The play Ragtime is set in New York in 1906. This musical is very intriguing because the story of the characters in quite emotional. The actions that take place in this play are very embellished. In order to portray some of the dramatic scenes of the play, the actors must use exaggeration during their songs and actions. This helps the audience to imagine what the characters are feeling. The props that are used by the characters are intricate and allow the audience to understand exactly where the actions are taking place.
             One example of large movements by the actors is when the firemen destroy Coalhouse's car. The lights on the stage are dimmed so the audience can only see the shadows of the men and the car. These men are using baseball bats, hammers, and axes to ruin Coalhouse's prized possession. The movements they make are in slow motion and the men move their tools with large, full stokes so that the audience will feel the sadness that takes place in the scene. These large movements are in many parts of the play. This is a way for the director to make his point. By using the
             shadows and the slow motion of the actors, the audience has time to watch the reaction of Coalhouse and also has time to feel his anger.
             The scene I feel was best directed took place in the beginning of the play. The first scene introduces all of the characters to the audience. The upper class white folks, the middle class Negroes, and the immigrants are all dancing onstage at the same time. The balance shown in this scene interests me because I think it would have been very difficult to keep the balance moving to the beat of the music. Each of the three groups stays together throughout the song. They move around each other on the stage as they sing and dance. At the start of the song, the whites are in the middle of the stage dressed up very neatly and acting very proper. Next the Negroes move onto stage lef
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