The Marriage of Figaro by Anna

It was my first time going to an opera so i didn't know what to expect. Overall, I enjoyed it for the most part, although it did get a little confusing because it was in Italian. It also was kind of difficult to read all the subtitles and watch the play at the same time. The actors were all very talented and sang very well. I'm not a big fan of opera, but it was enjoyable to watch. I don't understand how the girls can get their voices to go that loud and high. It amazes me. It also impresses me how they can memorize all the songs and all the words for the whole 3 hours. During some songs, they get really fast too, and they never once stumbled on a word at all.

I thought the orchestra was super good. It was neat to hear the orchestra play and the singers match up exactly with the speed and tone of the orchestra.

It's really cool to look in the program and see that this production first started in 1786 and ever since that first time it has traveled all across the world. Even though it was late on a school night, I'm glad we went to this because it was a neat and different experience!

The Marriage of Figaro by Jasmine

The Marriage of Figaro, a comical and playful story of a web of relationships surrounding a wedding, was presented beautifully by the Bulgarian State Opera Company. This was the first opera I had ever seen, and the experience is one I will never forget. The voices of the performers were astounding, and the actors and actresses were all very entertaining in their roles. The opera itself was a wonderfully written piece, and the music evoked moods and ideas that carried along the story line.

At first, I thought that the intricate story would be very confusing for me. However, as the show progressed I found myself understanding more and more the plot and the characters. The performers made it very simple and easy to follow through facial expressions, movements, and tone, and the subtitles helped a great deal! The sequence of events was especially entertaining, as the plot became ever more intricately twisted. Count Almavida performed perfectly the role of the high and mighty lord of the house, at times becoming angry and at times making tender apologies. The Countess had both a beautiful voice and expressed great emotion though moving songs. Susanna acted just as a young maid would – bubbly, charming, graceful, and kind. Figaro, though at times jealous, kept the story light hearted as well by using his wittiness to outsmart the count. Each of the actors and actresses presented their roles with great passion and professionalism, portraying the emotions the characters themselves were feeling.

Meeting with some members of the company after the show was also a great experience. Although language was a bit of a barrier, it did not obscure at all the passion that the artists had for the occupations they hold. A unique group of people traveling with an entire orchestra, the hardships and grueling hours that the actors and actresses endure give a testimony to their love for the arts. Their well-trained voices reach unbelievable notes, and hours of performing are not at all a daunting idea. Sitting in the audience, I was amazed by the way that their voices echoed. Their great skill, talent, and ability are demonstrated by their remarkable performance, and the ease with which they sing makes me wish I could do the same.

Though The Marriage of Figaro was the first opera I have been to, I hope that it will not be the last. The magical performance put on by the Bulgarian State Opera Company has placed in me a great love for the opera. The performers and their voices have left deep impressions on me, and I will no doubt continue to admire and support the arts. An elaborate and crowd-pleasing opera, The Marriage of Figaro presents themes of love and forgiveness while allowing the audience to appreciate the artistic value of Mozart’s works. Through this opera I have come to appreciate this distinctive form artistic expression, and I embrace it with all my heart.

The Marriage of Figaro by Haema

OUTSTANDING OPERA

Everyone has seen the skits in sitcoms or comic strips in which writers claim that operas are extremely boring and painful to listen to, however, to say this statement, with all honesty, these writers must have never witnessed the Bulgarian State Academic Opera perform The Marriage of Figaro. Once a person has seen this spectacle, no stereotype about operas can ever be reaffirmed again. Simple, yet decadent props and costumes ornamented the fabulous acting and singing of the artists on stage during the opera, The Marriage of Figaro.

I have never seen an opera before, let alone heard the story of The Marriage of Figaro, thus everything I witnessed was brand new to me. In fact, I came into this performance with the stereotypes our society has about operas. I imagined an oversized woman in a Viking’s hat belting out notes so high and loud that they would shatter glass. Luckily, I did not see anything remotely close to this. Instead, I watched the beautifully, crafted masterpiece of, the genius, Wolfgang Mozart, through extremely skilled and delightful singers.

