“However, there is one particular role that I do not feel gets enough credit outside of the theatre community, and even among some people who are in the theatre community, the costumers.”
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“If your college theatre program is one of those out there that does what it can to put on new plays by new playwrights each year, you should be proud.”
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“I’ve heard from people who claim that arts education should not be compulsory is that the arts are not as important to a child’s education as other subjects are. This could not be further from the truth.”
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Some shows contain scenes with explicit violence, full-frontal nudity, and in some cases, even scenes depicting sexual acts on stage. As one can imagine, this often provokes controversy and often can spark outright negative reactions from the audience. In cases such as this, it is worth asking: Are there instances in which theatre goes “too far”? If so, what would they be?
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“When writing a new play – and ultimately, when it is eventually selected for production – the goal should be to make an audience do at least one of the three following things, in one way or another…”
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“I personally don’t think it should be seen as an overwhelmingly negative factor that the actor playing an autistic character is not on the spectrum himself.”
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For many people, the beginning of a new year also marks the time of year in which people try to come up with resolutions, in the hopes that these specific goals in their lives will have been achieved by this time next year. Those of us who are highly active in theatre most likely have already come up with such resolutions related to theatre. However, there might be a few additional ideas for resolutions that some of us might not have thought about and should be willing to consider to make their year in theatre even better than last year.
So without further ado, here are just a few New Year’s resolutions – in no particular order – for all of us in the theatre community to consider…
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Movie musicals: They have been around for nearly as long as sound has been a part of film. Naturally, many of the most notable of them have been adapted from Broadway musicals, and a good portion of them tend to be commercially successful. However, those of us who are used to seeing the real thing – and even some who aren’t – tend to be disappointed once we see these musicals come to the silver screen.
Why is this?
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For everyone who is deeply involved in the theatre community – whether you’re an actor, a playwright, a director, a technician, a designer, etc. – I’m sure there’s been at least one time when you’ve questioned whether you were good enough, when you worried that you might not have a bright future in the arts, or when you wondered if maybe you should just give it all up. It’s something that even the best of us have always experienced, and if you haven’t already, there’s a chance you will, at one point or another.
Personally, I’ve had these feelings on many past occasions, during my high school and college years. Frequently, I doubted to myself whether I had what it takes to make it to where I want to be in 5 or 10 years, and whether or not I should even bother to keep going. I still know some people today, who seem to be going through this phase of uncertainty right now, and I’m sure others who are reading this might be, as well.
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I love playwriting, and the creative rush I get from writing so many plays – and often, seeing them produced – is practically what I live for. I’m also a theatre critic, and thus have the chance to see a diverse range of shows and offer my analysis and opinions of them. Depending on which person you talk to, if they’re familiar with my writing, they might know that I’m a playwright and a critic, but they may know me better for being one over another. There also may be some who know me only as a playwright, but have never read any of my reviews; or perhaps they’ve seen my past reviews of shows, but are totally unfamiliar with my work as a playwright.
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That is a question that is frequently asked by many people who aren’t generally involved in theatre, and even by some people who are. In recent years, the involvement of a dramaturg has become far more common in theaters across the world.
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Melodrama.
When the term comes up, many people tend to think of the old melodramas that theatergoers were accustomed to in the 19th century. Perhaps if they know enough about the history of theatre, they might think of plays such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Corsican Brothers and The Octoroon.
However, all of this overlooks what the term actually refers to: the usage of exaggerated aspects of performance and storytelling, whether it may be referring to the events in the plot or the emotions of the characters.
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