Blackbird Play Review And Analysis Theatre Essay

Blackbird Play Review And Analysis Theatre Essay After being separated for 15 years, Una comes looking for Ray at his workplace after discovering his picture in a magazine. They once had an illicit relationship, and have been suffering the consequences ever since. What transpires next is a series of chilling twists and turns as details of their sordid past begin to unravel. Blackbird is essentially a 75-minute duologue between two tormented souls, in an extremely filthy and under-maintained office pantry, which Ray calls a pigsty. This intense confrontation, being the focal point of the entire play, situates itself in a confined space. The claustrophobia is evident in the beginning of the play, when Ray keeps finding excuses to leave the pantry. Director Tracie Pangs artistic directions add a dimension of compelling realism, that would have been otherwise missing from the near-claustrophobic confrontation taking place onstage. The minimalist set design by Nicholas Li (with just a dim fluorescent tube light, a dispensing machine, a clogged litter bin, a few lockers, one table and four chairs) echoes Rays repressed life. The barbed wire lining the top of the set is a fitting reminder of the entrapment Una felt throughout her entire life. The subtle use of sound by Darren Ng (constant buzzing sound of a dully running office) also contributes to the mellow tone of the play. The most sublime scene in the play fully transports the audience to relive that fateful moment of elopement 15 years ago. The interplay between actors, set, lights and sound is at its best. Darren Ngs sound design (seagulls on a beach, a bell tolling midnight) balances perfectly with the action onstage, teasing out the nuances during that scene. The projection of symbolic images on the pantry windows also creates a stunning effect. It is no surprise that David Harrowers script has received the critical acclaim it has. The beauty of the script lies in its emotive capture of the juvenile mindset. The lines written for Unas flashback of her younger days (the yearning thoughts, the defence mechanism, the way a young girl would see the world) is spot-on and succinct. I am impressed by how Harrower slowly teases the audience by choosing to reveal morsels of new information about their past as the plot unfolds, thus ensuring that the audience is constantly engaged. Every line of dialogue between Una and Ray is wrought with a dark emotion which blurs the boundaries between right and wrong. The audience plunges deep into the damaged and disturbed psyches of Harrowers two characters who seek for answers but arrive at none. Like most plays dealing with illicit affairs, Blackbird leaves the audience questioning: Who is the culprit? Who is the victim? Is there necessarily a clear-cut right and wrong in their relationship? It is Una who discovered Rays whereabouts and sought him out, but to what purpose: Revenge, reconciliation or resolution? Augusto Boal, the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, sees theatre as the passionate combat of two human beings on a platform (Boal, 1995). Boals approach attempts to substitute passivity with empowerment (monologue with dialogue). Monologue creates a relationship of oppressor versus oppressed, as the person talking forces his counterpart into listening. All relationships could tend to become a monologue, a man and a woman, one of them tends to become the actor and the other one, the spectator.  Human relationship should be a dialogue but one of them sometimes becomes active and the other passive.   So oppression is this: All dialogues that become monologues (Boal, 1979). In Blackbird, the roles of the oppressor and the oppressed are constantly reversed as Una and Ray attempt to assume power over each other. The confrontation between Una and Ray starts at a frenetic pace with Una being the oppressor, circling Ray like a vulture and forcing him into a corner with words like a scalpel. Ray keeps finding excuses to leave the pantry as he suspects Una of hiding a weapon. However, the tables are turned (literally) when Ray starts to justify his wrongdoings with an assertive tone, leaning towards Una with clenched fists, while Una tries to avoid him by facing the wall. During Unas flashback monologue, she clutches her bag tightly as she recalls about her suffering, while Ray collapses into a chair, burying his head in his palms with repent. The tug-of-war continues as they dig up the past through passion-laden monologues and exchanges. Blackbird is a dialogue of hurt and wayward passion, told with superb onstage chemistry. Credit goes to Daniel Jenkins and Emma Yong for digging deep to produce extraordinarily layered performances. Their excellent turns bring Harrowers deservedly-acclaimed script to life. I specifically wish to highlight Emma Yongs performance. Yongs connection to her character Una is exceptionally amazing. She