The performance was dramatic, funny, loving, and enthralling. I fell in love with specific characters. For example, I just could not seem to get my eyes off the singer who played Susanna, not only was her voice out of this world, but she acted the part of Susanna, a servant girl amidst the utmost confusion concerning love affairs. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the others as well. Surprisingly, also one of my favorites was the gardener, who, without a doubt, was always drunk. Additionally, the actors and actresses worked with each other so well, you forgot this was merely an opera. You could see relationships being established, forced, and shattered, all quite amusing.

I’m ecstatic that the very first opera I have ever seen was The Marriage of Figaro, presented by the Bulgarian State Academic Opera, because I have witnessed a true spectacle. Never again will I fall back on the stereotypical notions of opera. Instead, I will remember this night and the great performance that I had the pleasure of watching and listening.

The Marriage of Figaro by Aaron

"The Marriage of Figaro" was a fantastic show. Its simple set and diverse characters made for a great performance. Although there were many things going on in the opera, and many people impersonating one another, it all came together in a clever and comic way.

The characters were all very unique and interesting. I was surprised at how funny they were. Cherubino was probably the funniest of them all. The actress who played Cherubino seemed to be a very comical person herself. Susanna, likewise, was very funny. She was very clever and had good ideas to trick people such as the Count. The actor who played Figaro did a very good job. He portrayed him very well. The characters were what made the show so interesting and unique.

The set was very simple with a slightly raised floorboard and a few accents added to create the mood of the scene. They probably used such a simple set so that people do not focus so much on that rather than the characters and the opera singing. I think they could have used a little more elaborate set. The set was very boring and dull looking. The show was interesting none the less.

The complex story and confusing situation held the attention of myself and most likely many others in the audience. Beaumarchais had to be a genius to create such a complex story. The opera singing was wonderful and the whole cast did an excellent job. I look forward to when this show returns. This was my first experience of going to an opera. It's an experience I won't forget. I hope to go to many more opera shows in the future.

The Marriage of Figaro by Aimee

Opera is an art form rarely recognized in modern theater. Considering its popularity in previous centuries, opera is not nearly as common in contemporary entertainment. After attending my first opera, The Marriage of Figaro, I realized that performers in the genre must have an immense amount of skill on many levels. This skill was evident in the cast of the Bulgarian State Opera.

The most striking quality about The Marriage of Figaro was the way the actors were able to portray such a complex plot even though they were singing in a foreign language. Even without reading the subtitles above the screen, the audience was able to see the relationships between characters and the emotions they were feeling. I cannot imagine having to concentrate on hitting and holding the correct notes while also keeping a certain facial expression and moving around the stage. Something that I never realized about opera was the way it incorporates several talents that require a great deal of practice.

Although the actors on stage made singing, dancing, and acting look effortless, it was fascinating to find out how much training it takes to enter the profession. The performers must dedicate their life to building their strength and ability to sing opera. This fact makes the show so dynamic, because the audience can tell how much the people on the stage have devoted to their role.

Another aspect of opera that I never considered was the amount of raw talent it involves. Some songs during The Marriage of Figaro had so little instrumental back-up that all the audience could hear was the genuine voice of the singer. This clearly proved how talented the actors were. On the other hand, when the instrumental parts were louder, the actors were still able to project beyond the sound of the orchestra, which is an amazing feat.

The Marriage of Figaro is a fabulous performance. Despite the complex plot and the fact that it is performed in Italian, the actors portray everything clearly and beautifully. Opera requires so much skill and is often passed over in our modern society. Hopefully more people will recognize the extraordinary nature of this art form and have the chance to attend a performance that exhibits so many talents.

