Fun yes. Are we doing it yes.
References.
image 1: http://picsicio.us/domain/toursingreece.gr/
image 2: http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=2978
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Hilarious Idea for Lobby Display
So earlier I posted a Youtube video on the paths to the city of Mycenae and the professor in the video spoke about the paths along the ridges to the city. So I laughed at myself about creating a path to the theatre. So what would be created would be the site surrounding the area. It would have open area design for hills and trees. Then as the patrons would enter the lobby would be the outskirts of the city. Market place and all of that jazz. See example of illustrations below:
This would give theatre patrons a sense of time. It would not be specific but it would be fun for them to walk around the "greeks." The best part would be walking into the theatre where the one guard on the outside of the wall would be watching until the beginning of the play where I discussed about a green light flashing to signal the guard. Then those who are outside in the lobby would react and come inside to hear the news.
Fun yes. Are we doing it yes.
References.
image 1: http://picsicio.us/domain/toursingreece.gr/
image 2: http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=2978
Fun yes. Are we doing it yes.
References.
image 1: http://picsicio.us/domain/toursingreece.gr/
image 2: http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=2978
How Agamemnon should tranform designing wise throughout the play???
Costumes:
Tricky if those who don't have a genuine idea of how the play is formed. So we know at the beginning of the play we are given a signal from offstage when "Troy" had fallen. So we begin with the rejoice idea (holy, pure):
Very casual and powerful among this figure. However as the play progresses the power gets to the clothing by consuming it with some sort of dark and rich matter (It could be blood or rags), but it should be gathering enough for when Clytemnestra kills him it represents the rage which is released upon him.
Lights:
The lights during the play are soft focus but becomes more scheming of who is where feel. Example below:
Beginning
The green in this light could reflection of the signal for the soldier which would bring the stage lights up to general showing that Troy has fallen.
Then when the play progesses into the dark a tragedy side it forms into this
Then the murder for lights transforms into the painting
Blackout
What do you guys think?
Tricky if those who don't have a genuine idea of how the play is formed. So we know at the beginning of the play we are given a signal from offstage when "Troy" had fallen. So we begin with the rejoice idea (holy, pure):
Very casual and powerful among this figure. However as the play progresses the power gets to the clothing by consuming it with some sort of dark and rich matter (It could be blood or rags), but it should be gathering enough for when Clytemnestra kills him it represents the rage which is released upon him.
Lights:
The lights during the play are soft focus but becomes more scheming of who is where feel. Example below:
Beginning
Blackout
What do you guys think?
Oh! We're halfway there....CASTING!
I have some great casting news people. After researching the tragedy of Agamemnon I began thinking who could portray these characters. Oh man, I realized I had not thrown out the characters of the play. Well, let's do it with a little help from our friend Oxford Reference Online...
"Agamemnon
king of Mycenae and brother of Menelaus, commander-in-chief of the Greek expedition against Troy. On his return home from Troy he was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus; his murder was avenged by his son Orestes and daughter Electra.
Clytemnestra
wife of Agamemnon. She conspired with her lover Aegisthus to murder Agamemnon on his return from the Trojan War, and was murdered in retribution by her son Orestes and her daughter Electra.
There are a quite a load of characters, but I wish to focus on the main two who bring this to an epic tragedy, Agamemnon is constantly acting selfish and greedy, constantly reflecting about the various ways in which to acquire power. Although he does want to win his battles and protect his country, he does it for the wrong reason: to gain power and respect as a king. Agamemnon’s magnanimity encompasses neither the love of his family, nor the love for his country. This is not to say Agamemnon does not exude power, respect, and honor. However, the degree of his honor is simply measured by false public recognition and by his selfish desires to become powerful.
Aeschylus’ tragedy Clytemnestra is portrayed as a strong willed woman, which was not very typical of her time. Early in the play Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter because the winds would not allow his ships to sail any further so by sacrificing Iphigenia the winds would blow in his favor. This action inevitably set the stage for Clytemnestra’s lust for revenge since it was her daughter as well. Clytemnestra used her manly qualities to carefully and deceitfully plan the death of her husband; her lust for revenge was so immense that she wished for her husband to return so that she may kill him herself.
So who would I suggest in such a powerful role as these two:
Actor Liam Neeson as Agamemnon. This actor could basically take any scene and control with his recognizable voice and his facial expression could bring the calm to a mad men.
