"Dear Evan Hansen" Review by Kamryn Foster

Good day, everyone! Now, this isn't a Kamryn Foster post if it's not late, so here I am - 2 days behind schedule! But hey, here's my excuse. I was too excited to go to New York City and watch a Broadway show! I mean, who wouldn't be? Nevertheless, I went and saw "Dear Evan Hansen", the new Broadway musical, and so here are my thoughts!

The best way to put it was that it was absolutely stunning. I had chills throughout the entire production, and I even teared up at some parts. It really was an emotional roller coaster. The whole soundtrack was just so heartfelt, and you could tell that they wrote it in such a way as to try to connect with the audience. The dialogue was so funny and kept the viewers on the edge of their seats - those simple one-liners will get'cha! But I don't encourage you to bring small children, since there's also a lot of cussing in the show. They did an incredible job with the casting, too. Remember Benji from "Pitch Perfect" and "Pitch Perfect 2"? Well, he's the star of the show, and Ben Platt's vocals are phenomenal! I really do 10/10 recommend this to anyone who wants to see a more modern  Broadway performance, since there's no dance numbers or anything - it's just pure storyline and singing! They also showcase how social media plays such an important role in society nowadays and how it impacts our lives.

I think I should be a professional critic, honestly. Alright, well that's about it, frankly. I hope I got your gears turning to try to get you to think about seeing "Dear Evan Hansen", and you'll thank me for it later. Have a grand day, everyone!

The Importance of Theater by Juleanna Green

As many of you may know from my past blog posts, I am involved with our school drama club and a participant in our fall drama. Since I am so passionate about drama and since we are about to start reading Shakespeare, I thought this would be a good time to comment on how important theater is.

Shakespeare is one of the most well-known authors of our time (I would say arguably, but I don't think there's really any argument about it). This just goes to show how influential Shakespeare is in society. That is a huge reason of why we teach his work (mostly his plays)- why would we teach it if it was unimportant?

One group of people who have had a huge impact on me is a theater group. For those of you who do not know Team Starkid, I highly recommend going on YouTube right now and searching for one of their musicals (links to a few of my favorites below). If you are a Harry Potter, Star Wars, Batman, or Disney fan, guess what: they have a comedic musical parody for that (three for Harry Potter). They are, respectively, A Very Potter Musical (the sequels being A Very Potter Sequel and A Very Potter Senior Year), Ani: A Parody, Holy Musical B@man, and Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier. They also have some musicals that are not parodies, including one about the Oregon Trail (The Trail to Oregon), one about the dawn of time (Firebringer), and one about alien bugs on another planet (Starship).

They inspire me so much because they started this group when they were in college, back in 2009, and have since become internet famous. They also all work really hard for charity, and if I do half as much for people in my lifetime as they have done, I will be happy.

Starkid has lead to some of the greatest experiences of my life. Two years ago, I had my first live experience with them when they brought The Trail to Oregon to New York City (they are based out of Chicago). I not only met some of my idols, but I got to share an amazing experience with my fellow Starkid fanatic, Caitlin (and, you know, my sister and mom were there too). Since then, I have also attended their reunion in Michigan and and a showing of Firebringer live in Chicago. There, I met my favorite Starkid (Lauren Lopez), but also met Darren Criss (guess what-- he was also a Starkid, for those of you who know him from elsewhere).

Imagine-- without theater, none of these experiences would have been possible. Besides this, I have made amazing friendships and learned a lot about myself through our school’s drama club-- something else that would never have happened without theater. Drama club has brought out the best side of me, and has made me both a stronger speaker and a stronger person in general. So, next time you question why we read plays in school, just remember that theater can lead to unexpected experiences and amazing adventures that you would never have dreamed of!! (Also, Starkid is awesome I highly recommend them).

A Very Potter Musical:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmwM_AKeMCk&list=PLC76BE906C9D83A3A

Starship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAi0XQPgXmQ&list=PLC6A915952D67F112

The Greek Chorus By Simon Levien

A standard Greek chorus

   
    The Greek chorus, by definition, is a group of masked performers that collectively perform many different roles throughout traditional Greek tragedies and comedies. The chorus would be robed head to toe and sing in unison. In summary of their dramatic functions, the Greek chorus provided playwrights with the ability to comment on events within the play, from within the play. The chorus acted as an aside, a way to demonstrate public point of view, an insightful informant, or even used as characters to describe the play's theme. Athenian tragedian Sophocles in his plays Antigone and Oedipus the King used the chorus masterfully. In one scene, the chorus decried Oedipus for his vile action of killing his father and marrying his mother. Collectively, the chorus here provides an insight into the public reputation of Oedipus. Although he was previously considered to be a zealous and just ruler, Oedipus' reputation soon fell apart. The chorus states that the city of Thebes would have been better off without Oedipus and his rule; he became a disgrace to all of his fellow Thebans. However, by the time of Sophocles, the Greek chorus has already reached fruition. His texts do not allude to the chorus's extensive preparation and planning. Beneath the polished hood of a refined play, the choral structure lies. In it, the Greeks found ways to organize and train the layman for the theater stage, and design the chorus to be an effective dramatic tool.
    To start, most Greek choruses would sing rather than speak. Playwrights found it easier to evoke emotion from the chorus members rather than rely on their minimal acting skills. These Greek playwrights turned to simple choral odes for the majority of choral lines. Many of the chorus's lines in Oedipus the King have a hint of rhythmic structure.
    As for chorus size, each playwright has their own preference. Earliest Greek plays used choruses consisting of fifty members. However, Aeschylus first made the choice to have fewer members—around ten was his verdict. For the purposes of Antigone and Oedipus the King, Sophocles used fifteen members. Greek theaters were very large and as a result, playwrights decided on united, reverberating parts for the chorus so the audience can properly hear.
    Playwrights also used the chorus for signaling. The Greeks had no curtains and only outdoor performance venues. Choruses would substitute for curtains, where their opening and closing processions mark the start and end of each act or play.
    The coryphaeus is the one chorus member that stands apart from the rest. The coryphaeus would often have individual lines apart from the chorus and be specially trained in order to deliver those lines. The chorus would respond in unison to the coryphaeus' remarks, often in support.
    However, the real ringmaster of the Greek Chorus is the choregus or choregos. The choregos is a wealthy Athenian that managed the chorus. He financed and trained the chorus, using his own money. Chorus training in Greek culture was considered a public service; an essential duty that noble Athenians must undertake. There was no government official that ensure that the choregos fulfilled his duty, instead the archon, a high-ranking Athenian magistrate, would appoint the choregos with trust in him. Preparations for the chorus lasted around six months. However, chorus training soon became a social occasion. After successfully providing all of the trainers, preparations, props, costumes, etc. that the chorus needed, the choregos would host a celebratory feast, much like a sports banquet or a modern cast party.
    Although the Greek chorus's origins remain mostly unknown, the Greek chorus still proves to be an interesting and extensive dramatic tool. Aside from many Greek performances, some contemporary plays do incorporate a chorus. For example, playwright Mac Wellman's Bad Penny utilizes a chorus in a more modern setting. In addition, the Greek chorus is a common TV trope, albeit only loosely connected to theatre. The chorus in summary is an interesting experiment in drama. It not only serves many unique functions resulting from extensive preparation, but also revealing the dynamism of characters within a play.