#76
Posted: 7/3/13 at 11:05am
I watched IRIS and here are my thoughts:
It wasn't exactly what i thought it would be. I thought the performers get drowned out on that huge empty stage and I did eventually see the plot line but There wasn't much of it but i did see a little bit of focus on it. I didn't realize that the guy playing the piano was buster and I had to rewind the video to actually see what he was doing. I really wish cirque would establish their plotlines better but more on that later.
The acts themselves were great obviously. I found act one a bit boring though. One thing that really got me a big agitated was they hardly even used the whole stage! Most of the acts were in front of the proscenium. I was thinking to myself " why do they need such a big theatre if they are only using half the stage"?
Act 2 is MUCH better than act 1, and I loved what they did with the opening. The chaotic scene at the beginning of act 2 was a highlight.
My main critique of cirque is the the thin story behind the shows. Cirque seems to always have to freeze the storyline to get a circus act in INSTEAD of having the cirque act move the story forward. They usually have a theme for a show and have established characters in the beginning and you have them go on this journey but then you never get a conclusion of their journey. The circus disciplines are great and everything but without something moving the piece forward it feels like I am just watching circus act after circus act without understanding what this act pertains to the piece.
Its very hard for me to watch a cirque show when it just feels like none of the acts are connecting back to the "story". Cirque is more about THEME than PLOT and that's fine but i wish they would be a bit more persistent in getting the storyline acrossed so you understand why the lead character is going on a journey or is in this world in the first place.
Not all of their shows are like this however. VARAKEI is one of the few cirque shows that really has a plot from beginning to end. Many of the acts in Varekai propel the story forward and create a consequences. Some of the acts in verekai are more "Character pieces" that tell you more about the character instead of just a circus act just showing discipline for the sake of it. I have never liked when A performer is done with the act and waves to the audience. It takes me completely out of the show. Shows like KOOZA and LA NOUBA have story lines that you can follow but others don't and It's not that Cirque can't do storylines, it just seems like that isn't there main focus and thats fine i guess.
It wasn't exactly what i thought it would be. I thought the performers get drowned out on that huge empty stage and I did eventually see the plot line but There wasn't much of it but i did see a little bit of focus on it. I didn't realize that the guy playing the piano was buster and I had to rewind the video to actually see what he was doing. I really wish cirque would establish their plotlines better but more on that later.
The acts themselves were great obviously. I found act one a bit boring though. One thing that really got me a big agitated was they hardly even used the whole stage! Most of the acts were in front of the proscenium. I was thinking to myself " why do they need such a big theatre if they are only using half the stage"?
Act 2 is MUCH better than act 1, and I loved what they did with the opening. The chaotic scene at the beginning of act 2 was a highlight.
My main critique of cirque is the the thin story behind the shows. Cirque seems to always have to freeze the storyline to get a circus act in INSTEAD of having the cirque act move the story forward. They usually have a theme for a show and have established characters in the beginning and you have them go on this journey but then you never get a conclusion of their journey. The circus disciplines are great and everything but without something moving the piece forward it feels like I am just watching circus act after circus act without understanding what this act pertains to the piece.
Its very hard for me to watch a cirque show when it just feels like none of the acts are connecting back to the "story". Cirque is more about THEME than PLOT and that's fine but i wish they would be a bit more persistent in getting the storyline acrossed so you understand why the lead character is going on a journey or is in this world in the first place.
Not all of their shows are like this however. VARAKEI is one of the few cirque shows that really has a plot from beginning to end. Many of the acts in Varekai propel the story forward and create a consequences. Some of the acts in verekai are more "Character pieces" that tell you more about the character instead of just a circus act just showing discipline for the sake of it. I have never liked when A performer is done with the act and waves to the audience. It takes me completely out of the show. Shows like KOOZA and LA NOUBA have story lines that you can follow but others don't and It's not that Cirque can't do storylines, it just seems like that isn't there main focus and thats fine i guess.
Updated On: 7/3/13 at 11:05 AM
