The Playboy Of The Western World
Jasmine Lewis
Professor Laura Rose
THE 101
24 March 2014
J.M Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World
On Thursday March 13, 2014 I had the pleasure of seeing the Charleston Premiere of The Playboy of the Western World written by J.M Synge and directed by Linda Eisen, expertly performed at South of Broadway Theatre Company in Charleston, South Carolina. Not previously knowing what this play was about, I was in for a very big surprise. At first glance, the performance space looks like the inside of a coffee shop, but during the play this allowed much more interaction between the audience members and performers than a normal set up. The show itself was very well done, offering comedy and seriousness with an undertone of referencing of power struggles and wanting to maintain individuality.
The performance begins instantly, as the audience members enter the performing area. Brannoc (Christopher Miller) accompanied by Faolan (Michael Catangay) break down the fourth wall by expertly interacting with the audience members off stage, inviting them into their world. Other members, who stay on stage, include Michael (Braxton Williams) and a village girl. All of these members invite the audience members to go on stage and purchase things from the pub, making the division between reality and the play diminish. Further, Brannoc and Faolan’s constant interaction with the audience members throughout the show by asking them to sing a pub song, giving jerky, visiting each table and asking them what they thought was happening in the story and even sitting in the audience for the acts of the play makes it seem less strange to be watching a tale of misfortunate events being acted out. The play itself is an intense one, capturing major themes in a masterful way. In modern times, it is a bit difficult to discern what makes the play so controversial and there are cultural stabs that, unless the viewer know about the culture and time period in which the play takes place, things would fly
Professor Laura Rose
THE 101
24 March 2014
J.M Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World
On Thursday March 13, 2014 I had the pleasure of seeing the Charleston Premiere of The Playboy of the Western World written by J.M Synge and directed by Linda Eisen, expertly performed at South of Broadway Theatre Company in Charleston, South Carolina. Not previously knowing what this play was about, I was in for a very big surprise. At first glance, the performance space looks like the inside of a coffee shop, but during the play this allowed much more interaction between the audience members and performers than a normal set up. The show itself was very well done, offering comedy and seriousness with an undertone of referencing of power struggles and wanting to maintain individuality.
The performance begins instantly, as the audience members enter the performing area. Brannoc (Christopher Miller) accompanied by Faolan (Michael Catangay) break down the fourth wall by expertly interacting with the audience members off stage, inviting them into their world. Other members, who stay on stage, include Michael (Braxton Williams) and a village girl. All of these members invite the audience members to go on stage and purchase things from the pub, making the division between reality and the play diminish. Further, Brannoc and Faolan’s constant interaction with the audience members throughout the show by asking them to sing a pub song, giving jerky, visiting each table and asking them what they thought was happening in the story and even sitting in the audience for the acts of the play makes it seem less strange to be watching a tale of misfortunate events being acted out. The play itself is an intense one, capturing major themes in a masterful way. In modern times, it is a bit difficult to discern what makes the play so controversial and there are cultural stabs that, unless the viewer know about the culture and time period in which the play takes place, things would fly