Most people who attend a play have little idea about what it takes to put a show on the stage. They sit down, read through the program, and then enjoy the story that unfolds before them. You are in the unique position of being able to understand how much effort it takes to produce even the simplest of plays.
It was such a surprise to me to get involved in the backstage part of theater productions. In high school, I was the star; I wouldn't have been caught dead on a crew. Who wanted to sit in the shadows while someone else got the glory? When I got to college, however, that opinion changed quickly and radically. I suddenly became the costume shop coordinator at Wheaton College, and while I learned the job as I went, creating a glorious costume from only an idea was just as pleasurable as standing on the stage and delivering a monologue. Even today, I get just as jazzed about the design discussions for a show as I do with the direction and the performance.
With all of our work in class, what area of theater are you most attracted to? Do you see the triangles and levels of directing clearly? Do ideas about design concepts pop out at you when you read a play? Is the performance aspect your true joy?
posted by Alicia Corts @ 8:28 PM
15 Comments:
I prefer being onstage, but I think that backstage stuff is very fun also. It is fun to know all the work that went into a particular scene and see it from backstage. I understand the triangles and levels, but think that the triangles are hard
I still like the on stage part the best. It's the most fun for me and also like Ms. Corts said I like to get the glory! I don't want to just do the work behind the scenes, I want to be able to get up where people can see and appreciate the work that I do. I just think it's more fun to be out in the lime light.
Claire
Ever since middle school I have been on the costume crew and I have always really loved it. I think the costumes on the actor really help further describe what that character is like. I aditioned for plays a couple times and got in and it was fun but I didn't enjoy it as much as being on the costume crew. Also I don't really see the triangles and things like that but I can always picture what the character might be wearing.
I think I am a person who likes to be behind the scenes, and halp out with stuff like costumes and set design. I would like to help with plays but probably not be the one who is getting the attention, the actor. If I was the actor then I would feel like I need to do everything right, or else I would everyone down. I would like to try being the actor, because I have never done that before, but I am more interested in set design. I understand the triangle and levels, and when I go to the fall play, I will be looking to see these. I have never really noticed these levels or the triangles in plays before this class. When I read my play I visualized what it might look like. This was a cool way of reading it.
I am personally undicided to what area of theater I am most attracted to. I have been in a play before but I have also worked on a crew both were a great experence. The triangles are starting to make more sence and the levels are also fun to work with. I have had few ideas with the set. Some concepts work really well others I have to read the part several times to understand what and where some thing is happening.
What I really like in theater is how well the actors perform. For it to be a good play, it also needs to look real and so it needs good costumes and setting and stuff and the actors cannot make any mistakes...that might be noticeable to the audience at least. I remember when I was younger, I would always wonder what would happen backstage, and when I finally took tours and such, it was really interesting to me what I saw. The props, people working, costumes laying around, unpainted pieces of set, and wires. Very interesting. Now I know and have known for a while how important it is to have backstage crew helping with all the needs and wants of the director, actors, and stage manager. It would not work out with just the actors doing it all; you need to have help.
Now that I have learned about triangles and other techniques of theater, I understand how everything should be. I understand where the more important roles should be and what makes good movement and other things. When I go to a play and I see the opening set, I always admire it and wonder what it will be used for. And this is a good blog question because now I can express about what parts of theater are really important to me.
I've found that I enjoy every aspect of theater, but I'm most attracted to performing and set design. I love being able to give people a show that entertains them and gives them something to do. I always try out for every play, and if I don't get a part, then I'm just as excited to help build the set, and give the actors a place to perform.
I love all the time and effort that goes into being an actor and the reward of it when the show is over, and see the audience reacting to all of my work. On the other hand, I love working on the set because there's not as much commitment, but I still get the reward of seeing the actors perform a spectacular show. I can't decide which is better, so I'll say that acting and set construction are both my favorite parts of theater.
Well since i'm so modest and shy I prefer to direct and tell my actors what to do, molding my peers into extrodinary pieces of art throuh my ingenius and creative mind. I also like the acting side but my modesity holds me back some times
Before we started learning about directing , triangles and design i never really knew much about how to make a scene look good to a viewers eye. i just knew that the directors did a good job and made the show appealing.
simmilar to how you fist enjoyed the stage as to behind the scenes, i was opposite. i did one performance in 6th grade and then played a part in a little play for student showcase but other wise i have been devote to the costume and make up area of theatre, i love it and would never regret any of my many years of participating.
i do enjoy being more down stage through this acting class and hopefully more next semester too. i will never want to leave my backstage work but i know that i need to do things that will challangeing me and allow me to grow as a person. i believe the theatre is the best place to do that. i can face many struggles in unique situations and be whoever i may be when expierencing that. i look forward to what the theatre challenges me too.
-VICTORIA
Well considering that I have yet to experience all the ins and outs of the theater right now I would have to say design. Design to me is really fun and enjoyable. I like the creativity of it and being able to use your inside thoughts on how the play should look. I like being able to make it look how you imagined it when you read the play for the first time. It is like making everything come to life and to me that is really exciting and enjoyable. I think I would like coustume design a little better than set but I am open to all ideas.
As I been larnin in yer theetar class, iben thinkin I shore do like all parts o’ a play. Tha pertendin part in frnt of people is real real fun, and tha mo’ I do thas, tha mo’ I willin to do mightah straaange thangs. Altha I could do all o dat ntil dem caws come back to ma shack, that de-rectin stuff, movin peopal round and round like chickens with theah heads just cut off, is migty pleasuroble as it jest makes me feel like govnah o de entah wold!! But thin agin, what bout that lightin’ stuff an dat costumer stuff- These is shore fun too. Awl n aw, ims is kinda not soure what I likes tha moust, but I du fand awl of it gud n fun it its own raght. – Metellusbob Jones, graduate of Harvard and doctor in both language arts and the humanities
I would probably be more attracted to the desisn part of performances. This is so because I really enjoy this aspect of it. When I read the plays I can usually think of what the character should be wearing to me. A picture of it just pops into my head. I also lik edrawing sets. When I drew the set for "as you like it", I really thought that it was good and I got a good interpritation of it. I like thinking about what color. Also there is alot of actors out there but those actors need to look good and I think that design set design and costume design help add to the elements of a play. If you don't have a designer the play could be boring.I also am still a little uncomfortabble with the whole acting part.
I have liked all of the areas of theater that we have learned about. Design is fun for me because I really liked learning about the effect of color on a set. Costume design is particularly fun. I also like directing because I really like planning and envisioning how things should be. Acting is also enjoyable, though. I guess that I am undecided because I like it all.
I really like all the parts of theater that we have learned about. Directing is interesting because I really like to plan. I like creative parts of design and working with the color stuff we learned about. Acting is really fun too because I like to perform. It's all fun to me, so I don't can't pick a favorite.
I think I would like to do out of all of them is Designing. Desiging just lets your imgination run. I also think it is fun to perfomone but I would rather desgin.
~Chris~
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