Theater College Essays Samples For Students

Othello

What is honor and how is one supposed to restore it when it is jeopardized? Should one place one’s honor (or whatever he or she considers to be his honor – reputation, pride or suchlike) above all the other interests?
The will to restore one’s honor is a praiseworthy feature, but too often it becomes a weak spot for people who consider it to be the most important aspect of their lives. Very often we can see people, striving to keep or restore their reputation, or not willing to let anything that shows them in Continue reading...

“Don Quixote,” is a popular dance that excites people and brings happiness to sad souls. I find it quite interesting because it coordinates dances from a diversity of places and backgrounds. The dance takes place in a series of days and most of the time the audience comes out of the auditorium with jubilation and excitement. The dance is always successful because of the intense preparations by the gifted and well-experienced managers, choreographers, artistic directors, and artists. When all these people work in harmony, the audience feels the magnitude and the quality of the work produced.
Looking at the Continue reading...

French comedy, like comedy of any specific region, has a wide range of subjects and styles from which to draw – some comedies rely more on the physical and slapstick, while others relate more to character-based humor and the everyday absurdity of human interaction. Two French comedies from the 90s and early 2000s encapsulate this divide quite well – 1993’s Les Visiteurs and 2000’s Le Gout des Autres (The Taste of Others). Visiteurs is a goofy, fantastical fish-out-of-water story about a knight and his squire (played by Jean Reno and co-writer Christian Clavier), who find themselves transported from 1123 Continue reading...

Summary

The article considers the achievements of Jean Vilar and the popularity of his Théâtre National Populaire (T.N.P.) between the years 1951 to 1963. At the introductory part of the article the author considers the innovations that Vilar introduced in the T. N. P. And which subsequently influenced changes in other theatres in France. Fleury notes that in a bid to encourage the public to be loyal, Vilar used two approaches these approaches were: (i) reaching out to the public and, (ii) establishing mutual loyalty between the theatrical institution and the theatre goers.
Accordingly, Fleury goes ahead to explain Continue reading...

Introduction

Giacomo Puccini was composer of Italian operas. He was born in a place called Lucca, Italy in 1858, and his parents had a long music history. When his father died when he was still 5 years old, his uncle Fortunato Magi took him to study because he considered him undisciplined and poor student. Afterwards, he became organist in the church, but he was inspired by Verdi’s Aida to be a composer of opera. The major operas by Puccini include Manon Lescaut (produced first in Turin – 1893), La Boheme (Turin-1896), Tosca (Rome-1900), Madame Butterfly (La Scala-1904), La faciulla del Continue reading...

Analysis of the Film “The Best Years of Our Lives” Using Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory

The film, The Best Years of Our Lives highlights cultural artifacts for the establishment of the social identity in the transnational society. One may face serious challenges in establishing and maintaining a social identity in a transnational community. This is evident in The Best Years of Our Lives, as the film shows that most characters are experiencing difficulties in regaining their social identity after World War II. The film casts some extraordinary and complex situations that characterize civilians as they struggle to establish their identity (Jameson 36). The film wishes to offer closure and catharsis; however, the myth assumed Continue reading...

Oedipus Rex, written by the Greek playwright Sophocles, tells the story of the titular King Oedipus, who reaches the status of King of Thebes only to become embroiled in an investigation into the murder of the previous king, Laius. Over the course of the play, he is informed of a prophecy in which he is said to kill his father and marry his mother; despite the inevitable nature of this prophecy, Oedipus refuses to believe it. However, once he is told that he was the one who killed King Laius unknowingly in a raid some time ago, he learns Continue reading...

One of the most fascinating and unique aspects of French films is their essential “Frenchness” – the way in which the plot, characters and storytelling evince particular aspects of French culture. Many times, French films find their appeal in being uniquely ‘French,’ having meanings that are of particular importance to the French people. In spite of this, many important and popular French films carry with them a universality of meaning that spans cultures. In the case of the French films La Grande Vadrouille and La Cage Aux Folles, the setting of the story within French culture and locations allows the Continue reading...

