Storefront Church
- Thesis Statement
This paper gives a detailed and critical report of a live play: Storefront Church, a two-hour play which was casted to thrill the enthusiastic fans
- Overview
- Storefront Church is a play which was written by John Patrick Shanley and published on 09th/06/2012 and directed by Joy Carlin and organized by the Susi Damilano and Bill English founded San Francisco Playhouse.
- It was played on 9th/01/2014 at the prestigious San Francisco Playhouse, San Francisco, C.A. after learning about the play through an online advert; I managed to acquire my ticket online.
- I was encouraged to do so in a timely manner because ach ticket was going for $40.
- Thus, I would be able to save on time and avoid any last minute rush which would eventually inconvenience me and I was very much impressed with the arrangement of the theatre.
- It was well organized as a venue and equipped with all the necessary facilities.
- As an interested fan, I managed to occupy a seat in the second row from stage hence giving me an opportunity to be closer to the stage and had a clear and an interrupted view of the performers.
- Indeed, San Francisco Playhouse is a very spacious theatre which can accommodate the largest possible number of fans during any given performance.
- It was appropriate for this kind of play sine it was to star some of the most popular actors in the city.
- Plot
Storefront Church is a play whose setting is based at Bronx. It presents a story which revolves around diverse class of characters ranging from bankers, husbands, wives and church minister. Shanley, in his creativity, uses these characters to deliver his message to the audience and at the beginning; Chester Kimmich uses his position as a clergy to coax Jessie Cortez to secure a bank loan for him. After failing to comply with the tight repayment schedule, Jessie pleads with this her husband Ethan Golklang who relies on his banking profession to ‘convince his colleague Reed Van Druyten who turns him down’ (Thomson 131). Later, he proceeds to a more influential Donaldo Calderon who also declines to intervene therefore bringing a conflict amongst these characters that end up enjoined in the church as the story unfolds and comes to an end.
- Themes
In this play, Shanley seeks to address the following thematic concerns: religion, morality, justice and politics.
- Characters
Actually, Storefront Church revolves around six characters. These include Ethan Goldklang, Jessie Cortez, Reed Van Druyten, Donaldo Calderon, Tom Reidenberg and Chester Kimmich. Although they both hail from the same locality, they portray a mixture of personalities since they subscribe to different worldviews. A part from Chester and Jessie, the rest of the characters are bankers by profession. However, Chester is a church minister who takes advantage of the ‘unsuspecting Jessie to exploit her’ (Vogel 64). The same trend of greed and exploitation is evidenced amongst the rest of the bankers who prioritize their interests.
As the protagonist, Jessie takes the central position in the play. Her vulnerability to deceit exposes her to problems. After giving in to Chester’s demands, she ends up putting her house into troubles especially when she fails to repay the huge loan borrowed to sort out the hungry clergy. A part from her, the rest of the characters who take the antagonist position also play an integral role in this play. They help in promoting the major themes of the play. At the same time, they enable the play to have continuity and well coordinated plot.
- Literary Qualities
In this play, Shanley demonstrates his literary prowess. He uses his writing skills to prove that he can produce an appealing story which incorporates the elements of irony, characterization, symbolism and other important stylistic devices necessary for such kind of genre. For instance, the use of irony is depicted in the actions of Chester. First, Chester fails to acknowledge his position as a clergy. Instead, he engages into immoral acts of greed and lust. Therefore, he decides to put the innocent Jessie into unending agonies when he deceives her to take a bank loan for him. Instead, the audience expects him to mentor Jessie and guide her on how to tackle her day to day challenges.
- Music
This play was very interesting because it also incorporates the use of music. Since it was a very jovial piece, it had to fuse sweet melodious and relevant musical tunes at the background. However, this kept on changing depending on the mood of each scene of the play. Such a background tune produced a very interesting rhythm which captivated my attention and made me enjoy the play throughout.
