In the beginning is a play written by Neil N. LaBute, (born March 19, 1963) who is an American film director, screenwriter and playwright and it's the play we're studying for our political theatre workshop.
My first impressions of the text was that it was interesting and innovating despite being so simple. The beginning of the play is instantly fueled with an air of mystery and causes suspense as the opening line is: "I don't think so." From an audiences' perspective we're already instantly on the edge of our seats and asking "What to?! What don't you think?! Why don't you think so?!" and the child bites back, still not giving away any information, and reiterates what the father says: "You don't think so?" There is hardly any movement between either characters and a lack of stage directions in the script. This could be seen as either an open door for a director or LaBute intentionally desired to have none.
Because there are only 2 characters as opposed to an entire cast, it makes the conversations and action easier to follow on stage. The entire play and storyline is centred around two characters - a father and a son - which enables the audience to entirely devote their concentration and their attention on those two characters and what is exactly going on. As there in no interferance from other characters and both of them are present during every moment from start to finish, the audience can really get stuck in to the characters and learn every aspect of them.
The plot is basic yet has so much to offer in terms of the conversations and opinions from each character. This enables people to maybe even relate to each character in some way, whether it be the relationship they have with the other, the emotions they're feeling, the words that they're saying ect..
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