So far, imaginary reader, you've read that my beloved boyfriend buys me cool things and is a great set advisor. But did you know that he's also an aspiring musician, avid fan of all things music, and now writer of an awesome music blog called "Sound of Machines" that has the equally awesome tagline "Reviews. One Song at a Time."? If you did know all of that, well... that's kind of weird.
POINT BEING: you should check out and follow his blog! Expand your minds and your musical tastes! Sound cool at parties! All this and more, if you read up! Click away!
Monday, January 9, 2012
An ode to the talented set advisor/constructor
Note to all aspiring theatre directors: NEVER underestimate the importance of having an experienced, ingenuitive, and practical head of set construction.
Too often I've seen or (regretfully) been part of productions in which a grand vision --whether it be the director's or the set designer's-- fails to take into consideration the practical aspect of creating and building a set. For example, I've seen plays where half of the support struts don't touch the ground, where the dimensions of simple things like stairs or walls are ludicrously out of whack, and where a slammed on-stage door sends the whole set rocking. Each instance has, at times, completely overshadowed the play itself. And all of them could have been avoided if the right people had been involved early on in the creative process.
Don't get the wrong idea --I have never been a practical, experienced, and ingenuitive set constructor. I'm the one who comes up with the vague ideas that I can only really explain with hand gestures, finger pointing, and poorly simulated sound effects. But I know when I'm out of my element, and I'm not afraid to ask for help. Of course, asking for help is easier when one's boyfriend is a great set advisor/constructor (I can totally hook you up if you want, imaginary reader).
Case in point:
My current project is a proposal to stage M. Butterfly (and it's really starting to come together). My co-director (also one of my nearest and dearest friends) and I latched on to the idea of using scaffolding along all three walls of the stage to create levels and build on the overall aesthetic. For privacy/artistic license's sake I won't say more than that, but that's beside the point anyway.
The point is, I brought up the scaffolding idea with beloved boyfriend, and he jumped in right away to fill in the gaps in my practical knowledge. For instance, he pointed out that the upstage scaffolding can't just be erected straight across the wall, or else it will make everything else feel flat (which is, as you may know, the death knell for any theatre production). It has to have at least some depth to make it a little more appealing to the eye. And you know what? I never would have thought of that until the damn thing had been built, and then think of how much time and effort would have been wasted with still more needed to fix the problem. I would have spent lots of time ensuring that the blocking and set had depth and dynamism, but I would just have assumed that my original flat scaffolding idea was fine and then hoped that my set advisor/constructor would catch any potential issues.
And therein lies the problem! If my set advisor also lacked expertise, (s)he might not have thought about effective scaffolding techniques. Then, when the flawed idea made it down to the set constructor, (s)he --having so far been left out of the creative process-- might just build the set to those flawed specifications without voicing any artistic concern (I say "artistic" because "flat" scaffolding does not pose a safety threat). And then you end up with a noticeably flawed set. I've seen it happen! And I'm very glad that I have talent readily available to help make sure that it doesn't happen to my production.
Moral of the story: creative people, don't assume that you know what you're talking about when it comes to correctly balancing function with aesthetic, unless you have lots of experience building sets (especially if those sets are for impractical creative people). Collaborate with people who do! If they're any good and you treat them well, they'll make your set even better. Or, at least, they'll make sure that this doesn't happen:
Too often I've seen or (regretfully) been part of productions in which a grand vision --whether it be the director's or the set designer's-- fails to take into consideration the practical aspect of creating and building a set. For example, I've seen plays where half of the support struts don't touch the ground, where the dimensions of simple things like stairs or walls are ludicrously out of whack, and where a slammed on-stage door sends the whole set rocking. Each instance has, at times, completely overshadowed the play itself. And all of them could have been avoided if the right people had been involved early on in the creative process.
Don't get the wrong idea --I have never been a practical, experienced, and ingenuitive set constructor. I'm the one who comes up with the vague ideas that I can only really explain with hand gestures, finger pointing, and poorly simulated sound effects. But I know when I'm out of my element, and I'm not afraid to ask for help. Of course, asking for help is easier when one's boyfriend is a great set advisor/constructor (I can totally hook you up if you want, imaginary reader).