The Tragedy of the Commons is an article authored by Garret Hardin in 1968. In this article, Hardin presents a sensational and compelling formulation of the human population problem. He poses the problems of population in very stark terms. He first examines the relationship between the human population and the available resources and makes a conclusion that there is a need for the population to be effectively controlled. He then engages in a comprehensive discussion of the reasons that have led to the observed swelling of the current population. Hardin then uses this analysis to propose plausible solutions.
Hardin’ Continue reading...

Theater is one of the most ancient forms of art. The beginning of Western civilization, ancient Greece, lived a very important part in the development of this form, with many plays reaching classical status, like Oedipus King and the Oresteia trilogy. Aristotle, one of the most important Greek philosophers, offered six elements of drama in his work Poetics: setting, characters, theme, plot, language and music. These have served as a reference to study these types of works of art from antiquity to this day. The first three will serve as a guide for the analysis and comparison of important Continue reading...

If somebody had asked me what makes a film successful, I would have been not able to answer at once. Acting, directing, screenplay, soundtrack, costumes, settings, camera operating, and a great many of other factors are equally valuable; they all contribute to the general perception of the film by the auditory.
In my essay I will focus on one element of the system – music; and I will try to discover how that magnificent tool makes a film admired.
Anabel J. Cohen in his Music as a source of emotion in film states that “emotion characterizes the experience of film, Continue reading...

Many philosophers have come up with different definitions of tragedy. However, the definition by Aristotle remains the most comprehensive definition of the term. In his definition, Aristotle lays major emphasis on the terms pity and fear. According to him, these are the two main elements of tragedy. Absence of them means there is no tragedy. In plain words, Aristotle’s definition of tragedy was: “Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of Continue reading...

EXPLORE 'THE LANGUAGE OF CLOTHES AND BODILY ADORNMENT' IN AT LEAST TWO EXAMPLES DRAWN FROM CULTURE (E.G. FICTION, FILM, MEDIA, DIGITAL MEDIA ETC). YOU MIGHT LIKE TO START BY FIRSTLY EXPLAINING YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF 'LANGUAGE' IN THIS CONTEXT
Communication is the key and critical part of our daily lives and the activities that we engage in our lives. Entertainment industry in general that include fiction, media and film among others besides bringing fun to our lives it also communicates and pass on messages that educate, caution or inform its audience on the various themes that the particular piece of Continue reading...

- Thesis Statement
This paper is a comprehensive analysis of the production of the play Measure to Measure by Shakespeare that I watched on Thursday 27th February, 2014 at 2230 hours at The New 42nd Street Studios which belongs to The New Victory Theatre Company.
- Overview
The play that forms subject for this report is entitled Measure for Measure. The theatre company that presents the production of this play was The New Victory Theatre Company which has numerous theatre rooms across the streets of New York including, The Duke on 42nd street and The New 42nd Street Studio. Continue reading...

Comparative Essay

There is not much to distinguish between Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ and Amy Heckerling’s, ‘Clueless.’ Emma was twenty-one and she had all the good things anyone her age would have desired. Cher (Alicia Silverstone) on the other hand, was just sixteen, and she too had all the goodies contemporary America could offer. After all, she was the only daughter of a very successful lawyer in California, who charged $500 an hour “to fight with people,” as Cher says. In many ways, Heckerling’s Clueless can be mistaken to be the modern version of Austen’s Emma. However, there Continue reading...

Movie review: This film is not yet rated

Movie makers make movies with the purpose of exploring people’s talents and also for entertainment purposes. To many people, movies are a source of entertainment especially after a long day of work (Manchel 435). While others may prefer to go to the cinema and watch a certain movie, others will just wait for the movie to be on Blu-ray disk. Then, they can purchase the disk and watch the movie in the comfort of their sofa back at home. In a nutshell, movies are a source of flexible entertainment, which one can enjoy, in whatever style they wish Continue reading...