- Spectacle
Of course, Storefront Church was a spectacular event. It was a well organized show which not only featured reputable performers, but also demonstrated professionalism in the field of art. Each of the actors acted in a manner suggesting that they were the real characters discussed in the play. They all knew how to change their actions depending on the scene of the play. At the same time, the play was well written to make it suitable for the viewers. In fact, it was not too long since it only lasted for 2 hours. This short duration made it possible for all the audience to be attentive and keenly follow it.
Rather than featuring great actors including Giancarlo Esposito, Zach Grenier, Bob Dishy, Tonya Pinkins, Jordan Lage and Cephas, the play was perfectly directed. Each of these actors took a significant role and was dressed in appropriate costumes which matched their role. According to my own observation, I concluded the crew was properly prepared for the performance. I was particularly impressed by Tonya Pinkins who perfectly played the role of Jessie. As the only lady protagonist, Tonya knew how to adequately represent Jessie both at her home and in the office.
Everything seemed coordinated including those who worked behind the scenes. The other major thing which made the play more appealing was the use of lighting technique. There was a combination of dull and bright hues throughout the play. This was carefully done not to complicate the play, but to allow it to be simpler and captivating to the audience. This is an element of cinematography which is common amongst reputable crews such as Playhouse.
- Convention
As an active audience, I was able to keenly observe the movements of each of the characters. As already cited, Storefront Church was a product of quality work by a reputable producer and director. This made it possible for the selection of appropriate performers who could easily use their skills to thrill their audience. It was a very lively performance in which the actors used their movement and dancing skills at certain scenes of the play.
- Acting and Directing
This play was directed by Joy Corlin. To those who know her, Joy is a renowned director who has worked hand in hand with several actors. Her performance during this show proved that she is an experienced director who deserved regulating actions of these characters. She did an excellent job during the performance of this play. Although operating behind the scenes, she closely worked hand in hand with the entire crew to ensure that their work is well coordinated throughout the entire period. This enabled the funs get the entertainment they had paid their $40 for.
On the other hand, each of the actors played a significant role towards the development of the plot of the play. They are both effective and efficient in handling different sections of the play. Their actions keep on changing depending on the mood captured in different scenes of the play. Thus, the play was appropriate to the respective contexts portrayed during each time. Hence, the show became so interesting and appealing to all the fans in attendance.
- Outstanding Movements
One of the reasons why the play appeared lively and engaging is the manner in which the actors moved throughout their performances. I was particularly moved by Jessie. One major example was a place when Jessie was stressed and worried about her finances. She moved from place to place while depicting the manner in which she was worried and troubled about the problems facing her regarding the decision she had taken earlier.
- The Event as Theatre
His was indeed a theatre. Storefront Church is a theatrical work which was performed by well coordinated characters. Since they all played specific roles, I would like to point out that they managed to accomplish this. To begin with, they established a good rapport amongst themselves (Nowell-Smith 99). Thus, they were able to engage in periodical dialogues that would actively engage all of them. Such a skill enabled them to perfectly impersonate the real characters whom they were seeking to portray their actual conducts. Moreover, the event was performed at a theatre, a good place which helped in bringing together both the performers and the audience. I would like to rank it as a real theatre.
- Summary
This is one of the major live performances I have ever attended. Storefront Church is a well written play which starred well trained and entertaining actors. Besides, it was staged in a well organized theatre which provided a specious room for all the audience. At the same time, it was equipped with up to date and modern facilities including a stage and auditorium. The play was performed by renowned actors who are loved by many movie-lovers.
It is for this reason that I consider it a life changing show. It granted me an opportunity to attend a live show and come across some of my most admirable actors I have been longing for. Through the guidance of their director, these actors managed to produce an excellent performance. Their oratory, dancing and movement skills made them do a great job. It enabled them to entertain and deliver the major themes captured by this performance. This was a well organized show which really entertained me. I would therefore like to recommend it to anyone who may be interested in enjoying their time. Storefront Church can leave one yearning for more. It should be in the must watch list of all the people.
Works Cited
Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey. The Oxford History of World Cinema. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. print.
Thomson, David. The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. 4th ed. New York: A.A. Knopf, 2007. Print.
Vogel, Amos. Film as a Subversive Art. New York: Random House, 2012. Print.