Romeo and Juliet by Elisa

The Romeo and Juliet performance was amazing. Before we were given thepapers, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I didn't know if it would be amore modern production or more old fashioned. I really liked the fact thatthe cast used very little props and very few costume changes. I think thelack of costume color and props made the audience focus more on the linessaid. I also liked that the cast knew every part and allowed the audience torandomly pick which parts the cast played. It allowed the audience to reallysee how hard the performers worked on memorizing their lines and thededication they had to the acting company. I was also surprised at how fewactors there were. I mean, there were only six. That really impressed me andit was an interesting, but good, experience. I think having so few actorsreally let the six actors show off and have more freedom to expressthemselves as compared to having a large number of actors. I also liked thefact that a male played the nurse part and a female played a male part. Itgave the play more character and made things more interesting.Meeting with the actors after the performance gave me the opportunity tobetter relate to them. It also gave me a more personal experience. Justlearning how they became interested in acting, who their influences were andthe audition process was interesting to learn about. I was surprised at howfar distance wise, each came for the audition and how they could live so faraway from home. All in all, I really did love this performance. I neverreally understood the jokes Shakespeare included in Romeo and Juliet untilafter this performance. I never realized that there were so many, *cough*sexual immuendos. Never the less, I still enjoyed the performance.

Romeo and Juliet by Courtney

I was quite concerned to learn that this acting troupe was not interested in doing your typical run of the mill Romeo and Juliet. I guess I’m old fashioned because I just don’t like change. I especially don’t like change when the change in characters’ genders could change the entire meaning and interpretation of the whole play. Romeo and Juliet is a tragic romance and I hardly doubt I could have interpreted it in that way if there was a man playing Juliet and either a man or woman Romeo and vice versa. I know I would have hated the night had it turned into a comedy of sorts with untraditional parts. Fortunately for me almost all of the parts were played by the right gender and the parts that were not, weren’t too bad. I had never attended a play such as Romeo and Juliet where it is all speaking parts, but I am glad I tried a new thing because I thoroughly enjoyed it. This particular style and interpretation was very advanced and for very learned crowds. I say this because I would have been completely lost had I not studied the play script of Romeo and Juliet extensively before attending the play. The expression and passion of the actors would have entertained me even if I didn’t know the script, but I could have never really appreciated the play had I not known the script.

Romeo and Juliet by Amy

Wow! That performance has to be on top of my list of favorite one’sthis year. The actors were amazing and the way the portrayed each individualcharacter was phenomenal. From the very beginning it drew you in. Theability that they gave us, to pick the parts, is probably what made this standout above all the others. I am amazed at how they had all the partsmemorized. I thought that since Romeo and Juliet is a longer play, that theevening might drag a bit. But, the evening went by so quickly I couldn’tbelieve it was over.

The only bad thing I can say has nothing to do with the play, or thecompany, but rather chance. I wish we could have seen a more, “out of theordinary”, version. It would have been really interesting to see a male-malelead, or a female-female lead, or even a female as Romeo and a man as Juliet.I think it would have been nice to see a more far-fetched version that wewould never get to see again. However, the male nurse was amazing! It isalways interesting to see who the one gender would play the opposite. Isuppose, it comes down to your stereo-types in what makes it funny.

The thing that got me at the end, was when we were speaking with thecompany, and they showed such passion and hunger for their job. They alsoacknowledged that they were blessed to be were they were, and that they didn’ttake it for granted. It always amazing me at how real the actors andactresses are. I guess, in my mind I picture them as so far above me, or on acompletely different level; but after talking to them I realize that they arethe same. The have families, they have dreams, they have goals, they’veexperienced disappointment, and they work hard. Talking to these actors fromRomeo and Juliet, really showed me how “human” they are. The night wasdefinitely a night to remember.

Romeo and Juliet by Madeline

I'm going to be perfectly honest: I was dreading Aquila Theatre's performance of Romeo and Juliet. While I'm not one of those Shakespeare purists who insist on every Shakespeare play being performed exactly as it was written and with no artistic liberties taken, I think there's a fine line between presenting a play in a new, creative way and mangling it beyond recognition. I was certain that Aquila would cross that line. I thought that their minimal cast and unusual casting methods would turn Shakespeare's classic play into a confusing disaster.

