What was your response to La Boite Theatre Company's production of "Summer of the 17th Doll"?
Is the production (directed by Sean Mee) a powerful one, still relevant to an audience in the 21st century? What are your views?
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15 comments:
Seeing this play after reading just fulfiled my love for it. This play showed great character and the story line is one that is hard to forget. This play is our heritage it put Australia and its actors on the map!
There were many parts in this play that were beyond hilarious, it was hard to hold myself back and im sure the entire theatre knows that i found it funny.
I loved the characterization of the of most characters my favorite being Olive. She was fantastic if i was to meet her i would be fully consumed by her character and would never be able to guess that it wasnt her true personality. I also very much enjoyed Baneys character, he reminds you of the kind of character you would find in slap stick shows in the olden days.
The only character that i had a problem with was Dowd. He for me was just not what i pictured on the physical side, even though he was a FANTASIC actor i just belive that he looked to old for the character discribed in the play we read, or that i had imagined. Apart from his looks i could tell he was the character because of the clothing he was wearing and also the way he acted(younger more immature).
Over all i thing the set design, the actors and the directing was just FORNOMINAL...i loved everything about the play. im glad i was able to experience it at such a young age:D
thanks
After studying 'Summer of the Seventeenth Doll' in such detail and finally seeing the play extended my appreciation for the play much more.
The actors were phenominal, the tension, comedy and love displayed was heart-warming. My heart nearly broke in the last minute of the play, when Roo started smashing the seventeenth doll and basically was crying. The status changed when Barney seemed like the bigger man, helping Roo.
The emotion displayed was excellent, in all aspects of the performance.
The actors were well selected for the part, and they behaved just like i would have imagined the 1950's australians to behave.
I'd have to agree with Naomi, Dowd didn't really fit the part well. Yes he is a excellent actor, but i didn't really buy it. I imagined Dowd much younger.
However, i am so thankful for the opportunity to see this performance. I think the set design was perfect for it, and the actors were awesome.
I very much agree with all of the comments that Naomi has already expressed. I also felt that Dowd didn't really fit the character that was read about in the book. To me Dowd seemed to use more 'true blue aussie' language in the book but when acted out in the play I didn't really have that stand out to me in the play. However I’m in no way saying that he was a bad actor as I thought he, like all of the actors, had great focus and played their characters well. I am only saying that the picture i created of Dowd while reading the play was different to that shown/portrayed in the play.
Overall I really enjoyed the experience that La Boite allowed us to share with them. I think that it was very well thought out in terms of set design, actors and lighting which all added to the overwhelming passion and tension felt throughout the play. It is a great example of our australian history and heritage. I feel lucky to have been able to see such a powerful proformance.
Thank-you!
Wow, what a spectacular performance! It really is a play that means so much to Australia’s theater history. It’s a little sad when you think of how much knowledge Australians have of America’s theatrical history, with Broadway and the amazing people who were a part of that, Stephen Sondheim for one, yet so many people know so little of our own history. Ray Lawler was really a pioneer for the movement, his play script being both mesmerizing and provocative with a spectacular story and a concept that was really controversial at the time. Really, in those times Olive, Roo, Barney and Nancy’s lifestyles would have been so totally frowned upon it’s a little hard to imagine now.
To the performance we had the privilege of seeing today, few words can describe it. It was really a new and fresh way of portraying the script. I personally found that I love that style (if I remember correctly it was called round-house intimate) of theater. I agree with all the comments above mine, Sunny and Naomi especially with their views on the actor who played Dowd.
In short, it really was an amazing piece of theater which I loved! Though for those who know me, I did say ‘Phantom was better’, but I’m pretty much going to say that about everything now! So, it came close to Phantom, which in my books is the best you can get!
Thank you!
i completely agree with what the others have said upon seeing the play 'Summer of the 17th Doll' in regards to their comments on Johnny Dowd. I feel that the character would have been better portrayed by a younger actor. Although the actor they had was brilliant and well focused, he didn't quite seem how i imagined he would while reading the play, which was kind of a let down.
As for the end of the play when Roo smashed the doll, although i loved how the actor performed Roo's emotionally distraught state, it looked really odd to have Roo down on his hands and knees even though that was how it was written in the play. It made what was a really emotional scene seem almost comical, which was proven when several members of the audience laughed.
Apart from that i really enjoyed the performance and appreciate that we were able to experience another style of theatre so close after our fantastic experience with physical drama as it gives us a well-rounded knowledge of various types of theatre.
thanks.
