Today we ventured through quite a long tunnel to arrive at the Victoria and Albert Museum. This museum carried thousands of years of culture and tradition from hundreds of countries. I found myself stuck in the medieval sections that focused specifically on Christian art, tapestry, and sculpture. I noticed this stained-glass carving above and was immediately drawn to the faces of the figures within the glass. This stained glass depicts a biblical story, but their faces are faded as this piece was created in the 1500s. Their faces almost look scratched out, but their figures obviously still represent action in how they interact with each other. This piece reminded me of the relationships that are depicted in 2:22, the horror play that we saw on the West End. I thought of Sam’s character, in which he was interacting with his wife and his friends. He could represent the figure holding the dagger, as he chose not to believe his wife or friends and was consistently negative throughout the play, becoming the villain or antagonist character. However, though he interacted with the rest of the cast throughout the play, he was truly never there as he was only his ghost who had been haunting his wife for a week. His body showed action, movement, and conflict, but Sam’s face was fading all along. However, he had no clue of the time that has passed or what had happened to his stained-glass portrait, as the viewer is the only one who sees him disappear. The colorful reds and blues in the glass also reminded me of the bright LED tape surrounding the proscenium in 2:22 that glowed neon red in every transition. Both pieces are powerful and bright with deeper meaning within them. They both depict how people and pieces can wear down over time, ultimately creating a new meaning or impression within that person or that artwork.
Theatre in London U of A 