Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Miscellaneous Constant Star A theater Review Constant Star A theater Review "Constant Star" by Tazewell Thompson is a play which sticks out in my mind as being one of the best I have ever had the priviledge of watching. The play is centered around the life of Ida B. Wells, a black woman who stands up for equality at all costs. Although the content of the play is moving and very interesting, the lighting, songs, costumes, props, and special effects are what made the play so extraordinary. In "Constant Star", lighting told much about the play as soon as it began. Low, yellowish lighting and a bit of fog spread by ceiling fans filled the stage as the play started. This gave the stage the look of an old photograph, so the audience immediatly gathered that the show was taking place in the past. The mood was often set by lighting as well. Red lighting gave the audience a sense of foreboding while yellow indicated happy times. Also, lighting could substitute for props. During scenes involving the train, lights would flash on and off, making the stage look as if it was actually moving. This effectively created the illusion that the cast was on a train. Also, lighting was innovatively used to create a "jail" in one of the scenes by creating vertical bars on the stage around the convicts. Singing was also very important in the play. Most often, the songs that were sung in the play were used in conjuction with lighting to create the mood. Deep, slow songs indicated that times were changing from good to bad, or from bad to worse. High, fast songs introduced happy scenes. Scenes were also changed according to song, such as the jail scene. The cast began to sing a song about freedom and the jail bars disappeared, indicating through song that the men had been freed. Also, song was important in the play because the songs were specific to the african american culture. Costumes were also an important aspect of the play. Since five women played the role of one character, costumes played an important role in distinguishing "which" Ida B. Wells was speaking. The costumes were also important to the chronology of the play. They reflected the time period and also communicated much to the audience about the character of Ida B. Wells. Throughout the play, the cast stayed in the same costumes. Therefore, when a costume change occurred, the audience knew that it was supposed to be an important scene. For instance, a costume change was used when Ida B. Wells was supposed to meet Ferdinand Barnett at a dance. She is adorned in a bright red ball gown and the fanciness of this gown stands out against the almost empty stage. This is an important scene because she will eventually marry ferdinand Barnett and it is the first time we see Ida B. Wells truly happy. Also, a song was sung about wanting to wear a red dress and not be called a "red", so the costume was more than just a dress, it was a statement. The language used in the play greatly effected the play and effectively appealed to the pathos of the audience. For instance, someone in the play is not merely "shot", his "brains are blown out". This creates a very graphic and violent mental picture for the members of the audience, and draws them further into the story. Also, the eloquence of Ida B. Wells was very prominent. In most literary works or plays, african americans speak with a thick dialect, like Jim in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . The perfection of her speech revealed much about her education and social standing and went beyond the audiences expectations for someone of her ethnicity from this time period. I feel that this was an important tool in establishing her as a leader and a powerful figure in the play. The props and special effects in the play were outstanding as well. One of the most striking scenes in the play is when a gun is pointed at the audience while a powerful monolouge is being delievered. The entire audience is staring down the barrel of a gun, and so becomes a part of the play. It shows the audience what it is like to be an innocent victim. This is important because it made the audience further realize the tragedy and horror that african americans were exposed to during this time period. Using lighting, song, language, and props and special effects, Tazewell Thompson's powerful play about the life of Ida B. Wells becomes even more impacting. From the moment the play opens, all of these aspects work in unison to draw the audience in so that everyone becomes part of the play. Bibliography: Word Count: 829
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