While I would probably I enjoy the play, Trifles by Susan Glaspell, in its original
form, the idea of creating an abstract production would be interesting but the
script would lose its clarity and impact. Most of the play’s major lines are centered
on props such as the rocking chair and birdcage. Without those central items
that the script contains, I believe the audience would hear the words but would
not receive any strong impact. For example, when the women found the strangled
bird in the case, it would create more of an impact if the case was shown as
the script says. Also I believe the script would lose its place of resident. The
script lives in this world of an old country town in the middle of nowhere. Without
this environment or a similar one, the play could not exist. On the hand, the
abstract version would probably appeal more to younger theatergoers. The idea of a minimalist version would spark
interest. Incorporating movement, visual art and music would bring the script
to a new place and overall gain a sense of creativity. If the actors would
create the props with their movements and body language, the script would gain its
clarity and impact back. In this version, the script would be stripped of its
environment so I do not know how the text would work. In the end, the minimalist
would be interesting but I believe the original version would be the best
choice.
