A. Choose a Theatrical Production to Watch:

• • Play, Musical or Spectacle (it must a piece of theatre: either live in person or a recording of a live staged production. Not a "film version" of a musical or play). 
  • YouTube & Netflix have some good options.
    • Ghostlight Theatre is performing  starting February 11; consider seeing that for this response!
  • Consider the extremely high-quality options on  (a new library resource with performances from Broadway, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and beyond) – be sure that the show you pick is one that’s performed in front of an audience, however, as this also includes some TV and film adaptations, which do not qualify for our purposes.
  • Must be something you haven’t seen before.

 

Watching Time: typically 1hr 30mins — 2hr 30mins

 

B. Response

1) Introduce your readers to the Production you watched

• • Title & Author 
  • Plot & Major Characters
    • Note the plot points: Exposition/Stasis/Setting the Scene; Rising Action; Climax; Denouement
    • Note the protagonist/hero & antagonist. Sometimes a single person; sometimes a group or force.
  • Production date of the version you watched & Original production date (if different).
  • Any significant/interesting facts about this production
  • If available, include the link or tell us what platform you watched it on (Netflix, HBO, Disney+, BroadwayHD, DVD)

 

2) Offer initial impressions using the Critical Response Protocol

1. 1. What do you notice? Describe without judgement. I notice that…
   2. What does it remind you of? Describe memory, experience, story, etc
   3. How do you feel? Describe emotions in 1 or 2 words
   4. What questions does it raise? I wonder…

 

3) Speculate about the Production’s Intended Purpose in Society

1. What does the work help you understand? What you think the production was trying to do? ie., Entertain, Challenge, Promote, Question, Justify, Inspire, Educate, Provoke, Self-Criticism, Convert, etc.

2. What was it about the production that led you to believe this is so?

e.g., The show was meant to entertain. This was obvious through the use of humor and low stakes scenarios such as the parent and child changing bodies due to a magic spell. When originally written in 1980s, the playwright likely wanted to entertain audiences because they were dealing with the fallout of financial recession. 

or, e.g., The show was meant to warn the audience. I say that because of the way the author had multiple characters talk about the dangers or heroine addiction, even when it didn’t push the plot forward. It seemed the playwright really wanted to get this message across. 

 

 

3) Respond to the Theatrical Elements

Select four (4) of the following theatrical elements. Give an example of the effectiveness (or lack thereof) for those four elements. Be specific and highly descriptive. Remember, your readers probably haven’t seen this show. Transport them there. Let them "see" what you saw.

A) Use the Critical Response Protocol (Notice — Remember — Feel — Wonder). 

B) Then, answer: "How did these heighten or complement the theme? How did they help tell the story?":

• • • • • Writing
        • Acting
        • Directing
        • Costumes
        • Props
        • Set/Scene
        • Lighting
        • Sound Effects
        • Music

 

4) Conclusion

Wrap up with a few sentences on…

A) whether you’d like to work on a show like this one and if so, in what capacity. If you said no, what would need to be different about the show for you to be interested in contributing your energies and skills to the production?

B) Would you recommend this production to one of your classmates? Why? Why not?

 

Target Word count: 800-1200 words

Response Time: 40mins – 1hr

NEED ASSIGNMENT HELP?

We guarantee plagiarism-free and AI-free writing services. Every assignment is crafted with originality, precision, and care to meet your academic needs.

Ready to get started? Place your order directly on this post!

Let us help you achieve excellence—authentic work, every time.