shows her remarkable versatility as a 27-year-old who has experienced deep tragedy as a child. This illicit affair resurfaces after 15 years where Ray has moved on to a new life, while Una has been left to drown in shame. She remains stone-faced the entire time but her eyes express a myriad of emotions, from hatred to madness to confusion to yearning. Yongs tears of conflicted pain during her flashback monologue is beautifully heart-wrenching. She ably navigates the complex psychological aspect of Unas character and conveys the emotional range required for a character who had sexual intimacy with a man at a tender age. However, one minor flaw would be her pace in line delivery, which sounds rushed at times. Jenkins plays his character Ray with equal passion. His pace, in contrast to Yong, is more balanced. He discharges his performance with gusto, engaging the audience and leading them to sympathise with his plight as the drama unfolds. I was surprised that Jenkins was not initially cast as the male lead. Blackbird was postponed from March 2010 to September due to the unusual circumstance of actor Patrick Teoh quitting the production. Teoh felt that he was unable to fulfil the demands of the role. After watching the play, one could probably see where he was coming from. It is essentially just two people in the same space for 75 minutes, but truth be told, it did not feel that long at all. The 75-minute playing time is filled to the brim with palpable tension and raw emotions. When the cliffhanger climax ended with a truly unexpected twist, I found myself at the edge of my seat. Quoting Unas opening line: Shocked? Yes indeed. Blackbird appears to be a simple situation begging for a simple judgment: It was abuse, was it not? But the complicated tangle of emotions leaves one with a feeling of disquiet and unease which is hard to shake off, even after the curtain falls.

Generational Wealth and Economics: Analysis

Today African American communities are falling apart tremendously. Crime is rising; children are killing more than they are working. Economics are lowering; people tend to spend their money in other communities where businesses look more professional than that of their own, and families are fighting over material things that do not have value or meaning. There is also a rise in welfare, section eight housing, abortion, credit card and calling card charges, and layaway spending that keeps an individual in bondage; bondage of his mind. I would like to suggest that there is a lack of generational wealth in the African-American community. The lack of generational wealth is a direct result of our knowledge of economics and understanding economics. In order to understand the two, generational wealth and economics, you first have to go back to the beginning of time when God created the man and woman (Adam and Eve) and gave them their job description. In the book of Genesis the first chapter and the 28th verse, God said, â€Å"Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. And God also said, â€Å"See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food† (Question about Quoting Bible). At this time God gave a charge to Adam and Eve giving them dominion. They were producers of the world. But when they decided to mess up in the garden by eating the forbidden fruit, they went from being producers into being consumers. This is one of the problems today in the black community. Out of a lack of understanding of who we are and what our purpose is, we consume all things of others but rarely move into the understanding of producing our own. In this light, increasing the number of blacks in ownership positions appears to be an important prerequisite for ending black community unrest (McKersie pg 84). If blacks are upset because they lack control over the institutions of their community, because they are charged high prices for inferior merchandise, victimized by credit racketeers, and exploited by employers, then perhaps some would argue, greater black ownership will help end this condition. If the black community lacks leadership and a stable middle class, then enlarging the number of black entrepreneurs may provide such leadership and foster stability. If the problem is lack of racial confidence, the success of black capitalists would build pride. Today in the black community, crime is rising; children are killing children and spending more money in the communities than their parents. There is an increasing number of males killing for what they think are respect. There is also a mindset on children that, it is better to kill, steal, and destroy, to get what is gratifying to self. Children have become lazy. They have depended on the former generations to get things done rather than them. Today also, there is an increased number of welfare, section 8 housing, and abortion participants, which are considered to be popular in the community. This is nothing but bondage. Society has a