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There's too much to cover in a simple Reddit comment. Lawrence Stern's book, "Stage Management", will be your best friend. Highly recommend this as reading for anyone interested in stage management.
I think if you use handmade (or store-bought “artisanal” paper) that has some texture/variation crafted into it, this might be even more effective.
Also, instead of little circles (like you’d get with a normal hole punch) consider confetti/shredder scissors.
Don’t read directly off the page. Look down as often as you need, but look back up to deliver the lines.
Don’t let the page in your hands prevent you from incorporating physical action into your audition. If your character is dancing or exercising or cooking dinner, go ahead and play that out instead of using the script as an excuse to stand planted in one place.
Don’t forget to respond to what you hear and what actually happens, not what you read. Make sure that you are taking the cues for your own lines and emotions from your partners, just as you would with a memorized text. Their tone and energy should be incorporated into your audition, not suppressed and reimagined as whatever you first thought when you read it on your own. The cold read part of an audition is often a chance for the director to see how two partners work together in the roles, so make sure to play the partnership.
Finally, if you know the show you are auditioning for, or if the sides are available, then it’s doesn’t have to be a cold read at all. Familiarize yourself with it to the greatest degree possible. If you are “cold reading” Arthur Miller, you should not be reading those lines for the first time in your life. If you are “cold reading” Shakespeare, you should have a very good sense of the characters, relationships, and story at least. In this case (Peter and the Starcatcher) the script is readily available. Hie thee to a library and do as much prep as you can.
Yes and no.
There are great books about screenwriting for the feature film like Save the Cat, but the recent upsurge in longer-form television writing required for the binge services (Netflix,Amazon etc,) stretches the conventions of these books.
The lessons learned in a college level script analysis class apply to all types of media using theatre as an example, and are generally grounded in classics. Many film-hopefuls don't know that understanding these classic forms tend to make the difference between truly great stories and stories that will fade away.
Taking a screenwriting class after or in conjunction will improve your ability to write in a variety of forms that might be required by the different story ideas that you might have. The industry is evolving almost as quickly as it did during the invention of film and later television.
You will need to understand the classical structures and ideas at some point during your career as a writer, and so I would heartily recommend a script analysis class. But then again, I'm a college teacher. Who teaches script analysis. And often acts in movies when directors and writers don't understand these classic forms.
Think about the possibility of hitting a home run without ever been told to keep you eye on the ball or step into the pitch. It's possible. But it's much less likely.
The playwright is Daniil Kharms, and Elizabeth Bam appears in the book A Failed Performance: Short Plays & Scenes by Daniil Kharms.
Anything published before 1921 is public domain. So, go nuts.
You can always tell when a company has had a bad year the year before because they put on "The Importance of Being Earnest." Always funny, always popular. And no royalties.
If you want to do something musical - you could do a "Songs of the 1890's (or whatever)" show by downloading a boatload of public domain sheet music here: http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/
Or look for books like this: https://books.google.com/books?id=9S5AAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA371&ots=Mq7lYFGxdX&dq=plays%20before%201921&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=plays%20before%201921&f=false
I don't know if I'd term it as "horror" but Empanada Loca by Aaron Mark was very unsettling. It's a one-woman modern retelling of Sweeney Todd, and there's actually an audio recording of Daphne Rubin-Vega performing the whole piece it on Audible, I'd recommend it.
Why not create your own adaptation? The novella itself is certainly within the public domain - and there's plenty of dialogue to use already in the existing prose. That way you (or a student with some guidance) could have a good experience with a dramatic adaptation. There's probably too much dialogue already in the novella for a stage adaptation - it'll have to be cut for running time - but you'd have to invent very little. And think of the rest of the text as extended stage directions...
Here's a copy of the original:
This might help you - https://prezi.com/sm79xt1yelw-/modern-theater-1885-1940/
Seems the important people to look at are Henrik Ibsen and Bertolt Brecht. You might also want to look at a definition of modern art in general to better understand why certain plays might be representative of the "modern" movement.
