Literary Criticism of English Festival 2014

On June 5, 2014, State University of Medan (UNIMED) exactly in English Department Faculty of Language and Arts held a contest called "English Festival". This event is coordinated by Syamsul Bahri SS MHum and accompanied by other committees such as Tiarnita Siregar MHum Spd. This event is an event of product from course of cinematography, drama and poetry in accordance with curriculum in the 2013 which based processes and products.

In this competition, all students who participate are required to use English in every show. And of course, every jury has their own points in the assessment as seen from the aspects of preparation, scenario, and also on performance as well as pronunciation and intonation that they used. And in the cinematography and poetry can be considered good because they seem to have good preparation in short filmmaking. and if the poetry they also have good preparation in which we can see in their appearance that provides many surprises like the concept of the story, include singing, and using the piano as accompaniment.

This event is an annual event held by English Department Faculty of Language and Arts (FBS). And for the cinematography, UNIMED collaborates with the University of Nommensen. Where each winner of each competition is 1, 2, and 3 will get a charter, award and money coaching.

Participants who join the competition among from English literature B of 2012 with the title dramas are Hamlet and Taming of the strew, English literature A of 2012 with the title is Hamlet, English extension  B of 2012 with the title is King Lear, and the English extension C 2012 with the title Hamlet also. And similarly with the poetry competitions followed by FBS students, while cinematography competitions followed by students of UNIMED and University of Nommensen and also guided by the supervisor, Immanuel Ginting MHum.

In the race this time, particularly in the drama competition won by:

1. The Taming of The Shrew by English literature B of 2012
2. Hamlet by English Extension C of 2012
3. Hamlet by English Literature B of 2012

 This event was festive and success. Which each of the participant seemed enthusiastic in following the competitions. The event was opened by the Dean of FBS that is Dr. Isda Pramuniati MHum represented by Assistant of Dean II that is Drs Basyaruddin MPD, Chairman of the Department of Education English Language and Literature that is Prof. Dr. Sumarsih MPD, lecturer of supervisors in English Festival that is Dra Sri Minda, Chairman of major English Literature is Dra Meisur MA, as well as English lecturer Festival 2014 is Immanuel Ginting MHum.

In this event there are things that should be considered further by each participant or committees that runs the event, in order to become more perfect of the event and it will runs without any problems or defects in every performance presented by the audience, are:

1.   Acting

Acting played by each player in the drama was varied. There were characters that dominated their characters, but some are not mastering their characters so it looked stiff. As in the drama of The Taming of the Shrew was "Maria" as "Catherine" she looked very united and enjoy the character she played. In this comedy drama she was also able to make the audiences feel if they were in that era and made ​​the audiences laugh with her acting as Cathrine.

And also seen at "Angie" who played "Petruchio". The character of Petruchio is a man, while she is a woman, but she proved able to portray as a men and very entertaining. Not only on their characters, the characters played by Hamlet Literature A and B looked very animating their respective roles. But Hamlet character played by Extension C was not too prominent, and although they seem ordinary to be a winner 2.

In the other acting as the character Bianca in The Taming of The Strew and most of the other supporting characters in other dramas title seemed stiff, where they are just expressions during dialogue and when they are off in dialog so they did not do expression. And it should not happen in a dramatic performance.

2.   Setting

Arrangement of settings contained in this competition seems so simple even considered a minus. Due to each performance did not have an adequate setting and should be. The competition was only using black fabric as a background. Furthermore was nothing, just a chair or equipment of hand property by some participants. Therefore, the audiences did not really enjoy any performance of each participant where most of the drama background by life in the kingdom.

Here, the organizers also have to be smart again in effect there was on the stage. Due to the backstage door was left open so that the light penetrates the black fabric as a limiting stage. And consequently every person who entered into the stage of the backstage door clearly seen by the audiences and this should not happen because it was very disturbing. The committee also did not complete a good voice capacity. There were only 3 microphones on stage. So that the sound produced by each participant did not sound well so the audiences did not hear what was said by the participants well and it means that performances is considered  had failed because the audiences did not understand enough and the message of every performance was not sent by the audience.

3.   Lighting

Lighting contained in this competition inadequate because of the arrangement of lights that use imprecise and often considered too dark. It is very clearly seen in the appearance by Extension c 12, entitled Hamlet, which is considered to be very dark and lightening too late to turn in some scenes.

4.   Costume

The costume used by each participant was considered so very good. They may adjust every costume in every character in the story. As happened in Hamlet and King Lear is a story set in the background of the Kingdom. In addition to the characters which it shall be played by men but was played by a woman, they can present a costume that fits the characters in the story. And this was very interesting and good. But not so with the narrator involved in performances. Most of them did not use costumes like the other characters. They had to use modern costumes, but if they took part using a costume like the other characters then it would be a plus for them.

5.   Make up

Make up used by the participants are very pretty but not good enough for the performance of which was held in “Culture Park of North Sumatra. Why? Yes, because that place has very large size and held with the lights off in the audience position and the little lighting on the stage that the result was their make-up was less prominent on the stage. In mean they should further highlight or clarify their makeup to emphasize their character and expression. And to substitute the role of the woman who played the character of a man they seem very good, they add a mustache, beard, hair and eyebrows that so emphasize their characters as man and clearly visible, for example as practiced by literature A 12.

6.   Plot

Plots at each performance consist of various kinds. As in Hamlet they generally used a flow back and forth. Which they use flash back when the drama performances and when the ghost tells how the death process. While in King Lear and The Taming of The Strew in general they used advanced flow.

7.   Blocking

Most of the contestants appear to hold blocking but not a few of those who did not master the blocking. So their expression displayed clearly to the audiences.

8.   Music

Most of the participants in the competition to provide the music had a very good preparation. However, not infrequently, the music sounded too loud so players delivered the dialogue did not sound well.

9.   Improvisation

Improvisation that did by contestants looked good even though some of them are considered less able to improvise. An example was when their things were left on stage by mistake, they did not improvise well, but take it for granted.

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