Ubu the Sh*t was probably one of the most bizarre things I have ever encountered in my whole life. I’ve heard how amazing the play was and how fun it is to watch, but that was such an understatement. To be honest, I had no idea how a play that was about “clowns” would go about and how it would capture my attention since I have a fear of clowns. However, the cast and crew played their parts brilliantly and had me laughing countless times while feeling a bit uncomfortable due to the oddness and suspense of the plotline. The cast was successful in causing the audience to feel a mixture of emotions while keeping them entertained and excited.
Due to the set-up of the stage and outfits, the cast was able to capture the audience’s attention by articulating the different types of genres that the play consisted of. Many comical songs and parts were implemented in order to create a less serious and comical atmosphere. Throughout the play, different scenes occurred by setting up three different layouts and areas in order to show the separation of beliefs. The themes became more apparent due to the staging of the lighting focusing on only the characters during the first half of the play. The second half slowly lightened up the stage, showing that hope was coming for the son of the king in order to reclaim the throne. At the beginning and the end of the play, it was almost pitch black, with barely anything visible other than the cast of the characters circling around the centerpiece of the stage in order to inflict fear into the audience.
In the beginning and the end of the play, the cast used repetition to show the horror, clown, and Commedia Dell’ Arte genres to create a unique reaction from the audience. By using social satire and the clown genres, the playwright was able to inflict a feeling of curiosity and humor behind the bizarre atmosphere while relating it to today’s