The Woman in Black Review Essay Example for Free

The Woman in Black Review Essay Upon the arrival in London my anticipation was high. My first impression of the Fortune Theatre was; it was a very old Victorian building, very small and slightly ragged. Upon entering it felt very cramped and made you feel claustrophobic. The atmosphere was eerie due to the old style of the building. This was particularly effective as the play was set in the Victorian period. This made you feel as if you were in the past. Also the narrow staircase and small seating area created effect. Before the play starts there is no background music played to set a scene or image in the audiences mind. The play starts without warning and lights go down and we are straight into the story. The play is set in a theatre and the audience see the actors rehearsing a manuscript to an empty crowd. At first the older actor was reading his story as if he was an appalling actor. This technique used was effective and gave some comic relief at the start of the play. He mumbled his words without emotion which was in total contrast to the younger actor. The younger actor was very articulate and pronounced his words properly, both characters spoke with posh accents. By doing this it lulled the audience in to an almost false sense of security. Fans blew into the theatre to make the ambience cold and chilling. Diagram of the Stage The audience were seated in front of the stage. This was so the whole audience would all see the play in the same way. Also this would ensure the woman in black wouldnt be able to be spotted. The set was open and most things on the stage were shown. There was a clothes rack which was covered, a wicker basket which was closed and some metal buckets. There was a door which was shut but we did not know to where it would lead. However during the play we discovered a whole new dimension to the stage. Behind a gauze there was another part of the stage. If this had been shown some of the creative element would have been lost as we wouldnt be surprised to see it. Also the fact the only time the audience saw the back of the stage was when the actors themselves were present there. This would link the audience to the actor and heighten the personal bond. Spotlights were used a lot in this production. It persuaded the audience to focus on one area of the stage. It also gave a creepy effect, as you could not see the whole of the stage, therefore you would not know what was happening in the black spots. Images were also shone on to a translucent curtain showing at the position of the actors. This included a crucifix. This was effective as it was a very overpowering image, which embraces the audience as it is the first scary moment of the play. The other image was of the house in which the Woman in Black haunts. It gives you a mental representation of what the building would look like. Upon seeing this building, it was obvious a catastrophe was immanent. The lighting also represented where they were. For instance the actors were on a train and the windows of another train passed. This made you jump and started a continuous pattern of many frights to come. Sometimes the lack of lighting built up the atmosphere. At one time the stage was dark until the actor lit a match which illuminated his face. The effect of this was astonishing, such a simple thing as a match built up the scene immediately. The match was very effective because it was less bright than a spotlight and would not show off the surroundings. A torch was also used in the same way as the match but was just as effective as it showed a specific area. After seeing this used I realised how effective low light can be to create suspense and confusion. Sometimes the light came as a relief for the audience. In the first half of the play whenever there was a scary part normal lighting would come in to effect and give the audience relief from the intenseness. This almost gave the audience a false sense of security. The most effective use of the lighting was the way in which the Woman in Blacks face was bright white and prominent. The audience never quite managed to see the full complexion of her face as she was not still for long. However it showed enough to keep the audience intrigued and for them to know it was a ghost. The darkness created a spooky air about a scene but there was music to accompany it. Recorded sound was also used in this play. In the same way as lighting it set the scene and emulated a climax. For instance it was used to create a scene in an office by the ticking of a clock. The main way sound was used was to build up a climax. A recorded sound of a rocking chair would always represent a terrifying image about to appear; the Woman in Black. We would associate sounds to images. It was an almost psychotic repetitive noise, which at first time of hearing may not have been distinguished as anything important. Another petrifying noise was an ear piercing, frightful scream. It sounded like it was made by someone in the utmost agonising pain who had gone insane with rage. It most certainly made the audience jump as it was played very loudly at an unexpected moment. However I considered it to be more than just a short fright. The sound was very disturbing. The way in which it died out gently also made you wonder what the person making it was feeling. It conjured up an image of