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Hi, my name is Madison Williams and my candidate number is 001518-0310.

“All artforms are in the serice of the !reatest of all arts" the art of liin!.#

$ %ertolt %recht

“&mall thin!s can ma'e a bi! difference#

● At the beginning of the IB, it was difficult for me to separate all the elements of

theatre- I very much viewed theatre as split into acting and tech● I wasnt aware of rehearsal techni!ues, such as physicality and how its utili"ed,

and didn#t understand in depth how costume designers, light and sound designers,

dramaturges, tech crew, and devisers fully contribute to $%A&I'% a performance

● IB theatre has helped me to view the practice of theatre as a multifaceted

combination of acting, devising, design, and technical elements

● Throughout the course, Ive learned to find value in all topics weve studied,

despite not loving all of them

● I understand how small details can ma(e or brea( performances, and have learned

how to utili"e minute elements of a performance to emphasi"e a particular theme)idea

● I understand how many different practices and theories come together to create

the art that is theatre

● Three of these facets of world theatre I will be focusing on are costuming and

ma(eup, African storytelling, and Bertolt Brecht#s %pic theatre

(ostume and Ma'eu)

● *ostuming and ma(eup is my favourite aspect of technical theatre● I chose images that show how many options there are within costuming and

theatre +a full set of ma(eup brushes, a costume designers wor(room in order to show

the endless creative possibilities allowed in costume

● *ostume and ma(eup designers are responsible for creating the visual appearance

of characters in a production .ey in reflecting the thematic ideas reali"ed by the characters

*an be used to embody a symbol, metaphor, or allegory

$eflect mood and atmosphere

%stablish the role or importance of characters $eflect status, occupation, age, gender, and other facets of

character /nderline plot development

● This is shown through0

*olor symbology $eflection of time period +time accuracy

Te1ture and use of different materials



Ability to create movement +restricting fabrics vs2 loose and

flowing

3rotes!ue or traditional ma(eup +to reflect character

● In IB theatre Ive had the opportunity to learn how to utili"e clothing and ma(eup

to reflect symbols and thematic elements in many performances

● 4rom using random ob5ects found in our classroom to represent costumes for awedding party during a 6adaist performance to utili"ing conscious visual symbology

during devising wor(, Ive learned to appreciate costuming and ma(eup as an important

aspect of reflecting the message and theme of the piece2● *ostuming shows and performances both in and out of class has allowed my to

utili"e the s(ills I learned in class in a practical manner2 I was even honored at the 7assachusetts %ducational Theatre

3uild competition in 4ebruary of 89:; with an award in <e1cellence in costume

and ma(eup design= for my schools production of 7%6%A2

I focused heavily on use of color and historical accuracy in order to

reflect the :>?9s @ietnam ar era we set the production in2 7%6%A and hersavage chorus were very presentational, with use of rich colors in order to

highlight their chaotic nature, but also were made of materials that allowed for

e1treme movement2 The soldiers, the guards, the princess 3&A/*%, and the

3ree( chorus had representational costumes, that were designed to be historically

accurate, and allowed for as much movement as would have been typical of each

character the women of the 3re( chorus had costumes that limited their

movement, while the soldiers and guards had costumes that allowed for a wider

range of motion2 This reflected something more concrete and real, as opposed to

the somewhat fantastical and unreal nature of the savage chorus2

Ive come to view costumes and ma(eup as an aspect of theatre

that re!uires a lot of creativity, planning and effort2 This also has influenced me

when I go and see shows

*n +he +on

● In October 89:C, I saw a production of the musical On The Town2● ritten in :>CC, the show was choreographed and had a score written by Derome

$obbins and &eonard Bernstein respectively2 OE TF% TOE is the story of a three

sailors on leave from their ship, who want to s!uee"e as much fun into their 8C-hour

shore leave2 All three men !uic(ly meet and connect with a different woman, and hilarity

!uic(ly insues when problems arise on their dates, with many forces trying to force the

couples apart2● $obbins and Bernstein are (nown for shows that

● I was e1tremely impressed with the costuming utilisedG historical accuracy was

on point, and the color symbolism was very strong, as well as allowing for movement



After the show, I actually had the opportunity to tal( to the actors,

who were able to give me some information about the construction of their

costumes The sailors# costumes, as most everyone else#s, were made of a

cotton-polyester blend that reflected both their ran(s in the navy, but also allowed

for easier movement in such a movement heavy piece● I was also very impressed with the e1treme physicality

The musical integrates dance into its storytelling0 $obbins made a

number of ballets and e1tended dance se!uences for the show, including the

HImaginary *oney IslandH ballet2

The actors were all trained in dance, which showed even when

they were not actively dancing, and it made their movements flow naturally

In this particular picture, it#s from the Imaginary *oney Island

ballet se!uence that lasted about fifteen minutes, and the physicality completely

engaged the audience

The use of music and movement, combined with the strongcostuming reminded me of African storytelling

Why +he (heetahs (hee's Are &tained

● African storytelling originated from griots, or storytellers, recounting traditional

tribal stories and acting as a living history boo( for the village

● Is an art that#s even more ancient than theatre, and is still practiced widely today,

not only in Africa, but worldwide

● African storytelling involves many uni!ue elements, such as repetition,

physicality, use of costumes and)or ma(eup, use of rhythm and)or music, and audience

interaction● In our performance of Hhy The *heetah#s *hee(s Are tainedH, a traditional

