Julian Pohl, Kai Ohlig

English 10

Ms. Klasen

27.2.14

Setting effect on Play

                The Setting used in West Side story was very effective because little changes had to done to from scene to scene. On both sides of the stages were two metal structures that could be easily moved and turned to create another setting. Little props were added to a scene to create another setting. For example when Maria was working in her cloth sotre, and Toni visited her, only a hanging rod and a window was placed to create a store atmosphere. This was very effective because it was very easy and quick for them to set up the scene, without letting the audience get bored. Also small changes like moving the metal structures, let the setting seem different and unique, it was very strong and effectively used. At the fighting scne the metal structures were moved into a V shape, having a metal net in the back it made it successfully look like a baseball field. The conclusion we can draw from this is that the settig was the same for every scene and only the positioning of the metal structures were changed and little props were added.

1. How is the setting from Romeo and Juliet similar to the west side story?


2. How is the fighting scene from West side story different to the one in Romeo and Juliet?

The background helps to create the tone of the play: it is in set in New York, were similar stuctures are present. These structure include balconies, two stores, windows and an open stage space if a lot of dancers perform at once. By simply turning them, different aspects of the structures gain importance, which helps to switch over to scenes quickly and therefore effectively.

Works Cited

"Liam Tobin as Tony and Elena Sancho Pereg as Maria." The Darkroom Exploring Visual Journalism from the Baltimore Sun RSS. The Darkroom, 10 Sept. 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.