CORRECTION:-
Part 1. Theatre Review (250-300 words)
Modern-day Twelfth Night in Schiller Park
Actors Theatre of Columbus presents Shakespeare's love comedy Twelfth Night directed by Mandy Fox, from June 27th to July 28th in Schiller Park, German Village. The admission is free but donations are welcomed. The play is located outdoor, so the audience could bring their own food, lawn chairs or picnic blanket if they do not choose to sit on the grass. The play runs from 8-9pm.
In short, the play is about a young woman named Viola, who disguises herself as a man, named Cesario to serve Duke Orsino. Orsino who thinks that she is a man, persuades Cesario to make Olivia to fall in love with him. Although Cesario loves Orsino, she does what he tells her to and while doing that, Olivia starts to fall in love with Cesario. Malvolio is another character that is interested in Olivia and he tries to impress her.
A chair and a staircase that leads to the back of the stage are used as the setting of the play and a large colorful cassette tape is used as the backdrop. The sound system was not that good, as it was not that clear and only those who sits close to the stage could benefit from that. The lighting helps to focus on the stage when it is dark. Popular songs like Hey Mickey and Eye of the Tiger are being played in between scenes. The characters were dressed in modern clothing, like jeans, shorts and skirts, designed by Emily Jeu. The director did a great job making the play humorous; the overall casts fit the plays' characters and Malvolio that was wearing bright yellow pants successfully made the audience laugh.
The play is being performed in a modern day setting but it kept the original dialogue. Some additional words were used. The play is overall somewhat silly and the flirting was very sexual and seductive.
Part 2: Respond as myself (450-500 words)
In my opinion, the play Twelfth Night that I saw is telling us that there are many types of love and love is no always certain. The first type of love is true love, illustrated by Viola, as she falls in love with Orsino, even after he tells her to persuade his love interest, Olivia to fall in love with him. Viola is the only character that loves the same person throughout the play. The second type of love is lust or desire, communicated by Orsino, as he falls in love with Olivia, even though he does not know her that well and when he changes his love interest from Olivia to Viola. On the other hand, Olivia changes her love interest from Cesario to Sebastian. The third type of love is friendship love, illustrated by Antonio, as he would risk his life to go to Illyria to find Sebastian. The main theme for this play are gender and identity caused by Viola, who disguises herself as a man, named Cesario to work for Orsino. She falls in love with him but could not tell him, as he thinks that she is a male. Olivia falls in love with Cesario thinking that he is a male. Sebastian gets confused when he sees Cesario because he has a twin sister and not a twin brother. After reading the book, watching the movie and seeing the play, I find that there are many things that a live theatre can do compared to a film. For instance, I feel that seeing a live theatre is more intimate, as the actors are performing at the same time and space as me. They are also able to connect with us in the audience, like they would respond to our laughs, as we are also part of the performance. I feel that the theatre performance is much more original, as it is riskier than a film and they need to improvise the storyline for every show and be prepared if something goes wrong. What will happen next in the play is also uncertain, as it is happening right at that moment and anything could happen. With a live performance, I could show y appreciation, by giving them a standing ovation. After seeing the show, I was surprised at how different the play was compared to the movie, like, the play is much more sexual and seductive, especially when they are flirting and Malvolio's character could make the audience laugh just by standing there on stage. I can see how improvising could change the concept of the play but still keep the original story line. I think that the director successfully remade Twelfth Night into a modern setting, so that we can all relate to it.
Cardiovascular (200-300 words)
Cardiovascular is the topic that appeals me the most as it is a very common disease. Recently, I went for a health check up and the doctor told me that my cholesterol level is high. This statement was really shocking for a 20 year-old. Since my father was a heart patient, I also have high chances of getting it. Moreover, when I was 18 years old, my father got a heart attack. It is very scary to learn that 50% of victims die before reaching the hospital, another 15% during the treatment and additional 15% over the next few years. Every year, approximately 25% of middle-aged American deaths are caused by this disease. The extreme case of this disease is heart attack, which results due to the blockage of blood supply of the heart, by which the blood clots in one or more plaque-filled coronary arteries and the intense pain results in muscle due to which the person dies. Today, cardiovascular disease can be treated in several ways, such as coronary bypass surgery, medication and peacemakers, which helps in regulating the rhythm of heart. Moreover, there are certain factors which increase the risk of this disease, such as heredity, advanced age, and being male that cannot be changed, but we can prevent these heart diseases or slow down its progress by adopting certain healthy habits, such as non smoking and controlling body weight. Focusing certain factors that could trigger this disease, like, exercising regularly and reducing hostility and other forms of psychological stress can help to prevent myself from this disease. Thus, this topic has helped me in educating myself about the seriousness of cardiovascular disease and preventive measures to reduce any chance of getting affected by it. I always believe that prevention is better than cure.