Jacqueline Peveto
Abilene Christian University, “Sounding and Dressing the Part: Understanding Macbeth through Language and Costume”
Tomahawk production
military v civilian
red—Macbeth
black hoodie—witch
at odds with supernatural forces, descent into darkness is quick
Macbeth makes a foray into supernatural place and is destroyed.
small room for emotion
He was dedicated to evil and perpetrated evil on his neighbors.
Globe—all actors are on stage playing drums
all actors left, except 3
disregarded their Renaissance costumes and ran around in their shifts
witches imitated the animals, threw flower petals, were in acts where they do not appear in the text
Macbeth and Banquo in blue and red. Disconnect with long time friend.
before Macbeth kills Duncan, calls Banquo his friend. After Duncan is death, Banquo is his enemy.
Globe offered dynamic character, downplayed supernatural witches. Macbeth gains strong agency. Relationships define Macbeth. Relationship with witches impact the kind of message audience receives.
private, supernatural war OR close to home battle with human nature and nature?
Sarah Eason
Abilene Christian University, “Constructed Gender Performances of Kate and Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew“
constructed gender performances in The Taming of the Shrew
perhaps the most controversial
ambiguous script
strictly misogynous to feminist readings
problem= set binaries for a play that expresses and explores gender ambiguity
can’t treat play in binary situation
there must be another option
questioning identity
highlights the beggar’s identity
What do you think?
only moments after id’ing self by family and history
Upon my life, I am not a tinker…
how does the self take form?
can identity be created by discourse of others
Sly implies this is possible
Kate and Bianca represent the extremes—though neither is all good or all evil
gender is a binary concept created by people
Kate is threatening because she is performing masculine identity.
“meddle not with her” Kate
“yielding of a devilish spirit” Kate
father sees her as threat
…
in the bet they pull off a normative performance of gender in public
The wedding banquet is set up to mimic the norms.
When Kate first enters, Petruchio tells her to take the cap off.
Cap becomes infinitely symbolic.
Ariane Peveto
Abilene Christian University, “Completing the Spell: Setting and Language in As You Like It“
weaving the spell, setting and language in As You Like It
tall wise looking trees, gentle meadows, flowers like jewels
most well known romantic comedy
Forest of Arden
power based in language
As You Like It is written like a magic spell.
theme, character, setting = pastoral genre
story of romance woven in with other…
ability to change surroundings with words/language
ability to shape surroundings is dependent on the Forest of Arden
expectations and associations are abandoned
linguistic magic in ways characters describe the forest
show active shaping of the forest
…
production Globe Theater (2009—live for DVD)
simple, effective
colors wrapped on black fabric—felt closed in, despite the open stage
transition to Forest of Arden
drapes covering entrances and balcony
illusion of a thickening forest
Orlando began tacking his poetry onto the pillars. Throwing the poetry out into the audience.
parallel between theater and Forest of Arden
places where a char brings audience back to paying attention
exigency beyond mere entertainment
removed reality of the theater is not as obvious, but remains strong today
equivalence between the play and the theater
just at the point when audience were disengaging that Rosalinde steps forward with a finger against her lips
She reveals that she is wearing the pants of Ganymede underneath her wedding dress.
Touchstone asked a particular man in the audience a question.
Rosalinde refers to a man in the audience by name.
Epilogue is put where credits are expected.
highly exotic forest setting changed to exp with audience