Sample Essay On Play Critique

When evaluating the play, “Shadows on Oak Island,” it tells the story of a married couple, Jackson and Rene Barlow, who have lost their son. I attended the production of this play on DATE directed by Lindsay Smith. Glenn Dodson and Julie Reinagel were the star cast members playing married couple Jackson and Rene Barlow. This play worked because of the storyline and some of the mystery behind it but there were sidebars that could have been elaborated on or even explored. To try to cope with the circumstance that the Barlows have lost their son, they have went to an island near Nova Scotia but instead, there seem to be numerous mysterious circumstances popping up and it seems that their son’s ghost might be lingering around them. Other elements helped foreshadow what the story might be about including the costumes worn by the actors, the lighting, and the sound.
When introduced to the characters, the costumes help the audience identify what type of people they might be. Rene is wearing a sweater like a shawl and has clam digger pants on that are a grayish green. This implies that she might be a little bit of a tomboy. She also wears ankle shoes which are black which indicate that she may be someone who is down to earth and not much of a worrier on fashion. She does change into a different shirt later in the performance, but she is still not a woman who goes overboard with her clothing choices. The only part of her that is overly feminine that appears in the play is the silk scarf which is typically not a cheap item, but it is a piece of clothing which Wally grabs for his own. The silk scarf that Wally smells of does not really fit with Rene’s character. Jackson is a bit plain too, wearing beige casual pants, sweat socks, a bomber jacket, and a plaid shirt with dress shoes. He later wears casual blue pants and van shoes. He might be slightly more fashion conscious than his wife which does not really seem to work because he drinks a lot and seems to be a little less emotional of a person, so I would have expected him to be more casually dressed than his wife. Wally definitely fits his character through costume as he is outfitted in gray overalls, a plain t-shirt, and work boots. This insinuates he is dressed to work and not to impress anyone. He could even be seen as a bit of a hillbilly, which is even more evident in his speech.
This play is written to not only be a telltale story of a married couple who try to overcome the tragedy of losing their child but it is also a paranormal story too. The title, “Shadows on Oak Island,” even helps to foreshadow the mystery that is within the story and makes it sound dark, compelling, and thrilling. While this is meant to entertain, the stories and myths that have been passed through generations and are legendary in regards to this island of Nova Scotia, this is a new and interesting spin on retelling those legends and helping audience members determine some of the origin and meanings behind these cryptic stories that surround Oak Island. However, not all of the legends behind Oak Island’s history are all dark and mysterious.
With a setting in the cabin, the lights should have been dimly lit. Candlelight or lanterns may have helped the scenery be more primitive feeling. Spotlights on actors, while necessary, took away from that feeling a little bit. However, other options would have made it difficult to see the actors and what was going on in the play. Since Oak Island is kind of a dark and gloomy area, special effects such as a misty fog or smoke machine might have helped add to the gloominess of the aura surrounding the cabin.
One thing about the play is that the primary roles which are cast are for a small number of people of Wally, Rene, and Jackson. Wally is the caretaker of the cabin that the Barlows go to in order to seek refuge during their time of strife. Though one would think that the pace of the play would be slow since it deals with frightening subjects such as a lost child and even scary paranormal activities on the island, the director instead ensured that the pace of the play was actually rather fast. While there were treasure hunts and supernatural experiences, this was covered at a reasonable pace but it was not long until the intense drama of the story begins to emerge as the essence of the play. Rather than being creepy, the story becomes intense and full of grief and mourning. Toward the beginning of the play, there are some very odd scenes. One instance is where Rene believes that she has seen her son who has gone amiss on a boat. Together, her and her husband, Jackson, sit and listen to the radio to hear from the Coast Guard. She swears that she saw her own son. Jackson, who is frustrated ensures her that it probably was not him. This is demonstrative early on of her husband’s inability to help provide comfort during this tragic and frantic time. It seems he has already given up on finding his son. What should have happened is that instead of being so unsure that their son is gone, Jackson should have at least tried to be a comforting character and maintained hopefulness for her sake as well as his own. Unfortunately, the Guard confirmed that Rene must have surely been mistaken and that there is no way their son was aboard what was a fishing ship rather than a pleasure cruise vessel. While Rene is frantic and very emotional over the situation, Jackson just seems weary and in disbelief almost like he has no idea what to even think about the whole thing which helps the audience understand what kind of characters they are.
Rather than find out what the Coast Guard has found out, the scene jumps to the cabin on Oak Island where Wally is sweeping a porch. The play does not extend the storyline even though the audience had just seen Rene and Jackson sitting and waiting on a response from the Coast Guard. Instead, it randomly jumps to the island and cabin caretaker who completes a monologue about how upset he was to see Rene hurting. Could this be an instance where it shows that possibly there is a tighter bond between Rene and Wally than between Rene and her husband? Could this become a love triangle after time? Why did Wally’s monologue interrupt the scene that was already intense just to tell his feelings using his broken and improper English? Why should the audience care what Wally thought of the situation?
Later in the play, it seems evident that Wally might just have feelings for Rene. He found her silk scarf when he went in to their cottage. Wally was looking for Rene and was calling out to see if she was sleeping. However, when he found that scarf, he picked it up and smelled it. What was he trying to take in her feminine scent? Was this a part of the story that could be a sidebar? It could have completely gone that way at the time. However, since Wally shoved that scarf into his pocket for his own keeping, he could actually be a bit obsessed with her. The storyline could have elaborated on Wally’s obsession over Rene and the couple might have found that the caretaker who they have befriended and trusted is actually a little bit lonely and odd.
There are a few things that the audience is already aware of that can make some of these scenes unsurprising. Rene is wound up tighter than an 8-day clock. While she is full of grief, she is also in denial believing that her son will come back. She is absolutely obsessed with the thought of finding her son. She also thinks that she can find the Holy Grail which will bring her son back to her. Jackson, who has shown less emotion, is the less wound up of the two parents. While he is sad, he deals with his grief in a much different method, by consuming a lot of whiskey. He seems to be better at numbing his pain which is evident in some of his behavior. He lets Rene be the worried maternal parent and he does not really help her cope. Wally seems uneducated. His language is not proper and he is a little bit awkward but he still finds ways to help out the Barlows and has obviously taken on an obsession for Rene. It seems that obsession could be another underlying theme. Rene is obsessed over her son. Wally is obsessed over Rene. Jackson is obsessed over whiskey.
The prop usage is pretty minimal. This is perfect since the couple is staying in a cabin. It is down to just the basics of what is needed on an island where hardly anyone else is located. The other elements such as the scenery could be more realistic and a little darker at times. Everything should be somewhat gloomy. In the cabin, there is minimal furniture. All that the couple needs is right there. With just a cot to sleep on, it is easy to understand how primitive the cabin is situated.
Overall, the characters were cast very well. They were plain and simple folks who were not elaborate by any means. They just needed a place to go. While the audience did not search for adventure, they found it in quirky ways. While the acting is very strong and obviously the director has worked very hard to make the play work, there are some bits and pieces that are a bit clunky and awkward. It still was interesting to find bits and pieces of the mystery at Oak Island through this telltale story of a married couple experiencing sadness and grief and how they deal with it. All of these elements together seem to work though there are some weaknesses and some plot holes which could have further developed.