Critical Reasoning

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 orignial 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

Source: 12th Edition GMAT review.

The correct option is D

Could anyone please help me how to approach this type of question, as I feel difficult to understand what is asked.

Oh man i remember this question. I had a tough time with this question. Fortunately i do not remember the answer. Here's how i attempted it.

Read it part by part..stimulus is much more difficult than options. If you read it in the following way you will land at D directly, all other options are extremely irrelevant. There is no options that is even near to correct answer

La Finestrina was written in Italy in the eighteenth century

The director claims that this production is as similar to the orignial production as is possible in a modern theater. Director is saying production is similar to original means 18th century

the actor who plays Harlequin the clown gives a performance very reminiscent of Groucho Marx, Marx's comic style was very much within the comic acting tradition that had begun in sixteenth-century Italy. But actor's style begin in 16th century.

Only claim that you may have is actor's style begin in 16th century so it could have followed in 18th century as well BUT BUT BUT director's claim use the word "original production"

I hope it clear all doubts

Straight D