way of keeping people focused on minor issues and making them think that they are major. Welfare is not a major problem but rather one that is minor. The major problem today, which has always been a problem, is economics. Economics is a problem because many African Americans don†t know what economics are and how to manage it. Out of one†s lack of understanding the economical breakdown of society, he cannot teach his child about generational wealth. Generational wealth is what a family has accumulated over its lifetime along with those resources that have been inherited across generations. Generational wealth is not riches. When one is rich, they are materially content for the moment but not necessarily content in their private lives. One who is just rich, will become a private failure but public success. In essence, riches are the successes of the world. On the other hand, wealth is generated through the family unit and is passed down generationally. In Proverbs 13:22, it reads, a good man leaves an inheritance to his children†s children. In order for one to truly understand generational wealth, he must first understand economics and vice versa. Economics is the study of heart and wallet. Meaning, if you want to touch people, you have to reach them in their pockets. Matthew 6:21 states, â€Å"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Let†s break down economics. The Greek meaning of the word echo means family. Therefore, economics is the study of the family management. This is so awesome that God decided to give us an assignment in His daily word. In Luke 19:13, God says, â€Å"do business until I return. † He didn†t just throw business in there for anything. To do business until God return means, to occupy; take dominion; handle things in decency and in order to the word of God. Sad to say, but some people only understand economics when it comes to selling drugs. Young men and even some young women understand that you can buy large quantities of drugs at wholesale and make profit by way of retail. On the other hand, if you ask them to turn the television to the stock market channel and decipher the information run on the station, they can†t even relate. So when do we come to an understanding that there is a world wide problem of the family unit that is affecting our economics? One of the major problems in the black community is that everyone is out for self. We have gained a mindset that everyone is supposed to work for his or her own stuff and keep their stuff to themselves. Out of understanding who you are, you understand that the father is the one who formulate the vision, the son is the one who demonstrates the vision, while the grandson authenticates the vision. It takes the fortitude of a father to persevere through the storm of formulation. It takes the zeal of a son to pay the cost of demonstration. It takes the integrity of a grandson to handle the glory of authentication. There are a lot of individuals who don†t understand this so, therefore they operate trying to be the father, son, and grandson. This brings about the mindset of selfish thinking and single generational. Thinking selfishly and single families operate in false wisdom. For example, when most children turn 18, they are kicked out of the house and told by their parents that they are grown enough to make it on their own, but was never equipped to pay their bills and even maintain their payments. Therefore we have a generation that had already achieved their successes, forcing our children to grow up in a fast paced society that prefers self-gratification, without restraint. The family exists at the heart of every society†¦ No society has succeeded without it. But today we see a fraying of all connections that have defined our families. We are neglecting our children emotionally and educationally, marriage is increasingly unstable, we are slipping deeper and deeper into acceptance of violence, and we are absorbed into materialism and competitiveness. If we allow these trends to continue, there lie ahead, families that slip further into chaos. As you can see, we are living in a time where there is much help needed. It is time for African-Americans to wake up and take the dominion that God has given them. It is also, time out for just talking about the decay of the community but rather offer solutions to the problems of the community. Having been empowered to understand that true wealth and economics is generated through the family unit and is passed down generationally, one has the ability to empower another so that we can move forward to begin building our communities economically, emotionally, and physically. I pray that this empowerment will not inspire one but rather, transform one to make a change for the generations to come. It†s just like Bishop says, â€Å"Lack of information is ignorance but the inability to use information is stupidity. † Therefore, those who are not prepared will not survive.