QLab is not free but it's affordable and is the industry standard. It's 200 dollars for a basic audio license, which should probably meet your requirements. They also offer education discounts if you email their support team.
They also offer rental licenses that go for 3 dollars (1 dollar with education discount) a day for the basic audio license.
EDIT: Here's a link to their website with more information - http://figure53.com/qlab/
You should look into the show control segment of theatre, there is a large component of IT type stuff. Specifically, check out John Huntington's book: Control Systems for Live Entertainment
And his blog: http://www.controlgeek.net/
An article you might want to check out about a specific show control scenario: http://figure53.com/qlab/showcases/cary-from-the-cock/
One thing that everyone uses: Vectorworks
And also, some pieces of software that get used all the time, organized by segment:
For lighting: * Lightwright * Ios/Eon by ETC * Whole Hog by Barco * GrandMA
For sound: * QLab * SFX
For video: * Watchout * Hippotizer * d3 * Pandora's Box * MBox *Isadora *Powerpoint/Keynote
http://www.samuelfrench.com/p/479/amish-project-the
Many (if not most) current plays are not published in ebook form.
You can also use WorldCat to find if a library near you has a copy.
http://www.worldcat.org/title/amish-project/oclc/694485951&referer=brief_results
Good luck!
Again, definitely depends on how you’re using them.
Or you could find some plastic bins and do some creative painting + attach thin wooden panels.
OR (again, depending on what you need) you could just paint plastic bins. Never underestimate the power of good set painting
I've had some success using a technique like this. It's a tutorial specifically for Audacity, but the process should work similarly in any editing software.
You can order the script through Abebooks:
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&tn=hedwig+and+the+angry+inch
eg this place sells it for $7:
The Fervent Years - Clurman
On Edge - Carr
This really expanded what I think of in terms of what performance can be.
+ 1 to
The Empty Space, Toward a Poor Theatre, Backward and Forward, Thinking Like a Director, the Brockett History, Meissner on Acting.
And ALL of the suggestions so far are heavily USian, and white... so I would supplement that with... other things.
No worries! If you were looking for a more suitable play for high-schoolers, the National Theatre in London commission and produce a series of plays written by major playwrights for performance by young actors. It's called National Theatre Connections, and they publish a collected edition of all the plays every year. You can buy them on Amazon - I think that'd be a good bet for finding a well written, suitable play.
A lot of five star reviews at Amazon. Why do you likie it?
Small stage lighting type fixtures like this.
This is the best one out there. It’s not perfect. But it’s good.
That's a tough one. This is really the only one I can think of. The company basically created social media accounts for the characters and audience members could interact with them before seeing the show.
For a "growl and roar" sound effect, I'd recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/MouthSounds-Whistle-Boing-Honk-occasions/dp/0761134220
My son used it for playing Aslan, and I used it when auditioning for Beauty and the Beast. It takes some practice to learn the technique (You're vocalizing while inhaling), but it's the sound you're looking for. His was so good that the audience thought it was an impeccably timed sound effect by the tech crew.
Not OP, but I’d recommend Plays One (https://www.amazon.com/Fosse-Someone-Guitar-Modern-Playwrights/dp/1840022701) instead. Someone is Going to Come is arguably his most famous play (though not his best imo), and The Name and The Child are both great and more conventional than his other works, so they might be good introductions.
Amazon has them.
Hey OP, did you find a place to start with Fosse? Five months later, I find myself in exactly the same place as you. I think I'm going to start with Plays Five, a recent (but not the most recent!) collection.
there are a lot of books depending on what you are interesting in learning.
I teach stage management at the grad level, I use this text https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Managers-Toolkit-Communication-Performance/dp/0367406373/ref=sr_1_5?crid=19TZOMTEXDAUV&keywords=stage+manager+tool+kit&qid=1658071755&sprefix=stage+manage+tool+kit%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-5
In the end be a leader, fair, detailed orientated, work with the director to put together a show in a safe, sane and repeatable manner with the resources you are given.
