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If one were to choose a play to attend solely by its title, Quilters would most likely not be at the top of many? s list. Undoubtedly, the story of a family and their time quilting does not strike many as an extremely entertaining play. However, upon viewing Quilters it quickly becomes apparent that the play deserves ample credit. Through powerful acting and an intricate plot line Quilters proves to be both a moving and highly entertaining play.
Probably the driving factor behind Quilters success as a play is its ability to believably portray strong emotions. From moments of grief by a widowed wife, to the portrayal of love between sisters, Quilters is filled with dramatic scenes from beginning to end. In fact, it is these dramatic scenes that allow it to be categorized under a the category of a melodrama. By definition, a melodrama is a play filled with situations that appeal excessively to the audiences emotions. And this is exactly what Quilters does, and where its success lies. Unlike the majority of most modern plays, Quilters lacks a definitive main role.
As a result, the plays success is more of a collective one, and should be analyzed as such. Probably the greatest attribute of the play is the actresses? ability to perform without the aide of either a background, or substantial props. During a quilting scene for instance, in which the entire family is sitting around in a circle, the cast is able to successfully convey the imagery of sewing without the actual use of either a needle, or material. Another instance in which the cast excels in providing a good mental background is in the windmill scene.
Obviously on a small set such as the auditorium an actual windmill could not have been constructed. However through the use of only a chair, and their bodies the actresses were able to successfully convey the image of a windmill. What was so impressive about this scene in particular was the fact that while both pairs of actresses had their backs towards one another, they were still able to keep perfect timing between arm movements. Finally, perhaps the greatest tribute to the actresses ability to set the scene comes during the dance scene.
Throughout the scene the cast is able to portray the image of dancing with dates, without the actual incorporation of male cast members. Through the positioning of their arms, (around the shoulders of imaginary men), and the movements of their bodies, the actresses are able to successfully convey the scene of dancing. Besides their ability to provide the audience which images of specific scenery, another aspect of the cast in which they excelled was in their portrayal of serious emotions. Perhaps the most notable example of this is the scene in which a daughter? s husband is hit and killed by a train. Upon learning of her husband?
s death, the daughter goes through a grieving period in which the actress appears to be truly crying for a prolonged period. Through her performance the audience is truly able to feel the characters pain. Another scene which showcases the actresses ability is during the storm. While attempting to care for a sister who has fallen ill, one of the daughters in the play finally breaks down in despair. Through the actress? apparent shortness of breath, uneven voice and hunched over body positioning, she truly appears to be in pain over the loss of a loved one.
Although the actresses are successful in bringing their characters to life, they are not solely responsible for the play? s success. Light, for example, plays an intricate part in the play? s overall appearance. During the fire, for example, the lighting becomes very orange or reddish, invoking not only imagery of fire, but also complementing the characters overall feeling of terror. During the storm too, lighting provides the scene with greater feeling.
Darker, and bluer than any of the other scenes, the lighting during the storm provides the audience with dark and cold images which enhances the scene? s overall feel. Another factor of the play which adds greatly to the scenes? mood is the sound. Whistling, for instance, to represent wind during the storm adds greater feeling to the scene, and makes the acting that much more believable. Finally, due to the positioning of the sounds, often directly behind the seats, the performers are able to literally surround the audience with the sounds and music of the play, literally placing them directly in the middle of the action of the play.
As a melodrama, Quilters is successful in providing both a dramatic, and emotionally charged production. Its actresses are all skillful and passionate in their performances, and each of the characters are presented in a realistic and believable manner. Overall, the production of quilters proves to be a success.
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