A Lesson Before Dying Film Analysis

A Lesson Before Dying Film Analysis

The University of Tennessee produced A Lesson before Dying by Romulus Linney in the Carousel Theatre, March 2016. This play was based off of Ernest J. Gaines novel, which follows a teacher in rural Louisiana as he tries to teach a young, black man, on death row, what it means to be a man. We are set up in a post–World War II pre–civil rights movement time, specifically 1948 where Jim Crow Law shapes the world of the characters in the show. The Carousel's performance masterfully emphasized the major theme of A Lesson Before Dying, racism in society, through various aspects of production. To begin, while this show is set in 1948, the message it delivers is, sadly, still prevalent in today's society. Linney took the message that Gaines wrote ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...Rather than producing an exciting spectacle the director, and designers let the script and the actors do the "heavy lifting" of the story. This was a very effective tactic that guided the audience's attention to the important part of the show, the message. For example, the set and props of the show were minimal. The back drop of the show was a grey wall that was stationary for the majority of the show. When a scene change was necessary, it was accomplished by a combination of furniture and lighting. There was never much to look at other than what the actors on stage, which allows for the focus to be on the words and actions that are taking place rather than the environment that the scenic designer had created. Another aspect of the production that helped to successfully yet discretely accomplish what Linney was trying to acknowledge was the lighting. As mentioned before lighting was essential to the scene changes throughout the production. Besides the placement of a desk and chairs, there was a light that illuminated the American flag when the actors were in the school. Likewise when the actors were in the Rainbow Club there was a light on a dark sign upstage right. This is another instance where subtlety of a technical aspect of the production allowed for the focus to be solely on the story rather than the spectacle of the play. Thus, helping to successfully accomplish what Linney had set out to

... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...