Catastrophe Staged Reading

When I first read Catastrophe, I did not truly understand the play. However, I gained a greater understanding after reading and rehearsing the play within my group, and I acquired an even more comprehensive understanding after seeing the other groups perform. What I found interesting within my own group was how deeply each character was discussed; we created a history of each character, even Luke. This made it much easier when we began to define the actions of the characters, why they said things a certain way, etc. I enjoyed watching the other groups perform because it was interesting to see the variety of ways in which the play was understood and portrayed. For instance, in the first group, I thought it was interesting how they really put forth emotions and kind of acted, instead of having someone read the stage directions. In the last group, I like the way the assistant had a sassy attitude, and I also appreciated the research they had done on the piece. Overall, it was truly a learning experience for me because I had never done a staged reading before or seen one performed.