Ben Acker Review of The Insanity of Mary Girard by Lanie Robertson Presented by Thetford Academy Drama 3/13/20
The Insanity of Mary Girard by Lanie Robertson is a drama in one act. Set in a hospital in the early 1800s in Pennsylvania, Mary Girards rich husband has her declared legally insane after she becomes pregnant by another man. While in the hospital the thoughts and voices in Mary's head become characters from her past, present, and future. These “furiess” torment her as she reflects on her position. Many things in The Insanity of Mary Girard contributed to the themes of innocence and betrayal as well as an overall sinister feeling which added so much depth to just one act. The cast of furies worked together almost as if they were one collaborative character, finishing each other's lines with a taunting tone as if they were trying to drive Ms. Girard to insanity. The seamless, smooth, purposeful transitions between the furies contributed to the sinister aura. Another factor that advanced the ominous feeling was the color and choreographic coordination. Seafoam green was a commonly used color on the set, as a background and present in the costumes. The furies masks matched Mary’s dress, possibly to show that they were a part of her. The creepy green color was even used as the color of the program. The choreography, music, and lighting told a story of their own. High pitched violin at key moments and bright red lights enhanced the malevolent feeling created in part by the mischievous tip-toeing and lurking of the furies, their constant surrounding of Mary Girard shows how overwhelmed by voices somebody in an asylum could be. Something I found rather disturbing was the audience reaction to the ending. Mary comes to accept the furies in her head and is okay being insane. Just after she says “I am truly and happily insane, insane! Insane!” the lights came on and everyone applauded. I'm sure that the alternative, not clapping, would have been equally if not more disturbing. The applause at the end felt eerie and misplaced, it added to the sinister feeling created throughout the play. All in all I think that Thetford Academy Drama presented The Insanity of Mary Girard extremely well and used many aspects of terror to perform a moving play with the theme of innocence and betrayal in just one act.
I enjoyed your review and was grateful for the description, given that I could not attend. You picked up on the many creative choices made to give audiences the experience of Mary's world. I especially appreciate your reaction to the audience reaction at the end. It is insightful to review the audience along with the play, reflecting back on our own unnerving relationship to the subject of female insanity.
Jessica S. “The Insanity of Mary Girard” - A drama by Lanie Robertson Thetford Academy’s One Act Play Class March 13, 2020
“The Insanity of Mary Girard” by Lanie Robertson is a highly engaging and haunting drama. This thought provoking play spoke a lot about classism, sexism, and stigmatizing people because of mental illness. Set in the late 1700s, Mary Girard is committed to an asylum by her husband after becoming pregnant from another man. As she sits in a chair, these “furies” creep around and chase her imitating people from her life and torturing her mind. The menacing play will leave you feeling slightly uneasy, as you watch Mary contemplate sanity or accepting insanity. The scenery really added to the more dark, emotional side of the play. While the set up was quite simple, the dark tones of the set pieces really emphasized the sadness and trapped feeling Mary felt being locked up. The emotional high pitch song of the violin and use of red lighting highlighted especially important and surprising moments, which had a very large impact as well. Another aspect that really added to the story were the costumes. The dark green of Mary’s dress corresponding with the dark green of the furies’ masks was a very clever way to show they were connected. The dark wispy veils that flowed around the shoulders of the furies helped to convey the more sinister characteristics they possessed. The furies were an especially outstanding set of actors. They exhibited the sly and overwhelming feeling thoughts can have on a person through their tone and movement by enclosing her. They also did an exceptionally well job transitioning from line to line, showing how somebody’s thoughts can be all over the place and jumbled from one thing to another, yet they still made it easy to follow along with. Another part that was very powerful and convincing was that of Mary Girard, played by Layla Hanissian. She was very passionate and engrossed in playing the role, which made the play really come to life and take you back to the time. The scream she did at the very start of the play was chilling and really set the scene for the events that laid ahead. The facial expressions she used were also very moving, and helped add meaning and feeling behind the words she was speaking. The One Act Play class did an amazing job with the performance. This play left me thinking about how crazy the mind can be and how much the times have changed from the 1700s to now. This play was really moving and I think it impacted not only me, but every single person who watched it as well. It takes a lot of work and dedication to make that possible, and it definitely showed in the performance.