US Involvement Around The World Think Before You Act

It’s Monday morning, another weekend over, a new week full of decisions and obstacles for President Obama. A slowly growing economy, tensions with North Korea and soldiers still in Afghanistan and Iraq the President is always quite busy. Even though the President has lots of ad-visors to help him make decisions some advice that would really aid the president is the lesson that â€Å"Think before you act, be sure not to overreact† Some examples from the Cold War era that support this lesson are The Cuban Missile Crisis, The My Lai Massacre (involving napalm and agent orange) and the incident at Kent State. First off, Kennedy was under a lot of pressure during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. After the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, the†¦show more content†¦Americans both pro and anti war were outraged that our nations children were murdered in cold blood, simply exercising their constitutional right to protest. The massacre resulted in students across the cou ntry going on strike and forcing hundreds of colleges to close. â€Å"H. R. Haldeman, a top aide to President Richard Nixon, suggests the shootings had a direct impact on National polictics. In The Ends of Power, Haldeman (1978) states that the shootings at Kent State began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration. Beyond the direct effects of the May 4th [event], the shootings have certainly come to symbolize the deep political and social divisions that so sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era.† Another example from the Cold War that proves the importance of thinking and not overreacting was the My Lai Massacre. On March 16, 1968, weary and frustrated American soldiers went in to the Vietnamese village of My Lai on a tip that there were Vietcong hiding in the village and murdered over 300 unharmed civilians including the elderly, women and young children. The soldiers had been under great strain because members of their unit h ad recently been killed and they were anxious to find the Vietcong to retaliate. Reports after the event indicate that before the soldiers entered the village their commanding officers stated, â€Å"This is whatShow MoreRelatedThe United States And The World War II899 Words   |  4 Pagesfreedom and integrity for generations before us and is bound to have written in various texts around the world. The United States has done its best to do the right thing throughout the world. It believes itself to be the one to fix the issues that are happening in the world around them as an act of kindness and justice. In the first World War, when Britain was falling and the German troops were right on the horizon, American President at the time, chose to involve us in a war that had originally not beenRead MoreSensory Paper Critical Thinking1147 Words   |  5 Pagesinterpretation, and knowledge. Perception is our sensory experience of the world around us and involves both the recognition of e nvironmental stimuli and actions in response to these stimuli (Bagley, 2004). Through the perceptual process, we gain information about properties and elements of the environment that are critical to our survival. Perception not only creates our experience of the world around us, and it also allows us to act within our environment. Interpretation is a communication process, designedRead MoreExamples Of Internet Hacking901 Words   |  4 PagesHow To Prevent Hacking – The State Got Hacked, Be Sure You Are Not Next Rumours and investigations of Russian involvement in the U.S. Presidential Election and a possible collusion with the Trump government, brought to light troubling information about cybersecurity. Amid questions of civil rights violations and the blatant disregard for due process, lies the million dollar question; How exactly does a country with one of the highest levels of technological sophistication get hacked? The State ofRead MoreIs Jesus Christ Our Lord?953 Words   |  4 PagesWe are very blessed to have you as a member of our parish. By having such a strong community we are able to bind and connect together through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is time we stop sitting on the sidelines of the field and become the main players when it comes to getting involved in the issues that are going on not only throughout our community and city but as well as national and international issues. This sense of involvement will provide a fulfillment that will come along with a sense of fellowshipRead MoreThe Challenges Of Leading A Good Life1691 Words   |  7 PagesGod has called us to a higher standard, that needs to be more focused on living a Christ centered life. Not a life filled with confusion and a sense of emptiness, but one that is ethical and lived out as Paul had described Jesus in Philippians 2:1-11. A life lived out in unity through Humility, and meekness from a person who think of others b efore themselves. The thought of the will of the world against the will of God is not conceivable because God is the one in control of the world. So why do peopleRead MoreFog of War Essay1310 Words   |  6 Pagestragedies. â€Å"I think the human race needs to think more about killing, about conflict. Is that what we want in this 21st Century?