Definitely Pippin! Highly recommend watching the pro shot of it. Definitely worth the $4. Btw, there is a new ending that has a short coda after the part you saw. I love the new ending! It’s not in the pro-shot though. https://www.amazon.com/Pippin-Ben-Vereen/dp/B07RX2J1PT/ref=nodl_
You're welcome! If you're in the US, here's a source for it. Mix up a batch, then do a test spot and let it dry. Look at it and rub your finger over it and compare it to an untreated area. The difference may be slight, but like I said, you just need to reduce the gloss a bit so that the flat will stick. Just be cautious when using it, and handle with care. It can definitely start removing paint if mixed too strong and can cause skin irritations/burns. Common sense is the key here. Don't get it on tile floors, carpet, anything aluminum, etc.
So I got in touch with the theater it played in, and I even showed up on their doorstep to find out what happened to the recordings. No one had an answer :)
What I did get is that the script is available on Amazon. So you can at least experience the story, albeit it being different.
Think its this one if im not mistaken :)
https://www.amazon.es/Prodigal-English-John-Patrick-Shanley-ebook/dp/B01DRX8PAI
I'm on a mission to bring Mary Pix back, so I edited and self-published one of her works that has fallen out of print. I hope the promotion is okay. I've tried to make it as convenient and affordable as possible. https://www.amazon.com/Conquest-Spain-Mary-Pix/dp/0578997916/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=3AM7ZNF7N2VJR&keywords=the+conquest+of+spain+mary+pix&qid=1648188640&s=books&sprefix=the+conquest+of+spain+%2Cstripbooks%2C162&sr=1-4
Here's a book of royalty-free sketches for youth theatre. I saw a performance of a couple of these a while ago and there's some good material here.
The Technical Director's Toolkit: Process, Forms, and Philosophies for Successful Technical Direction (The Focal Press Toolkit Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0415747295/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_9DP9NT3N3NWCVCCVQMMD
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i recently invested in some nicer capezios which were definitely worth the $$ in my opinion, but the ones I linked are great if you haven’t worn heels yet due to the small one
I ended up using an app simply called Audio Cues. It's a little clunky, but it definitely gets the job done.
Side note: Your timing is absolutely wild, because I needed to find this app again literally last night after not using it for 2 years.
This was my college costume design textbook, and it’s fabulous:
Character Costume Figure Drawing: Step-by-Step Drawing Methods for Theatre Costume Designers
> Again, I fully agree with you. I don't believe "A Raisin in the Sun" makes those stipulations, but yes, rights holders have the final say.
Great.
>Perhaps I should have offered the hypothetical of Idris being cast in this P&B production, which as you correctly noted would violate the contract, and if that would change your mind (and I'm guessing it wouldn't).
In this hypothetical.
>But would you also agree that "ethnicity/'origin' =/= "identity"? Or at least not necessarily/always? That's the point I keep returning to in our conversation.
Sure, but typically common sense should root out which is which. Like in this case giving the Gershwins have fought against casting anyone other than (black/african-x/negro/what-have-you) for this show there's no need for a semantic question mark. The intent has been and always has been clear.
>So, as a hypothetical, I offered that alternative of genetics testing.
But in this hypothetical case, again, why would it even need to get there? NONE of the cast is American.
>My point is that 'identity' is itself too slippery and subjective, because what right does a third party have to dictate how an individual identifies?
Pretty significant right in a case like this where clearly there is a historical context applied.
>Isn't that one of the major arguments from the transgender community, since you brought that up?
My understanding of their argument is that it's far more nuanced than that. No one takes seriously a persons claim if they are saying they identify as a cat for example.
>Or is something like gender identity fundamentally different than racial identity, and if so, how?