someone who could not cope with what was happening to them. They let all the rage out in one long blast. It was played a number of times, each very chilling. It did not lose the effect, as it was played unexpectedly each time, thus you heard it in another situation and dimension. The other main recording was of a horse and trap coming slowly to a halt and then crashing. This is played at the end of the play and is a backbone to the plot. It is an equally disturbing noise not one you would chose to listen to regularly. This was also used to show an image you could not see and would put that picture vividly into your mind. After the crash it was followed by a dampened scream (slightly less potent than the previous, but equally as disturbing! ). The lighting and sound contributed immensely to the play. Without the immaculate and synchronized use of sound and lighting the plays ferocity (it has in copious amounts) would be lost, no matter how good the actors were. The attire used by the actors was very Victorian. They wore waistcoats and suits, making themselves look respectable. The older man would change clothes which also changed his character. This technique was effective as there were only two main actors. I saw this skill used in another play Stones in His Pockets which consisted of only two actors. The Woman in Black wore a black cloak with a bonnet to cover a lot of her face and hair. Her long cloak covered her feet most of the time giving the impression that she floated instead of walking. Accompanied by the sound and lighting was the immensely impressive acting. The younger actor gave a solid performance in his role of an actor. However many of his facial expressions were very modern and contemporary, these would not have been used in the Victorian times. Sometimes also his diction sounded very forced in comparison to the older man who had a very calm and constant accent. The older actors accent sounded like it was his own normal voice and was how he spoke. One of the younger actors most elaborate and perfect factors was his frustration when he was playing the older actor when he was young. This made you forget he was acting and made the audience accept as true the fact that he was the older actor when he was young and not actually acting him. Both actors were extremely talented, the older man was flawless. His overall performance as all the characters was outstanding. I enjoyed how he got into his first role when he puts on his glasses. The gradual transition is very effective and amusing. His acting in natural situations was actually completely natural, which made everything believable. One of my favoured characters of his was the driver Ketwick. This was very well done and brought some comic relief to the play. As in many of his characters he used his hands a lot to express himself. A very good example of this was at the end when the younger actor congratulates him on bringing a woman. The older man reacts as if he doesnt know what he is talking about. This was not strained nor was it milked, they spent just enough time to put across to the audience. A subtle sign of his perfection was the whole way through the play he never looks at the Woman in Black making the end believable. However an important role has been missed out. The Woman in Black is easy to forget as an actor and could be overshadowed by the other actors and also you think of her as an actual ghost. Her facial expressions were stern and ferocious. The audience could see the fury in her eyes. She walked concisely and smoothly almost floating. Yet at one point she ran which was petrifying, as you did not know where she was going to end up. Her facial expressions were good, a little more frightening effect could have been gained if her face was more cadaver like. Nevertheless it was clever of the director to not include her in the program and not for her to take a bow. This made you constantly scared of her, as you do not think of her as a real person. After saying how effective sound was in this play I think the lack of it was more effective. The long silences followed by a noise or person would always make you jump. The silences would always build the suspense and get you ready for something bad to happen. After the loud, unexpected sounds there were many long pauses, which added to the sinister atmosphere. In my opinion this was the most effective use of sound. By the end of the play there was still a disturbing ambience as I walked away. I had thoroughly enjoyed the play and was suitably scared. Any more and I may not have been able to sleep. I took away many aspects of acting, which could be useful in the future. The use of silence and torches in the darkness were some of my favourites. The play was enjoyable and funny but also terrorizing. One of the most amusing parts was the dog spider scene. This was hard to act as they were pretending there was a dog but it was done with the utmost ease. It was funny how the older man kicked the dog saying it does what I say. If I was a critic for a magazine my short caption would read; The Woman in Black is a play with a distressing plot, of ghastly ghostly terror. Set in the Victorian times it sends a feeling of emptiness and solitude through you, nevertheless an obvious first choice for taking the young ones to see, to appreciate and learn from the immaculate actors and use of stage crew!

