Backstage

Today I'm going to talk a little about the theatre and theaters...

In case you don't know there are a few types of theatre venues... The Proscenium Theater  with a stage, orchestra pit and fixed seats in the orchestra, mezzanine and balcony (Think Radio City Music Hall)... Arena Ampitheatre (Think Ancient Greek outdoor theatre or The Hollywood Bowl)... and then there is a Black Box Theater (Think of a big area with light rigging and black walls and floor) You can put the stage anywhere and the seating in any configuration and create a very intimate theatre experience. (when empty it resembles the inside of a black box)

When I started this writing project I stated one of my favorite places is on a stage (Click on The Ghost Light to read the whole blog)

It still is...

And I wrote a little about the superstitions of theatre people (here in Superstitions And Omens)

I have to admit the greatest joy and love of my professional life has been in a theater or soundstage... there is no doubt about it I'm a theatre person and I understand the theater and theatre people probably better than almost anything else in life.

 The reason I'm bringing all this up now is I had an e-mail from a reader asking me to explain briefly what I know about the theatre... I wrote back that it would take me several years to explain everything I know about the theatre if I started with the history of theatre of Ancient Greece up through the 18th century and the beginning of modern theatre starting at around 1875-1915 and how it evolved in 40's up until today. Since this person is interested in perhaps studying and eventually working in the theatre I'll limit today's segment to some of the aspects of working in the theatre.

I'm going to start with the question I get the most... "What is the difference between 'Broadway', 'Off Broadway' and 'Off Off Broadway?' The answer is easy... the size of the theater and how many seats it has. An Off Off Broadway theater  has less than 99 seats, an Off Broadway theater has anywhere from 99 to 499 seats and finally a Broadway theater has more than 499 seats. There has always been a lot of misconception in many people that the  quality of the production and performances are better in a Broadway production... nothing could be further from the truth... I have seen some abysmal shows on Broadway as well as stupendous, out of this world earth shaking productions off off Broadway. Let me put it to you this way in 1981 I was lucky enough to see Elizabeth Taylor on Broadway in "The Little Foxes" at the Martin Beck Theater that has 1.424 seats and the show and performances were outstanding... a few months later I saw a friend in a Black Box production  that was configured with about 75 seats... and frankly it was actually better because the performances were stellar and I felt like I was actually living in the production because I was sitting only a few feet away from all the action on stage... but let's go back to the beginning...

When I was a theatre major the curriculum was very broad and we learned and participated in everything from building and painting sets to hanging and focusing lights and box office and house management. I was a dance performance major and had to audition to be accepted in that program... and we had to have a focus in one of the non-performing areas (I chose costuming) During my four years I was involved in almost all the costuming except venues I was performing in and even then my work-study program was working 20 hours a week in the costume shop. All of it gave me a chance to work with people who were studying and working towards advanced degrees in Playwriting, Directing, Set Design, LIghting and Music and Dance. I got a great education but the real education began when I pursed it as a profession and then later incorporated my under graduate and professional work into a Maters program... my dream was never to be famous or a star but to work with a repertory company and act  and star in one production and the next take one of the smaller roles allowing me to design sets or costumes or work as a lighting technician... I'll get back to this later.

Where I have the most experience  is performance and costumes so I'll save that for later too... but what I always notice first is the set and the lights... as a set designer you need the to know the basics of building and painting... but you have to have an eye for how the sun or moon shines in through a window at certain times of the day... and also depending on what time of year it is or what period it is set in... and perhaps more importantly understanding how to evoke the feeling and emotions of the play in the set. Maybe one of the most important things is you need to be able to work well with other people and at times very, very fast... The real genius in my opinion is the collaboration between the lights and set design is the ability to transform a set between acts by flying in a different background and redirected lighting that can transform a set from serene to sinister in a matter of seconds.

