#theatermaker

Theador Seuss born in 1904 was an American children's author, political cartoonist, illustrator, poet, animator, and director. He is known for his work writing and illustrating more than 60 books signed under the name Dr Seuss. His work includes many of the most popular children's books of all time, selling over 600 million copies. The pictures shown above are from a collection named ‘midnight paintings’ that was released after his death in 1991. What’s very distinctive about this collection is the fact that it doesn’t resemble at all his usual art style. In fact they are very opposite from the happy, brightly colored and fun artworks that he normally would create. The ‘midnight collection’ has very dark and gloomy colors and carries a more deep and creepy meaning. I find it very fascinated how he has managed to make something so out of his zone while still keeping his style and signature. Some of his most famous books include: ‘The cat in the hat’, ‘The Grinch’ and ‘Lorax’, which have been recreated through out the years.

I think that most of us have heard the quote, "it's not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable," but did you know that this was said by Moliere? Personally, I did not. When I saw that this was written by him, I decided to do a little research for him since I only knew his name and his origin. Moliere was born in Paris, France. Since raised by a prosperous family and having studied at the College de Clermont, Moliere was well suited to begin a life in the theater. As a theater maker- an artist he had a personal preference in tragedies, Moliere became really famous for his farces, which were generally in one act. Molier also wrote musical comedies, in which the drama is interrupted by songs and dances. What really intrigued me about him was his influence on French culture. Molière is considered the creator of modern French comedy. Many words or phrases used in Molière's plays, are still used in current French such as harpagon, named after the main character of The Miser, who is an obsessively greedy and cheap man. Till now, I have only read some of is quotes, but I would love to read or see "The school of wives," a theatrical comedy in which love and mistaken identity are two of the largest themes in this play.

Oscar Wilde, born in Dublin in 1854, was an Irish poet and playwright. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, and for his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which, as mentioned ina previous post, has a great influence on me. Despite being enchanted by his excellent education in the philosophical society and the intense emotions that his poems and his writing in general offer, what really intrigued me is his passion for writing. The fact that he had been imprisoned due to his indecency and profanity for several years did not stop him writing. Despite the fact that every single poem of him could create a wonderful performance, his passion for writing that never faded away could be a great influence for a play. The same story as the story of him. A talented man who for several reasons, went to prison, but he never stops doing what he really loves.

Harold Pinter, the British playwright, screenwriter, actor, and Nobel Prize winner, stands for one of the most influential modern British theater-makers. Apart from being an excellent writer, he was an aspiring actor, a theatre director, and a cricket enthusiast. What really fascinates me is his magnificent use of language, let’s not forget that there is the "Pinteresque" style in language named after him. His use of numerous clichés, unpolished grammar, and illogical syntax create dialogues that reflect day-to-day speech. The irony and the vagueness that accompanies his works seem to be an aspiring opportunity for everyone who is willing to analyse profoundly, plays.

Through learning things about his personality I thought that it would be a lovely idea to create a theatrical performance with different actors that would introduce themselves as old French authors and philosophers such as Simone de Beauvoir, Voltaire and so on

Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright who was also writing poems, essays and short stories. The reason why I started searching clues for him and his life was one of his most famous works, “A streetcar named Desire” that I had the chance to read the second weekend of September. The situation in his house, the “wrong marriage” as he once wrote offered him as well as New Orleans were the main inspirations for his writing. He was a repressed and oppressed person, and he did not even have the chance to decide about his religion. His depression, his alcoholism, and his near-death experience made him a writer. Personally, I found it very intriguing that he did not let the difficulties that he was experiencing to let him down. He found the courage and the will to create through writing, and he inspired many different personalities throughout the world. I've only read one of his works but I would love to see or watch at the theatre ”The Rose Tattoo”.

Robert Wilson is an American experimental theater stage director and playwright that has had a tremendous and revolutionary impact on theater. The principal elements around his performances revolve around is light. While keeping the stage relativity minimalist and simple, Wilson always used light to demonstrate his artistic signature. The way he approaches a performance has a very specific pattern. When it comes to the actors, he directs their delivery to be with very slow and delicate movements. Wilson has declared that his role as the director is not the interpretation, for which only the public can obtain that role. He himself says ‘I give you time and place to think’; which perfectly defines his style. Wilson creates a space so minimalist and clear, which inevitably leads the viewers to reflect, to explore what the story is narrating and what are the themes that are being targeted.  

Born in 1989, Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor that has had a tremendous career both in cinema and theater and has received numerous awards for his roles. Radcliffe involvement with theater was initiated in 2002 in ‘The Play What I Wrote’ and since then he has made many appearances on stage. Taking a look in his career, Radcliffe has had a diverse variety of roles, s he is not afraid to step out of his comfort zone when performing or exploring roles, which highlights his appreciation for the world of drama. When asked about his experience while acting in an interview with ‘The Talks’ Radcliffe said: ‘ On stage, you definitely get this great adrenaline rush because of the pure fear of stepping out in front of people… It’s so acute that I think you will always have that. When it comes doing something like a song and dance number , you sort of just have to remind yourself that you know how to do this. You’ve been rehearsing, so just do it. Stop thinking about it. Those are the moments I get the most nervous about because it’s both terrifying and exciting. And the feeling of making it through every night is what’s unique to theater.