† McNamara says this line early on in the documentary, which sets him up for being a sympathetic and remorseful figure of the Vietnam War. His feelings on war seem to be that the bad outweighs the good, and it is near impossible to take a blind eye to the losses. He doesn’t want war to be the determinant of the future of nations; he wants the human race to think more of theRead MoreHigh School Students and Volunteering Essay1524 Words   |  7 PagesPicture this. A few short years from now, you’re signing yearbooks, trying on caps and gowns, and saying goodbye as you and your friends go your separate ways. Before you know it, you’re walking across that stage and receiving your diploma. As you look back and reflect on your life and last days at Alpena High School, did you really make it worthwhile? For anyone traveling through the t wists and turns of high school, it can be a very challenging frenzy to attempt to fit in and interact with otherRead MoreMorality, Religion, And Morality1103 Words   |  5 PagesThere are millions of people in the world who use religion as a guide to what is morally right or wrong in society. They have the perception that morality is impossible without a belief in a higher power or that religion and morality cannot be separate. On the other hand, there are also many people who believe that the only real basis for morality should be separate from a belief in a god and from religion itself. So does society really need to believe in a higher power to have morals? The answerRead MoreThe Labeling Theory For Juvenile Delinquency1577 Words   |  7 Pagesindividuals commit more crime. Rather than analyzing the occurrence of crimes among social groups, the labeling theory challenge us to truly understand deviants and what it means to be categorized as a deviant individual. Unlike the con trol theories that assumes all of us must be held in check or â€Å"controlled† if we are to resist the temptation to commit criminal or delinquency acts, this paper will dissect some important contributions the labeling theory has made to the study of juvenile delinquency (pgRead MoreThe Lucifer Effect Is A Theory Of Psychology1568 Words   |  7 PagesIt is said that these circumstances tend to shape who we are, morally and cognitively. When things don’t turn out the way we expected, it is common that we begin to try and alter the situation to favor our desires. Have you ever considered that the situation might be changing you? This phenomenon is known as â€Å"The Lucifer effect.† The title originates from the biblical name for Satan, and is described as the demoralization of an individual’s personality and behavior due to a horrific event/experience

The American Revolution Is Not An Accurate - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 683 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/04/26 Category History Essay Level High school Topics: American Revolution Essay Did you like this example? The American Revolution is not an accurate name for what transpired in North America in the 1770s to the 1780s. A far more accurate name for what went down would be: The White American Revolution. The American Revolution in many ways reinforced the Patriots relationship and commitment of that relationship to slavery. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The American Revolution Is Not An Accurate" essay for you Create order Thats not to say that new ideas of liberty and equality were not surfacing as well, but in the pledge of allegiance to this new country, this so-called liberty and justice for all definitely came with terms and conditions those conditions being that liberty and justice was only available to white Americans. If you differed from said conditions, sorry liberty and justice were out of stock for the most part. While The American Revolution brought about ideas of liberty and equality that were non-existent before, these ideals didnt apply to everyone and in a lot of ways the Revolution accomplished the exact opposite when it involved African Americans and slavery. Going into the Revolution, African Americans knew that they would not be immediately given all of the rights of a free man. This is exemplified in Peter Bestes, Sambo Freeman, Felix Holbrook, and Chester Joies 1773 Letter to Local Representatives. They wrote this letter along with other slaves and in it, state that they were, very sensible that it would be highly detrimental to our present masters, if we were allowed to demand all that of right belongs to us for past services; this we disclaim. This statement shows that the slaves knew that going into the Revolution that things would be somewhat different for them. They were still on board with and supported The Patriots. It was at the time thought to be important to the preservation of the Union to keep a balance of sorts of votes from both slave states and free states. So yes, there was in a sense a paradox developing between the beliefs about freedom, liberty, and equality by the Patriots and the hypocrisy they exhibited when it came to stretching these beliefs to the African American slaves. The fact of the matter was that, the sentiments of the American Revolution and the equality evoked by the Declaration of Independence stood in contrast to the status of most black Americans. Despite this, thousands of black Americans fought against the British in hopes of a new order. Despite the disclusion African Americans faced and the hypocrisy the Patriots so blatantly practiced, the African American Slaves knew that they were getting nowhere under the current regime, and the promise of a new one even if it wasnt perfect still inspired hope in all of them. The Emancipation Proclamation was a huge step for African American slaves, but it in no way equated to complete freedom. For starters, The Emancipation Proclamation only applied to the states that were in rebellion. This was in order to help the troops so that African Americans could help fight in the war. Of course, they were always the ones on the front lines fighting someone elses war. They too had much to gain from a win, but it was still an abuse of power on behalf of the white Patriots. The initial intent of the war wasnt for the freedom of slaves but for the preservation of the Union. The narrative only changed after The Emancipation Proclamation was passed. The way that African Americans were treated during The American Revolution is a perfect example of the limits that even so-called radicals have. The term radical somewhat implies a certain selflessness you picture a peoples hero. Someone that is fighting or, well for liberty and justice for all after all. This was not the case during the American Revolution or as we call it in this paper The White American Revolution. The Patriots fought for themselves and each other, this much is true. The limit came when deciding who was included in the narrative who was really included in each other. Unfortunately, that was where the line was drawn between Americans and African Americans.