Critical Reasoning

nhai2003 wrote:Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at Central Theater, was written in Italy in the eighteenth century. The director claims that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater. Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx, Marx's comic style was very much within the comic acting tradition that had begun in sixteenth-century Italy.

The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that
(A) modern audiences would find it hard to tolerate certain characteristics of a historically accurate performance of an eighteenth-century play
(B) Groucho Marx once performed the part of the character Harlequin in La Finestrina
(C) in the United States the training of actors in the twentieth century is based on principles that do not differ radically from those that underlay the training of actors in eighteenth-century Italy
(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director's claim
(E) the director of La Finestrina must have advised the actor who plays Harlequin to model his performance on comic performances of Groucho Marx

GMATGuruNY wrote:

nhai2003 wrote:Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at Central Theater, was written in Italy in the eighteenth century. The director claims that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater. Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx, Marx's comic style was very much within the comic acting tradition that had begun in sixteenth-century Italy.

The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that
(A) modern audiences would find it hard to tolerate certain characteristics of a historically accurate performance of an eighteenth-century play
(B) Groucho Marx once performed the part of the character Harlequin in La Finestrina
(C) in the United States the training of actors in the twentieth century is based on principles that do not differ radically from those that underlay the training of actors in eighteenth-century Italy
(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director's claim
(E) the director of La Finestrina must have advised the actor who plays Harlequin to model his performance on comic performances of Groucho Marx

The director links the MODERN production of La Finestrina to the ORIGINAL production in the 18th century.
He establishes this LINK by offering the following evidence:
The actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx -- a comic style that WAS very much within the comic acting tradition that HAD BEGUN in sixteenth-century Italy.
Note the VERBS: a tradition that HAD BEGUN in the 16th century and WAS still in use in the 20th century. These verbs imply that the comic tradition remained just that -- a TRADITION -- during the intervening years.

Since these intervening years include the 18th century -- the time of the original production of La Finestrina -- the performance of the actor STRENGTHENS THE LINK between the MODERN production and the ORIGINAL production.
Thus, the actor's performance could not serve as evidence AGAINST the director's claim that the two productions are similar:

D: The performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director's claim.

The correct answer is D.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

nhai2003 wrote:Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at Central Theater, was written in Italy in the eighteenth century. The director claims that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater. Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx, Marx's comic style was very much within the comic acting tradition that had begun in sixteenth-century Italy.

The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that
(A) modern audiences would find it hard to tolerate certain characteristics of a historically accurate performance of an eighteenth-century play
(B) Groucho Marx once performed the part of the character Harlequin in La Finestrina
(C) in the United States the training of actors in the twentieth century is based on principles that do not differ radically from those that underlay the training of actors in eighteenth-century Italy
(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director's claim
(E) the director of La Finestrina must have advised the actor who plays Harlequin to model his performance on comic performances of Groucho Marx

The director links the MODERN production of La Finestrina to the ORIGINAL production in the 18th century.
He establishes this LINK by offering the following evidence:
The actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx -- a comic style that WAS very much within the comic acting tradition that HAD BEGUN in sixteenth-century Italy.
Note the VERBS: a tradition that HAD BEGUN in the 16th century and WAS still in use in the 20th century. These verbs imply that the comic tradition remained just that -- a TRADITION -- during the intervening years.

Since these intervening years include the 18th century -- the time of the original production of La Finestrina -- the performance of the actor STRENGTHENS THE LINK between the MODERN production and the ORIGINAL production.
Thus, the actor's performance could not serve as evidence AGAINST the director's claim that the two productions are similar:

D: The performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director's claim.

The correct answer is D.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

nhai2003 wrote:Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at Central Theater, was written in Italy in the eighteenth century. The director claims that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater. Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx, Marx's comic style was very much within the comic acting tradition that had begun in sixteenth-century Italy.

The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that
(A) modern audiences would find it hard to tolerate certain characteristics of a historically accurate performance of an eighteenth-century play
(B) Groucho Marx once performed the part of the character Harlequin in La Finestrina
(C) in the United States the training of actors in the twentieth century is based on principles that do not differ radically from those that underlay the training of actors in eighteenth-century Italy
(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director's claim
(E) the director of La Finestrina must have advised the actor who plays Harlequin to model his performance on comic performances of Groucho Marx

The director links the MODERN production of La Finestrina to the ORIGINAL production in the 18th century.
He establishes this LINK by offering the following evidence:
The actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx -- a comic style that WAS very much within the comic acting tradition that HAD BEGUN in sixteenth-century Italy.
Note the VERBS: a tradition that HAD BEGUN in the 16th century and WAS still in use in the 20th century. These verbs imply that the comic tradition remained just that -- a TRADITION -- during the intervening years.

Since these intervening years include the 18th century -- the time of the original production of La Finestrina -- the performance of the actor STRENGTHENS THE LINK between the MODERN production and the ORIGINAL production.
Thus, the actor's performance could not serve as evidence AGAINST the director's claim that the two productions are similar:

D: The performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director's claim.

The correct answer is D.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

nhai2003 wrote:Theater Critic: The play La Finestrina, now at Central Theater, was written in Italy in the eighteenth century. The director claims that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater. Although the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx, Marx's comic style was very much within the comic acting tradition that had begun in sixteenth-century Italy.

The considerations given best serve as part of an argument that
(A) modern audiences would find it hard to tolerate certain characteristics of a historically accurate performance of an eighteenth-century play
(B) Groucho Marx once performed the part of the character Harlequin in La Finestrina
(C) in the United States the training of actors in the twentieth century is based on principles that do not differ radically from those that underlay the training of actors in eighteenth-century Italy
(D) the performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director's claim
(E) the director of La Finestrina must have advised the actor who plays Harlequin to model his performance on comic performances of Groucho Marx

The director links the MODERN production of La Finestrina to the ORIGINAL production in the 18th century.
He establishes this LINK by offering the following evidence:
The actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of the twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx -- a comic style that WAS very much within the comic acting tradition that HAD BEGUN in sixteenth-century Italy.
Note the VERBS: a tradition that HAD BEGUN in the 16th century and WAS still in use in the 20th century. These verbs imply that the comic tradition remained just that -- a TRADITION -- during the intervening years.

Since these intervening years include the 18th century -- the time of the original production of La Finestrina -- the performance of the actor STRENGTHENS THE LINK between the MODERN production and the ORIGINAL production.
Thus, the actor's performance could not serve as evidence AGAINST the director's claim that the two productions are similar:

D: The performance of the actor who plays Harlequin in La Finestrina does not serve as evidence against the director's claim.

The correct answer is D.

Anaira Mitch wrote:Hello Mitch,

Can you please describe the category of this problem whether it falls under strengthening or drawing conclusion?

jabhatta wrote:Hi Mitch - can you please explain why C is out of scope

I thought training of actors was important and had to be true for the director's claim (that this production is as similar to the original production as is possible in a modern theater. )