stylistic analysis of "the dancers"

Introduction

          The play is a portrayal of the real life situation of a poor a family that suffered and sacrifice everything for their family.

          February 26, 2011 was the final and last day for each class to compete for the title “best play” in the 10^th annual drama festival or simply “dramafest” hosted by the LiFe area of De La Salle Lipa. The said competition serves as the final requirement of a class taking up lifForm. For me, I really had a great time watching the performances of the classes especially the actors and the actresses because they were the center of attraction in the whole play. But there’s one play that caught my attention and influenced me to review it. And that was “The Dancers” by Alberto S. Florentino.

          The play “The Dancers” is about a family suffering from poverty because of the man who is supposed to work for the family but he was so lazy and he always complains of his weak body and pretends that he cannot afford to work anymore. He forced his children to work for the family and earn a living, for his eldest son Tony; he was working as a jeepney driver and getsthe money he earned from him to but liquor and in going in a bar. While Rita, the eldest daughter was forced to work as a dancer in a bar for his family and earn some money for her father. But surprisingly, at the latter part of the play, Mang Tomas asked her daughter Nenita, a sixteen year old teenager was forced to work by her father as a dancer in the bar together with her sister Rita and her mother was not able to stop his husband to his decision but to cry.

          The success of the play is because the actors and the actresses portrayed the role of the family. The girl who played the role of the mother won the “best actress” because she was so effective in the role and she was able to give justice to the role. The father, Mang Tomas won the “best actor” because he was able to deliver and show the emotions that needed in the play. They were able to deliver the message of the play that was clear and understandable for the audience. The gestures together with the tone of their voice added to the effectiveness of the characters and made the play believable.

          Simplicity is beauty. This quotation / saying were shown in the play. The simple house used in the play brought the setting of the play to be realistic and appropriate to the theme of the play which is poverty. It was not exaggerated and not costly. There are limited props / materials used that are why there are big space to move in and used by the actors and actresses. But maybe because of too much nervousness, other character forgot that he should not used the side of the house as an exit that’s why the audience where able to laugh at him.

          The play was not that fantastic like other plays. The light effects were simply manipulated and highlighted scenes showed in the entire play. The sounds were clear and made the played lively and realistic that the actors and actresses were well rehearsed and they knew where to dance, where to talk and where to stop.

          The pace of the play was smooth and relaxing that the audience were not able to saw too much dead air and they knew where they need to go and deliver their lines. They seemed to be comfortable with their co actors or co actresses that they were relaxed in delivering the lines and their gestures were not stiff. And it made the play consistent to the flow and the scenes were spontaneous.

          Maybe for the play to be more efficient, they can use lapel for them to be heard well by the people on the back. They can also make the flow of the story a little bit slower so that the lines will be delivered more clearly and for the audience to feel the emotions better.

          For me, the play was really good and enjoying because the characters were so effective and they did a good job in delivering and feeling the emotions asked by their roles. They were able to cry and laugh, they asked and they give. But still, there are more instructions in the play that were not followed. But for an amateur class to deliver and show a play like that, compete with almost 21 other sections, the stand out and showed perseverance and patience in practicing and they gave their full cooperation for the play.

          “Dramafest”, is a good way to give students opportunities to be creative, show their talents and skills, and learn how to listen to one another, follow to the commands and instructions and give opinions for the play to be successful. And through this activity, the students learned how to be resourceful and reflect to the realities that might be anchored to the stories.