Live Performance Paper

Introduction

Plot Summary

Alegria is a circus performance that shows the passing of time. This is achieved through the acrobatic performances by various characters. They include the Black Singer, the Clowns, the Nostalgic Old Birds, the Nymphs, the Tamir, and the White Singer. It starts with an opening by the Fleur, who introduces the audience to Alegria. He is in a red velvet shirt with a vest that does not completely cover his protruding belly. The clowns represent the lively spirit of a man which remains the same as the time passes. The black singer is a dark version of the white singer. She is full of energy as the title of the play but has a dark heart. The nostalgic old birds are seen trapped in youth even though they are old. The nymph is beautiful and dances round the stage sensually. Tamir appears to help people but then disappears magically afterwards. The white singer tells the story of the play, that is, everything that she sees through singing. Several other acts drive the performance including the aerial bar, the flying man, contortion, manipulation, trapeze, power track, hand balancing, and fire-knife dance performances. These are various acrobatic performances that are the main center of the show.

Discussion

The setting shows the variance for performances. There are different set ups for the flyers, aerial bars, trapeze, and other performances. There is also enough space that allows for the movement of the performers and the change in their performances. Lighting is used to create emphasis and bring the audience to the performance. For example, in the change of scenes, the light is moved from the first performance to the second one and follows in this sequence with lighting being used. It allows to view different performances so that they create a flowing story, and the viewers are not confused about the act to watch.

Immediately, the performer is through the light shifts to the next one. For example, as the show flows from the introduction by the Fleur to the fire-knife dance, it shifts from the acts by the clowns to the flyers, the synchrony of the trapeze performances, contortions, and the ballet performances. Light is shifted by changing its intensity from darkness to brightness. Lighting also creates a mood by using different colors and intensity. For instance, the clown is shown in the middle of the chaos by the use of a dark shade of blue. During the fire-knife performance, the color changes to red to show the intensity of the performance. The lighting also enables visibility, as the audience can see the performances quite clearly. Use of different colors also creates the mood of a circus.

Props used include the aerial bars, trapeze, the bars of fire, rings used in the contortion performances, the scepter for the Fleur, and the drums. These enable acrobatic performances, as some of the items are used by the acrobats. The drums create the energetic mood for all the circus movement. They also control the movement of the performances. It creates the first rhythm for the fire-knife performance. The Fleur’s scepter is lighted to draw attention and emphasize the Fleur, as the theatre is dimly lit at that time. The costumes are designed to show the time and the mood of the circus. They also represent the different characters. They conform to the bodies of the acrobats so that movement is enabled. Lighting is used in such a way that it does not overshadow the apparel. For example, during the Nymph performance, blue light is used. This emphasizes her blue-feathered apparel and hence sets the sensual mood that her performance is supposed to create.

The music played on the background has the Algeria lyrics. When the Fleur enters the stage, the sound effects of birds and music beats are used together to show the dawn and the beginning of the play. The Alegria music takes the audience into the performances by emphasizing the mood created by the lights and the props. It also emphasizes the themes of the play. It entices one into the acrobatic performances and narrates the story of joy, despair, and sadness. Because there is no dialogue, the music also enables the audience to follow the story being created by the performances, the props, and costumes.

The themes of the play are the evolution in time, old age, youth, and power. Old age is represented by the Nostalgic Old Birds that observe the world move in time. However, they are still trapped in their youth, as they still think they are young and desirable. This is shown by their attire. Their clothes do not represent their age as they are too close fitting, and they are also dressed in fancy hats and have too much make-up. Their clothes are gold with shades of green to show the class. This shows their love for power and assumption that they hold the future.

Power is shown through the clowns, the Fleur, and the black singer.

As the Fleur is introduced to the crowd, his presence is felt. His arrogance, lighted scepter, and adorned vest are all used to show his love for power. The clowns, on the other hand, show the movement of this power as time goes by. They represent the world as a circus in the fight for power. The black singer is jealous of the attention that the white singer gets. She is wicked and has a dark heart. Her character is developed through her clothing, which has the same design as that of the white singer but it is black in color.

The theme of youth is developed through the beautiful nymphs, the white singer, and the acrobatic performances. The nymphs are beautiful, and their sensuous performances draw the attention of the audiences immediately. They are dressed in costumes that have weather wings to emphasize their beauty. The beautiful singer, on the other hand, is dressed in white clothing. She represents the bright future for youth and the innocence of the young minds. The acrobats also develop the theme through their energetic performances. This shows the adventurous nature of the youth, their energy, flexibility, and their bright future. The fire-knife, contortion, flyers, ballet ringers, and various other performances represent the limits that the youth are able to conquer and supersede.

The play is captivating and the performances keep one locked to the view. There was also a flow in the scenes, which I would say is a challenge because of the many performances. The music background also achieved its creation of mood and emotion in the audience. It connected with the performances, and one could immediately capture the emotion and passion in the performances. I would recommend everyone to watch the play. It acts as great inspiration and teaches one to appreciate the different arts and abilities of people.

Conclusion

I would recommend this show to youth and children. Children would greatly enjoy the acrobatic and clown performances. The youth would enjoy watching the extraordinary features of the performances, for example, the spinning of the flyers in the air. The old might probably not enjoy the show because of the acrobatic nature of the show and the clowns. The strength of the production is its ability to communicate through music and connect it to the performances. Its weakness is that many people are captivated by the performances, and since there is no dialogue, few people would be able to understand the story line of the play.