Quilters Essay, Research Paper

If one were to choose a play to attend solely by its title, Quilters would most

likely not be at the top of many?s list. Undoubtedly, the story of a family and

their time quilting does not strike many as an extremely entertaining play.

However, upon viewing Quilters it quickly becomes apparent that the play

deserves ample credit. Through powerful acting and an intricate plot line

Quilters proves to be both a moving and highly entertaining play. Probably

the driving factor behind Quilters success as a play is its ability to believably

portray strong emotions. From moments of grief by a widowed wife, to the

portrayal of love between sisters, Quilters is filled with dramatic scenes from

beginning to end. In fact, it is these dramatic scenes that allow it to be

categorized under a the category of a melodrama. By definition, a

melodrama is a play filled with situations that appeal excessively to the

audiences emotions. And this is exactly what Quilters does, and where its

success lies.

Unlike the majority of most modern plays, Quilters lacks a definitive

main role. As a result, the plays success is more of a collective one, and

should be analyzed as such. Probably the greatest attribute of the play is the

actresses? ability to perform without the aide of either a background, or

substantial props. During a quilting scene for instance, in which the entire

family is sitting around in a circle, the cast is able to successfully convey the

imagery of sewing without the actual use of either a needle, or material.

Another instance in which the cast excels in providing a good mental

background is in the windmill scene. Obviously on a small set such as the

auditorium an actual windmill could not have been constructed. However

through the use of only a chair, and their bodies the actresses were able to

successfully convey the image of a windmill. What was so impressive about

this scene in particular was the fact that while both pairs of actresses had

their backs towards one another, they were still able to keep perfect timing

between arm movements. Finally, perhaps the greatest tribute to the

actresses ability to set the scene comes during the dance scene. Throughout

the scene the cast is able to portray the image of dancing with dates, without

the actual incorporation of male cast members. Through the positioning of

their arms, (around the shoulders of imaginary men), and the movements of

their bodies, the actresses are able to successfully convey the scene of

dancing.

Besides their ability to provide the audience which images of specific

scenery, another aspect of the cast in which they excelled was in their

portrayal of serious emotions. Perhaps the most notable example of this is

the scene in which a daughter?s husband is hit and killed by a train. Upon

learning of her husband?s death, the daughter goes through a grieving period

in which the actress appears to be truly crying for a prolonged period.

Through her performance the audience is truly able to feel the characters

pain.

Another scene which showcases the actresses ability is during the storm.

While attempting to care for a sister who has fallen ill, one of the daughters

in the play finally breaks down in despair. Through the actress? apparent

shortness of breath, uneven voice and hunched over body positioning, she

truly appears to be in pain over the loss of a loved one.

Although the actresses are successful in bringing their characters to

life, they are not solely responsible for the play?s success. Light, for

example, plays an intricate part in the play?s overall appearance. During the

fire, for example, the lighting becomes very orange or reddish, invoking not

only imagery of fire, but also complementing the characters overall feeling

of terror. During the storm too, lighting provides the scene with greater

feeling. Darker, and bluer than any of the other scenes, the lighting during

the storm provides the audience with dark and cold images which enhances

the scene?s overall feel. Another factor of the play which adds greatly to the

scenes? mood is the sound. Whistling, for instance, to represent wind during

the storm adds greater feeling to the scene, and makes the acting that much

more believable. Finally, due to the positioning of the sounds, often directly

behind the seats, the performers are able to literally surround the audience

with the sounds and music of the play, literally placing them directly in the

middle of the action of the play.

As a melodrama, Quilters is successful in providing both a dramatic,

and emotionally charged production. Its actresses are all skillful and

passionate in their performances, and each of the characters are presented in

a realistic and believable manner. Overall, the production of quilters proves

to be a success.