Case in point:
My current project is a proposal to stage M. Butterfly (and it's really starting to come together). My co-director (also one of my nearest and dearest friends) and I latched on to the idea of using scaffolding along all three walls of the stage to create levels and build on the overall aesthetic. For privacy/artistic license's sake I won't say more than that, but that's beside the point anyway.
The point is, I brought up the scaffolding idea with beloved boyfriend, and he jumped in right away to fill in the gaps in my practical knowledge. For instance, he pointed out that the upstage scaffolding can't just be erected straight across the wall, or else it will make everything else feel flat (which is, as you may know, the death knell for any theatre production). It has to have at least some depth to make it a little more appealing to the eye. And you know what? I never would have thought of that until the damn thing had been built, and then think of how much time and effort would have been wasted with still more needed to fix the problem. I would have spent lots of time ensuring that the blocking and set had depth and dynamism, but I would just have assumed that my original flat scaffolding idea was fine and then hoped that my set advisor/constructor would catch any potential issues.
And therein lies the problem! If my set advisor also lacked expertise, (s)he might not have thought about effective scaffolding techniques. Then, when the flawed idea made it down to the set constructor, (s)he --having so far been left out of the creative process-- might just build the set to those flawed specifications without voicing any artistic concern (I say "artistic" because "flat" scaffolding does not pose a safety threat). And then you end up with a noticeably flawed set. I've seen it happen! And I'm very glad that I have talent readily available to help make sure that it doesn't happen to my production.
Moral of the story: creative people, don't assume that you know what you're talking about when it comes to correctly balancing function with aesthetic, unless you have lots of experience building sets (especially if those sets are for impractical creative people). Collaborate with people who do! If they're any good and you treat them well, they'll make your set even better. Or, at least, they'll make sure that this doesn't happen:
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Looking back to move forward
This month marks 2 years since I directed Tonight's Special, a revue showcasing David Ives' The Philadelphia, Jonathan Rand's Check, Please, and Steve Martin's (yes, that Steve Martin) Picasso at the Lapin Agile.
I was privileged to work with old friends, past collaborators, and up-and-coming talent. It was a great experience (apart from a crazy turn of events that almost left me without an Elvis [read Picasso if you don't understand]), and one of the highlights of my university career! I still regularly quote all three plays, look at production photos, and am waiting for one of my actors to hit it big so that I can take credit for his/her success somehow. And while there were definitely times when I was underprepared/overwhelmed/fucking up, I knew I could count on my hardworking and talented cast, crew, and assistant director to help see my vision through to opening night.
All this is to say that whenever I start to doubt my ideas or think that I'm not cut out for trying theatre professionally, I remind myself that not everyone can be a director or successfully supervise a project of that size. I wasn't perfect, but I think I did a pretty damn good job. And if I continue to surround myself with creative, intelligent, supportive, hardworking people, I think I'll be okay moving forward.
With that in mind, it's on to my Brechtian, minimalist, Bollywood, theatre-in-the-round version of the musical Cats. Broadway, here I come!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Excuses, excuses
Yesterday was actually a "Hi, I'm super busy, but I'm still thinking of you, blog" day. I actually did important things, like finally getting my G1 license! Still terrified about driving, though…
And today my focus is working on my graduate school application. Will still find some time to post later on, and maybe even get two in if I'm on a roll.
In the meantime, please enjoy this video that I watch all the time. Shakespeare! Acting! Danny Pudi from Community (please, TV gods, bring them back soon)!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Nights out at the thee-ay-ter
Just like reading a shit ton will improve your vocabulary (see? I read like, y'know, lots and stuff) and give you inspiration/confidence/self-awareness when doing your own writing, I want to go to as many plays as I possibly can in order to inform my understanding of theatre and how I can add to the dialogue.
I think I did alright in 2011 in that regard, given my very limited budget and poor planning skills (thanks, beloved boyfriend, for the season subscription to Hart House Theatre!). Time to list the plays I saw!
