The Staging Techniques and Design Aspects of Silas Marner :: George Eliot Theatre Drama Plays Essays

The Staging Techniques and Design Aspects of Silas Marner A production of George Eliot's novel Silas Marner was held at the "clwyd theatr cyrmru". The Theatre itself is only small but this was used to the best advantage. The novel attempts to prove that love of others is more fulfilling than love of money. The play is set on what appears to be a simple thrust stage, with a simple sky cyclorama. The cyclorama although with a simple design over powered the stage, as the characters shadows where projected on the cyclorama and changed size depending on there positioning on the stage. Often Silas Marner is criticized for being such a simple, unrealistic story. It does seem odd that after fifteen years of almost solitary confinement, Silas can trade his love of gold for his love of a daughter overnight. This point about silas's love for gold is a powerful theme in the play, and needs to be to create the narrative. Heavy representation is used in making one see that Silas has a love for gold, at the same time one needs to know that he is a lonely weaver. This is a difficult situation that the director had to face, but worked perfectly. The Arena stage was revolving and as the theatre was small all the cast stayed round the stage even if they weren't performing. This is an unusual technique as usually too many people on the stage at once may create a clutter. At the edge of the stage benches were placed evenly where the cast sat when they weren't performing. This must have been difficult for the actual actors, as they would have to be performing at all times, even when they are of the stage. The benches in a way turned the actors in the audience. This made it feel that the cast where still; in character and watching over the action. Silas Marner is set in a small village and villages have a representation for knowing all the gossip about everyone in the town. This technique of the cast watching over the performance increased the awareness that the play is set in a village. The cast had another role to play once of the actual stage as they played the instruments that where clearly on show to the whole audience. The musical instruments where rather old fashioned rather than modern electrical instruments. I think that this audio was used to create the setting of the play as electrical instruments would bring it too much into the future. The atmosphere of the cast being on the stage playing the instruments again gave the stereotypical village