Could America not have fought the British :: essays research papers

Could America have gradually and peacefully developed independence within the British Common wealth, as Canada later did, rather than engaging in a violent revolt? Soon after England’s victory in the Seven Years’ War, England struggled with the financial costs of the war. England’s Parliament tried to establish power in the New World by issuing a series of laws. England attempted to have the colonies help pay for the cost of the war that would later help lead to revolt in America. Prior to the Seven Years’ War, the English rarely intervened with colonial business. It was during this time that the colonies began gradually to think and act independently of England. This scared England, and initiated a period in which they became more involved in the colony's growth. The passage of these laws undermined the Colonist's loyalty to England and stirred the Americans to fight for their freedom. What began as a fight over economic policies soon deteriorated into t he difference in Americans and Britons political views, which help lead to the violence of the American Revolution (The American Pageant, pg 122). I believe a violent revolt could have been prevented only if England hadn’t pushed the Colonies past the point of non-violent resolutions. Before 1763, the only British laws that truly affected the colonists were the Navigation Acts, which monitored the colony's trade so that it traded solely with England. As this law was not rigidly enforced, the colonists accepted it with little fuss. The colonies also accepted England's right to monitor trade. The change of course in 1763 was what really riled the colonists. England began to slowly tighten its imperial grip on the colonies by ordering the British navy to begin strictly enforcing the Navigation Laws (The American Pageant, pg 125). Additional problems began when. This was a powerful weapon against smuggling, but most importantly to the Colonists; it allowed the invasion of their privacy. This was crossing the line and violating the rights of an English man. During the Seven Years War, the British sent over ten thousand troops to America to deal with property problems at the frontier. This cost a large amount of money, and Britain did not want to see the sum come out of its own pocket. To pay for some of the expense, Britain began to pass acts to tax the colonists and lighten the severe debt the empire was in.

Malcom X and Amy Tan

Hide Course Menu Menu Management Options Refresh Display Course Menu in a Window Course Menu: PREP 108: Introduction to College Writing Houses Entry Page Announcements Syllabus and Course Schedule Instructor BIO Unit 1 unit 2 My Grades Tools Course Evaluation Email My Class Student Help Reading Blob #2: Malcolm X and Tan Actions for Content Page Create Blob Entry View Drafts Content Please answer the following questions as thoroughly as possible. While these entries are due Wednesday September 3 before class, you are welcome to take until Friday to complete them. Malcolm X, â€Å"Learning to Read† Questions (from 50 Essays): .How did the process by which Malcolm learned to read differ from the typical way people learn to read? 2. Though Malcolm changed many of his views after the time covered in this portion of his autobiography, the project of recovering African history remained important to him and remains important to many African Americans. How do you react to his claims a bout African history? Tan, â€Å"Mother Tongue† 1 . List the different English Tan describes, defining each. 2. Do you use different languages yourself? Even if English is your sole language, consider how your use of it hanged depending on circumstances and audience.Write an essay in which you describe the different ways you speak and the meaning of these differences. Friday, September 5, 2014 Malcolm X and Tan Posted by Access the profile card for user: Alexis Gang September 5, 2014 AM KODAK Alexis Gang Proof. Day PREP AWAY 5 September 2014 Alexis Gang at Friday, 1 . Malcolm X learned how to read different from many other people, he learned how to read at the Norfolk Prison. At the prison he would read the dictionary to get a better understand of how to read a book and know the meaning of every word.Malcolm was so interested in the dictionary he would spend three to four hours sitting on his cell floor Just for the light to read constantly. Malcolm read during late hours all the time to the point he knew when the guards did a night walk through of each cell hallway. 2. Malcolm Ax's view on African American history was shocking and made me think that some points he made did actually make sense in some parts. One point that was interesting was when he said † If you started with a black man, a white man could be produced; but starting with a Whitman, you never could produce a black man- cause the white gene is recessive† (peg. 77). Malcolm made sense of the views of African American history to the point where reading this autobiography has me thinking that maybe the world did start off with a black man instead of a white man. His views did give me a outlook on the history and makes me want to read more into black history and see if it is true that we started with a black man instead of white man. Tan † Mother Tongue† 1 . Tan describes standard English as a form of English where the grammar is perfect along with the tenses.Along wit h standard English she also talked about the way she alas to her family and husband where that is called English of intimacy. The English that made an impact on her was her mothers English where some would call it † limited English† (peg. 419) where their English is unclear or not perfect. 2. English has been my first language. I was born in Fairbanks, Ak where everyone just speaks English and no terms or slang Just regular good ole English of yes ma'am and yes sir. As a child I learned how to talk from my parents, because as babies you repeat words and sounds like a parrot.I have really never put thought into how my English is use, but thinking of it now my English has changed from being a little kid to and adult now. As a kid the way I talked I would always use anti and consider it a word and would argue if it was a word or not to everyone. Looking back at it anti wasn't a word and I wasn't using standard English my English was limited at the time to where some people could not understand what I was talking about half the time. As time went on my English got better with more knowledge and words I had learned throughout my life in school to where I became great at standard English.

