Symbolism On Stage

In our last lesson we looked at how the staging of a play can change the meaning of what's taking place on stage, and in this post I'm just going to outline some examples relating to Doctor Faustus and explain how I would stage a part of the play.

So, where characters are placed, what they're wearing, and any props they may be holding can symbolise something about their character to the audience or capture the audience's imagination. For example, in plays when a new character comes on stage it often says enter "above". This could be literal obviously, such as they are entering onto a balcony etc. However it could also show the high status of a character or their importance in the scene. In the same way, if there is some sort of platform on stage, this could mean that those who enter "above" are supposed to be separate/different from the others on stage. So they could be the spirit of a character for example, who is looking back at events and is invisible to the others. Like in Billy Elliot when his mother's character is often at the back of the stage watching him etc.
Secondly costumes can show status and wealth, and would, at the time in which Doctor Faustus was first performed, have been donated by aristocrats. Props on the other hand can perhaps most usefully show the audience what is happening in the story, for example if a character is holding a dagger then it's evident to the audience that the situation in dangerous or that violence has taken place. The example we thought of in class was if a character has a bloody tissue, as it sets the audience's imagination running, which means the actors don't have to spell what has happened out to the audience, as they are free to interpret the staging etc as they wish.

All of this would have been particularly crucial to a performance at the time of Marlowe as the stages were often bare, meaning the audience would take a lot from how the characters on stage were dressed and positioned. For example in class we looked at some more of Act 1.1 in which the good and bad angel appear and talk to Faustus. We were then asked to do a drawing of how we would stage this scene and why. I said that I would have the two angels on raised platforms either side of the stage, and I personally think that Faustus can neither see nor hear them. For example after they have spoken to him to try and convince him as to what he should do next, he appears to completely ignore them. So I would have it as if the angels are looking back at what has happened to Faustus and advising him, although they know his fate. Sort of like in a Christmas Carol with the ghost of Christmas past etc.

Anyhoo, that's me done. Roll on Friday's lesson.