Playwrite Presentation

While attending the week-long honors course at IPFW I was allowed to witness several professors giving speeches on the topics they specialized in. All of them were intriguing but one presentation caught my attention and has remained imbued in my mind. It was the presentation given by the professor of playwriting and design, Mr. Steve Sarratore. Although he gave little waiver to this notion, his argument was to persuade us to join in some of his classes or latter presentations. He presents in a manner that envelopes the audience into his presentation and keeps them fixated upon his every word.

Mr. Sarratore is a very visual performer, but he does not use any external props. He captures and holds the audience’s attention through specific hand and face gestures. When Mr. Sarratore mentions an astonishing moment his face opens up and he displays a wide-eyed facial movement that lures the listeners towards him as if they were having a one-way conversation. When a he wants to express an issue that is more important he becomes more dramatic with his movement, moving and flowing in sync with his words. All of these attributes contribute to drawing attention to the audience and furthering his points.

Mr. Sarratore grasped my attention most when he spoke of the importance of expression in playwriting. His stance became rigid and posed, his voice elevated slightly, and his hand gestures became frequent. He cited the example of the single word, “yes” in The Glass Menagerie. Mr. Sarratore signified the importance of word expression through an effective display himself.

Another interesting tool Mr. Sarratore used in his demonstration was involving the entire class into a project. We each created a character and then combined two of them in a story. The event helped to build a closer relationship with the instructor and become more in tune with what he was saying. This helped to develop his argument by gaining respect and interest from his audience.

Finally, Mr. Sarratore evoked the audience’s regard by relating himself to others. He gave humorous anecdotes, situations, and acts that made him seem like he could be your best friend. He created a figure that was less dominant, more cooperative, and thus furthered his ideals.

Mr. Sarratore utilized many techniques that can only be performed by veterans of theatre. His argument to invite others was obtained through visual appearance, body gestures, and relating to others. Proving that Mr. Sarratore’s presentation was effective, he intrigued me enough to start reading The Glass Menagerie. His speech has been imprinted within my mind as one of the best demonstrations I’ve ever witnessed.