Different Versions Of Plays

..and why not?
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Dr Markus
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Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Dr Markus » 05 Jan 2018, 16:11

I'll admit from the start i'm not a theatre fan at all, but when I seen people raving about different productions of plays and how they differ from each other, i'm always left wondering just how different can it be? Obviously the actors involved as to be taken in to consideration, but other than that, what? Better set design? A company takes a shakespeare play and undated it to more modern times, so? Does the director make the play go a bit faster or make it more intense in directing the actors compared to other versions? I'm assuming no one fucks with the words of the play.

I just don't get it.
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby naughty boy » 05 Jan 2018, 17:10

What don't you get?

Many elements can be different.

Set design, lighting, choreography (if relevant), seating (much depends on the venue).

Casting, direction.

Costumes, make-up.

Acoustics/PA.
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Goat Boy » 05 Jan 2018, 17:14

Q. How different can an interpretation of a play be?

A. Quite different
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby toomanyhatz » 05 Jan 2018, 17:20

I have also seen people fuck with the words of a play.

If you do it too much, you have to call it an adaption, but actors will improvise, reverse the order of an occasional line, etc. Sometimes accidentally, sometimes purposely.
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Dr Markus » 05 Jan 2018, 17:29

BCB's Most Tedious Poster wrote:What don't you get?

Many elements can be different.

Set design, lighting, choreography (if relevant), seating (much depends on the venue).

Casting, direction.

Costumes, make-up.

Acoustics/PA.


Things can be different like you mentioned, but aside from different actors I can't see what else you can do with a play. Like I mentioned you can set in modern times etc but other than that? What else can a director do in a play in terms of making the play that different?
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby naughty boy » 05 Jan 2018, 17:34

Goat Boy wrote:Q. How different can an interpretation of a play be?

A. Quite different


:lol:
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby toomanyhatz » 05 Jan 2018, 17:41

What does a director do? If you can define that, you can probably answer your own question.
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby The Modernist » 08 Jan 2018, 16:42

The Great Defector wrote:
BCB's Most Tedious Poster wrote:What don't you get?

Many elements can be different.

Set design, lighting, choreography (if relevant), seating (much depends on the venue).

Casting, direction.

Costumes, make-up.

Acoustics/PA.


Things can be different like you mentioned, but aside from different actors I can't see what else you can do with a play. Like I mentioned you can set in modern times etc but other than that? What else can a director do in a play in terms of making the play that different?


"What else can a director do in a play in terms of making the play that different?"
Er...you have rather a long list in the post you replied to! :lol:

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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Dr Markus » 08 Jan 2018, 16:47

The list is mainly cosmetic though. With film you can change everything, camera shots, sound etc which can make it totally different to other versions of the same film. You really can't do that with plays. Are Set design, lighting, choreography (if relevant), Costumes, make-up, really go make a difference?
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Davey the Fat Boy » 08 Jan 2018, 16:50

You can do a Shakespeare play on a set realistically depicting a castle with the actors in full period garb, or you can do the same play with an empty stage, a single chair, a spotlight and the actors fully naked.

The words would be the same. But the shows would be completely different.
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby The Modernist » 08 Jan 2018, 16:51

The Great Defector wrote:The list is mainly cosmetic though. With film you can change everything, camera shots, sound etc which can make it totally different to other versions of the same film. You really can't do that with plays. Are Set design, lighting, choreography (if relevant), Costumes, make-up, really go make a difference?


Of course they do. You must have studied the importance of mise en scene when you were at college?

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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Dr Markus » 08 Jan 2018, 16:54

The Modernist wrote:
The Great Defector wrote:The list is mainly cosmetic though. With film you can change everything, camera shots, sound etc which can make it totally different to other versions of the same film. You really can't do that with plays. Are Set design, lighting, choreography (if relevant), Costumes, make-up, really go make a difference?


Of course they are. You must have studied the importance of mise en scene when you were at college?


Yeah I did, however in a play I don't see how it can add anything really new. I remember watching a modern day version of Macbeth and they were wearing trendy clothes, trying to make it edgy and it was set in the 90's. It did absolutely nothing for me compared to the more traditional versions of Macbeth I've seen. Same lines, same scenes............
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Davey the Fat Boy » 08 Jan 2018, 16:56

The Great Defector wrote:
The Modernist wrote:
The Great Defector wrote:The list is mainly cosmetic though. With film you can change everything, camera shots, sound etc which can make it totally different to other versions of the same film. You really can't do that with plays. Are Set design, lighting, choreography (if relevant), Costumes, make-up, really go make a difference?


