Themes

Week 1 - Themes

Over the last two days we have explored the theme of memory - more specifically the relationship between memory and location.Write a response to why memory is a theme of the text 'The Cherry Orchard'. Write a short response to the work we created.

You were fortunate to see the rest of the year perform. Write a short response to the work of Will's and Simon's group. What themes were explored? What ideas did you develop about the text? How has this developed your understanding

 further? 

I think that the story line itself is a timeless piece and that a magority of people from all walks of life in one way or another, can relate to the Ranyevskay's family situation. In the sense that's we've all at some time felt the sense of loss, pain, love it greed which are just some of the themes mentioned in the play. 

The story revolves around d the cherry orchard estate holding positive and negative memories for the different characters, that are opposites in status. Meanwhile characters like Ranyevskaya creates beautiful imagery of the cherry orchard, although she has many different issues that she tries to avoide or escape from. Where as characters like Lopakin was from a lower social class and worked hard to become a business man, he deals with his problems "head on" unlike other. To him the cherry orchard hold more negative memories and feelings than good.  

In our tutor we focused on imagery and feelings and how the Cherry Orchard effected characters of different social classes. We only used little text which was mostly to give information to our audience and a little diagoue when each group were performing there little piece. I think the way we did ours was benifical to us as actors and observers because we had to use our imagtion and our best judgment in order to think how does this person view the Cherry Orchard and why. What's the relationship like with other. How do they go about life. So in our performance you saw concrast in each group, the good and bad thoughts and feelings. This was also apparent in our faces because we wanted to emobody sadness or happiness through our faces and physicality. 

I thought the way how Simon's class explored pressure and expectations of society was interesting because at the time in the Cherry orchard people were obsessed with status and who was important and who wasn't and the social expectations that people expected of you. 

In Will's class I like the way that they explored role reversal I think that it's a strong powerful theme like in the Cherry Orchard when everyone who came from strong rich backgrounds became poor or worser off in the end and people who came from poor backgrounds who had parents that were surfs and maids, peasants made something of themselves.