As I watched the performance, I decided that I had been partially right. The method of drawing roles from a bag worked out all right during the performance I saw, but there were a hundred ways it could have gone badly. I personally was looking forward to seeing a homosexual Romeo and Juliet because I wanted to see if the actors could make it work, and was almost disappointed to see that the two actors chosen to play the title characters looked just like the thousands of other actors who have played Romeo and Juliet before. But I guess it was a good thing that the main roles were played traditionally; I don't know if the majority of the audience would have been okay with two men (or two women) playing the famous lovers. The two female characters who were played by men (Lady Capulet and the Nurse) were very funny when they were played by men, especially the Nurse. However, their comic appearances that worked so well during comic scenes were almost a distraction during the dramatic parts of the play.

None of this critisism is aimed at the actors of Aquila Theatre - each one of them played his or her role wonderfully, and I was awed by the way they could effortlessly become their roles with no help except a simple costume piece. The entire cast did an incredible job portraying all the vital roles with minimal costumes and even less of a set. I would attend an Aquila performance again, if only to see these incredible actors perform again.

On average, I enjoyed the play. However, I've seen a total of four stage and film versions of Romeo and Juliet, and I've read the script, so I was fairly familiar with the play and was therefore able to follow the plot despite the unusual cast and the fact that Aquila left out several scenes that appear in the original play. I would recommend this performance only to a person who was very familiar with Romeo and Juliet, as well as Shakespeare in general. I felt sorry for anyone for whom Aquila's performance was their first Shakespeare show. I'm afraid they left the show feeling a little confused.

Aquila Theatre did a wonderful job of taking an extremely well-known and overdone play and making it seem new with their fresh approach to the casting and the script. However, their play was aimed at a very specific audience: one who is so familiar with Romeo and Juliet that they want to see a theater company go to extreme lengths to make the material seem fresh, and won't mind the company deleting characters and entire scenes from the original play in order to accomplish this goal. I don't know how many of those people were at Stephens Auditorium that night.

Romeo and Juliet by Hannah

Possibly one of my favorite On Stage performances I’ve seen, The Aquila Theatre Company’s version of Romeo and Juliet definitely went beyond any expectations that I could have had. I’ve seen many versions of Romeo and Juliet, from the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes to my brother’s 8th grade abridged production, so I wasn’t sure if this performance would captivate my attention, seeing as I already knew the script. Well when I read about them in the sheet that we got, I was impressed by the fact that all of the actors knew the whole script and traded off parts every time. The production itself though, was far better than I had even hoped for.

It’s really hard to say which one character was my favorite. The actor who played Mercucio and the Mistress was excellently flamboyant and funny. I thought he had a great interpretation of the script, but the actor who played Juliet had such a different interpretation that I’d never seen before. At first I didn’t like the way she was portrayed as kind of a bubbly glitzy teen, but then I began to realize that the reason I didn’t like it was because all the Juliets I had seen before were depressed and dramatic, but when you think about it, Juliet was only fourteen. She probably was a bubbly teenager. Both of those characters were very refreshing and brought a certain light to the stage that I’ve never seen before.

I don’t really think I can say anything specific that was my least favorite aspect of the performance. I think the play was excellently done and I really wouldn’t critique anything. I guess it would’ve been even more original and exciting if there had been different genders for Romeo and/or Juliet since they have been played by their respected gender in all of the productions I have seen. This play has definitely opened my eyes to the fact that there is always more than one way of interpreting a character, and has inspired me to bring out my own uniqueness in the characters that I play.

Romeo and Juliet by Kendra

I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this performance, I had heard from other people that it was not like a normal presentation of Romeo and Juliet. Which was partly true. I was very surprised when they said that all the actors knew all the parts and that the audience got to draw the parts for them. I thought that it was amazing that they could do that and I thought that it was neat that the audience got to decide the roles.

So it was very funny when one of the actors who were male had to play a female part, and one of the girls had to play an all male role. But the acting was very good and you could tell that they had spent a lot of time working on this production and practicing numerous roles. They also had no props, which just show how much work they had to do.

