OFFICIAL54 What is the professor's opinion about Sills's production of The Blue Light?

[00:00.00]NARRATOR: Listen to a conversation between a student and the professor of her theater class.[00:04.93]FEMALE STUDENT: So, Professor Baker…about our next assignment you talked about in[00:09.62]MALE PROFESSOR: Yes, this time you'll be in groups of three. Each of you will have a chance to direct the other two in a short scene from a play you've chosen yourself…[00:17.58]FEMALE STUDENT: Right, and, well… I've been reading about story theatre, and…[00:22.21]MALE PROFESSOR: Ah, story theatre. Tell me about what[00:25.07]FEMALE STUDENT: Well…it's a form of theater where folk- or fairy tales are acted out. [00:29.68]It was, uh… introduced by the director Paul Sills, in the 1960s.[00:35.14]In Sills's approach, an actor both narrates and acts out a tale. [00:40.13]So, like, someone will appear on stage, and then they'll start narrating a tale about, say, a king. And then the same person will immediately switch to and start acting out the role of the king. With no props or scenery.[00:53.02]MALE PROFESSOR: Sills. Y'know, I actually saw his first story theatre production, in 1968. He did the fairy tale "The Blue Light."
[01:02.49]FEMALE STUDENT: Really? So…whatever gave him the idea to produce that?
[01:05.87]MALE PROFESSOR: Well… As you know, back in the late 1960s lots of people in the United States were disillusioned with the government. [01:13.46]Sills was grappling with how to produce theater that was…relevant in such times. [01:19.66]Then he happened to read "The Blue Light," and he realized it had just the message he wanted.
[01:24.85]See, in the story, a man who's lost all hope as a result of the unfortunate events in his life completely turns his life around…with the help of a magical blue light. [01:36.02]So, the blue light in the story symbolizes a way out of seemingly unsolvable human problems. [01:42.57]And for Sills, that light symbolized an answer to the political turmoil in the U.S. [01:48.35]FEMALE STUDENT: But weren't you…um, audiences…bothered that the actors were performing on a bare stage?[01:55.32]MALE PROFESSOR: Well, story theatre is a departure from traditional dramatic theater…with its realistic, elaborate props and scenery. But Sills could make us "see"… say, a big, tall mountain…through the facial expressions and body movements of the actors—and their telling of the story.
[02:12.86]We were all swept up, energized by such an innovative approach to theater—even if one or two of the critics weren't as enthusiastic.[02:21.98]FEMALE STUDENT: Cool. So, uh, anyway… [02:24.97]What I really wanted to ask… I'd love to try doing story theatre for my project, instead of just a scene from a traditional play.[02:31.88]MALE PROFESSOR: Hmmm… That's possible—[02:34.66]a -a short tale can be about the same length as a single scene… [02:38.10]Which fairy tale would you do?[02:39.78]FEMALE STUDENT: Actually, I was reading about another director of story theatre? Rex[02:45.11]You know—he produces plays based on folk tales as well. [02:48.34]Maybe I could direct one of those?[02:50.25]MALE PROFESSOR: Ohhhhkay, yes—Rex Stephenson. [02:54.24]Now,Stephenson's style of story theatre is a little different from Sills's— [02:59.49]He'll use simple props…a chair will represent a mountain…but the significant difference is with the narrator…[03:06.83]the narrator will play only that role. [03:09.86]Let's talk about why…