Directions. By now you have learned much about various kinds of theatre and the process of staging a play. You have also read Is the One I Love Everywhere (Links to an external site. https://www.freecultureinvisible.com/product/is-the-one-i-love-everywhere/) and seen a video of Seven Stages (Links to an external site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1WeoXcHQ9s). This essay must be 1500 words in length. In this essay, you should utilize what you have learned throughout the course to write about the process of staging a theatre production from the beginning (the script) to the end (performance in front of a live audience.) So, first, read the play Is the One I Love Everywhere? carefully and entirely. Then watch the 1991 theatre production of this play which is titled Seven Stages. You may have to watch the production and/or read the script more than once in order to capture details in writing your essay. Remember, this essay carries 1/4 of your course grade. So pay special attention to details. The following are some points that may help you in writing this essay:
What genre of theatre would you place this play in and why?
Does this play have a message? What is that message? Do we, as the audience, take away (learn) anything after reading/watching this play? What?
Who are the characters in this play? Do they resemble certain individuals or are they archetypes? Why do you think so?
Why do characters speak in different languages during the first stage? What does that signify?
How does the prologue (written in English in the play, but spoken in Persian in the production) help set the stage for the rest of the play, both in the script and in the production?
The play is in two parts. The first is set in ancient times and the second in modern times. Explained why the playwright chose to set the play within these two periods. How do the two parts relate to one another? How does dividing the play into two-part help foster the message of this play?
Why and how the characters change from ancient creatures to the people of today? Does the identity of each character change between the first and the second part? How and Why?
The 1991 production of this play was subtitled “a journey in process.” Now that you have read the script and watched the production, what do you think they meant by labeling the production as “a journey in process?”
A critic called the play “simply spiritual.” Do you agree with this critic? Explain why you do or do not agree with this critic?
This play was created 30 years ago, yet the script is published now. How is the play relevant to both time periods? How did it relate to the time when it was produced (1991), and what is its relevance to today?
In the textbook, we learned that acting is about wanting. A character always wants something, and during the play, s/he tries to achieve what s/he wants. If this is correct, then what do these characters want? How do they go about achieving what they want?