I know that if I had not read Romeo and Juliet in ninth-grade, then I probably wouldn’t know what the heck was going on. But since I had this background knowledge, it was easier to follow along.

As always, I enjoyed the time after the show with the actors. They gladly answered out questions and told us about all the hard work they had to do and what started them in the drama business. They were very friendly and I had even more appreciation for what they do and before the show.

I would recommend this show to anyone who liked Romeo and Juliet and who understood the story line and what’s going one, other wise they would not know, because they perform it in the Old English way, they way it was written.

Romeo and Juliet by Jasmine

Before seeing the Aquila Company’s production of Romeo and Juliet, I must admit that I had always viewed Shakespeare’s great play as a kind of cliché. The entire story seemed, to me, a kind of staged romantic ideal, the kind of thing that doesn’t apply to my life at all. However, the Aquila Company’s rendition of Romeo and Juliet changed the way I viewed the play and introduced me to its deeper, more real and touching purpose – to act as a love story that evokes human emotions throughout the centuries. A living play and with timeless characters, Romeo and Juliet is truly the epitome of a classic yet ever changing story of love.

Romeo and Juliet, the story of two star-crossed lovers, was beautifully portrayed by the Aquila cast not only because of the purity of the lines and the play but also because of the amazingly heartfelt characters. The firs thing that struck me was that each cast member was able to play every role. The cast members even revealed at the end of the show that, when they didn’t have time to rehearse all of their parts right before the show, would often have to play with the parts and work with each other on stage if necessary. Thus, the parts required not only a great deal of hard work and memorization, but also a huge amount of talent, spontaneity, and quick thinking.

The intense emotion of the story was powerfully expressed through each of the characters. I found this part to be the most dramatic impact on me, because for the first time Romeo and Juliet ceased to be a simple book adequately summed up in a few paragraphs. The tears, laughter, and declarations of love were so sincere and moving, the desperation and despair so convincing, and the belief, the overarching faith in love, was so very inspiring. I had never imagined that a play with very little music, props, costuming, and people could create such a vivid scene. The actors and actresses used their own emotions to compensate for the simplicity of the set, using that simplicity to create a more real and down-to-earth atmosphere, brining the love story (and not a cluttered set) to our hearts. IN this way they emphasized the words of Shakespeare and the meaning behind them.

Meeting with the cast backstage was also an amazing experience for me. Each cast member came from a different background and all joined the Aquila Company sharing a common love for the arts. Their diverse personalities really showed through, and the sense of humor that helps them through long tours was plainly seen. Away from their family members for long periods of time, they pursue their careers relentlessly, finding faith in the mere opportunity to work.

Successful actors find ways to reach an audience through their speech, movements, and presence. Aquila’s talented and inspirational company did so without fail. Their incredible version of Romeo and Juliet proves the sincerity of Shakespeare’s words, demonstrates the beauty of the language, and conveys the feelings that prevail through the ages. A unique and dynamic show, Romeo and Juliet is truly a story that moves, grows, and yet always envelops the true meaning of love.

Romeo and Juliet by Anna

I really enjoyed this performance. I found it really fascinating that all the performers knew all the roles and parts. They all knew every line of every character. I thought it was really neat that we got to pick who they played for this performance. At first I thought it was somehow rigged and that somehow the guy who played Romeo always got Romeo but I found out that was definitely not true. They mentioned how every time they go out and perform, it’s like the first time performing because they don’t always play the same characters. They also mentioned how different people are better at some of the different roles, and it turns out different when different people play the roles. For example, some parts are funny because there’s a guy playing a girl’s part, but when the girl plays that same part, she doesn’t get the laugh. So it’s a lot different depending on who plays what role. I think that’s really cool, how the people who play the roles, determine the mood of the play.
The play itself was very humorous. It helped reading Romeo and Juliet in 9th grade. Some stuff was difficult to understand in the play, but for the most part, I understood everything. I thought it was neat how they didn’t need any props or scene changes and that they just used the same things for everything. That must make it convenient for them. I found it interesting how when the actors weren’t performing, they sat on the chairs but still on the stage. Also, if the actors weren’t performing, they would sometimes contribute somehow, whether it’s making noises or knocking.
Overall, I think that the group is very talented. It’s just so different to go to a play like this. It’s nice to get a change of style. This group seems like they work very well together and that’s always good for a production.