I would have to agree with most people and say it was a fantastic performance!
i loved every minute.
we did alot of study on the play and before we went and watched the performance i had some trouble really understanding the meaning of the play and how the characters felt, now after watching it, it gives me a hole new perspective and understanding on the play Summer Of The 17th Doll.
i really wish i could of gone up to every actor in the performance and thank them! they did an amazing job! and to me they pin pointed there characterisation perfectly! the way i imagained the characters in my head was what i saw onstage.
and i must say the director did an outstanding job aswell, the way the set was designed and how the charaters moved was perfect.
i found that even though the theatre was round there wasnt even alot of masking! really well done for the director indeed.
i enjoyed every character and every minute from the performance.
thanks.
The play was really great, reading the play and then seeing it in live theatre is really different. The charaters where all great and kept the tension really high, which was awesome.
Yes, it's still pretty powerful, alot has changed from those times in the 50's, in both the way the dress and they way they acted.
In conclution the play was really great and all charater where fantastic and made the part. Although i didn't think Olive would be as crazy as she was, hence it being different in real life than the text.
After leaving the theater from Summer of the 17th Doll (directed by Sean Mee) I was left breathless and enthralled.
The heritage drama is something for Australia to be extremely proud of and no wonder it was one of our first plays to go around the world. The dramatic pauses, emotion and the way the talented actors used the stage was amazing.
The set design was excellent and gave good views to the whole audience to see the expression and emotion each character was going though. The actors themselves were awesome, you could easily tell how hard they had worked in perfecting their roles. All their attitudes, emotions and roles were spot on. Though I do have to agree with Naomi, Dowd wasn't what I expected in his physical characteristics but his acting was still wonderful.
In response to The Doll still being relevant to the 21st Century. I say it is, we are reminded not to stay in the past and that things have to change and that you have to move on to something new. But with the case of Summer of The 17th Doll...perhaps classics will always stay with us and we will certainly not move on from this heritage drama.
Overall it was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed every moment of it. I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to see it XD.
Wow. I dont really know what's left to say. All of you who have commented have had such great ideas. I completly agree with the majority here.
The play was amazing. No drawn out scenes. No bad blocking. No little mistakes even! Watching the play, you can't help but think about the rehersal time and effort put in by not only the actors, though the director as well.
An awsome effort.
The actors could not be more like their characters, even if it was actually them! They were amazing. The mannerisms and voice were spot on, though i must say my favorite was Olive and Emma.
Though I am going to have to agree with Naomi about Johnnie Dowd. Im aware that each perons has their own idea of the characters after reading the play, though I thought Johnnie needed to look younger. To me personally, it looked odd.
Regarding how Summer of the 17th doll relates to todays generation. Its hard to compare as the lifestyles back in teh 1950's was so very different.
Society would not accept the lifestyle that Olive, Pearl, Emma, Barney or Roo led. Though the direction of the play, judging by the comments, kept everyone interested.
Overall an amazing play. Unforgettable.
Grateful we were all able to experience it after reading the play.
Thanks.
The Summer of the seventeenth doll was so enjoyable to read that viewing the visual and emotional enriching play just enhanced my love for the story even more!
I felt this play to be a profound, authentic insight into the 1950's in Australia. The set design was very cleverly developed to place the actors in a central viewing point for the whole audience, whilst giving the entire audience an equal seating arrangement. The dolls were perfectly placed(hanging from above) as it left the audience wondering how Olive would take them down, and created a dramatic effect when she did.
The actors each performed superbly. However, one comment I would make, would be that, I felt the actor who played Pearl jumped emotions far too quickly. My perception of Pearl was a little different from how she portrayed it, but overall I was very satisfied with the outcome of the play.
I strongly agree with all the girls comments on Johnny Dowd. I definitely felt that the actor who played the character was far too old to play a young man in his twenties. The scene between Olive and Johnny was a little too awkward. Johnny's character in the play seems to be a lot more confident and outgoing, but at the same time gentlemanly and polite. His character was not at all how I'd imagined and it was the only minor let down.
Overall the experience was highly enjoyable and one which I will not forget. I am so glad that we, as Australians, were able to view a little part of our heritage and see how it would have been like to live in that era. I found the entire unit last term really interesting and it made the play all the more enjoyable to have an in depth knowledge, of not just the play but the characters too! The two recent theater productions we have seen have been such a wonderful insight into drama, that I look forward with anticipation to the next one.
This performance was absolutley amazing. I havnt been exposed to much live theatre before, so I found The Summer of the 17th Doll performance absolutley breath-taking.
I think that it was directed perfectly! I agree with Charlotte, the set-design could have easily been made into a disaster with the amount of masking that could have occured, but looking back on it there was never a part of the play when I even thought, 'Hey, that person is masking.' I suppose it was because the actors were so wonderful and the way they delivered their lines and moved around the place, was too distracting to notice other things.