The words that a playwright chooses, i.e. the language, is one of the elements of drama that moves the action and plot of the play along, while it also helps define the various characters and provides exposition. Playwrights tend to come up with their own particular style in when it comes to the language they opt to use in order to establish character and dialogue. In the play Trifles, Susan Glaspell uses symbolic language as both an element of drama and a literary device in order to highlight her theme. Symbolic language has been used in the play to Continue reading...

The production I watched on YouTube was a modern interpretation of the classic Swan Lake ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky written circa 1875–1876. I searched in the site for more information regarding where this particular production took place, the name of the city or theater but I could not find it. There was no mention of the name of the ballet company or the names of the principal dancers. As would be expected, this dearth of information extended to the orchestra and its conductor. No credit was given to lighting, sound or set design as well. In this Continue reading...

Although the three forms of opera, oratorio and cantata all include the human voice, they are substantially different in their concept and subject matter. The Baroque period saw the evolution of these three styles with opera also developing substantially. The oratorio was largely developed by Handel and the main difference between it and opera was that it usually treated a sacred subject rather than a secular one which was always opera’s remit. The cantata was also usually with a sacred theme although there are several cantatas by Scarlatti which have a secular theme to them.
The baroque opera Continue reading...

The Little Fourteen–Year–Old Dancer is an adored impressionist piece sculptured by Edgar Degas. Degas presented the piece at the sixth impressionist exhibition in the spring of 1881, and public exhibition he ever did. Originally named by the artist, Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans, the piece has become one of the most acclaimed artworks of well-known bronze casts produced after the artist’s death. She did not attract much admiration in her first appearance. Many know Degas as an artist of dance, and some critics originally dismissed his sculptures, claiming that lacked the quality of good art. Most Continue reading...

The Class Name

It`s hard even imagine our current musical life without such magnificent and diverse genre as jazz music, with its light tunes that are easy to listen, on the one hand, but with its possible complexities and progressive ways of composing and playing on the other. The aim of our current research is to discover the history and roots of jazz music, how the genre has developed in New Orleans, what it was influenced with, and what did the cultural and social variety of this city change in the cultures of various nations. Today we`re also about to Continue reading...

Abstract

The Bhopal disaster is the most damaging industrial disaster in the global history. The event that led to the death of about 7,000 and 10,000 people within a few days and subsequent deaths of about 25,000 people has raised ethical debates of the person who should assume the responsibilities of cleaning up the toxins from the environment and compensating the victims, who continue to experience devastating effects of the tragic event. Union Carbide was the Indian company responsible for the disaster when it occurred and has since compensated a few victims. However, Dow Company acquired the Continue reading...

Aristotle’s criteria for judging characters are Justice, Law, The good, Happiness, Human nature, Virtue, Wealth, Prudence, Friendship. If I have to combine all these criteria only one character comes in my mind, that will be James Bond. Bond, a Secret Service agent was a character composed by Ian Fleming based on a number of commandos. Till date many actors acted in Bond series movies in which my personal favorite is Pierce Brosnan, an actor, producer and environmentalist. The characters that he acted resembled patriotism for his country and to bring back justice and law. His movies have been Continue reading...

Schumann’s ‘Dichterliebe’ is one of the most important song cycles in the history of music and its sixteen songs are all essentially great works. The final song is a beautiful one called ‘Die alte bosen Lieder’ where the strands of romantic art come together in a beautiful manner. This paper will attempt to argue that the song is an important part of Schumann’s artistic style and that the marriage of words and music is almost perfect.

Structure and meaning of the poem:

‘Die alte bosen Lieder’ by the famed German poet Heinrich Heine, is a dark and brooding poem in a typically melancholic Continue reading...