Plays I have seen in 2011:
- Arsenic and Old Lace (Victoria College Drama Society, University of Toronto)
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Hart House Theatre)
- The Rocky Horror Show (VCDS)
- Yellow Face (Hart House in collaboration with fu-GEN)
- Lysistrata (Canopy Theatre in collaboration with Hart House)
Plays I have seen in 2011:
- Arsenic and Old Lace (Victoria College Drama Society, University of Toronto)
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Hart House Theatre)
- The Rocky Horror Show (VCDS)
- Yellow Face (Hart House in collaboration with fu-GEN)
- Lysistrata (Canopy Theatre in collaboration with Hart House)
- When Harry Met Harry (flaming locomotive productions at the Toronto Fringe Festival)
- Living with Henry (Beyond Boundaries at Toronto Fringe)
- War of the Clowns (Pea Green Theatre Company at Toronto Fringe)
- A Winter's Tale (Dream in High Park)
- The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Hart House)
- Peter and the Wolf (Theatre Rusticle)
- Matchbox Macbeth (Litmus Theatre, see my write-up here)
- Our Town (VCDS)
- The Gentleman Caller (Hart House)
- Macbeth (Hart House)
- Red (CanStage)
As I have personal ties to most of those productions I will not be reviewing them here. I will say that my professional highlights were Red, Matchbox Macbeth, Peter and the Wolf, and War of the Clowns. My favourite university show was Our Town.
- A Winter's Tale (Dream in High Park)
- The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Hart House)
- Peter and the Wolf (Theatre Rusticle)
- Matchbox Macbeth (Litmus Theatre, see my write-up here)
- Our Town (VCDS)
- The Gentleman Caller (Hart House)
- Macbeth (Hart House)
- Red (CanStage)
As I have personal ties to most of those productions I will not be reviewing them here. I will say that my professional highlights were Red, Matchbox Macbeth, Peter and the Wolf, and War of the Clowns. My favourite university show was Our Town.
I'm always up for geeking out on theatre in a less public forum if you're ever interested, imaginary reader. Plus, I'm a HUGE gossip.
Upcoming Plays I Want to See in Early 2012:
- Cabaret (Hart House)
Upcoming Plays I Want to See in Early 2012:
- Cabaret (Hart House)
- The Penelopiad (Nightwood Theatre)
- Penny Plain (Factory Theatre)
- Cruel and Tender (CanStage WITH ATOM EGOYAN DIRECTING)
- Cruel and Tender (CanStage WITH ATOM EGOYAN DIRECTING)
- The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs (Tarragon Theatre)
- The Night of the Iguana (Hart House)
- The Night of the Iguana (Hart House)
- The Real World? (Tarragon)
I also really want to see War Horse (Mirvish Productions). Who wants to buy me a ticket?
I also really want to see War Horse (Mirvish Productions). Who wants to buy me a ticket?
Monday, January 2, 2012
'Sleep no more, / Macbeth does murder sleep'
More like "Litmus Theatre's Matchbox Macbeth has murdered my barely-formed confidence in my theatrical talent", am I right?
Seriously though, it is equally intimidating and inspiring to witness true theatre at its best —and the recent remount of Matchbox Macbeth is exactly that. I am in absolute awe of every aspect of this production, and months later it is still a pleasure to speak about it!
Reworking the Bard
Shakespeare's Macbeth is 5 acts in length, with an approximate running time of 2.5 hours. Matchbox Macbeth is 1 hour long. Impossible, right? Gloriously wrong. They distilled each scene down to a few key lines without losing the tone or meaning, letting the actors' fantastic work and the audience's understanding fill in the rest. This was not your beginner's Shakespeare, but as long as you've read or seen it at least once, you were more than equipped to understand and appreciate this version.
Not Casting a Cat
Not Casting a Cat
Now on to casting. First of all, what the hell, Shakespeare? Six "WITCHES"? "A SPIRIT LIKE A CAT"?! That's just silly. I have seen Macbeth several times and I have never seen a Spirit Cat. Maybe I wasn't looking closely enough, but I'm pretty sure everyone else also thinks that Spirit Cat is superfluous. And how is Spirit Cat different from "Other SPIRITS"? Now I've typed "spirit" so much that it looks weird. Moving on.