Next: Tilda Swinton as Clytemnestra
Her sleek beauty look may be welcoming, but again, under it all she is fierce and ready to kill.
Thoughts?
References.
"Aegisthus" The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 1 November 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e989>
"Agamemnon" The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 1 November 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e1212>
"Clytemnestra" The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 1 November 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e14652>
"Agamemnon
king of Mycenae and brother of Menelaus, commander-in-chief of the Greek expedition against Troy. On his return home from Troy he was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus; his murder was avenged by his son Orestes and daughter Electra.
Clytemnestra
wife of Agamemnon. She conspired with her lover Aegisthus to murder Agamemnon on his return from the Trojan War, and was murdered in retribution by her son Orestes and her daughter Electra.
There are a quite a load of characters, but I wish to focus on the main two who bring this to an epic tragedy, Agamemnon is constantly acting selfish and greedy, constantly reflecting about the various ways in which to acquire power. Although he does want to win his battles and protect his country, he does it for the wrong reason: to gain power and respect as a king. Agamemnon’s magnanimity encompasses neither the love of his family, nor the love for his country. This is not to say Agamemnon does not exude power, respect, and honor. However, the degree of his honor is simply measured by false public recognition and by his selfish desires to become powerful.
Aeschylus’ tragedy Clytemnestra is portrayed as a strong willed woman, which was not very typical of her time. Early in the play Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter because the winds would not allow his ships to sail any further so by sacrificing Iphigenia the winds would blow in his favor. This action inevitably set the stage for Clytemnestra’s lust for revenge since it was her daughter as well. Clytemnestra used her manly qualities to carefully and deceitfully plan the death of her husband; her lust for revenge was so immense that she wished for her husband to return so that she may kill him herself.
So who would I suggest in such a powerful role as these two:
Actor Liam Neeson as Agamemnon. This actor could basically take any scene and control with his recognizable voice and his facial expression could bring the calm to a mad men.Next: Tilda Swinton as Clytemnestra
Her sleek beauty look may be welcoming, but again, under it all she is fierce and ready to kill.
Thoughts?
References.
"Aegisthus" The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 1 November 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e989>
"Agamemnon" The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 1 November 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e1212>
"Clytemnestra" The Oxford Dictionary of English (revised edition). Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 1 November 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t140.e14652>
Idea of how to portray the death of Agamemnon happy halloween
Being Halloween let's throw it out how to portray the death of Agamemnon. In the play, Agamemnon is pronounced dead when Clytemnestra opens their house doors standing over him with a bloody knife. Clytemnestra proclaims from the version The Agamemnon of Aeschylus...
"...By my hand he fell low, lies low down and dead,
And I shall bury him low down in the earth,
And his household need not to weep him
For Iphigeneia his daughter
Tenderly, as is right,
Will meet her father at the rapid ferry sorrows,
Put her arms around him and kiss him!"
It's sort of strange for the mother to claim happiness for the child which in her father sacrificed to the gods to win the Trojan War. Whatever!? So pretty intense scene. So would I rewrite the literature in showing the death of Agamemnon. HECK YES. Why not? Why is it alright for the senate to stab Caesar and not show the drama of a wife killing her unfaithful husband. In the picture above is a creepy painting already of how dramatic the scene would be. Clytemnestra with her new lover Aegisthus on the prowl of murder, but does this justify showing the killing. I say yes.
The justification of how we would portray this would still be clean. I am not claiming let's throw blood onto the audience from the bloody knife as she thrust it into him, but the shadow of death seeps onto the wall by what we percieve. A great example for this would be of course, Hitchcock.
Scary imaginations, right?
References.
MacNeice, Louis. The Agamemnon of Aeschylus. New York: Brace and Companu, 1936.
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4.
"...By my hand he fell low, lies low down and dead,And I shall bury him low down in the earth,
And his household need not to weep him
For Iphigeneia his daughter
Tenderly, as is right,
Will meet her father at the rapid ferry sorrows,
Put her arms around him and kiss him!"
It's sort of strange for the mother to claim happiness for the child which in her father sacrificed to the gods to win the Trojan War. Whatever!? So pretty intense scene. So would I rewrite the literature in showing the death of Agamemnon. HECK YES. Why not? Why is it alright for the senate to stab Caesar and not show the drama of a wife killing her unfaithful husband. In the picture above is a creepy painting already of how dramatic the scene would be. Clytemnestra with her new lover Aegisthus on the prowl of murder, but does this justify showing the killing. I say yes.