MOVIE REVIEW

I attended the 5. 40 pm screening of the Monuments Men at the AMC Bowles Crossing 12 movie theatre. I bought my ticket at $5 because the theatre offers great discounts for weekday screenings. I chose the Monday evening screening because I was certain that the movie theatre would be less crowded than the weekend. An almost empty theatre would allow me to savor the ambience and study the interaction between the movie experience and the environment. Monday night screenings are also not popular with rowdy teenagers who usually come to make noise and misbehave in the theatre.
The Continue reading...

[Gourab Chakraborty]
[Chris Cooper]
Chris Cooper is an American actor born on July 9, 1951 in Kansas City, Missouri. As an actor he had performed in films, like Money Train, Matewan and Lone Star, before getting

proved himself and bagged an Academy Award for his film Adaption. In 2005 he acted in
three critically acclaimed films: Syriana, Capote, Jarhead. In the movie “Money Train”, he
played the role of a psychotic pyromaniac and as a ruthless CIA operations director in

“The Bourne Identity” which reflects of his versatility.

Chris Cooper, an Oscar-winning actor has a theatrical background, and a slight
Southern tilt that even more becomes visible Continue reading...

Choose a film version of A Midsummer Night's Dream (there are several). Answer the following question: does this version capture the spirit of the play as Shakespeare wrote it? (in other words, is it a good adaptation?) Why or why not? Please note: I DO NOT WANT A MOVIE REVIEW. I want an essay that shows thought. Do NOT write comparison/contrast between the film and the play. Analyze the lighting, the music, the scenes the director chose, the actors/actresses, etc. You will need to list a works cited page for this assignment so that I will be able to Continue reading...

Certain individuals truly inspire people, making them to stay focused to achieve their own goals, reinforcing in them the belief that it is possible. Such heroes, the lives they led, their hardships and sacrifices, serve as a major link between people and their ambitions. One such individual who continues to inspire people is comedian Jim Carrey, who is my personal hero.
Jim Carrey was born in Ontario, Canada on the 17th January, 1962 and later shifted to Los Angeles to make a career as a comedian. He first starred in a television movie, Introducing Janet, which was later renamed Continue reading...

Human security is described as the protection of vital human freedoms. It entails the protection of people from critical and pervasive situations and threats by building on their aspirations and strengths. It also entails the creation of systems that provide the people with the building blocks of livelihood, survival and dignity. States, non-state actors and intergovernmental organizations all have a role to play in enhancing human security. States promote and protect human rights through internal and external mechanisms. In terms of domestic human rights protection, states are required to comply with the 1990 CSCE Copenhagen document through various initiatives. Continue reading...

The film, Touching the Void, which was directed by Kevin Macdonald is an adventurous and thriller movie. This movie is about two young men who pursued their passion of climbing a mountain in Peru known as Siula Grande (Smith 16). The two men named Joe Simpson and Simon Yates were confident and ambitious to climb the snowy mountain to the top despite the dangers they knew they would face such as dehydration and frost bites. The two young men had the goal of climbing the mountain to the top and come back down as they were trained and professional Continue reading...

Physical aspects that affected my experience of the concert

The concert was held in the TTU auditorium, which a nice place for performances. its size contained the sounds and the music echoed faintly from the wall. The audience comprised of respectful people to musoc who held their peace for the entirety of the performance. The silence was instrumental in ensuring a wholesome experience of the percussion of sounds played by the ensemble.

Musical observations

The music played during the concert was classical. The Threepenny opera classics were performed in a way that everyone got something in concert. The classical music enthusiasts were rewarded with these timeless tunes while the popular Continue reading...

Early French cinema provided the art of film with many innovations, among them creative usage of camera techniques that allowed the medium to set itself apart from theatre. In the case of two of the most prominent examples of this genre of film – Jean Renoir’s The Rules of the Game and Marcel Carne’s Children of Paradise – the camera is used in intensely creative ways to indicate everything from the subtle humor of class conflict to the brutal and tragic accidental murder of a human being. These films are particularly influential in the use of camera technique to Continue reading...

