Disappearance

I went to go see the play Disappearance and I was so pleasantly surprised at how good it was!  Not that I thought it was going to be bad or anything! But first off I thought I was going to see a 2 hour 40 minute Asian dance.  When I found out it was a play I was very excited!  And after having Professor Francis for beginning acting I know that he is an amazing teacher meaning all the actors were going to be well prepared.
The play had a lot of Noh qualities to it, one being the four pillars that surrounded the floor.  Noh is also known for being a drama, which this play had lots of.  There were so many unknowns that were revealed as the play went on.  It left the viewers in suspense and wanting to watch more.  There was also the inclusion of chanting or singing, as well as music by the viola in the background.  That was a nice, fun, Noh style touch to the play.  It was very well incorporated into the flow of the play as well.  There was also seating at the front, right, and left sides of the play.  This is representative of how the seating works for Noh plays.  I didn't see the seats up top on the left at first but kinda wished I had sat there!  Most plays you see nowadays don't have this aspect to them.  It would have been a nice change of view to see the play side on.  There was also a good amount of the play acted out around the four pillars.  The actors sat on the blocks, put their shoes near them, walked by them to get up the stairs or out the door.  This is also true of Noh plays, the actors do most of their acting around the pillars instead of near the center of the stage.
I think that this play was a great modern representation of what would have gone on in traditional Noh dramas.  Luckily there were some differences, like the fact that this play didn't last all day!  This twist on Noh dramas was made to keep us students entertained, as well as involved in the play and I think it did a great job of accomplishing both.  I think the actors did a tremendous job, as well as the singers, and the guy who did the Asain commentating!  I didn't know what he was saying but I thought that that was a great touch to the play.  The "Yup" in the background was also brought that Asian theatre tradition to it as well.  Loved it.