Cultural Activity Report

Cultural Activity Report

[Name of the Writer]

[Name of the Institution]

Cultural Activity Report

Amadeus

Introduction

Amadeus is a play written by Peter Shaffer and directed by Stuart Purdy. The drama-tragedy stage play was based on the real-life accounts of the famous composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. The play had been made as an adaptation and inspiration of short 1803 play, Mozart and Salieri, produced by Alexander Pushkin. Amadeus first premiered in the National Theater of London in England on November 2, 1979, and collected a considerable appreciation from the viewers as well as critics. The play went on to bag the Tony award for Best Play in 1981.

Plot

The plot of the play revolves around the real-life events of the two world-renowned music composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Antonio Salieri. The story starts with an old Salieri, shown as a celebrity who has long outlived his fame. He claims to have poisoned Mozart, but he promises to explain his innocence. The story then shifts back to the eighteenth century, when Mozart was extremely famous due to his music and compositions, but Salieri had never met him. Salieri was a die-heart fan of Mozart but never got a chance to meet him. Finally, when he gets to meet his longtime celebrity crush in person, Salieri is disappointed to see Mozart as he does not match the charms and grace of his compositions.

Salieri is shocked to see Mozart in person and cannot believe that God has bestowed such a bad-mannered man with such immense talent. Being a strict Catholic all his life, Salieri decides to destroy Mozart in his power and take his revenge from God.

The rest of the play mostly showcases Salieri acting as a blood rival of Mozart. He is seen continuously planning and plotting against Mozart and trying to crush his reputation in one way or another. The play ends with Salieri attempting to kill himself with the help of a razor, after confessing to kill Mozart by arsenic poisoning.

Characters

The character of Mozart has been beautifully portrayed by Travis Ammons, as a smiling and playful person that makes the character even more charmingly tragic. The role of Mozart’s wickedly adoring wife, Constanze Weber, has been played by Shenoa Cramer. Andrew Adams outshines in the part of Antonio Salieri, whereas J. Clark Bawcom performs effectively in the role of an effeminate and jolly Emperor Joseph II.

Scenes

Scene 1: One of the most powerful and inspirational scenes was the one in which Mozart presents his initial introduction as a well-known and celebrated composer. He gives his introduction as a young and successful composer with a wife and a student, with whom he wants to have a physical relationship but could not due to the promise that he had made to God CITATION Pet09 \l 1033 (Shaffer, 2009).

This scene portrays the styles and dresses of the eighteenth century with the men dressed in cloaks and women dressed in long wide frocks or maxis.

Scene 2: The second powerful scene in the whole play comes in Act two when Mozart and the Emperors are in a debate regarding God and the power of Opera. Emperor barren thinks that Mozart has gone mad and does not know anything about writing an opera, but Mozart believes that he is an excellent opera writer CITATION Pet09 \l 1033 (Shaffer, 2009).

This scene also consists of intelligent use of dialogues and props in the whole play. The dresses of the judges or the emperors have been carefully selected to interpret the style and fashion of that era, and the hairstyles have also been maintained in accordance with that. The stage consists of 3 chairs to sit and on which Mozart stands in the middle of the scene to make an acted speech. One of the inspiring lines from the scene by Mozart represents the power of opera as “…the dramatic part, you have to put all the thoughts one after the other after the other, to represent a single second of thought.” Other people on the stage look at Mozart as if he has gone mad and is babbling. They actively shun his statements and oppose everything he says.

Personal Reaction

I am greatly impressing after viewing the stage play Amadeus, by Peter Shaffer. The plot, the story, the dialogues, the setting, each and everything has been brilliantly put together in place to enhance the importance of each character and make the storyline strong. In short, it is an excellent work of art, and a must watch for everyone.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Shaffer, P. (2009, February) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nepWR0SUrPU&t=1636s). Amadeus Stage Production - Act One. (T. Ammons, Performer) Country Playhouse, Houston, Texas.

Shaffer, P. (2009, February)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7SDL2JgKFQ&t=1301s). Amadeus Stage Production - Act Two. (T. Ammons, Performer) Country Playhouse, Houston, Texas.

Shaffer, P., & Forman, M. (1981). Amadeus (p. 108). Penguin.