Analysis of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll free essay sample

Through the effective use of these dramatic techniques; Neil Armfield was successful in creating a realistic portrayal of Ray Lawler’s Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. The 1950’s style setting created on stage, using the set design, props and costumes was highly effective in producing a realistic and believable production. Not only did the set effectively add to the authenticity of the production, it also gave the actors important sentimental effects to use throughout the performances. The 17 cane dolls which lined the walls of the house had great symbolic qualities and were effective in the development of depth within the play. Olive’s dolls were not only gifts from her summer love, but symbolic representations of her past and the constrictive manner in which she clung to this fading lifestyle . Costuming was skilfully used in The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, all items of costuming were true to the era and gave further insight into each character. For example the costuming of Pearl as opposed to Olive’s symbolised their different personalities and their past; Pearl wore upper class clothing; whereas Olive’s attire was unadorned. The free flowing and well-worn clothes of Olive gave the audience insight into her thoughts and way of life. They represented her openness and simple way of life. The floral prints and looseness of the dresses she wore showed she didn’t have a care in the world; this can be concluded because she never greatly changed her appearance in order to impress anyone. In comparison, Pearl’s attire was very different; though still used to create depth in much the same manner. The tightness of her clothing symbolised the way Pearl held information of her past, close and hid some parts completely. Also noteworthy is the style of the clothing she wore. Always being dressed to dine as it were, Pearl seemed to being putting up a facade by the way she dressed; while on the outside she seemed glamorous and sophisticated, she was suffering from intense internal struggle. Not only was costuming and set design used ffectively, the implementation of sensory stimulus and lighting was also successful in creating a scene audience members could relate to. During breakfast the smell of bacon could be smelt by members of the audience and this added another dimension to the performance. In allowing the audience to not only hear and know that bacon was cooking but also smell it, a highly realistic ambiance was created. A subtle but effective technique used in the play was lighting. As each day began or night fell, the light in the house would slowly fade, so to resemble that of any normal day. However on the Summer of the Seventeenth Doll set, this was done to such an extent that the audience saw no visible change at any particular point, mimicking the subtlety of natural light growth or diminishment. Throughout Summer of The Seventeenth Doll relationships develop, change and end. The first of these is the relationship between Olive and Roo. At the beginning of their performance, both Roo and Olive are very much in love; Olive waits with baited breath to greet her summer love and takes great pleasure in describing how the encounter will occur. In doing this she very quickly and effectively enlightens the audience about the past sixteen summers. This highlighted the routine of the summers, for the past sixteen years everything had always stayed the same; giving the audience context as to why the change Olive is affected so much. Each of the characters had different relationships with one another, which emphasized the effective use of the human context within the elements of drama. Olive and Pearl had a somewhat odd friendship at the beginning of the play, Olive tried desperately to make her standard of life seem fit to the much more classy Pearl. However as their situations unfold, it is made clear that much of this ‘class’ in Pearl is surface level only. We learn her husband has left her and she has a problem daughter. After learning this Olive seems to warm much more easily to Pearl, possibly reflecting Olive’s insecurity around people of a higher class. Neil Armfield was highly successful in implementing the elements of drama, especially those of movement, mood, language and tension. All characters within Summer of the Seventeenth Doll created realistic mood to portray their respective characters. As the summer progressed, the mood changed dramatically, from the bubbly highs of the first meeting, demonstrated mainly by Olive’s nervous excitement in the moments before the arrival of Roo and Barney; to the depressive goodbye demonstrated again by Olive when she clears the entire house. When juxtaposed to the mood of the previous sixteen summers, the audience was able to see from the beginning that this summer was going to be different; through strong use of mood it was clear that this would be the last of the summers. While movement was in the most part realistic, the actors did lapse in this area occasionally; this was most evident in the fight scene between Roo and Barney. However the most prominent dramatic element used by the actors was tension. Upon returning from the cane fields Roo and Barney had underlying tension in their relationship. Roo was hiding something from Olive, which Barney thought he should share. This in part was the begining of the end; as it symbolised the loss of openness and love. Equally, we see the development of the character Bubba, whom at first appears to be very naive. Despite this we see her develop a different relationship with her neighbours and slowly begin to see them in a new more judgmental light. Bubba’s development is most evident in when she goes next door to ask why they are not going out on New Year’s Eve. Not only did this highlight the development of Bubba, but the downhill slide of the seventeenth summer, as it becomes less and less like it used to be. It was also indicated through her reaction to her introduction to Jonny; here Bubba’s real views on life were expressed and the feelings she was beginning to have towards Roo and Barney. Relationships in Summer of the Seventeenth Doll are key in the central idea of the performance and the QTC was successful in portraying these complex human emotions. The sub plots in Summer of the Seventeenth Doll were crucial to the development of a realistic performance. Over the course of the play sub plots developed and continued. One of these was that of the relationship between Roo and Barney. This enlightened the audience of underlying happenings in the cane fields of the preceding winter. Before Roo confronted Olive, an argument between himself and Barney brought to the attention of the audience that something was amiss. Crucial to the performance this enlightenment gives the audience enough background knowledge to make judgements on each character and the play as a whole. In addition to this sub-plot, the character of Emma was fundamental in the overview of the performance. Emma held the point of view of someone who knew exactly what was going on as well as knowing the people very well. Her role was important especially in the development of Olive’s character, because he was her mother, Emma knew Olive inside out and was able to offer her guidance and support. This was done in such a way that positioned the audience to think this summer was not the first to be plagued with problems and this can be said because Emma always held a note of frustration in her voice when conveying her wisdom. It is this and other sub plots that tie the main plot together and gave i t realistic appeal. Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler was powerful in its conveyance of dramatic realism through the conventions of Drama coupled with the visual and sensory aesthetics of the production. The skilful employment of the elements of drama; human context; language, movement, mood and dramatic tension, lead to a credible performance from all actors. Through well thought out and traditional set design and costume; combined with superior lighting, audience members were given an authentic and aesthetically pleasing show to watch. Overall the QTC’s production of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll was highly effective in creating a realistic and believable performance and giving all audience members a memorable night out.