The Grade 8's Visit the Grand Theatre
On Tuesday, November 22, 2011, our class went to see "Shape of a Girl" at the
Grand Theatre. Shape of a Girl is a highly accessible show for teens that looks at the realities of teenage relationships and bullying. The play follows Braidie, a girl in grade 10, who is fascinated by the
news coverage of a murder trial involving a group of teenage girls who have attacked one of their peers. As the story unfolds in the news, Braidie begins to realize that there is a parallel between the headlines and the emotional bullying that she and her friends have been participating since grade 2. Having come to this realization, and knowing that the bullying could escalate Braidie must confront her friends and stop the victimization of her classmate.
"The Shape of a Girl is a must-see for teens or anyone living or working with them. It accurately captures the thoughts, struggles and emotions that our youth face on a daily basis and presents these in an entertaining, yet thoughtprovoking manner" — Ann Dusterbeck, Boys and Girls Club Community Services
Your assignment is to write a play review. Please read the instructions below, and be sure to include each part in your review.
Remember: The point of a play review is to critique a play, not just to describe it! If you simply describe the plot, then you will not receive a very good grade. Thus, you need to have an overall thesis, just like in a regular essay. In this case, your thesis will be related to whether you thought the play was a good interpretation or well-executed version of the play. You then need to provide points throughout the review to support your thesis. The following questions will allow you to think about some elements of the play that you can
critique:
Basic Information
• In what theatre is the play being performed?
• What date and time did you see the play?
• What play did you see?
• Who was the author?
Script: Try to identify the following:
• What was the major conflict, dramatic question, or unifying theme?
• What was the dominant tone of the play? Serious? Comic? Ironic? Explain.
Directing: Try to comment on the following:
• Was there an identifiable production concept, unifying metaphor, or
interpretational approach? If so, what was it and how was it manifested in the
production?
• Were all of the elements of the production compatible and coordinated? Explain.
• If not, what seemed out of place or inadequately integrated with the rest?
Acting: Choose at least two actors (male or female) to comment on in some depth:
Please spell actors’ and characters’ names correctly.
• Were the roles appropriately cast?
• Were some actors inadequate to their roles? In what ways?
• Were some actors especially effective? If so, how and with what effect?
• Were the actors audible? Understandable?
• Were there any special skills (such as dancing, singing, fencing, playing a musical
instrument) required of any of the actors? If so, how effectively were the demands
met?
Scenic Design: Try to comment on the following:
• In what type of performance space was the production staged?
• What characteristics did the scenery embody? What did the scenery convey about
the play?
• How did the scenery contribute (or fail to contribute) to the total production?
What would have been lost if the scenery had been eliminated?
Costume Design and Makeup: Try to comment on the following:
• Were there any special costume needs? (historical, fantasy? etc.) If so, how well
were they handled?
• Were there any special makeup needs? (Same as above) If so, how well were they
handled?
• Overall, how did costumes and makeup contribute (or fail to contribute) to the
total production?
Lighting Design and Sound: Try to comment on the following:
• Were there any special lighting or sound needs? If so how well was it executed?
• Overall, how did lighting and sound contribute (or fail to contribute) to the
production concept and the total production?
Final Thoughts
• What was your overall impression of the performance?
• What was your overall impression of the experience?
• Any final thoughts?
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If you did not attend the play, here is your assignment:
1. Define bullying in your own words, include a link to a definition that you found
as well.
2. Paragraph 1: Research the play, Shape of a Girl, and write a summary of it.
3. Paragraph 2: Research the real-life event of Reena Virk's murder, describe what
happened, be sure to link it back to the play, Shape of a Girl. Also, include
how this tragedy could have been prevented.
4. Create a poster (using glogster)to curb bullying. Include local and national
help line number.
