Saturday, March 21, 2020

Staging in Six Characters in Search of an Author essays

Staging in Six Characters in Search of an Author essays Staging in "Six Characters in Search of an Author" Pirandello's masterpiece, "Six Characters in Search of an Author" is well known for its innovative techniques of characterization, especially in the fullness of character as exhibited by the Stepdaughter and the Father, but it is especially renowned, and rightfully so, for the brilliant staging techniques employed by its author. Pirandello uses his innovative staging techniques specifically to symbolize, within the confines of the theater, the blending of the theater and real life. Chief among these, of course, is the way in which the author involves the audience in his production, to the point which, like a medieval audience, they become part of the action, and indeed, a character in its own right. The use of lines provided in the playbill was the first of its kind; never before had an author dared to ask the members of the audience to perform, even though unpaid, and indeed, paying for the experience themselves. But without those lines, how much less impressive would that moment be when the Director, understandably at the end of his rope with the greedy characters (who have been from the start trying to coerce him into writing a script for non-union wages), shouts "Reality! Fantasy! Who needs this! What does this mean?" and the audience, in unison, shouts back, "It's us! We're here!" The moment immediately after that, when the whole cast laughs directly at the audience, pointing at them in glee, is nearly unbearable for an audience, as shown by the riot after the first performance, when the audience not only ripped the seats out of the theater, but stole the popcorn. Pirandello also used a technique he inherited from the "Cirque de Soleil," involving a trapeze hung from the catwalk. But though the trapeze was not in itself his own invention, its use during the intermission as a means to annoy the audience was absolutely innovative. He had gotten the idea from w...

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Anorexia, Meet Orthorexia

Anorexia, Meet Orthorexia Anorexia, Meet Orthorexia Anorexia, Meet Orthorexia By Maeve Maddox The other evening I heard the word orthorexia for the first time. Its a newly coined word meaning Excessive concern with consuming a diet considered to be correct in some respect, often involving the elimination of foods or food groups supposed to be harmful to health. On the pattern of anorexia nervosa, one may now speak of orthorexia nervosa, a pathological concern with consuming a correct diet. The word anorexia has been around since 1598 with the meaning lack of appetite. An extreme form of anorexia is anorexia nervosa: pathological loss of appetite from psychic causes typically accompanied by deficiency symptoms, emaciation, and wasting and atrophic changes The new word for worrying too much about eating healthful foods was coined by Colorado MD Steven Bratman. According to Bratman, a woman named Kate Finn died of the effects of orthorexia. Dieters would do well to recall this advice from the ancients: Observe due measure, moderation is best in all things. Hesiod Moderation, the noblest gift of heaven. Euripides We should pursue and practice moderation. Plato If you want to know more about orthorexia nervosa, this Wikipedia article is a good place to begin. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should KnowWriting the CenturyDozen: Singular or Plural?