Shoe Horn Sonata :: John Misto

The Shoe- Horn Sonata *** "The Shoe- Horn Sonata" is a play by John Misto that gives an insight into two lives of two female POWs in WW II and is a vector of Misto’s thoughts. It explores the little known and often terrible events associated with female prisoners of war. The play follows a friendship of two women through the war to a point of tension that’s beyond what any normal friendship would have to deal with. Misto engages his audience by using a multitude of mediums to portray his story creating a truly multimedia performance. The playwright challenges the audience to look beyond this to the underlying ideas of survival, loyalty and truth. *** The play opens with a scene almost as dramatic as the characters, introducing Bridie. She stands on a spotlight demonstrating the "Kow Tow" bow for respect in the centre of the stage then "claps her hands sternly", immediately revealing the strong assertive nature of her character. The audiences become intrigued, and listen as she straightens difficulty from the Kow Tow, showing she is forceful and feisty but not young. As the "On Air" sign becomes visible the audiences realize she is being interviewed as she informs her audience she had enlisted in WW II following her dad’s footsteps. She tells her audience that her father gave her a Shoe-horn and two pieces of advice, â€Å"Don’t sit on a toilet seat until you have lined it with toilet paper† and â€Å"Never kiss a Pommie on the lips†. A marching song â€Å"Fall in Brother† was heard as images became visible on the screen of â€Å"Women Disembarking Singapore†. Misto created a dramatic atmosphere that captured the audience’s attention right through the introduction. The second scene appeared to be in the motel room where Bridie’s Friend Sheila is introduced. This scene was in the Motel Room, which was used several times in the play being a place where private revelation and growing tension between Bridie and Sheila took place. Tension between the two took place immediately in scene two as, â€Å"Bridie and Sheila stop in the doorway. There is slight but obvious tension between them†, Silence and body language were used by the two characters to create such tension towards the audiences as it is a emotion which no words can cater for or adequately express.