Question about Constellations

BeingAlive 2

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joined:7/3/16

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Question about Constellations#1
Posted: 8/29/16 at 7:41pm

Hello all,

I am teaching an interdisciplinary science and theatre course, and one of the plays I plan to examine is Constellations by Nick Payne. I just had a question for all of those who were fortunate enough to see it. How exactly was the transition from universe to universe made clear theatrically? Was it done simply through a shift in the actors presence and delivery, or was it made clear through some sort of lighting cue or backdrop? I looked through old threads about the play but wasn't able to get a clear idea. Any information or description you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Updated On: 8/29/16 at 07:41 PM

Andy51

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joined:8/15/16

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Question about Constellations#2
Posted: 8/29/16 at 11:29pm

It was done with flashing lights. I'm pretty sure most of the media reviews mentioned this, so you might want to look them up.

Someone in a Tree2

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Question about Constellations#3
Posted: 8/29/16 at 11:36pm

Also, the set basically consisted of a bare platform and clusters of white balloons overhead. As different realities were presented, different clusters of balloons lit up. But understand that the shift from beat to beat was very subtle, with most of the work to lead us through each reality being done chiefly by those incredible actors and their ability to shift on a dime. Brilliant.

It was a very special night of pure theater which I adored, but challenging to follow if you didn't latch on to the game afoot from the get-go.

JBroadway

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Question about Constellations#4
Posted: 8/30/16 at 12:14am

I'm fairly certain there was also a sound cue for every transition. I think it was some kind of "tech-y" computer noise.

I really enjoyed Constellations - much more than I thought I would. He's a bit of a new-age Stoppard, whom I also like. I also really enjoyed Incognito.

After Eight

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Question about Constellations#5
Posted: 8/30/16 at 8:22am

"I really enjoyed Constellations - much more than I thought I would. He's a bit of a new-age Stoppard, whom I also like. I also really enjoyed Incognito."

I loathed both. Staggeringly pretentious and even more staggeringly boring. No wonder the author is a critics' darling!

AC126748

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Question about Constellations#6
Posted: 8/30/16 at 8:27am

"Staggeringly pretentious and even more staggeringly boring."

That's how I imagine people describe sharing a meal with you.

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

After Eight

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Question about Constellations#7
Posted: 8/30/16 at 8:54am

^

Strange, then, that I'm invited to so many dinners.

And, in all modesty, I think that both my company and conversation are far more engaging than what our resident pretentious professor, AC, has to offer at the dinner table. I'm glad I'm not present at those meals!

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