The justification of how we would portray this would still be clean. I am not claiming let's throw blood onto the audience from the bloody knife as she thrust it into him, but the shadow of death seeps onto the wall by what we percieve. A great example for this would be of course, Hitchcock.
Scary imaginations, right?
References.
MacNeice, Louis. The Agamemnon of Aeschylus. New York: Brace and Companu, 1936.
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4.
Truth of Troy: A Real Agamemnon?
Here's a great video on the location of Mycynae (the location of the play).
During the 100 B.C. they created impressive structures such as the “Treasury of Atreus” which was burial place that was built with stone blocks that taper inward toward the highest points. Another impressive structure built by them was the Lioness Gate at Mycenae, which was built from large stones with carvings of Lions.
These Lions symbolized the King for them. The function of the lions were to act as guardians of the gate. It is said that the Mycenae were Egyptian influenced of burial customs together with strong supports.
This is grand to know for the production set. We now know there is a beauty with a powerful platform.
During the 100 B.C. they created impressive structures such as the “Treasury of Atreus” which was burial place that was built with stone blocks that taper inward toward the highest points. Another impressive structure built by them was the Lioness Gate at Mycenae, which was built from large stones with carvings of Lions.
These Lions symbolized the King for them. The function of the lions were to act as guardians of the gate. It is said that the Mycenae were Egyptian influenced of burial customs together with strong supports.This is grand to know for the production set. We now know there is a beauty with a powerful platform.
References.
"Mycenae" The Oxford Encyclopedia of Classical Art and Architecture. Ed. John B. Hattendorf. Oxford University Press, 2007. Central Washington University. 1 November 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t231.e0646>
The many, many, and many versions of Agamemnon
Sifting through the library stacks I came across the greek literature section and was overwhelmed of what I came across. At first I picked up a different version of Agamemnon and not the real trilogy (will post explanation later in this entry). So I thought it would be fun just to check out for any good reads any one wants:
G.Rosenmeyer, Thomas. The Art of Aeschylus. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1982. Print.
MacNeice, Louis. The Agamemnon of Aeschylus. New York: Brace and Companu, 1936. Print.
Smyrna, Quintus. The War at Troy. Norman: University of Oklahoma press, 1968. Print.
These will give different perspective of how translation are put into perspective. Also it lead me into the real literature form of Agamemnon. An excerpt from ORO:
"Oresteia, the collective name given to the three Greek tragedies (trilogy) by Aeschylus on the story of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, and Orest
s, produced at Athens in 458 BC when it won the dramatic competition. It is the only trilogy that survives complete. The plays are Agamemnon, Chophoroe (‘libation bearers’), and Eumenids (‘kindly ones’, a euphemism for the Furies).
The story is taken from the mythical history of the descendants of Atreus in which crime led to further crime through several generations. The Agamemnon opens in an atmosphere of hope mingled with foreboding, as the watchman on the roof of Agamemnon's palace in Argos looks out for the signal beacon to announce the fall of Troy. After the signal is seen, the news is confirmed by the arrival of a herald. Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra appears jubilant, but the chorus of Argive elders recall Agamemnon's sacrifice of his daughter Iphigeneia to enable the Greek fleet to set sail, and brood over the possible consequences. Agamemnon arrives, bringing with him the captured Trojan princess Cassandra, his concubine. Clytemnestra treacherously welcomes him and then leads him into the palace. Cassandra, who has not spoken up to this point, is now moved to frenzied prophecy, foresees Agamemnon's murder and her own, as well as having a vision of the past crimes of the house, and utters a lament. She too enters the house, knowingly going to her death. The cries of the dying Agamemnon are heard. The interior of the palace is revealed, with Clytemnestra exulting over the bodies of the two victims. She answers the elders' reproaches by citing as justification Agamemnon's sacrifice of Iphigeneia. Aegisthus, her lover, appears, and subdues the elders with threats of force. The latter can only hope that one day Agamemnon's son Orestes will avenge him..."
So I was wrong with the correct literature title. It seems it was a trilogy of plays which makes his more fun and wide open. Also another excerpt of ORO of whom Aeschylus is...
