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Anna Rita Moukarzel

DRA 120

March 5, 2019

Flora the Red Menace

I watched “Flora the Red Menace” at two pm on Saturday March 2. Entering the theatre, I

was in awe of the set and the world it created. They used the thrust stage of Wright to their

advantage and had the audience’s eyes everywhere from the screens above their head to the aisle

behind them where the cast was coming in and out of. Looking deeper into the performers, I was

able to notice their psychological gestures, the atmospheres around them, and the polarity among

themselves.

It was really difficult for me to begin knowing where to look to determine the psychological

gestures. It wasn’t until a few scenes in that it finally began to click with me. The first noticeable

gesture for me was Harry’s. Nathaniel Challis, who portrayed the nervous stuttering Harry, had a

very clear gesture. The motion he would constantly return to in varying degrees was the wringing

of his fingers. Almost consistently, before he spoke or when he was present on stage, he was

wringing his fingers. When he did so, I noticed how that would aid him in getting into the nervous

feeling and stature that Harry fell under. The next character’s gesture that I noticed was Flora’s.

Talia Friedenberg’s, actress for Flora, movement was a little tougher to notice but it hit me during

her performance of “A Quite Thing” in Act One. Talia would gravitate her motions and hands to

her stomach. During her scenes, anytime she was upset she would hug herself across the stomach,

anytime she was with the character Mr. Stanley she would hold her hands in front of her stomach,

anytime she was happy she would try to keep herself calm by bringing her hands back to her

stomach. At first, I thought this was what Talia did to prepare her for her numerous amounts of
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songs, but I noticed it as a psychological gesture when it kept repeating itself throughout the

performance. The next character I noticed was Maggie’s gestures. Aubrey Schoeman, who plays

this sweet dancer, would always go up on her toes and smile really big before she spoke and when

she was portraying her characters. I noticed it when she was in position for the next scene to begin

and then the lights turned on and she did the motion. From then on, I noticed it during every scene.

Then I noticed Willy’s gesture. With Willy, I even noticed a use of an accent in certain instances.

Charlie Lavaroni, actor for Willy, would always roll on his feet before speaking, and throughout

the scenes. Like he would start on his heels and roll to his toes and lean his body forward then

begin speaking and singing. It was evident throughout the play and helped him achieve that

charming essence. His accent showed when he was talking directly to the audience. During his

scenes among his cast, I did not notice an accent in his voice, but every time he addressed the

audience, like at the beginning of the show and end, he rolled on his feet and he had an accent. It

was a nice gesture to help the audience realize it was a direct approach to us. I also noticed Elsa’s

gesture. Shannon McCoy, who portrayed this quirky outgoing friend, would always lean on one

leg with her other knee bent. Finally, the character who’s gesture I noticed the easiest was

Charlotte. Sophie Burbaker, who portrayed the manipulative strong Charlotte, would always start

with an open hand and then clench her fist. Consistently throughout her scenes and songs, Sophie

would use her hand high and open, then closed her fist. Or she would be doing an open and closed

hand near her sides during her scenes. Another thing I noticed was the way Sophie used her voice.

Whenever Sophie knew her character was being manipulative or bad, her voice would raise higher,

when she wasn’t her voice was lower. Her gestures really helped with the strengthening of her

characterization and it was the easiest one for me to notice. I am beginning to understand what
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Margaret means, and although it is not easy for me to find these psychological gestures, the more

I practice, the better I will get.

The next thing I noticed was some clear atmospheres among certain characters and how it

was polar to others. Harry’s atmosphere was more molding: one of nervousness with an introverted

feeling, and just an overall slower vibe. Flora’s atmosphere was more of a flying one: wild, fun,

and fast. They are both opposites of each other and every time they were on stage together, the

polarity would be seen. Although this was their atmosphere for most of Act One, there was a switch

to it. During the number “Sign Here”. Harry took charge of the scene and was really taking over

the entire stage, whereas Flora was the one who was quieter and stayed in one place. However,

after that song the atmosphere switched back to Flora running around the stage and Harry staying

in one place. The biggest switch to the atmosphere among them was during “The Joke” in Act

Two. In this number, Harry really gets his strength and voice and no longer has that slow nervous

molding atmosphere around him. This differs because during this time, Flora switches to the

molding atmosphere, a sadder one. Their polarity was always evident during these switches,

because whoever had the flying atmosphere around them was the one who moved more around

the stage and the molding atmosphere was more centered to one spot.

Watching this show with the clear purpose to find certain repetitive gestures and the

atmospheres around the characters was not easy. I struggle in class to find the perfect and right

gesture for my own characterization and to truly understand it, but during this show, really trying

to look for these aspects helped me understand more of what works and how they help build a

character. “Flora the Red Menace” was a great show that I enjoyed watching, and it was a

wonderful step for me into getting the practice I need to get better at characterization.