I enjoyed reading your review as well. Your description of the production paints a vivid picture in my mind. I would be interested to hear more about your conclusions in light of your thesis at the top (re: classism, sexism, and stigmas against mental illness). What is particular about Mary's form of craziness? What is the play ultimately saying about the origins or epidemiology of insanity, particularly when it comes to women and sexual repression? As much as we hope this experience is in the distant past, can you make any connections to current circumstances facing women or others marginalized by class or mental illness? I regret missing this powerful play!
I really enjoyed reading your critique of the One Act play. I thought your response was well written and very well thought out. As someone who was part of the production of “The Insanity of Mary Girard,” there were a few things about your response that stood out to me. The first was the line “The menacing play will leave you feeling slightly uneasy, as you watch Mary contemplate sanity or accepting insanity.” To me, this line summed up what the play was about in a very articulate way that I struggled to reach when explaining to others what the play was about. Another thing about your response that stood out to me was your description of the set. I would also agree that the set was very simple but did add a lot to the play. You picked up on the dark tones of the set and how they felt fitting to the sadness of being locked up. I too thought that the dark tones were cool, but the starkness of the white on some of the blocks stood out to me more. They seemed to convey the hospital environment very well. It was interesting to me that this stood out to you, because we had discussions about making more of the set the whilte color to better represent a hospital. Together the dark tones of the chair and a few of the blocks fit very well with the stark white color of the other blocks. After every show or dress rehearsal, I too was left thinking about how crazy the mind can be.
I originally intended to review the One Act Play, but, since the second performance was canceled due to Covid-19, I was not able to attend the performance I planned to go to. Instead, I analyzed the 2005 film "Revenge of the Sith" as a classical tragedy.
Ben Acker
ReplyDeleteReview of The Insanity of Mary Girard by Lanie Robertson
Presented by Thetford Academy Drama 3/13/20
The Insanity of Mary Girard by Lanie Robertson is a drama in one act. Set in a hospital in the early 1800s in Pennsylvania, Mary Girards rich husband has her declared legally insane after she becomes pregnant by another man. While in the hospital the thoughts and voices in Mary's head become characters from her past, present, and future. These “furiess” torment her as she reflects on her position. Many things in The Insanity of Mary Girard contributed to the themes of innocence and betrayal as well as an overall sinister feeling which added so much depth to just one act.
The cast of furies worked together almost as if they were one collaborative character, finishing each other's lines with a taunting tone as if they were trying to drive Ms. Girard to insanity. The seamless, smooth, purposeful transitions between the furies contributed to the sinister aura.
Another factor that advanced the ominous feeling was the color and choreographic coordination. Seafoam green was a commonly used color on the set, as a background and present in the costumes. The furies masks matched Mary’s dress, possibly to show that they were a part of her. The creepy green color was even used as the color of the program.
The choreography, music, and lighting told a story of their own. High pitched violin at key moments and bright red lights enhanced the malevolent feeling created in part by the mischievous tip-toeing and lurking of the furies, their constant surrounding of Mary Girard shows how overwhelmed by voices somebody in an asylum could be.
Something I found rather disturbing was the audience reaction to the ending. Mary comes to accept the furies in her head and is okay being insane. Just after she says “I am truly and happily insane, insane! Insane!” the lights came on and everyone applauded. I'm sure that the alternative, not clapping, would have been equally if not more disturbing. The applause at the end felt eerie and misplaced, it added to the sinister feeling created throughout the play.
All in all I think that Thetford Academy Drama presented The Insanity of Mary Girard extremely well and used many aspects of terror to perform a moving play with the theme of innocence and betrayal in just one act.
I enjoyed your review and was grateful for the description, given that I could not attend. You picked up on the many creative choices made to give audiences the experience of Mary's world. I especially appreciate your reaction to the audience reaction at the end. It is insightful to review the audience along with the play, reflecting back on our own unnerving relationship to the subject of female insanity.