National Parkinson s Foundation A Progressive Disorder...

National Parkinson s Foundation Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the central Nervous system and affects both motor and nonmotor functions. parkinson s is caused by a chemical imbalance within the brain. The brain produces a neurotransmitter called dopamine in the basal ganglia, which is structures linked to the thalamus in the base of the brain. If the Dopamine, Basal ganglia and Thalamus does not function properly then causes major damage,. A person having less and less dopamine, the individual has less and less ability to regulate their movements, body and emotions. Although there is no current cure available for Parkinson’s disease, the debilitating conditions can be lessoned through education, therapy, and a variety of treatments to improve their quality of life on the National Parkinson Foundation website. The National Parkinson Foundation located on the website www.parkinson.org, was designed to help people who are affected by parkinson’s disease and to be more aware of the disease through education, treatment options and expert care research. The mission of the non-profit organization states â€Å"We make life better for people with Parkinson s through expert care and research. Everything we do helps people actively enjoy life with their friends, families, children and grandchildren until there is a tomorrow without Parkinson s† (National Parkinson Foundation). The National Parkinson Foundation targeted audiences includes people who suffer fromShow MoreRelatedAlzheimer s Disease And Dementia2089 Words   |  9 Pagesneurons causing the total or partial loss of memory, thinking abilities, language skills, and basic behaviors. Parkinson’s is a progressive disease that targets the central nervous system. Generally the disease will cause tremors, loss of coordinati on, paralysis, and eventually death. Huntington’s is potentially the most deadly as it attacks both the central nervous system and the individual’s cognitive abilities. Huntington’s disease causes the affected to lose the ability to walk, speak, eat, thinkRead MoreHow Dopamine Works Human Body2356 Words   |  10 Pagesusing the chemicals, hormones and fluids to be found in balance. This state of being balanced is called homeostasis . If one or more of these chemicals fall out of balance from either an increase or a decrease in their levels, this may cause the systems of the body to work less efficiently. Moreover, chemical imbalances can occur for a number of reasons and may affect the body in a variety of ways. There are many internal and external factors that cause chemical imbalance in human body as well humanRead MoreMichael J. Fox And Parkinson s Disease Essay1288 Words   |  6 Pageswhere they established a permanent residence. (Michael J. Fox Foundati on) At the young age of 15, Fox made his debut on television starring on CBC in a show known as â€Å"Leo and Me.† By the time he had turned 18 he had moved to Los Angeles; it wasn’t until 1982 when he landed his big break and began starring on the well-known show Family Ties where he remained until 1989. In 1988 Fox married his co-star, Tracy Pollan. (Michael J. Fox Foundation) Together they have four children. As the years progressedRead MoreMergers Acquisitions in Pharma Industry21425 Words   |  86 Pagesevery one of the people contributing with passion and an unmatched sense of urgency. Vision GSK s vision for the future is powered by its business drivers. It finds purpose and direction with its strategic intent. It is guided by its corporate culture that places people and capabilities as the pivot that changes and transforms situations. The Vision for the Future GlaxoSmithKline s vision is exciting and will give the users the opportunity to make a difference in the health of billions