cat on a hot tin roof Flashcards
is the play relevant today
the play is relevant due to lying and manipulating, in this generation we are big for fake news.
talk about being gay- are people more vocal
what is a cat on a hot tin roof about
is about the politt family who come together to celebrate big daddys birthday, with the intention to seek the plan of his will. furthermore, has a storyline on bricks, an alcholic, and maggies relationship and past
6 themes
homophobia
untruthfulness
addiction
social values and expectations
death
wealth and privilege
characters
brick
maggie
big mumma
big daddy
mae
gooper
dr baugh
reverend tooker
which characters did you empathise
personally, i had empathy for maggie, this is because she still had unconditional love for brick even when going through a dark stage in his life. brick made maggie feel unloved as well as mae and gooper seeing her as an ‘outsider’, especially for not having a child, seeing her as unworthy
who are jack straw and peter ochello?
the original owners of the place, a pair of bachelors who shared brick and maggies room together all their life
tennesse williams background
williams and cornelius
cornelius struggled with alcohol and being around, he thought tennessee was gay due to his lack of love for sport
RELATES TO BRICK AND BIG DADDY THROUGH LACK OF COMMUNICATION
TENSION REFLECTS WILLIAMS’ EXPERIENCE WITH DOMESTIC CONFLICT
tennesses’ background
how is big daddy like williams’ dad?
cornelius and big daddy are similiar through the way they are both hard and unsympathetic
tennesse williams background
how does brick relate to williams?
williams’ was also a closeted homosexual for his young years, which reflects with bricks
repression of gay accusations
bricks emotional withdrawl reflects wiliams’ isolation from father and society
tennesse williams background
williams’ sister and instablity
williams sister was diagnosed with SZ and was institutionalised for most of her life, this affected williams and reflects the characters in COHT roof’s instability eg: bricks alchohol and maes obsessive need to be seen as approachable and maternal
COSTUMES
maggie ( outfit )
womens fashion was hourglass
maggie will wear a fitted dress to show off her figure which she uses to gain att
the fabric will be silk and high quality to suit desire to be sophisticated, bold colour like white to portray her need to be seen as pure
COSTUMES
maggie ( jewellery )
minimal, small diamonds- maggie clearly longs for wealth but also is considerate of her upbringing
COSTUMES
maggie ( shoes )
black stilletos to represent her female empowerment and the contrast between appearance and reality
sharp outside, inner emotional struggles
COSTUMES
brick ( outfit )
must reflect casual, sporty look
button down light shirt, sleeves up to show lack of concern
trousers- a neutral pleated classic look, baggy to portray carelessness
fabrics- cotton, lightweight. practical, masculine avoiding formality like he avoids issues
COSTUMES
brick ( hair and shoes )
unlike the classic mens slicked, combed look, brick will have slightly messy hair to emphasise his lack of formality and instead his need for alcohol and lack of sleep
dark colour loafers, he only walks to his alcohol and back- lack of need for formality and instead emphasises his detachment
COSTUMES
big daddy ( outfit )
light coloured linen suit
tailored yet slightly loose to represent his large frame
crisp white shirt with conservative tie to show his desire to adhere to tradition
COSTUMES
big daddy ( little details )
white pocket square
flashy watch
slicked back, traditional hair
leather polished shoes
COSTUMES
big mama ( costume )
must reflect role of aging, vulnerable person with an emphasis on southern roots
large full daisy swing dress with an emphasised pattern to emphasise tradition, satin fabric to emphasise wealth
low chunky heel to represent practicality
COSTUME
big mama shoes/ hair / makeup
low heel to show practicality
styled low curly bob carefully styled to represent her desire for perfect exterior
makeup- bold lip to contrast with her personality, less confident and lack of power
COSTUME
mae
1950’s shirt waist dress ending below knees, reflecting tradition
pastel colour to fit desire of purity, innocence, and maternal
COSTUME
mae ( hair and makeup/ extra )
small kitten heels, practical and presentable- ambitious and grounded
neat updo to portray her desire for control and perfection
soft pink lip for wholesome, maternal appearance
COSTUME
gooper
conservative, responsible yet frustrated
well tailored suit- formal and structured like his personality
black leather oxfords, polished
slicked combed back hair, carefully styled, revealing his need for control, especially within his family affairs
how does the film and original differ?
homosexuality
film- bricks alcholism based off guilt of skippers death, not love.
film focusses on marital issues, heading in a more heterosexual way
original- emphasises impact of skippers death in a way that implies a secret relationship
bricks emotional disrupt stems from skipper
unresolved tension between b&m regarding b sexuality
how does the film and original differ?
maggie
original: maggie was portrayed as increasingly manipulating and desperate eg: lying about pregnancy
film: maggies manipulation was softened to fit traditions of 1950’s and portrayed her as more romantic
how does the film and original differ?
the ending
film: focusses on the end moving in a positive way after m pregnancy announcement, hinting that brick comes out of his emotional rut
this was done to make the audience accept the film
original: ending was bleak and included still unresolved tension, implying that brick had no desire to come out of rut ( breaking tradition ), this left the ending open and grim
THE SET
bedroom
- large 4 poster bed as dominant feature with ageing decor
reflects wealth and crumbling of emotional bonds
contrasts w b&m relationship. - dark, wooden furniture with faded wallpaper suggesting the house used to be grand, but is now decaying like the family
- rich, heavy bedsheets ( weight of unresolved )
- draped ( barrier between characters )
- armchair ( bricks retreat w alcohol )
SHOULD MAKE THE AUDIENCE FEEL WEIGHT OF PAST AND THEMES OF REPRESSION AND DECAY
THE SET
balcony
large, rusty, golden french window leading to balcony, an open space which represents the freedom of outside world
exterior truth interior lies
THE SET
minor details
liquor cabinet: central to bricks character, his means of escape
mirror: a large grand mirror, reflects the theme of truth ( characters avoid ) and inability/ reluctancy to see themselves for who they truly are
LIGHTING
warm and soft
creates intimacy and comfort that contrasts with tension of character relationships
eg: brick and maggie, lighting can create false sense of security
can also be dimmed to intensify themes of suffocation
LIGHTING
shadows
shadows can be used to symbolise repression of truth, highlighting characters hidden emotions
eg: brick and big daddy skipper talk, cast shadow on b ( reflects his emotional change )
LIGHTING
bright, harsh lighting
use this lighting in confrontational scenes, the characters are forced to tell the truth under the bright white lights eg: BD and B alcohol discussion
LIGHTING
spotlight and focus
to represent vunerablity
eg: Maggie confessing love for brick and speech on power, surround in a spotlight to intensify the vulnerable position she is in
whats big mamas personality like
a strong, loving character who sometimes gives tough love.
her personality can be bold and confident, with a sense of humour that lightens the mood
name one key moment big mama was in and how would you show this vocally and physically
finding out about big daddy
- voice may tremble with a mix of shock and disbelief
- eg: hands fidgeting and posture is becoming tense as she tries to control her emotions
name another key moment and how you would act as big mama
confrontation with brick
- her voice may be soft and maternal vibe
- her body may lean forward to decrease proxemics between her and brick, showing physical effort to connect
what child does big mama prefer and why
brick, she sees him as the child she has the most love for, brick represents a part of her life that was filled with joy and hope
is big mama happy with big daddy
yes to some extent because she loves him, strong bond however not fully happy because the marriage is strained, big mama is aware of the emotional distance and secrets
