Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis is an adaptation by Steven Berkoff of the original novella written by Franz Kafka around 1912. It focuses on the salesman Gregor Samsa, who one day wakes up transformed into a giant insect.

CONTEXT

KAFKA'S NOVELLA

SOCIAL CONTEXT

• The novel is written in and set in Prague which had a large Jewish population - the Kafka's themselves are Jewish. Prague's working class spoke Czech but the elites spoke German because Germany ruled Austria-Hungry (modern day Czech).
• It is clear in the novel that all the women are meant to act in traditional housewife roles. Greta is in charge of providing Gregor's meals and the idea that Greta and Mrs Samsa may have to work is horrific.
• In stark contrast, Mr Samsa claims he is the man of the house but actually does no work and relies on his son Gregor to make the money. At the time, men who did not work were considered weak and lazy and Mrs Samsa is clearly insecure about this as seen when he realises that Gregor can no longer work.
• Kafka had a stange relationship with his father

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

• Metamorphosis is set in the city of Prague in Bohemia. Bohemia was going through a period of civil reform when the novel was written. As Europe faced serious economic reform and while tensions rose before WW1, Prague was very austere with limited comfort or luxury. This is reflected in the novel as the Kafkas live in near poverty.
• In many ways Kafka's novel foreshadows the collapse of the Austria-Hungary empire in WW1. Gregor wakes up as a beetle - Kafka and everyone in Bohemia wake up and find their identities have vanished.

CULTURAL CONTEXT

• Kafka had extremist political views - he was incredibly anti-politics and wanted to avoid all mainstream ideas and views. Kafka said: 'It is when we look at those who appear to be on the margins of mainstream society that we see this struggle writ large.' This idea is clear in Metamorphosis as Kafka is exploring the Samsa family who are a politically extreme depiction of the working class.
• If Kafka has to be aligned with a political belief system he was a social-anarchist. He believed in removing the authoritarian power of the government and was very anti-capitalism. This is reflected in the novel as the authoritarian figure of the first clerk is villainized.

CONTEXT

BERKOFF'S PLAY

SOCIAL CONTEXT

• Berkoff felt he truly related to the character of Gregor and the themes of societal repression. Both him and Gregor would have been classed as 'Untermensch' - a Nazi term for non-Aryan people, people considered socially or racially inferior.
• Berkoff had a difficult childhood and he had a notoriously difficult relationship with his father. After reading Kafka's Metamorphosis he felt his own story as reflected in Mr Samsa and Gregor's relationship. He described the novel as 'the best work of literature' and so was inspired to write his own version.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

• Berkoff wrote the play in 1969 which was in a period of huge social reform in England. The 1960s saw the abolishment of capital punishment and the legalisation of homosexuality as well as the fight for freedom and equality across gender and race. Against this backdrop, Berkoff saw Kafka's work on the dread of authority as very moving and so was inspired to write the stage version.
• The late 60s saw great social and political activism as different groups of people felt they could express more extreme views. This was the perfect setting for total theatre (see Berkoff) and this played a role in the provocative style of Berkoff's play.
• Berkoff grew up in Stepney in London
• Vietnam War
• WWII begins as Berkoff was born - 1937

CULTURAL CONTEXT

• Berkoff was a Marxist when he adapted Metamorphosis - He is now a conservative
• Looking at living to work rather than working to live - critical of capitalism

Lighting & Sound

TYPES OF LIGHT - Sidelight (carves out features) - Facelight (most common) - Uplight (show power with proxemics to light) - Downlight (like hospital lighting and good at making things weird) - Backlight (usually high up and good for throwing in more colour) - Blinders (directed at the audience to blind them) - Birdies (Good for Uplight) - Gobos (Stencils of light usually to depict setting) - Fresnel - Practical - Moving Lights

DESIGN OF LIGHT - Colour - Gels (coloured films that go in front of the light to change the colour) - In exam reference what the colour shows - Meaning - Why are you using this type of lighting? - Reference emotion first then tie in context - don't really use symbolism - Shadow - More lights create more shadow - BERKOFF is quite plain but it has meaning - use things sparingly to create greater impact

SPECIAL EFFECTS - Haze (outlines light and obstructs stage) - Low fog (similar to haze but sits on the ground) - Lasers (would need haze to be used) - Projection (can back or front project to catch an actor or not in the projection and very versatile) - Snow/Confetti machine 

SOUND EFFECTS - Diegetic and nondiegetic - Ambience (sets the scene) - Soundscape (Similar to ambience but more sounds and can be more abstract) - Single sound effect - Drone (like music term and usually used to add tension) - Reverb (Extends the sound) - Echo (bounces the same sound) - Delay (Plays the sound a little bit after) - Wet Noise (Just the effect) - Dry Noise (Just the original sound) - Surround Sound / Directional Sound (Play something on speaker in an unusual place)