Les Misérables
Play: Les Misérables
Author: Victor Hugo
Reviewed date: Feb. 23. 2018
Location: Black Box, Cheshire Academy
Director: Jennifer Guarino
Major actors: Lexi Williamson(Jean Valjean), Jenna Denomme(Javert), Julia Rafferty(Fantine), Aaron Luo(Marius), Maggie Guarino-Trier(Cosette)
Les Miserables is a musical play, which means that there is only singing in the play. The play began on a prisoner ship. The protagonist, Jean Valjean, was on the ship. He became a prisoner because he stole bread couple years ago for his starving nephew. He supposed to be freed, but the the captain, Javert, said he was extremely dangerous and gave him a parole. After he left the ship and entered the town, he found out that because he had that parole, nobody would help him. One day, he stole a church's silverwares in order to survive; but when he got caught, the god father forgave him, what he wanted was to make Jean Valjean become a good person. At that time, he decided to run away and tried to be a kind person. Later on, he became a mayor and a owner of a factory. One day, he saved one of his workers' life, Fantine, who used to work in his factory. The worker told him that because of him, she became a whore in order to raise her daughter. Although Jean Valjean tried his best, Fantine still died; but before she died, she begged him to raise her child which is Cosette. At the same time, Jean Valjean was suspected by Javert because Javert thought he was the prisoner who ran away couple years ago. As the time passed, French teenagers started their revolution. One of the teenagers, Marius, Cosette's beloved, who also participated in this. When they rebelled against the government, government's army was too strong and they got destroyed. Only Marius survived because Jean Valjean saved him. Later on Marius and Cosette got married, but at the same time, Jean Valjean was passing away. Till the very end, Marius finally knew that Jean Valjean was the person who saved his life.
The most important themes that appeared in the play are love, death, sadness, injustice, and hope. Love starts from the very beginning, to the very end. Jean Valjean was caught because he stole bread for his nephew, that is love; Fantine became a whore to raise her child, that is love; Marius and Cosette got married, that is also love. Although this is a sad story, Victor Hugo wants to show that the world is lit by love! Sadness is also an important theme. Fantine got fired because she refused the love from her manager, and finally became a whore in order to raise her child. That is a tragedy. Also, at the resolution, Marius noticed that Jean Valjean saved his life but Jean Valjean was gone, that is also tragic. Even in director's note, she mentioned that: " Although the story contains much fighting, death, and sadness, it also teaches us the power of hope and persistence." This shows that director particularly wants to show love and persistence to people. So in the play, take Fantine as an example, even though she was fired, her husband left her, and she needed to raise a child, she still did not give up. That is a persistence to her life and love to her daughter.
Then, talks about the staging in the play. Since this is a musical play, this two hours play is always with music. The music is fierce, prisoners are singing: " Look down, Look down, you'll always be a slave." The music makes this scene look fantastic. Audience could directly get the emotion from it. They are also having transition music when people are switching scenes. Then, characters' costumes can directly tell many information to the audience. For example, when they are on the ship, they wore poorly, and they had some black stains on their face to show that they were prisoner. Also when Fantine met those whores on the street, they were scantily clad, and it shows that they were whores. Lighting is also one of the important staging. It can emphasize the leading role of a scene easily. For example in the scene which takes place in the tavern, the couple and many other characters are singing. In order to show and emphasize the couple is the most important characters in that scene, the light is focus on them, and they are also standing at the stage center. Although they were just like many of others who were singing together, but because the light spotlighted on them, audience would focus on them first. The props are also helping to understand the play. For example, when French teenagers were fighting the government's army, they were standing and hiding behind a block. The block consisted of pieces of wood, chairs, etc. It was a mess, but it showed the mess of the war. So it helped the audience to understand the situation was terrible. Also the coloring on the face, typically, on the actor of Jean Valjean, Lexi's face. Because Lexi is a female and Jean Valjean is a male character, they drew a bear for Lexi. It does help the audience to notice that Lexi is acting a male.
In the play, Jean Valjean is highlighted as the as the most important one. First, the story happened around him. Second, he was always the person who got spotlighted. Third, Jean Valjean always stood at the center of the stage, which shows that he was the main character. In the play, Jean Valjean and Fantine was similar. They both had a poor beginning. Jean Valjean was a prisoner at the beginning, and Fantine worked really hard in order to raise Cosette. And they both got redemption. Jean Valjean got redemption from the pope and Fantine got her from Jean Valjean. Jean Valjean and Javert was standing at the opposite. At the beginning, they are singing against each other, to show that they are opponents. During the play, Javert tried to catch Jean Valjean. Although they are opponents, they both had a same belief, this world was injustice. Javert at last found out this because he saw a prisoner, which is Jean Valjean, saved others' life, and he suicide because his old belief got destroyed. Jean Valjean noticed that the world was injustice since he wanted to become a good person. He had seen a lot of sins and tragedy, he wanted to change this situation.
