Theatre Essay #2 - Review of Dance Nation Production PDF

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Review of Dance Nation Production...

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Introduction to Theatre/The Actor’s Task Professor Giurgea Dance Nation Production By: Cara O’Reilly

The Colgate Theatre Department staged the performance “Dance Nation” by Clare Barron as this fall’s production. The play tells the story of a group of pre-teen dancers, all with an intense competitive drive. They are fueled by this determination. Each student comes in every day enthusiastic to work. Dance teacher Pat has set high expectations for the group, hoping to win the big dance competition in Tampa Bay. Many groups taught under dance teacher Pat in years past were successful and won this competition. While the production is based around the dancers’ preparation for the big competition, it also reveals the struggles and desires of early adolescence. Throughout the play, each character experiences at least one moment of self-evaluation. Each character broke the fourth wall to communicate their feelings and expose their vulnerable side. Amina, the most talented dancer on the team, connected with the audience by changing their perspective about her as a person. In the beginning, I believed she was cocky and power-hungry with no intent in making real friends. However, once Amina spoke out to the audience, we could see a sensitive side to her. She stressed how she felt that she needed to intentionally not perform well if she was ever to have friends. She felt that the rest of the group became distant and only saw her for her talent. It is in these moments where the audience can start to understand the true nature of each character. It is more than just a story about a group of

adolescence trying to create something bigger than themselves. It is about celebrating young female empowerment and the challenges of girlhood.

Many of the monologues showed the complicated feelings the characters fought to understand. It was about their struggle to make friends in an enviously competitive environment. It was about being uncomfortable when going through new physical and mental changes during their pubescent years. Ashlee, one of the dancers of the group had her moment of the limelight after an intense and dark choreographed routine. At the end of the dance, everyone paused and Ashlee broke the fourth wall to confess her more guarded sentiments about herself. From the audience’s perspective, it was as if she had been waiting a lifetime to tell someone how she truly felt. I was swept away by her performance. I experienced the same feelings as those when I watch a touching movie: the kind that gives you goosebumps. I connected to the piece on a personal level and could feel the frustration and sadness and anger that she portrayed on the stage. It is why it was so moving for me. Even though something is relatable, it doesn’t automatically mean that you can connect to what the character is saying. A big part of acting, from the actor’s point of view, is believing in what you are saying. As an actor, you need to become part of the character while still bringing your thoughts and experiences to the part. When I watched Ashlee, I felt that I was watching a union of both the character and the actress performing the piece. In my personal opinion, this was the best moment of acting in the show. I know I wouldn’t have felt so drawn to her character if I wasn’t convinced that she truly felt the way she did. She didn’t hold back her emotions but didn’t overplay the part either.

The extremely long monologue was about this young girl’s struggle with self-empowerment. She felt as though societal standards were holding her back from expressing how she truly felt about herself. At one point she spoke that if someone were to compliment her she would shut it down because anything else would be seen as cocky or naive. It made me think back to when I feel more embarrassed than confident in similar situations. I felt as though even saying “thank you” would be harmful to my image. As if my only thought was that they would think that it would be arrogant of me to agree. It was a powerful moment of pure acting because it brought me to self-reflection. I left the theatre with a better understanding of female empowerment. It is about having confidence in yourself to live life freely. To live life freely you must not let yourself be constrained by what society says is right. I need to learn to be more confident like Ashlee. This was the thought going through my head when watching her perform. A piece of art that makes you think and change your perspective is when it becomes successful. Clare Barron was able to send me a clear message about self-reliance and confidence in a familiar college atmosphere: an environment that many of the audience members could relate to. Knowing your audience has a big impact on how the piece is read and understood. It made the play engaging, relatable, and respectable....