Stagecraft

This semester I worked in the Scene Shop for Production Experience 1 for both Vinegar Tom and Dead Man’s Cell Phone. Because I came on later than the rest of my peers, I caught the tail-end of work for Dead Man’s Cell Phone. I also participated in light hang and strike for Vinegar Tom as part of my Production Experience this semester. In terms of scene shop, it was new for me because I had never spent such a concentrated amount of time in that aspect of production or worked on projects on such a timescale. The only other experience I had with scene shop was what I had learned in the half credit Introduction to Stagecraft course I took at Vassar College, which involved learning how to work with wood and how to design props. Working in Northeastern’s scene shop was interesting because you are not designing the props on your own. You are the team responsible for constructing and bringing to life the ideas of the designers. For Vinegar Tom, I was able to take artistic freedom in making the trees in order to fit the aesthetic of the production. In light hang, I did not do any focusing. Almost all of it was hanging, which was fun. During Strike for Vinegar Tom, I got the chance to destroy and break down the set, which was amazing and really helped me gain a better understanding of how…

The location of the play was at the University of North Texas in the Radio, Television and Film building. Inside of the building there was a black box, and a smaller room to the side, that had a set that perfectly portrayed the time period. The couches and chairs really seemed to fit with the era that the play was set in. Also, to the sides of the set there were large representations of windows that lights shown on throughout the play. Each set of lights depicted a different part of the day to…

Martin, Malcolm, and Me written by JD Lawrence displayed a remarkable production. JD Lawrence and his team did an impressive job in one hour to show the play. There are multiple things to discuss like the acting, directing, scenic, playwriting, costume, lighting, and sound design. The first thing I looked at when I walked in the theatre was how the lighting had been arranged. When we sat down and the play started the main focus is on the stage. All the lights pointed to the stage while the…

Stagecraft is used many times throughout this image to display the characterisation of Romeo’s love, issues and hopes. The stagecraft is closely related to characterisation, helping the development of the characterisation. I will be focusing on the stagecraft used in the scaffolding, costume design, and the background the scene is placed in. Initially, the scaffolding Romeo is sitting represents his instability with Juliet. As you know, scaffolding doesn’t need much to come falling down, and…

Amanda Jane Long is the Marketing Director for the Stage 773 Theatre in Chicago. Although the Public Relation title isn’t in her position the PR job characteristics are included in her day to day work schedule. Amanda has a very busy life schedule as she is an actor as well but a good portion of her day is dedicated to the work she does at Stage 773. Amanda has a passion for acting and an even bigger appreciation for theatre overall. Amanda has a degree in acting and has always promoted her work…

To examine the evolution of stage management, we must first examine how the term came about, and other terms for the stage managers predecessors. Then we can begin to look into how the role has evolved over time into the present craft students are being taught on technical production courses in theatre in different locations around the world. To begin, we must investigate the term of ‘stage management’. As we look back into history, we can see that people who were what we know today as stage…

Creating an effective performance of stage combat or straight acting involves a great deal of preparation and thought. There are many elements that come together to create the show and as a performer there are several things that can be done to make the rehearsals leading up to it an effective use of time. Preparing physically and mentally for every rehearsal, spending some time discovering the character’s world, and being open to discussions and changes throughout the process. These are some of…

What is Stage Management? How does this role apply to theatre productions? A stage manager will provide practical or organisational support to the director, actors and stage crew/ technicians throughout the production process (ACCT.2016). A stage manager will work with the director from week one to create a monumental final production will keep all onstage and off stage crew organised, this includes organising/conducting rehearsals, blocking, light changes and set changes. This information will…

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park recently staged Little Shop of Horrors. The show was co-produced with Portland Center Stage at the Armory. The show revolves around a failing florist shop, a man-eating plant, and a low-life flower shop assistant, Seymour. Audrey is a worker at Mushnik’s flower shop as well. Audrey is stuck is a toxic relationship with an evil dentist and Seymour is willing to go extreme lengths to save Audrey. By mere chance, a strange plant shows itself one day while Seymour is…

This afternoon I attended a Sunday matinee for the production of This Random World written by Steven Dietz and directed by Paul Steger put on by the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film. I thought that the play tied all of the characters together extremely well and it was incredibly well preformed. Although I usually find plays of this genre of no interest to me, this play changed my opinion. I thought that it was really well done. First I would like to discuss the character of Scottie Ward,…