The Review of the Melancholy Play
Recently, I experienced a humorous play by Sarah Ruhl namely Melancholy Play. The set was played in Erie, PA with cast member culturally-oriented attires. The play represents societal perceptions and outlooks along the line of personal identification. The inner-being of the actors is outwardly reflected trough emotions, which introduces societal-labelling and understanding of one’s behaviour. The Melancholy play is a creation of two major parts with fourteen break-up scenes. The play revolves around presenting the humorous inner-emotions of actors, which dictates their behaviour. The paper reviews the play in relation to character presentation, style and overall communication to the audience.
/>
Sarah Ruhl presents cast members in an articulate manner through true reflection of their inner-feeling. The play commences with Tilly, who reflects insatiable attraction to melancholy. The obsession is contagious to the people around Tilly. The behaviour of Tilly affects the judgment process of the society. Other members include Frank, Tilly’s boyfriend and his twin sister, Frances. The twins, Frank and Frances, depict family sadness that arises through separation. The connection of the twins is shown when they present identical character and behaviour to the audience. The play introduces cheeky characters through Joan and Lorenzo who dons different character from the people surrounding them. The humour aspect of Joan is shown when he cracks jokes about his girlfriend’s lifestyle. The play also incorporates background music, which relates with the character and emotion presentation. Sarah Ruhl uses Tom and Alexandra as play narrators. More so, the narrators’ attires depict a paradigm shift in emotions and character presentation throughout the play. Each cast members are worth noting, but the stars in the play are shown through Tilly and twins.
Subsequently, Sarah Ruhl has put together enlightening dramatic twist in the play, which reflects through progressive emotional changes among character. The director applies humour in grave matters as depicted by Lorenzo and Joan. The role-acting, communication and presentation of emotions are clearly illustrated as the play progresses. The director uses narrative-style to bring out hidden emotions among the characters. The narration by Tom and Alexandra creates connection and authenticity of the play. To highlight, but a few, the stage lighting, costumes and sound management are phenomenal throughout the play. The lighting goes with the emotions of the character where darkness represents gloom and sadness. In addition, the costumes bring out the inherent character of the members as exemplified by clown and fairy-oriented attires.
I enjoyed watching the play because it cultivates aspects of self-realization and self-identification. One connects with the twists of the characters through the fourteen scenes, in a humorous way. It is worth to experience how the play unravels through sadness and happiness. The cast members are vibrant, talented and committed to delivering the intended message of melancholy to the audience. In fact, the play highlights the misjudgements and perceptions the society has towards behaviour of an individual. More fascinating, the play elicits tension and laughter together in a dramatic way. Ideally, the play operates through suspense as characters interact. The solution to the suspense comes at the end whereby the characters embrace their differences through thick and thin. In the end, it is more fascinating to understand the moral values of the play, which is to exploit the best out of the worst.