DeleteJessica S.
ReplyDelete“The Insanity of Mary Girard” - A drama by Lanie Robertson
Thetford Academy’s One Act Play Class
March 13, 2020
“The Insanity of Mary Girard” by Lanie Robertson is a highly engaging and haunting drama. This thought provoking play spoke a lot about classism, sexism, and stigmatizing people because of mental illness.
Set in the late 1700s, Mary Girard is committed to an asylum by her husband after becoming pregnant from another man. As she sits in a chair, these “furies” creep around and chase her imitating people from her life and torturing her mind. The menacing play will leave you feeling slightly uneasy, as you watch Mary contemplate sanity or accepting insanity.
The scenery really added to the more dark, emotional side of the play. While the set up was quite simple, the dark tones of the set pieces really emphasized the sadness and trapped feeling Mary felt being locked up. The emotional high pitch song of the violin and use of red lighting highlighted especially important and surprising moments, which had a very large impact as well. Another aspect that really added to the story were the costumes. The dark green of Mary’s dress corresponding with the dark green of the furies’ masks was a very clever way to show they were connected. The dark wispy veils that flowed around the shoulders of the furies helped to convey the more sinister characteristics they possessed.
The furies were an especially outstanding set of actors. They exhibited the sly and overwhelming feeling thoughts can have on a person through their tone and movement by enclosing her. They also did an exceptionally well job transitioning from line to line, showing how somebody’s thoughts can be all over the place and jumbled from one thing to another, yet they still made it easy to follow along with.
Another part that was very powerful and convincing was that of Mary Girard, played by Layla Hanissian. She was very passionate and engrossed in playing the role, which made the play really come to life and take you back to the time. The scream she did at the very start of the play was chilling and really set the scene for the events that laid ahead. The facial expressions she used were also very moving, and helped add meaning and feeling behind the words she was speaking.
The One Act Play class did an amazing job with the performance. This play left me thinking about how crazy the mind can be and how much the times have changed from the 1700s to now. This play was really moving and I think it impacted not only me, but every single person who watched it as well. It takes a lot of work and dedication to make that possible, and it definitely showed in the performance.
I enjoyed reading your review as well. Your description of the production paints a vivid picture in my mind. I would be interested to hear more about your conclusions in light of your thesis at the top (re: classism, sexism, and stigmas against mental illness). What is particular about Mary's form of craziness? What is the play ultimately saying about the origins or epidemiology of insanity, particularly when it comes to women and sexual repression? As much as we hope this experience is in the distant past, can you make any connections to current circumstances facing women or others marginalized by class or mental illness? I regret missing this powerful play!
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your critique of the One Act play. I thought your response was well written and very well thought out. As someone who was part of the production of “The Insanity of Mary Girard,” there were a few things about your response that stood out to me. The first was the line “The menacing play will leave you feeling slightly uneasy, as you watch Mary contemplate sanity or accepting insanity.” To me, this line summed up what the play was about in a very articulate way that I struggled to reach when explaining to others what the play was about. Another thing about your response that stood out to me was your description of the set. I would also agree that the set was very simple but did add a lot to the play. You picked up on the dark tones of the set and how they felt fitting to the sadness of being locked up. I too thought that the dark tones were cool, but the starkness of the white on some of the blocks stood out to me more. They seemed to convey the hospital environment very well. It was interesting to me that this stood out to you, because we had discussions about making more of the set the whilte color to better represent a hospital. Together the dark tones of the chair and a few of the blocks fit very well with the stark white color of the other blocks. After every show or dress rehearsal, I too was left thinking about how crazy the mind can be.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting to get the inside scoop on how these decisions were made!
DeleteI originally intended to review the One Act Play, but, since the second performance was canceled due to Covid-19, I was not able to attend the performance I planned to go to. Instead, I analyzed the 2005 film "Revenge of the Sith" as a classical tragedy.
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1BM2_sqgX-DMeh1b1z3RsQ-HMzmEz4bsh6vuTce3F4Fo/edit