Owls do cry: Tension and Meaning

22:45-23:45

 

I think the key theatrical concept used in this scene to build tension and communicate meaning is multimedia, as the cacophony of the words on the screen and the music in the background sparks an unnerving sense of familiarity that leaves the audience at unease, whilst also leaving them scrambling, searching for a deeper meaning so that they can keep track of whats going on.

As seen in the picture above, the stage is pitch black with the word Mother up on the screen, and the side of the ensemble barely visible. Firstly, the projecting of the word Mother is integral to creating tension in this scene. The font and colour of the word make it almost cold and demanding, and since the stage is pitch black, it is seemingly suspended midair, making it clear it is the main theme of this scene. This leaves it up to the audience’s perception, as with the limited information given its hard for anyone to come to a solid conclusion on what they intended to communicate. This puts a sort of pressure on the audience, as they have to understand what it means with very few clues, and as we have seen right before this scene, the words are changing, putting the audience under a time constraint. It also helps convey a vague idea, allowing the audience’s creativity to wander while focusing it down to a certain area.

 

This pressure is further enhanced by the eerie music playing in the background.

The use of a metallic, ‘white noise’ like sound, with no lyrics or specific tune for the audience to grapple with, leaves their brain scrambled, creating more tension. It also alludes to an overarching theme with a dark nature of sorts.

This is also later referenced when the final word wither appears on the screen, which alludes to something wearing away, further communicating the nature and meaning of the scene.

 

Lastly, I would like to talk about the ensemble. As with the multimedia, I. think the ensemble is meant to create tension out of confusion. Only the sides of the ensemble are illuminated, and this means they cant see everything going on. This feeling of unknowing contributes to the overall confusion and fear of the audience. On top of that, the ensemble performs writhing motions, with animalistic attributes in a sense. They start of wearing very few clothes, and closely huddled together, which may cause uneasiness in the audience because of social norms and conditioning, further intensifying the pressure placed on the audience.

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