According to them it is. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/transracial-vs-transgender-whats-the-difference_b_58dd5f83e4b0fa4c09598748 It's why 'transracial' isn't seen as a thing.
You can see the 1961 version here, with background on the production here.
It's not a terribly good production and for me personally the American accents grate a bit.
Is she also a designer? I LOVE this costume figure drawing book, and see it as an absolute staple for new costume design enthusiasts.
I also love The Magic Garment as a practical design-and-construction reference book.
This is mine - let me know if you folks can't see it, I'm having trouble figuring out how to make it public:
http://www.pandora.com/station/2409657892105413337
I keep tweaking it to add as much variety as possible.
My favorite non-Pandora showtunes station, though, is http://www.accuradio.com/broadway/ -- tons of showtunes sub-genres, as well as their all-encompassing "Wide Playlist."
There are some online classes for acting here https://www.masterclass.com/categories/film-tv
Also maybe look into some modern theatre (Anne Bougart, Tadashi Suzuki, maybe Theatre of Cruelty+Lars Øyno , etc.).
Close... the rule is that it's a leap year if the year is divisible by four except in the case of years that end in two zeros at which point they must be divisible by 400. So 2000 actually WAS a leap year, but 2100 will not be.
This book is great and I used it all the time while teaching. There is a 2nd volume and a few other similar books by the same publisher all great and fun games. Also, the lists of prompts are very helpful so you arent always making them yourself or trying to draw them out of your students.
Here’s a great primer that covers pretty much every stage of the process. It’s fairly concise, easy reading—and you can jump around to what interests you.
Also a nice reference to have around - Nagler's "A Source Book in Theatrical History." It is a compilation of various primary documents from Greece through the 18th century - sure, the full sources are more comprehensive, but there's a ton of stuff in one volume.
Hiya - I've worked with Frantic a bit. Obviously a lot of stuff is done with trust excercises and multiple bodies which is difficult. With isolated individuals, I think they talk quite a lot about how to start movements using a single body part and follow that through the rest of the body. Can't remember the actual way they name it, but I think their book has a fair amount about that: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Frantic-Assembly-Book-Devising-Theatre/dp/0415467608
What it sounds like you're looking for is a shoe like this. This particular shoe seems like it's being discontinued, so if you search around other sites, you might find your size for cheaper. I'm sure other brands have similar styles
The big difference between a character shoe for theatre and one for ballroom is the sole. You want to get a shoe that has a leather sole, where the shoes for ballroom typically have a suede sole. I find the leather sole to be more multi-purpose, and most can have taps added if you end up pursuing that skill. You can add suede to the bottoms if needed for a dance routine, but I find most actors I work with tend to prefer dance rubber. I wouldn't worry about adding anything to them until your instructors tell you to, as they know what type of flooring you'll be working on, and may prefer that you keep the leather soles.
I hope that helps a bit!
Fortier’s theatre/theory
Theory/Theatre: An Introduction - 2nd Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/041525437X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OGjiFb43WSE5J
But really, this book is fab for both history AND theory:
Theatre Histories: An Introduction https://www.amazon.com/dp/041546224X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zFjiFbNFAMNCK
I use Wilson and Goldfarb Living Theatre in my theatre history classrooms. And I find Brockett to be dreadful (good history, BORING writing)
I did find this hardback copy on Amazon, but the company looks shady. Lots of orders that were never fulfilled - or are taking ages. It looks like one of those used book fronts that says they "have" lots of books and then tries to find them. But at least it's got the ISBN for and English translation. Maybe that will help.
A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting is my number one recommendation. It walks you through how to do lighting design, but leaves most of the artistic choices up to you.
If you just need to know what lighting design is and what to look for when making artistic choices I hear Stage Lighting Design is good, but I haven't read it myself.
I swear by this stuff. I stir a tablespoonful into throat coat tea when I’m sick. Obviously this doesn’t help you TODAY, but it’s good stuff to have around.
