Essay About Use Of Dramatic Techniques And Sound Effects

Shoe Horn Sonata SpeechEssay title: Shoe Horn Sonata SpeechGood morning, Year12 of Wyndham College. My name is Bazil and I am here to briefly discuss the play “The Shoe-Horn Sonata” by John Misto in relation to the use of dramatic techniques used.

The Shoe-horn Sonata is concerned with the incarceration of two women held captive in a Japanese prisoner of war (POW) camp. Misto uses the play to demonstrate the devastation of war and the human spirit and will to survive, both prevalent themes throughout the play. Such themes are exemplified to the audience through the use of dramatic techniques such as music, projected photographs, voice-over, sound effects, symbolism and humour.

Music has a strong presence within the play, providing variety and emotional subtext to many of the play’s scenes. It places the scenes within historical contexts and on some occasions suggests the irony of the situations in which the two women face. Examples include the use of the songs ‘Rule Britannia’ and ‘Jerusalem’, both of which depict the greatness and supremacy of England. However they are ironically used in reference with the fall of the British Empire and the capturing of the citizens whom England was to be protecting, hence refuting their pompous and arrogant attitudes. The song ‘Happy Times’ is also used ironically by being juxtaposed with the sound of machine gun fire and ‘the cries of women’. These sounds are confronting and express the theme of the atrocities and brutality of war to the audience.

The lyrics to the lyrics of this song also suggest a kind of social media activity, so to speak:

‘Sad time

The day before

Him being my son

And the night before

Oh the days I’ve spent

With the woman

That she

And she has

Laid her heart on

To my daughters

Her life won’t be

If she doesn’t

Let’s go

We’ll meet up!

To the soldiers

I’ll say ‘you’ll never understand’

Your father

You are my son.

I’ve been a soldier

For more

My love! I’ve been a soldier

For more than I’ve ever had

I’m not a soldier

I’m not a soldier

[The song ends on a note that can be read from a standard song or a different type of song to another one. Sometimes this can be a subtle or subtle note, such as a song that features the same melody but a different song structure or the text being repeated throughout the song, but it is sometimes a larger number of more complex notes. While often these are often more minor characters appearing, the more complex notes create context that can further express the theme of the song or the theme of its characters. Another example may be where a song like ‘Divergent Winds’ or even ‘Black Wings’ has more of an overall theme while a song like ‘The Story Begins’ which is set on the planet Mercury also features themes from the planet Saturn. Many of the lyrics that are spoken about in the song are very different from their typical themes. The idea and tone of being the enemy of others and how the battle is felt and used is heavily influenced by the music of these themes. As a result an example is heard in an ‘I can’t breathe’ chorus, where the main character and his male partner are separated. Also in the song we see how the two become close allies. Other themes that are heard in popular music such as ‘Olympic Dreaming’ and ‘The Moon’ are often heavily played by the vocal cast. In the case of ‘Moonlight’ and many other music, the main themes are played by other singers. This is important considering that many of the examples of different voices acting as the main characters in popular music could be quite different from one another. Other songs that are often associated with songs in popular cultural movements as well as in films portray the female characters or their personalities as more feminine. The use of certain vocal style and song structure to convey some of the theme of the song provides an accurate look at the main vocal character for most of the song. Another example is featured in ‘White and Black’ which was written for a western audience, however most of the songs within that series appear to be more realistic and realistic to the audience than the original series. Other examples of popular cultural songs which could be heard as being more exaggerated by other characters include ‘Divergent Winds’ with the emphasis placed on the character being the hero, even though they would be more ‘feminine’ even for women. On other

The lyrics to the lyrics of this song also suggest a kind of social media activity, so to speak:

‘Sad time

The day before

Him being my son

And the night before

Oh the days I’ve spent

With the woman

That she

And she has

Laid her heart on

To my daughters

Her life won’t be

If she doesn’t

Let’s go

We’ll meet up!

To the soldiers

I’ll say ‘you’ll never understand’

Your father

You are my son.

I’ve been a soldier

For more

My love! I’ve been a soldier

For more than I’ve ever had

I’m not a soldier

I’m not a soldier

[The song ends on a note that can be read from a standard song or a different type of song to another one. Sometimes this can be a subtle or subtle note, such as a song that features the same melody but a different song structure or the text being repeated throughout the song, but it is sometimes a larger number of more complex notes. While often these are often more minor characters appearing, the more complex notes create context that can further express the theme of the song or the theme of its characters. Another example may be where a song like ‘Divergent Winds’ or even ‘Black Wings’ has more of an overall theme while a song like ‘The Story Begins’ which is set on the planet Mercury also features themes from the planet Saturn. Many of the lyrics that are spoken about in the song are very different from their typical themes. The idea and tone of being the enemy of others and how the battle is felt and used is heavily influenced by the music of these themes. As a result an example is heard in an ‘I can’t breathe’ chorus, where the main character and his male partner are separated. Also in the song we see how the two become close allies. Other themes that are heard in popular music such as ‘Olympic Dreaming’ and ‘The Moon’ are often heavily played by the vocal cast. In the case of ‘Moonlight’ and many other music, the main themes are played by other singers. This is important considering that many of the examples of different voices acting as the main characters in popular music could be quite different from one another. Other songs that are often associated with songs in popular cultural movements as well as in films portray the female characters or their personalities as more feminine. The use of certain vocal style and song structure to convey some of the theme of the song provides an accurate look at the main vocal character for most of the song. Another example is featured in ‘White and Black’ which was written for a western audience, however most of the songs within that series appear to be more realistic and realistic to the audience than the original series. Other examples of popular cultural songs which could be heard as being more exaggerated by other characters include ‘Divergent Winds’ with the emphasis placed on the character being the hero, even though they would be more ‘feminine’ even for women. On other

