Intrepid Shakespeare Company recently ran a production of David Mamet’s highly controversial play Oleanna at San Dieguito college. Oleanna is considered controversial by critics due to its no-holds-bar approach to the topic of higher education and the power struggle between universities, professors, and students, as well as the shocking conclusion of the play itself. The differences between the play and the 1994 theatrical release starring William H. Macy and Debra Eisenstadt are notable not only because of the format, but also through the interpretation of the power struggle and how the film and the play both achieve that goal in their own creative ways.
Intrepid Shakespeare’s take on the play, directed by Christy Yael, brings the story to life in a theatre-in-the-round format. The stage is set in the center of the audience which allows the viewers to take a voyeuristic, over the shoulder view. This seating creates a very intimate feel, the audience is very close to the actors, Francis Gercke and Rachael VanWormer, which gives the audience more insight and establishes a closer personal connection between the characters. The audience is treated to a constant close-up, as if the four walls of John’s office have been removed and the viewers are on the outside looking in. In this way, the viewer is more invested in the characters John and Carol, because they can keenly perceive the actor’s facial expressions and are able to hear the subtleties and nuances of the dialogue, which is written in broken syntax and incomplete sentences which adds to the overall realism of the play. The entire play takes place in John’s office at the university, so there are no scene changes and nothing to distract the audience from the dialogue.
In the film version, John’s office is made to look like it’s a part of a well-established university with great detail, complete with bookshelves, a chalkboard, leather chairs and an adjacent conference room. This more clearly establishes John as a well-to-do professor that is used to a level of comfort and preferential treatment only ivy league professors obtain. Because of this, the audience learns very quickly that John is wealthy, respected, and successful as an educator. In comparison to the play, depending on the level of detail provided by the set, the audience may not immediately recognize John as being as well-off. Instead, the dialogue leads the listener to discover these details over time. John’s opening monologue informs the viewer that he is attempting to buy a new home for his family and is having complications. Over time we understand that John is facing “first world problems,” or problems that have little to do with basic human necessity and more to do with comfort and class establishment.
Another notable difference between the film and the play is the actor’s relatability in live performance in contrast to the separation of actor and audience in film. Oleanna is written in a way that incites frustration, confusion, misunderstanding and ultimately anger, all of which translates very well in film, but takes on a more intimate and personal tone in a live performance. On film, the camera dictates how every scene is viewed and leads the audience through the story in a linear way. On stage, and especially in round theatre, the audience is given more freedom to watch either character when they choose, thus allowing the viewer to study the reactions of the actors more closely. This ability to see and hear the actors converse live creates a deeper tension, as if we were watching these arguments occur in real life. The actors have more responsibility to be fully engaged in the dialogue and are forced to react to each other in a more believable way. On film, the camera has to cut back and forth between the characters to keep the story visually appealing, but not being able to examine both characters at the same time diminishes the effectiveness of the arguments.
In conclusion, the differences between the film and play are very subtle, but the true nature of the text and the heart of the story are best conveyed through live performance. The film relates the story in a very polished and predictable format which conveys the story extremely well, but the staged play gives the text a necessary tension and realism that is best experienced in person and performed by live actors.
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