Review of Fall play

Review of Fall play

       As soon as I stepped into the black box, I was shocked by the settings of both the stage and the auditorium. Before watching the show, I have already seen the settings in black box. The settings are really unusual, which has a huge different from the other play that I have watched in CA. This time, the places for audiences to sit were separated in to four blocks. Two were placed on the stage, another was placed on the place where piano used to be placed. The stage was combined with spectator seats, which makes the stage surrounded by audiences. This is a really novelty way that no matter how actors stand, they can always make sure they are facing the audiences. Since the play happens on a Christmas night. People gathered in Misses Morkan's house to celebrate their annual Christmas party, so the setting of the stage has to be like a house. In the first half part of the play, people were all staying in the living room. In the second half part, they all went to kitchen. If the setting doesn’t change and is still being placed in that rectangle stage, the blocking of the actors will be rather too close to the left or too close to the right. 

Another thing that really attracts me is that there are many monologues for Mr. Conroy. When he is saying his monologue, all the other actors stop their movements and start to stair at the place where he originally stood. One example is that when people were sitting around the table and having cakes, the scene suddenly pauses, then Mr. Conroy starts to speak. He first stood by the side of his chair, then he walk to the back of Aunt Julia. But no matter where he goes, the other actors still look at Mr. Conroy’s seat. 

The way that Aunt Julia died is also really surprising. When she was singing in front of every one, she kept saying she is old and couldn’t sing like when she was young. Before she passed away, the young Julia came to her side and song with her together. They walked away, singing happy songs and exit the stage. This made a clearly contrast of old Julia and young Julia. The ending of her is both sad and touching.