'ulu story, we utilised heavy ma(eup to emphasi"e the story of a mother cheetah whose

baby was ta(en away from her by a hunter, and her tears caused the dar( splotches that

are uni!ue to cheetah#s

● 6an#s smearing of the ma(eup helped to tell the story, as well as my own ma(eup,

as the hunter, separating me from the other two people in my group as a human as

compared to animals

● African storytelling helped me not only to utilise my s(ills learned about the

functions of costume and ma(eup, as shown by 6an, $ose, and myself, but also to

e1plore physicality● Physicality is a huge part of African storytelling in that it shows how the griot

physically embodies each character they play, and reflects age, status, gender, similar to

how ma(eup reflects this as well

● I#ll go into a little more detail about physicality

hysicality



● Physicality is my least favourite aspect of theatre2 I absolutely do not li(e it2

Fowever, when studying physicality in different practices, I didn#t let my personal

opinions get in the way of my learning● &earning about physicality has helped me to appreciate all aspects of theatre

studies, and to find the value in activities that aren#t my favourites

● Physicality was e1treme in Hhy The *heetah#s *hee(s Are tainedH● As someone who has dealt with a lot of self-esteem issues, this was something I

had not been comfortable been with in the past, but having studied the merits of

physicality, I was able to successfully utilise it in performance● I understand now how physicality helps the actor embody the character, creates

tension, and engages the audience in the story● Fuge part of African storytelling, and I wish that I had seen On The Town before

learning about physicality, because I would have understood how movement and

physicality can be utili"ed in many types of performsnce, not 5ust specifically one

● Physicality is not only a huge part of African storytelling, but of Brecht#s %pic

theatre as well

%recht uote

● This !uotation from Bertolt Brecht is definitive of his opinion of theatre0 change

is inevitable

● Brecht developed his concept of %pic theatre in the :>89s and :>J9s, ta(ing

influence from 7ar1ist revolutionaries, and wanted drama to be Ha vehicle for tactical

didactismH

● %pic theatre became a forum for political ideals and was a direct reaction against

traditional realism

● Brecht#s use of brea(ing the fourth wall, placards with messages written on them,obtrusive costumes and ma(eup, use of the HgestusH +Brecht#s theory around physicality,

the main point being that e1treme gesture and physicality should be utili"ed to reflect

symbolism or thematic ideas, use of loud music and songs, and audience interaction

contribute to the core of %pic theatre

● The @-%ffe(t is the effect of Hma(ing strangeH Brecht believed that audiences

should E%@%$ suspend their reality when watching theatre Brecht hated tanislavs(i

and realism, and completely re5ected their concepts in order to force his audiences to

● tudying Brecht showed me how theatre can force observers to e1amine their

Hpicture of the worldH and how technical aspects of theatre contribute to creating this

change2● *ostume is a ma5or contributor to this, and grotes!ue and HunrealH ma(eup

combined with distinctive costume pieces that ta(e the idea of concept reflecting

character even further +Brecht often had actors in neutral blac( clothing with only a few

distinct costume pieces such as a hat or a mas( or brightly colored shirt in order to

emphasi"e social class, gender, age, or other aspects of character



● I found costuming in %pic theatre to be particularly interesting because Brecht and

African storytelling utilise e1treme costume, but while in African storytelling costume

and ma(eup is used to immerse the audience in the story, in %pic theatre costuming is

used to sha(e the audience out of the HlullH that is realism

● Brechtian theatre has been my absolute favourite thing I#ve done in theatre0

political theatre has been a concept that I have grasped on to, and my study of Bertolt

Brecht has inspired me to ma5or in political science as well as continuing my theatre

studies at university +I#m basically ma5oring in Brecht, let#s be real● tudying Brecht had also shown me how many small elements of theatre can

contribute to engaging the audience without pretending that what they see on stage is not

relevant to their own lives

“/un, (omrade#

● This sums up how Brecht viewed theatre0 he was always loo(ing ahead to the

future, wanting to create social change

● A slogan from the rebellions in Paris in 7ai 7ille neuf cent soi1ante huKtre

+:>?L, Brecht would have been all over this !uote● Brecht focused on encoding social change, and grasped onto a dream of change

that was yet to come● Theatre is a constantly evolving art form that is not to say that traditional

elements +li(e African theatre are not usefulM in order to create new theatre, it is

important to understand traditional elements and learn how to utilise them in new creative

ways

● That is the basis of theatre for me0 small things, such as changing physical

position or lipstic( color or playing Beethoven rather than Bach, and how these little

changes contribute to the thematic idea and or)symbolism in the performance● The s(ills I#ve learned in IB theatre throughout my study of costuming and

ma(eup, African storytelling, and %pic theatre allow me to utilise symbolic

representations, physicality, color, and sociopolitics to understand the importance of all

aspects of theatre, but also to be constantly thin(ing creatively and to be always

interested in creating more

“All artforms are in the serice of the !reatest of all arts" the art of liin!.#

$ %ertolt %recht

end.

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