Shakespeare's Macbeth has almost 30 characters. Matchbox Macbeth had 4 actors, one of whom only played Macbeth. The other three (one woman, two men) were then left to interpret all of the remaining characters, and they did an INCREDIBLE job. Lady Macbeth was suitably desperate and crazy without overacting. King Duncan's age and decrepit physical nature was evoked by having the actor walk with upside down milk crates attached to his feet. The ghosts were the perfect mix of malice and mischief. For clarity and timeliness many characters were omitted, but at no cost to the overall effect.
Shedding Tradition
Shedding Tradition
Now here's where it gets crazy. The staging was... It's been almost 10 weeks since I saw Matchbox Macbeth and I still don't think I have the right words to describe how incredible it was. To put it plainly, it was the best play I've ever seen AND IT WAS STAGED IN A FREAKING SHED. You know those sheds that all face into a communal alley, the ones that can barely fit one car? Yeah, one of those. THERE WAS A PLAY IN ONE OF THOSE! Amazing.
The audience was limited to 15 people, seated against the two side walls of the shed. Most of the action took place in the shed, with some moments happening through the back window (Lady Macbeth's death) or in the alleyway (a clever opening dumb show, entrances into Macbeth's "court"). Lighting was minimal --a few well-placed stage lights, tiny handheld flashlights, a few candles, and a very creepy red oven light-- but the dimness was an asset instead of a weakness. And the sound? Dear Lord, the sound. Taking full advantage of the shed, actors who weren't on stage would bang on the walls or whisper through cracks, creating an atmosphere of tension and darkness that is nearly impossible to have in a larger space. We felt claustrophobic and uneasy, and it was amazing.
Earned Praise
All of the actors were ridiculously talented and hardworking, and it showed. Way to earn your MFAs, guys! Seriously though, so much thought was put into making it an original production and taking full advantage of their limited resources. Nothing in the final product was superfluous or poorly planned. It ran like a well-oiled machine, but with enormous heart. Essentially, Matchbox Macbeth accomplished everything that I want to with my own production, overcoming every obstacle that I know I will also have to face. There's hope yet, if you are dedicated enough to the cause!
For a taste of the talent:
Links to other reviews of Litmus Theatre's 2011 remount of Matchbox Macbeth are below. A great little piece by one of the actors is here. Apparently their next project is a twisted version of Peter Pan! Let's all go together!
Earned Praise
All of the actors were ridiculously talented and hardworking, and it showed. Way to earn your MFAs, guys! Seriously though, so much thought was put into making it an original production and taking full advantage of their limited resources. Nothing in the final product was superfluous or poorly planned. It ran like a well-oiled machine, but with enormous heart. Essentially, Matchbox Macbeth accomplished everything that I want to with my own production, overcoming every obstacle that I know I will also have to face. There's hope yet, if you are dedicated enough to the cause!
For a taste of the talent:
Links to other reviews of Litmus Theatre's 2011 remount of Matchbox Macbeth are below. A great little piece by one of the actors is here. Apparently their next project is a twisted version of Peter Pan! Let's all go together!
New year, new blog attitude!
I originally had the title end in a question mark, but that is too negative. I need to be positive about my return to the blogging world! Positively terrified about exposing those weird theatre thoughts in my head and guilty over having taken 7 months to return, but positive nonetheless!
Biggest revelation - I don't need to write an essay every time. So I won't. Probably.
I'm going to write a blog entry every day in January, even if it's just to say "Hi, I'm super popular and busy and awesome, but I'm still thinking of you, blog. And you, imaginary reader".
IT SHALL BE DONE! Prepare for 30 entries of "Hi, I'm super popular and busy and awesome..."! Kidding. Sort of.
Biggest revelation - I don't need to write an essay every time. So I won't. Probably.
I'm going to write a blog entry every day in January, even if it's just to say "Hi, I'm super popular and busy and awesome, but I'm still thinking of you, blog. And you, imaginary reader".
IT SHALL BE DONE! Prepare for 30 entries of "Hi, I'm super popular and busy and awesome..."! Kidding. Sort of.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)