Of course they are. You must have studied the importance of mise en scene when you were at college?


Yeah I did, however in a play I don't see how it can add anything really new. I remember watching a modern day version of Macbeth and they were wearing trendy clothes, trying to make it edgy and it was set in the 90's. It did absolutely nothing for me compared to the more traditional versions of Macbeth I've seen. Same lines, same scenes............


So why bother seeing plays at all?

If all they are are the words...why not just read them?
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Dr Markus » 08 Jan 2018, 17:10

Davey the Fat Boy wrote:
The Great Defector wrote:
The Modernist wrote:
Of course they are. You must have studied the importance of mise en scene when you were at college?


Yeah I did, however in a play I don't see how it can add anything really new. I remember watching a modern day version of Macbeth and they were wearing trendy clothes, trying to make it edgy and it was set in the 90's. It did absolutely nothing for me compared to the more traditional versions of Macbeth I've seen. Same lines, same scenes............


So why bother seeing plays at all?

If all they are are the words...why not just read them?


I don't go to plays, just something I don't get about plays. The Macbeths I seen were for school.
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby The Modernist » 08 Jan 2018, 17:10

The Great Defector wrote:
The Modernist wrote:
The Great Defector wrote:The list is mainly cosmetic though. With film you can change everything, camera shots, sound etc which can make it totally different to other versions of the same film. You really can't do that with plays. Are Set design, lighting, choreography (if relevant), Costumes, make-up, really go make a difference?


Of course they are. You must have studied the importance of mise en scene when you were at college?


Yeah I did, however in a play I don't see how it can add anything really new. I remember watching a modern day version of Macbeth and they were wearing trendy clothes, trying to make it edgy and it was set in the 90's. It did absolutely nothing for me compared to the more traditional versions of Macbeth I've seen. Same lines, same scenes............


You probably just saw a poor adaptation, but that doesn't mean to say you can't have a successful radical reworking of a play that brings a new perspective to it. That said, if you don't like the play then there's not much a director can do. The play itself will always be the most important thing.

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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby naughty boy » 08 Jan 2018, 17:21

The Great Defector wrote:
Davey the Fat Boy wrote:
The Great Defector wrote:
Yeah I did, however in a play I don't see how it can add anything really new. I remember watching a modern day version of Macbeth and they were wearing trendy clothes, trying to make it edgy and it was set in the 90's. It did absolutely nothing for me compared to the more traditional versions of Macbeth I've seen. Same lines, same scenes............


So why bother seeing plays at all?

If all they are are the words...why not just read them?


I don't go to plays, just something I don't get about plays. The Macbeths I seen were for school.


:lol:

If you don't go to plays then why are you asking all these questions?
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Sneelock » 08 Jan 2018, 17:23

I think it can be especially satisfying when this is done well. it can underline the modern day relevance in the source material. I know it can seem forced sometimes but a little patience can be rewarded. Do I want to hear Macbeth in Spanglish? well, I don't rightly know. I'll know when I hear it.
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Dr Markus » 08 Jan 2018, 17:25

BCB's Most Tedious Poster wrote:
The Great Defector wrote:
Davey the Fat Boy wrote:
So why bother seeing plays at all?

If all they are are the words...why not just read them?


I don't go to plays, just something I don't get about plays. The Macbeths I seen were for school.


:lol:

If you don't go to plays then why are you asking all these questions?



Some times you need a day off from starting threads ;)
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby toomanyhatz » 08 Jan 2018, 18:34

So you're not actually interested? You just wanted to find something to start a thread about?

There goes that bully hatz picking on poor Markus again!
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Re: Different Versions Of Plays

Postby Dr Markus » 08 Jan 2018, 18:36

toomanyhatz wrote:So you're not actually interested? You just wanted to find something to start a thread about?

There goes that bully hatz picking on poor Markus again!


:lol: Bully, you think too highly of yourself TMH. Bully? :lol:

Just before we start tit for tat passive aggressive shite. Just know/realize you posted first.
Last edited by Dr Markus on 08 Jan 2018, 18:39, edited 1 time in total.
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