My experience watching ‘legally blonde’ was one not to be reckoned with, despite the fact that the play took place in a well-known community theatre, it did not match my full expectations of how a good production of ‘legally blonde’ play ought to be performed.
Generally, I would rank the play as below average. One of the major reasons why it was a poor performance is due to lack of proper portrayal of charm by Elle Woods who according to the original musical production uses them to get to Harvard. The character in this play was rather dull and kept on pausing in between her speeches. It was clear that she had not mastered her lines.
The script represented an original ‘legally blonde’ script and therefore the author of the script did a commendable job because he included all the roles in the play and interpreted every scene in the play correctly. The vital theme in the production script from the author’s original work is the theme of love, perseverance, and loyalty, which were all included in the script. Therefore, the author of the script had his role well cut out.
Another shoddy aspect of the production is the casting which was poorly presented because the main characters Elle Woods and Emmenet Forest were not well represented. The actor who played Emmenet did not portray a smart, honorable part as required. Instead, he seemed to struggle with the role while Elle Woods on the other hand lacked the energy that qualifies the role of original Elle Woods. Misrepresentation of these qualities diverted my attention from the play at some point.
The set was perfectly done and every location in the original play was included in the stage. From my own judgment, the set was complete and it matched my expectation of a ‘legally blonde’ production and stage arrangement.
Could I see everything? Yes, the theatre was well equipped with the latest lighting systems. The background lighting, area lighting and other latest techniques that enhanced toning and blending were employed. This helped to enhance the characters skin tone and reduced shadows on their faces. Therefore, visibility was perfect and heightened the mood in the play.
The costumes were well done to suit the play. The use of bright colored costumes enhanced visibility and clarity. The costumes also matched the appropriate time of the story and the use of wigs help to identify Ellen Wood who was one of the main characters portrayed as a ‘blonde’.
In my opinion, the props were well represented as required in the play. The use of a background screen that kept on changing to suit different venues in the story enhanced the originality factor; this managed to catch my concentration in the play. Also the furniture used was appropriate for the different scenes in the play.
The sound was perfect, and audible enough to follow the play. There were no echoes and, it managed to keep my attention on the play to the end. The sound equipment ensured clarity and enhanced the mood. The use of music matched the different events in the story ranging from the sad moments to the happy moments. This made the play a bit more interesting.
Generally, the acting was poor despite having high quality equipment and nice venue. The first major loophole started with the characters. To be more specific, the main characters Ellen Wood and Emmenet lacked energy and smartness qualities respectively; therefore, the originality of the play was not expressed.
According to the play, every character was present but they did not play their role as required to qualify a typical ‘legally blonde’ narrative. I did not believe in the play due to poor role representation by the characters. In my own opinion, the characters in the play were not well prepared.