Blogging Prompt #9

The performance was much better than I expected. I expected the stories to have a “cringe” aspect because they are topics that aren’t typically spoken about. However, the actors staff did an extremely good job of making the atmosphere serious and easy to empathize with. The various stories told varied on topics much more than I thought, and this gave the performance far more impact to me. The range of stories gave the purpose of the play more credibility, because there was a larger dedication to various walls rather than the obvious ones such as race etc. allowed for the purpose to be in the forefront rather than another ulterior motive seem to dominate. Many of the stories were intimate and drew some serious reactions from me. Some causing me to recall my actions and reflect on mistakes I’ve personally made in the past. The most memorable part of the show was my own reactions to the stories. I became more sympathetic to many issues because they were exposed to me when I expected to be reflective. The lighting was the most powerful production element to me. The manipulation of light around performers highlighted isolation in certain cases and placed all of the focus on the speaker. The lack of stage dressing gave the monologues more spotlight. The production used multiple audience members to create walls, or show unity. The monologues used various methods to convey their gravity to the audience. There were various rhetorical strategies used to draw in the listener/reader, to cause the reader to empathize with their story. The most interesting concept from the readers present in Show Some Skin were the use of examples. The entire production is a collection of real world examples of issues. The use of these real life stories guarantees to the listener the truth of a situation. This understanding causes a more visceral reaction to the feelings of the authors. This allows for a more sympathetic view towards the rhetorical purpose of the plays.