Beyond that, what everyone else said: throat coat tea (really any tea with slippery elm), vocal rest, cough drops. I have a director who makes us take Wellness whenever we start showing signs of illness- no idea if it works, but she’s really into it.
That's only the first five pages, but it'll at least give OP a flavor of the piece. Amazon has the full script for sale.
If you’ve been a production manager and assistant director, stage management would be a good fit for you. There are many SMs in theatre that are also PMs. Community theatre is always an excellent way to get into theatre!
I fell into stage management in college and I haven’t looked back. Starting as a production assistant for assistant stage manager for a show is an excellent way to learn the ropes. It’s all about trial and error, and the more you do it, the more you will make all the duties your own. You will learn very quickly what works for you and what doesn’t.
There is an absolutely wonderful book called “The Backstage Guide to Stage Management”. It’s very informative and the author throws in funny and realistic experiences. backstage guide to stage management
Searching around a little this book looks promising: https://www.amazon.com/Lesbian-Theatrical-Legacy-Pre-Stonewall-Triangulations/dp/047206858X I would definitely recommend poking around Amazon. Try searching different terms like "queer" "gay" "lesbian" theatre and history of. And I recommend doing the same thing over at half price books: https://www.hpb.com Best of luck!!
There is quite a bit of material out there on Frantic, mostly due to the lovely tradition of british theatre to educate and share their knowledge. If you google Frantic, some pdfs will show up. And then there is a book they wrote themselves which is highly recommended, not just for info on Frantic, but devising techniques in theatre.
As for Brecht, there are plenty of books. This might be a good start
You could try something by George F. Walker, he was a Canadian playwright whose work has been presented on off-off-broadway here, i believe. Plays he's done include "The Art of War", "Nothing Sacred", etc..
If you can find it, a play written for Sydney Theatre Company by Stephen Jeffries called "The Art of War" is driven very strongly by a chorus that constantly morphs in and out of the characters in the play. It's very contemporary and is about the Iraq War and neoconservatism, but written for Australian actors.
Another great one is Marat/Sade, by Peter Weiss - it's pretty intense, especially if you watch the Peter Brook movie version, but it has a lot of clowns and stock characters that the chorus forms, along with songs. It's about inmates at an insane asylum after the French revolution reenacting Jean Paul Marats assassination. Quite compelling.
I would also recommend this book. James Carver is a wonderful director I have had the chance to work with on a few occasions, and I learned a lot from him.
Just have to do some googling around your area. Your local community college probably offers something, possibly theatres or dance studios. As for movies, it can be anything really as long as it has high-quality acting.
Also, I just remembered this book which may help you.
Here's the citation: Atlas, Leopold. 1934. Wednesday's child ; and House we live in: two plays. New York: French.
And here's a link on Amazon, but it looks pretty rare and expensive! You might be lucky to get it through an Inter-Library Loan through your local library! Good luck, and let me know what you come up with!
For finer points beyond our advice, I would strongly recommend reading Reginald Nelson's How To Start A Theater Company. There will be nuanced differences in following his advice since he's speaking from a US POV, and you're Canadian, but the overall step by step approach applies.
I'll chime in with David Stuttard's Lysistrata (don't be fooled that it comes with some essays--its a nice modern update) and The Erpingham Camp by Joe Orton, which is a reimagination of Lysistrata as taking place in a british holiday camp.
I can also second the recommendations for Charles Mee and Caroline Bird. While Sarah Ruhl's is also good, its not among my favorites of her works. Not a bad play, not doesn't feel like most Ruhl to me.
I bought a book on this Theater Festivals: Best Worldwide Venues for New Works It is not specific to the United States. I haven't read this book yet.
This is usually a winner: https://www.bookdarts.com
I usually keep a few tins on hand just in case. You can also buy them on Amazon, and a lot of independent booksellers if you've got a local shop you want to support.