The Lighting Designer works in tandem with the Set Designer because the lighting will either enhance or distort the set. Lighting will help the actors and the audience understand on a deeper level by making certain elements visible  or not and reveal what the audience needs to see. As I  stated previously understanding how lighting looks at a certain time of the day or a particular season but also setting a mood by brightness, using warm or cool colors... but here much of your attention is knowing how light and shadows work or don't work on a stage in illuminating objects or actors in a scene... with lighting there are considerations of special effects like dust floating in the air or fog or falling leaves etc. The lights like the sets and costumes and the performers themselves have to work in harmony, balance and proportion to each other and they all have to emphasize each other and be in rhythm with everything... if these basic principles are lacking or not working together you typically know you have seen a poor production.

Costumes and scenery serve the same purpose in that the costume designer  is concerned mainly with the visual appearance of the performer while working with the sets and scenery and not in opposition to them... it's also important to understand how the costume will react to the lighting. Costuming is  expressive of the over-all mood of the play and also within individual scenes... while each costume is indicative of the individual character and psychological nature of the actor wearing it. Here it is important to understand costume and fashion history but also colors and how fabrics move and understanding balance, proportion and symmetry... by this I mean knowing how to make someone appear more slender, or more plump or even taller. But costumes like clothing need to be comfortable and easy to move in and they often need to be designed for a very quick change ( I once had a costume that when I stepped off-stage I had about 45 seconds to get it off, turn it inside out and back on to enter the stage for the next scene)

Makeup in the theatre is used to cover all parts of the actor's body not concealed by a costume... it is essential for conveying his or her physical appearance to the audience. Traditionally, makeup is considered the actor's responsibility this is sometimes more obvious in nonprofessional theatre. In many regional or community theaters the makeup is often supervised by the director, or costumer or someone skilled with makeup (painting) and.or prosthetic (rubber or plastic applications) The makeup establishes the characters age, health, profession and social class... but will also convey his/her attitudes and perspectives and overall expressiveness.

There are also sound technicians and the use of combining sets with projected images (like window projections in films)... there are also careers in stage management , house and box office management and production theatre management that range from facility operations, and audience development and fundraising and education and the arts.

I could go on and on with this... maybe someday I will again. Since I first set foot on a stage I have studied and worked professionally as a performer on and off Broadway, Regional Tours and Community and Summer Theatre. I have worked as a Lighting Designer and technician and rigger and as a Stage Manager and Costume Shop Assistant and Supervisor and as a choreographer. I think I may have written about this here but I have two resumes... one for the theatre and entertainment and another for the civilian (non-theatre)  professional world. I remember once someone commenting rather smugly asking if I ever used the degree I earned in theatre arts... I just smiled coyly and replied rather demurely... "Yes a little!"

One thing I should probably clarify is spelling... if you are going to an actual physical place you are going to a Theater ... but if you are discussing it as a profession or the people or the principles then it's the Theatre. I learned this in from someone in England in a theater... where it's spelled theatre!

So in terms of my dreams of working with a theatre repertory company... I actually have twice and both times the lights of Broadway or Hollywood or something else took me away... Maybe the third time will be the charm and I'll find my way back... because finally after all this time I know the difference between performing... and acting because I can finally be oblivious to the transparent fourth wall the audience views the performance through... My absolute favorite thing I can share with you about the theatre as it sums up my feelings are when the members of the original cast of 'South Pacific' had a reunion on the stage of the Majestic Theatre fifty years after opening night and one of the cast thanked the 'Phantom of the Opera' cast for being there and someone replied "Don't you understand, you're the reason we are here now. We are the ones that came after you."... Although I have not had as illustrious career as some I have loved being part of the theatre every minute on stage and all the time I spent  waiting in the wings. 

Oh and one more thing... I've learned a lot on stage and off but perhaps the most important things are be on time, know your material no one is ever so gifted they can not benefit from another class or workshop... and... never open any door in a theater without knocking. Oh and one more fun fact... the stage area at the Drury Lane Theatre in London is so big that while South Pacific was playing there was room for the entire set of Guys And Dolls for rehearsal when South Pacific was not in a performance.

See you next week.