machinal

A detailed Summary of machinal


“Machinal” was a wild and crazy ride through the life of a fatalistic women, distraught by the stress, complexity, and monotony of society. Helen (the main character) gives an outstanding performance. I know that its not unusual to the actor but it always amazes me how the actors memorize all their lines and still are able to create that much of an impact through dramatization. Helen’s acting is intense, emotional and very believable. If I meet her on the streets in the 1920’s I would think she was in fact real. Throughout the play many people harass Helen. In the office co-workers harass her for being late. Her mother nags her at home about what to do with her life. Even her annoying husband George, that is supposed to love and protect makes her feel insignificant and cold. Basically Helen cracks up and looses a couple screws. After giving birth to her child, all of her rage and anxiety explodes. She becomes suicidal and rants about spiritu!

al stuff to the point of hysteria. But this lunacy and insanity gets old and I thought the play started to get a little boring. The costumes


The costumes, sets, and lighting, however are much better in the second act. In the bedroom scene the audience is stunned by a compelling love song sung by George. And the set is changed and more color is used. Despite these compelling elements of the play, events change almost to quickly to follow. First, Helen and her husband are in a room, and the next scene Helen is on trial for the murder of her husband who is found dead in their home. It could have been hard to follow because of the script or the guy in the audience who passed out and delayed the play for one half hour. The climax of the play takes place in the court room. The court room is filled with clatter, and the press is hammering Helen with accusations. The judge enter the courtroom and it seems as though he is a mightier power than the law. He is positioned I think a couple feet above the stage giving him a grim powerful look.

, scenery, sets, and lighting are pretty simple in the first scenes. I was expecting a really gorgeous set and bright beautiful colors in this play considering its going to Washington D.C. But the costumes all seeme

Some common words found in the essay are:
Washington DC, , Basically Helen, play roles, murder husband, women executed, audience stunned, executed 1920’s, sets lighting,

Approximate Word count = 758
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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