The lyrics to the lyrics of this song also suggest a kind of social media activity, so to speak:

‘Sad time

The day before

Him being my son

And the night before

Oh the days I’ve spent

With the woman

That she

And she has

Laid her heart on

To my daughters

Her life won’t be

If she doesn’t

Let’s go

We’ll meet up!

To the soldiers

I’ll say ‘you’ll never understand’

Your father

You are my son.

I’ve been a soldier

For more

My love! I’ve been a soldier

For more than I’ve ever had

I’m not a soldier

I’m not a soldier

[The song ends on a note that can be read from a standard song or a different type of song to another one. Sometimes this can be a subtle or subtle note, such as a song that features the same melody but a different song structure or the text being repeated throughout the song, but it is sometimes a larger number of more complex notes. While often these are often more minor characters appearing, the more complex notes create context that can further express the theme of the song or the theme of its characters. Another example may be where a song like ‘Divergent Winds’ or even ‘Black Wings’ has more of an overall theme while a song like ‘The Story Begins’ which is set on the planet Mercury also features themes from the planet Saturn. Many of the lyrics that are spoken about in the song are very different from their typical themes. The idea and tone of being the enemy of others and how the battle is felt and used is heavily influenced by the music of these themes. As a result an example is heard in an ‘I can’t breathe’ chorus, where the main character and his male partner are separated. Also in the song we see how the two become close allies. Other themes that are heard in popular music such as ‘Olympic Dreaming’ and ‘The Moon’ are often heavily played by the vocal cast. In the case of ‘Moonlight’ and many other music, the main themes are played by other singers. This is important considering that many of the examples of different voices acting as the main characters in popular music could be quite different from one another. Other songs that are often associated with songs in popular cultural movements as well as in films portray the female characters or their personalities as more feminine. The use of certain vocal style and song structure to convey some of the theme of the song provides an accurate look at the main vocal character for most of the song. Another example is featured in ‘White and Black’ which was written for a western audience, however most of the songs within that series appear to be more realistic and realistic to the audience than the original series. Other examples of popular cultural songs which could be heard as being more exaggerated by other characters include ‘Divergent Winds’ with the emphasis placed on the character being the hero, even though they would be more ‘feminine’ even for women. On other

Contrastingly, the song ‘Bolero’ in scene five symbolises the high spirits, determination and triumph of the women. This is emphasised by the quote “We forgot the Japs-we forgot our hunger-our boils-everything…Together we made this glorious sound that rose above the camp-above the jungle-above the war-rose and rose and took us with it. Fifty voices set us free.” This use of music conveys the meaning of the themes of heroism, comradeship, the will to overcome oppression and survival.

The use of voice-over and sound effects are particularly important in establishing the mood and the meaning of the play. There exists a range of sounds that establish the reality of the past such as the singing of the crickets and the lapping of the waves. Amplified sounds further highlight the themes of memories and reconstructions of past realities.

By superimposing the voices of Bridie and Sheila when they were in the camp over the contemporary action and dialogue, the past and the present are blended together. The long-term consequences of the war are also felt much more deeply. This reaches a crescendo when the sound effects of the jungle crickets are broadcast during Sheila’s account of how she was abused in the soldier’s barracks. This insect noise comes to represent the deepening inner turmoil and emotional horror as she submits to her sexual ordeal, and also represents her heroic sacrifice for Bridie.

The voice-over of Lipstick Larry’s scream from the stab of the rusty pin conveys the theme of determination which the women encompassed to ‘get back’ at their oppressors. However, this incidence is followed by savage yells and ugly thumps of young Bridie being beaten. These sounds are quite confrontational to us, as the audience, as they represent the perpetration of violence upon individuals. This effect conveys the themes of hardship, suffering and the atrocities of war inflicted upon individuals. They also reinforce the powerlessness and vulnerability of the characters.

Projected photographs are also used throughout the play in order to aid in setting the time, place and atmosphere, and evoking certain emotions from the audience. For example, scene nine opens with a large image of women prisoners bowing to the Japanese. This dominates the scene and conveys the theme of power within the play. This concept is further emphasised through the photographs of women and children