Aggressive Jingoism and chimera are two significant components of Vietnamese cinema. These two interesting components have been portrayed extensively in movies having Vietnam in the centre. This paper intends to discuss Asian cinema with perspectives of two abovementioned components.
These two subjects are favorite topics of Vietnamese and American movie makers. Almost every movie revolves around these two subjects with a different angle to the story. Vietnamese filmmakers give a twist to these subjects with an intention to present their version however other filmmakers present their version of the story having these subjects as the centre theme of the Continue reading...

William Shakespeare was born on April 23rd, 1564 in a small town Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare was a great English dramatist, poet and actor. He was often called the English national poet, and a lot of people agree with me that he also was the greatest dramatist of all time. It is believed that Shakespeare attended the Stratford "grammar school", where he studied Latin, Greek and got the basics knowledge of ancient mythology, history and literature, which were reflected in his work. The first time we hear about Shakespeare as a writer was in 1592, in a Robert Greene’s pamphlet “ Continue reading...

Question 2

The Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods saw radical developments in music. The renaissance period (between 1400 and 1600) was one during which major changes in composing styles, instruments, methods of dissemination and genres of music emerged. Baroque was a period of art and music in Western Europe between 1600 and 1750 (Metmuseum.org. 1). The music of this era sounded heavily exaggerated and ornamented. A major belief in baroque music was that it could be utilized as a form of communication. This aspect was evident in the sacred music composed during this period (Metmuseum.org. 1). The Romans and Greeks used Continue reading...

I have always been fascinated by theatre. My love for the theatre is not limited to being in a play or helping in the backstage; I derive great pleasure being an audience member, as well. Working behind the scenes in the theatre is a pleasurable occupation. It is living the dream. Working behind the scenes in the theatre for me, started as a hobby. I would accompany my cousin, who was a budding actor, to the theatre whenever I had the chance. The plays they staged would interest me, as sat among the crowd. The props and lightings to Continue reading...

The name of Oscar Wilde is perhaps on the top when it comes to literature messiahs. The literary work in discussion here is Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” that was first premiered in 1895 at St. James’s Theatre in London. The play depicts the setting in London and the countryside in England. All in all, the play is a portrayal of the nineteenth century Victorian society and the writer has written it in the form of a quirky romantic comedy using intelligent and sharp satirical language.
John Worthing is the leading character of this play as Continue reading...

Hrothgar is referred to as “peerless among kings” because he demonstrates certain outstanding qualities that other kings of his time fail to demonstrate such as military success, kindness, wisdom, bravery and good leadership. He is a successful ruler whose symbol of success is the Heorot that is an amazing hall “It came to his mindthat a hall-house, that he wished to commanda grand mead-hall be built by men” (Lines 67, 68 & 69). He is popular with his followers as demonstrated by “gracious Hrothgar, for he was a good king” (Line 863). His kindness is demonstrated where it is stated Continue reading...

Overview

Thesis: How artistic, revolutionary, exciting and relevant is the play Romeo and Juliet?
On October 10 2010, I was lucky to watch an interesting play entitled Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. The performance was in New York City theatre where the cost of the seat was $ 110. I sat on seat number NCT56 and luckily, the person seated on my left was Johnson Lee (NCT56) my former friend in senior level classes but currently working with some local company that organizes events such as football matches and music festivals. On this particular evening, the theatre was full to Continue reading...

In the history of human civilisation, theatrical performance was one of the ways of sending a message from authors to a target audience. The mean of sending this message was an actor and his ability to create a contact with the audience, to make his acting credible and understandable for the target audience in a specific context of performance. The aim of this essay is to explain what it means to perform on stage and how our perception of it has changed under the influence of the contemporary theatre-makers.
Looking through critical reviews of different plays, one can come Continue reading...