Sharpie used to sell a stainless steel marker, but it was discontinued. I'm also a fan of the following for just about any creative-type: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062266764/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zzSJxb1HRAR0C
EDIT: added a hyphen where it felt needed.
I'm not going to argue with anyone who finds Shrew distasteful. The play is absolutely misogynist, or at least written for a misogynist audience, and that isn't something that has any place in our world anymore.
I do wonder if Shakespeare didn't intend a bit of countercultural narrative though. Obviously it's no feminist screed, but Katherine is a force to be reckoned with, imbued with all the same qualities that make Beatrice a positive role model in the less problematic All's Well That End's Well. Probably not. But maybe?
In any case, I would highly recommend the ACT production which you can get on DVD on Amazon. It changed my whole outlook on the play. Without any rewrites, they spin the conflict as a kink. Both Katherine and Petruchio are turned on by violence and insults, and so are perfect for each other. The final monologue, in which Kat reminds wives to be dutiful, is a lie, motivated by the desire to see her husband win a bet. It all works remarkably well, and can be a blueprint for how to handle the material if you so choose.
I wrote out a huge nice reply and accidentally hit back... Long story short: This book if you want to actually learn about the history of theatre by reading through representational plays of many eras and genres that are well annotated and explained. I highly recommend this. Be warned, you might actually have to think.
If you just want a text book that is boring and gives you facts, figures, and dates: Here it is.
This has good reviews on Amazon! I would just look around there for books! You'll find some good things. Also knowing period makeup and what was popular for men and women in each decade is super helpful!
The Makeup Artist Handbook: Techniques for Film, Television, Photography, and Theatre https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240818946/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_YkEEwbMX719MH
Apologies for the shitty video quality.
There's so much I could say about this piece simply from watching the video (I've never seen it, sadly). Foreman, who wrote the libretto, directed, and designed the opera, is a master of blocking, in my opinion.
He has a wonderful book of essays and manifestos that I think anyone interested in theatre should read. His imagery and words are not inherently "random", although he does embrace a sense of improvisation in his writing and rehearsal methods.
He's also a smart mother fucker. He is extremely well read on psychology and philosophy, and incorporates a lot of these elements into his plays — although he makes a strong effort not to be pretentious, and ensure that audiences have a "good night at the theatre".
edit: Michael Gordon is the composer.
Depending on how much theatre you plan on doing, I would suggest picking up a compilation book and start working through some pieces that catch you eye. The Musical Theatre Anthology, v.1 is my personal favorite. For a guy your range, all the suggestions are good, I'd also throw in "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific, maybe "Marian the Librarian" from Music Man, or "Reviewing the Situation" if you want to show off your patter.
I like to listen to a song, see if I like it, then start working on it. Some people will have a problem with that, and raise valid concerns, but I think that there's such a wealth of knowledge and experience to tap into, that it would be a waste not to use it. All the suggestions here are great, the key is to pick something you feel like you can have fun performing. Break a leg!
Seconding the poem idea. Also you could check out these short plays by Shel: http://www.amazon.com/Adult-Evening-Shel-Silverstein/dp/0822218739/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284736586&sr=8-1
If she wants to Stage Manage professionally you should look into a light weight headset. I just got one for my birthday and I love it. Mine is from Production Advantage, but other places sell them too. This is what I got: http://www.beltpack.com/smh710.html
Another good thing for a theatre technician is The Backstage Handbook: http://www.amazon.com/Backstage-Handbook-Illustrated-Technical-Information/dp/0911747397/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IFV9ERGDDMYE2&colid=1F2QN9CCSL803
If you haven't picked up anything yet I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Slings & Arrows (http://www.amazon.ca/Slings-Arrows-Collection-Paul-Gross/dp/B000XUF6BU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289723080&sr=8-1).
How many cues do you have? I'm not sure of a true equivalent, but you could look at any basic DJ program with a matrix sfx panel.
Interested to know what you come up with. Hope you find what you're looking for.