"Aeschylus (525–456 BC), the earliest Greek tragic poet whose work survives...Aeschylus is generally regarded as the real founder of Greek tragedy: by increasing the number of actors to two and diminishing the part taken by the chorus he made true dialogue and dramatic action possible."
So this makes me think that the dialogue and action are furth increase if chorus had been given up and the actors on stage have control. Awesome. This was an awesome researchexpierence for those are finding there literature production. Exciting.
References
G.Rosenmeyer, Thomas. The Art of Aeschylus. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1982. Print.
MacNeice, Louis. The Agamemnon of Aeschylus. New York: Brace and Companu, 1936. Print.
Smyrna, Quintus. The War at Troy. Norman: University of Oklahoma press, 1968. Print.
These will give different perspective of how translation are put into perspective. Also it lead me into the real literature form of Agamemnon. An excerpt from ORO:
"Oresteia, the collective name given to the three Greek tragedies (trilogy) by Aeschylus on the story of Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, and Orest
s, produced at Athens in 458 BC when it won the dramatic competition. It is the only trilogy that survives complete. The plays are Agamemnon, Chophoroe (‘libation bearers’), and Eumenids (‘kindly ones’, a euphemism for the Furies).The story is taken from the mythical history of the descendants of Atreus in which crime led to further crime through several generations. The Agamemnon opens in an atmosphere of hope mingled with foreboding, as the watchman on the roof of Agamemnon's palace in Argos looks out for the signal beacon to announce the fall of Troy. After the signal is seen, the news is confirmed by the arrival of a herald. Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra appears jubilant, but the chorus of Argive elders recall Agamemnon's sacrifice of his daughter Iphigeneia to enable the Greek fleet to set sail, and brood over the possible consequences. Agamemnon arrives, bringing with him the captured Trojan princess Cassandra, his concubine. Clytemnestra treacherously welcomes him and then leads him into the palace. Cassandra, who has not spoken up to this point, is now moved to frenzied prophecy, foresees Agamemnon's murder and her own, as well as having a vision of the past crimes of the house, and utters a lament. She too enters the house, knowingly going to her death. The cries of the dying Agamemnon are heard. The interior of the palace is revealed, with Clytemnestra exulting over the bodies of the two victims. She answers the elders' reproaches by citing as justification Agamemnon's sacrifice of Iphigeneia. Aegisthus, her lover, appears, and subdues the elders with threats of force. The latter can only hope that one day Agamemnon's son Orestes will avenge him..."
So I was wrong with the correct literature title. It seems it was a trilogy of plays which makes his more fun and wide open. Also another excerpt of ORO of whom Aeschylus is...
"Aeschylus (525–456 BC), the earliest Greek tragic poet whose work survives...Aeschylus is generally regarded as the real founder of Greek tragedy: by increasing the number of actors to two and diminishing the part taken by the chorus he made true dialogue and dramatic action possible."
So this makes me think that the dialogue and action are furth increase if chorus had been given up and the actors on stage have control. Awesome. This was an awesome research
References
"Aeschylus" The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Ed. M.C. Howatson and Ian Chilvers. Oxford University Press, 1996. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 1 November 2010 http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t9.e72
"Oresteia" The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Ed. M.C. Howatson and Ian Chilvers. Oxford University Press, 1996. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 1 November 2010 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t9.e2047>
The play the production...THE BLOG (the why and synopsis)
First off, I would like to ask for those who know what I am referring to when I speak of the movie TROY to forget the movie and learn the real literature. The Agamemnon of Aeschylus is explained from this excerpt from Oxford Reference Online...
"...in Greek myth, son of Atreus, brother of Menelaus, husband of Clytemnestra, king of Mycenae, or Argos, and leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War. He is represented in Homer's Iliad as a valiant fighter, a proud and passionate man, but vacillating in purpose and easily discouraged. His quarrel with Achilles is the mainspring of the poem's action. The Odyssey tells how, on his return from Troy, he was feasted in the palace of his wife's lover, and there murdered by them both, together with his captive Cassandra. This story is retold by later authors, with minor variants."References
"Agamemnon" The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Ed. M.C. Howatson and Ian Chilvers. Oxford University Press, 1996. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Central Washington University. 1 November 2010 http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t9.e89
MacNeice, Louis. The Agamemnon of Aeschylus. New York: Brace and Companu, 1936.
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