?
(10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 )
Ten
5.) Justify your rating in the question above:
This event was amazing, and the director’s ability to revise the story of the main female characters was an amazing use of revisionist storytelling. I was able to attend a talk by her before the performance where she talked about how she revises the stories of powerful women in historical literature, especially in tragedies, like in Electra or in Madea. Her ability to create visually and emotionally impactful work while also revising the story to fit a more feministic approach to these ancient tragedies is brilliant and impactful.