Throughout the play, Julia Rafferty did a great job on playing as Fantine. Because when she got fired from the factory and she found out that she had to become a whore, she showed the despair to audience. I felt desperate and sad when she was singing and talking about the life. Fantine created a character that showed the tragedy of aa low-class worker, but whom would not surrender to her destiny. In order to show the awful situation of Fantine, After she got fired from the factory, she whimpered and looked at the sky desperately. And when she was singing her voice was shaking. Also, she did not give up till the very end. She worked hard for her daughter. When she heard that becoming a whore would have enough money to raise her daughter, her eyes showed her determination.
Overall, this is a fantastic play! The music is great and they played it for two hours. Actors are also doing really well. They expressed the proper emotion; their body movements and facial expression exactly showed what they wanted to portray. From this play, I learned that the lighting is really important for a play. It not only helped to construct an atmosphere, but also it helped audience to notice who is the most important character in a bunch of people.
The most important themes that appeared in the play are love, death, sadness, injustice, and hope. Love starts from the very beginning, to the very end. Jean Valjean was caught because he stole bread for his nephew, that is love; Fantine became a whore to raise her child, that is love; Marius and Cosette got married, that is also love. Although this is a sad story, Victor Hugo wants to show that the world is lit by love! Sadness is also an important theme. Fantine got fired because she refused the love from her manager, and finally became a whore in order to raise her child. That is a tragedy. Also, at the resolution, Marius noticed that Jean Valjean saved his life but Jean Valjean was gone, that is also tragic. Even in director's note, she mentioned that: " Although the story contains much fighting, death, and sadness, it also teaches us the power of hope and persistence." This shows that director particularly wants to show love and persistence to people. So in the play, take Fantine as an example, even though she was fired, her husband left her, and she needed to raise a child, she still did not give up. That is a persistence to her life and love to her daughter.
Then, talks about the staging in the play. Since this is a musical play, this two hours play is always with music. The music is fierce, prisoners are singing: " Look down, Look down, you'll always be a slave." The music makes this scene look fantastic. Audience could directly get the emotion from it. They are also having transition music when people are switching scenes. Then, characters' costumes can directly tell many information to the audience. For example, when they are on the ship, they wore poorly, and they had some black stains on their face to show that they were prisoner. Also when Fantine met those whores on the street, they were scantily clad, and it shows that they were whores. Lighting is also one of the important staging. It can emphasize the leading role of a scene easily. For example in the scene which takes place in the tavern, the couple and many other characters are singing. In order to show and emphasize the couple is the most important characters in that scene, the light is focus on them, and they are also standing at the stage center. Although they were just like many of others who were singing together, but because the light spotlighted on them, audience would focus on them first. The props are also helping to understand the play. For example, when French teenagers were fighting the government's army, they were standing and hiding behind a block. The block consisted of pieces of wood, chairs, etc. It was a mess, but it showed the mess of the war. So it helped the audience to understand the situation was terrible. Also the coloring on the face, typically, on the actor of Jean Valjean, Lexi's face. Because Lexi is a female and Jean Valjean is a male character, they drew a bear for Lexi. It does help the audience to notice that Lexi is acting a male.
In the play, Jean Valjean is highlighted as the as the most important one. First, the story happened around him. Second, he was always the person who got spotlighted. Third, Jean Valjean always stood at the center of the stage, which shows that he was the main character. In the play, Jean Valjean and Fantine was similar. They both had a poor beginning. Jean Valjean was a prisoner at the beginning, and Fantine worked really hard in order to raise Cosette. And they both got redemption. Jean Valjean got redemption from the pope and Fantine got her from Jean Valjean. Jean Valjean and Javert was standing at the opposite. At the beginning, they are singing against each other, to show that they are opponents. During the play, Javert tried to catch Jean Valjean. Although they are opponents, they both had a same belief, this world was injustice. Javert at last found out this because he saw a prisoner, which is Jean Valjean, saved others' life, and he suicide because his old belief got destroyed. Jean Valjean noticed that the world was injustice since he wanted to become a good person. He had seen a lot of sins and tragedy, he wanted to change this situation.
Throughout the play, Julia Rafferty did a great job on playing as Fantine. Because when she got fired from the factory and she found out that she had to become a whore, she showed the despair to audience. I felt desperate and sad when she was singing and talking about the life. Fantine created a character that showed the tragedy of aa low-class worker, but whom would not surrender to her destiny. In order to show the awful situation of Fantine, After she got fired from the factory, she whimpered and looked at the sky desperately. And when she was singing her voice was shaking. Also, she did not give up till the very end. She worked hard for her daughter. When she heard that becoming a whore would have enough money to raise her daughter, her eyes showed her determination.
Overall, this is a fantastic play! The music is great and they played it for two hours. Actors are also doing really well. They expressed the proper emotion; their body movements and facial expression exactly showed what they wanted to portray. From this play, I learned that the lighting is really important for a play. It not only helped to construct an atmosphere, but also it helped audience to notice who is the most important character in a bunch of people.
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