The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Play Review

This was the first time I've ever watched a formal nighttime play, and it was quite fun to see my classmates all dressed up in tuxedos and dresses. The atmosphere was bright and lively as we settled into our seats, waiting for the play to begin. The first thing I noticed about the empty stage was that part of it was inclined towards the audience. I assumed that the incline would help the audience see and hear any actors that were near the back of the stage. When the lights began to dim, the chattering of students died down into hushed whispers and then faded into silence. The first couple of actors made their appearance and their costumes were quite eye catching. The ladies wore long dresses that reached their ankles, gloves, and flamboyant hats while the men wore fancy shirts, long coats, and boots. I noted that the hats of the actresses only covered the back of their heads, rather than sitting on top. Having the hats on the back of their heads would allow the audience to see their facial expressions at all times, and wouldn't muffle their voices. I was quite impressed with the performers' ability to speak so loudly and for such a long time. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of time it would have taken me to memorize as many lines as the actors did. Another thing I noticed was whenever an actor was onstage, they were always doing something. They were always in character and were never idle. While this makes the scene much more realistic, but I found it somewhat difficult to focus on the characters that were speaking. I often caught myself observing the "stand-by" characters rather than listening to the "active" actors.
Transitions from one scene to another were very smooth, very quick, and clearly rehearsed. As the play continued, I observed that the props were very simple: several chairs, a couple of paintings, an easel, some papers, and a book or two were all they used. It was very simplistic. On the topic of simplistic, the set itself was very clean and bare of any props that would create scenery. Last year, I attended a play which had very detailed background scenery as well as a large selection of props. Personally, I prefer the style of the previous play I watched. I find that an elaborate stage with many props help create a more realistic scene and I was able to better immerse myself in the story.
The story itself was quite entertaining, and the actors were able to portray their characters very well. At times, I couldn't catch what they were saying but I was still able to follow along with the plot without much difficulty.
All in all, watching the play was a fun experience. The plot was compelling and the play was very well executed. I thoroughly enjoyed the field trip.