Honors Essay #4

A play, just like most things in life, is comprised of multiple components and people. If one of those components is missing, the show won’t go on. Without the bases of out of the box writing there is no need for actors who bring the characters to life, or for the audience to then root for them. But with a few key tools it’s possible to create this and much more.

The story is told through memories. Each one is written out by an investigator of a twenty-five year old murder. As an audience we see the memories come to life as they are written. But we also see them fade away as the investigator rethinks what actually happened. This is the plot for The Secret In Their Eye written by Juan Jose Campanella and Eduardo Sacheri. This film pushes what is known as the conventional idea of story telling. Rather than chronologically taking the audience through the story, the writers use the main character as a narrator of sorts, guiding us through his past. But what pushes the envelope further than the average flashback movie, is the use of rethinking the past by teasing the audience with what is real and what is fake. Creating a tease captured the viewers’ attention, drawing them further into this fictional world. They became part of the journey of uncovering the truth. What Campanella and Sacheri did so well was rethink the normal recounting of the past and instead allow for the audience to discover it with the main character. 

Playwrights are the foundation of plays, movies, and television shows, but they aren’t the only ones who create a great production. Actors are another piece that must come together to bring the show to life. A group of lackluster performers will leave the audience with little to desire or any interest to continue watching the show. A Free Man of Color, a play at Lincoln Center Theater, is set in historic New Orleans and follows a ladies man as he world becomes more chaotic when a map of New Orleans is to be redrawn. Of course when reviewing plays, the acting is at the top of the list. Without them captivating the character the writer’s meaning of the script will fade away. In the case of A Free Man of Color the main character, played by Jeffrey Wright, seems to fall a bit short with his performance. His inability to create the believable, mischievous, and sexualized character he was trying to convey resulted in less than desired performance. It is important that the actor picks up on the character’s traits and portrays them true to how the character would, not how the actor actually would. In order for the audience to believe a character is real, the actor has to believe they are their character. And the audience is who you are creating the plays for, they are your biggest critic.

The audience is key. Without an audience no one would see the play or movie or any other creation. They decide what is good and what isn’t, even if you completely disagree. They are your biggest critic, so why not get them on your side. Create likeable characters, or at least a few them. Give your audience people they can relate to or people they care about. If your viewers don’t care about your characters, whether they care to hate them or love them, they won’t care about the play. The Town gives the audience characters to care about, even if their characters are bank robbers. Ben Affleck, the director, makes us root for these thieves. We want them to succeed in their heists, despite the fact that they are committing a felony. All of that is pushed aside when a group of loveable characters is presented. And that is the key to drawing in an audience, give them something or rather someone, to root for.

The Secret In Their Eyes went on to win the Oscar for best foreign-language film. A Free Man of Color stars a Tony award-winning actor. And The Town’s Jermey Renner was nominated for Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role at the Oscars, not bad for a movie centered around bank robbers. Of course none of these accolades or recognitions would be possible without the team that created each one of these plays or movies. It takes the writers, director, set designers, costume department, and actors, to name a few, to create the final product, a great piece of entertainment.