Assess why a concept of mood in theatrical performance might correspond with the use of music. Do you associate aesthetic mood with qualities of poetic sadness?
Describe the aesthetic impact on you or someone you know of a musical such as The Lion King. Give thought to the value of the mood experience. How does theory about mood help to understand such an experience?
Reflect on a contemporary performance by Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio and/or Rimini Protokoll that uses visual images, sound and music to convey moods of distress and disturbance. Deliberate on the ways in which the performance mood captures the broader social concern at issue in the performance.
In what ways do Alladeen and Dear Evan Hansen reflect economic circumstances in society through the emotional exchanges between characters? Discuss why a contemporary production might depict loneliness and the difficulty of making friends.
Evaluate the theatrical style used by The Wooster Group to recreate Phèdre’s story in To You, The Birdie! (Phèdre) and consider why this nonrealistic production refers to theatre history and presents emotions in a sports game with rules. Is Phèdre revealing the danger of feeling morally transgressive emotions? What aspects of The Wooster Group production are most effective and amusing?
How do ecological issues and climate change make you feel? Identify how these might compound into a social mood of confusion or fear. Discuss the ways in which performance can counteract emotional moods of anxiety and fear.
Remember an enjoyable experience of collaboration in making a performance. In what ways did you anticipate the performance and the audience reception? What theories of emotion help you to account for your experience?