Involved and Engaged by Andrew

Romeo and Juliet

The Aquila Theatre Company’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet caught me by surprise. I was expecting something that might be a little more drab, less colorful, “modern”, etc. etc. Instead I found myself eagerly engaged the entire time. Not since I have read Shakespeare’s original Romeo and Juliet have I been so awed by someone’s interpretation of the play itself. This was not drab and was far from a bore to watch and be taken in by. Most interestingly was the, once again, obvious levels of dedication and commitment to their art and the enjoyment they had on stage!

As usual it is hard not to harp on about commitment and dedication, so it should come as no surprise that every group including the Aquila Theatre Company have helped to showcase the best of the best in their fields (or at least the best suited for the tasks at hand). What made this group so much more unique, though, came from the fact that each one of the cast had to have every part memorized. This in itself would be worthless if they didn’t go out into the audience and have their roles drawn! It was a random audience member doing a random drawing and it was apparent that it wasn’t “fixed” by the fact that sometimes the same role would be drawn for one cast member that was already picked from someone else’s basket. Equally as impressive was the fact that it was an equal chance that a man would get to play Juliet and a woman could play Romeo (although this didn’t happen for our production). Truly an incredibly random spectacle that allowed us as an audience to gain more from watching their production and walk away with a sense that we had a hand in how the production was ran and what was going to happen during the production. Interestingly enough, this cast of 6 actors (4 male, 2 female) told us afterwards that they were also doing another play in which they had to have all of those lines memorized. Simply mind blowing to know that a group of 6 had lines memorized for not just one challenging play, but two!

One of the things that really brought out the enjoyment of the play was the fact that they were actually funny! I have never seen such a comical rendition of Romeo and Juliet before. A great deal came from the assigned roles in which a male was assigned as the nurse to Juliet. Coming across as more crude and frank, this male “female” nurse would go on and on and on about the same thing, making the audience laugh and jest alongside him. Another feature that brought out a great response was the vivid action and reactions. The nurses wild hand gestures, sometimes rather obscene, or Juliet’s little fits of eagerness brought a new, human, dimension to the stage. Instead of actors playing the roles, it appeared to be the roles being shown to the audience through such vivid and exaggerated motion. Rather then forced actions and words, this cast seemed to have a very strong flow and understanding of each others actions giving a very unusually human feel to their acting. One of the examples would come at the very end with Paris’ death, Romeo’s suicide, and then Juliet’s suicide. A very real fight scene turned into a bloodbath, for Paris, which in turn caused the actor playing Romeo to discover who he had killed and then laying his eyes of Juliet. He naturally gravitated to Juliet and seeing her “dead” found the strength to kill himself to meet her in Heaven. Then when Juliet awakens and sees Romeo dead and the voices of her parents/guards descending into the tomb, such naturally avoids such a life without Romeo and kills herself with his dagger.

Such scenes on the stage made everything more natural and gave all the more merit to their skills. While I initially worried that it might be dull or boring, I was quickly disproving! Such an incredible array of talent, comedy, and tragedy came together to make this one of the most interesting Romeo and Juliet plays I have ever seen. With an audience involved approach and great acting the actors had managed to captive all of us and then continue on to make the entire thing seem human. I equally enjoyed the discussion afterwards that revealed information about the actors and the fact that they did another play in this exact manner, only reinforcing the hard-work and dedication notation. If I had to see it again, I would definitely would go and also encourage my friends to come as well so that they could experience what it felt like to see actors portraying real human roles and to get a chance to be part of the production.