The play Hundred Days by Kate Ryan can be described as a rock opera with the elements of a drama. Its performance was staged by San Francisco Project Artaud Theatre on April 2, 2014. To a great extent, this play is aimed at exploring people’s ability to achieve harmony and re-evaluate their priorities and attitudes to one another. This is the main theme that Kate Ryan strives to explore.
Overall, the director can create a romantic atmosphere that prompts the audience to empathize with the main characters. To a great extent, this effect was achieved with the help of music, which helps viewers since the experiences of the protagonists, especially their sadness and anticipation of the future loss.
Secondly, the authors rely on soothing lighting. Finally, the scenery is dominated by blue color, which is also very soothing. This choice enables the director to attract the spectators’ attention to actors’ performance, rather than scenery, itself.
It is possible to argue that there are many visually stunning sets, and the staging seems surreal. For example, one can mention the moment when the main characters have to leave one another. Secondly, the lighting is very dark, but this design choice is quite appropriate.
In particular, in this way, the director focuses the viewers on the voices of actors and their non-verbal behavior. This is one of the main points that should be taken into consideration. Furthermore, the costumes are rather informal, but they fit the behavior of the characters and their language.
Furthermore, one can say that acting was quite convincing. The actors succeeded in creating an ensemble in which every participant can properly play his/her part. Secondly, the voices and non-verbal behavior of actors were quite consistent with one another. Moreover, this combination made their acting more believable. This is one of the details that can be distinguished.
I particularly enjoyed how the actors expressed their emotions through singing. For example, I can distinguish the performance of actors who played the married couple.
These people can show that the protagonists are perfectly aware of the fact that very soon, their happiness will be cut short by the terminal illness. This is one of the things that make the play so convincing. However, at the same time, these performers can portray their main characters’ devotion to one another.
On the whole, I can argue that the stage was comfortably balanced because the spectators could easily observe the body language of the actors and hear the voices, even though they could be sitting in different parts of the concert hall. Additionally, various elements of sound and scenery design were quite compatible with each other.
In my view, the director was able to reflect the original intentions of the playwright. In particular, the performers show how people struggle with the feeling of loss and how they can overcome their sadness. Furthermore, there were no details that could seem out-of-place or confusing. These are the main point that can be made.
This play is worth attention because it perfectly combines the elements of a rock opera and a drama. I would like to mention that the narrative of the play and music perfectly fit each other. More importantly, the actors managed to reflect the winner of the main characters, especially their acceptance of death. This is one of the issues that I can distinguish.