And I agree with the people who say that Dowd wasnt right for the part. No doubt he was a wonderful actor, just like the rest of the cast, but he just seemed out of place compared to the others.
All up though it was a brilliant performance. It deepened my love for live theatre and just made me realise that there is really absolutley NO comparison between reading a play in a classroom and watching it being performed in front of you.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to see such a wonderful piece of Australian history :)
I personally (along with every other year 11 drama student that has currently already left a comment, but anyway☺) really enjoyed going to the La Boite Theatre Company to watch the performance of "Summer of the Seventeenth Doll." The reason for this is because when year 11 drama as a whole were reading the text of this production, I found myself captivated and thouroughly loved reading such a momentous piece of Australian history, and a super book ^_^
I enjoyed reading through the daily lives of the charcters and their relationships with others along with similar topics, but also how the director protrayed the original play, the choice of using roundhouse theatre rather than a stage etc, and how he chose the stage positioning etc.
I liked the choice of the stage and its positioning, along with the props positioning of course, as it made it easier to see each of the actors like those times when you choose the perfect seat…until someone taller or with big hair sits rriigghhtt infront of you so you can’t see, therefore i got to enjoy all of it. And although at times the actor’s facial expressions weren’t clearly visable, like when they were facing a certain side of the theatre at one point or another, you could still decipher one characters expression from the reaction of the other it was facing etc.
The actors themselves did such a good job. The comedic aspects was a part of it that I remembered as I enjoyed having a good laugh at the characters jokes, or the fact that I don’t understand 1950s slang but it sounds funny anyway, or laughing at the people laughing around me. But I must say, the bit that stuck with me the most was the scenes filled with tension. I’ve always loved the ending of the play, but I never realised that watching it would be sooo much better. Olive and Roo’s characters fight, along with Roo and Barney’s at the end was the most intense bit. The mood was perfectly set, and I felt the tension. It was just so riviting to watch, even when we went to lunch I was like woo can we go back in now XD, because it was simply that good.
I think that the performance’s relevance to an audience in the 21st Century are still valid disreagarding the fact that alot has changed since the 1950’s, as any play’s message can be moulded to fit other incidences.
Now i could go on forever but I think I will save whoevers reading this the time =D
But to sum up, I’d just like to say that I also agree with every other girl’s comment left as I did have similiar opinions, but also enjoye reading them to find out theres and to show me a side of it which I never thought about. So of course, I thoroughly enjoyed Summer of the Seventeenth Doll production and am extremely glad that I got to witness viewing such a performance as I wouldn’t have rathered doing anything else during it ^_^
Thankiees,
Zjana
Summer of the 17th doll at La Boite is definately a play that will stick in my mind. The director could not have picked better actors to portray the roles to their full capacity.
There was not one moment that you were bored or that you werent fully engaged in what was happening.
I agree with the others when they say that the character Dowd was a bit of a let down but the rest of the actors were fantastic, especially Olive and Emma.
The Doll is such a revelant play to today because it just reminds everyone on how good we have it and how precious things are which we take for granted every day.
I am just so pleased to be able have seen a play which is so important to Australia and would like to that Ms Fletcher and Mrs Whiteman for such an opportunity!
thanks
this play was exactly what i expected. the acting was great and the directing fantatsic. the only ting that i had imagined different after reading the play in class was Johnny Dowd. i expected a much younger chgaractyer with not quite as much anger. i also thaught that the stage setup was fantastic.
in this play i would have to say that Emma is my favorite character and the actress who played her was fantastic. roo and barney were also played verry well and just as i imagined them as well. but most of all i loved the performance of the actors that played pearl and olive juat as i thaught i would be done and just as i invisioned the characters.
i must comend the actors on there outstanding performance. i thuroughly enjoyed this play and would love to see more.
thank you
Kaitlyn B
After reading the play in class it was great to see it on stage and to see how the director interpreted it. i found the whole play Awesome! it was almost exactly how i imagined it. i thought every character was extremely well acted but like many of you have already said the character who played Jonnie Dowd didn't really fit the part. He was too old and i thought his clothes didn't show his character well. Especially the sunnies! My favorite character would have to have been Olive, i really believed her character. i also thought Emma was great and was played exceptionally well. i thought that the round theater worked really well. i thought it was great how they managed to have barely any masking what so ever. Well done director!
i thought it was a really great experience to see this heritage drama being performed. it was also great to see a performance in a round theater as I had not experienced this before.
Natalie
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