Poor Jud Fry : A Different Perspective on Oklahoma!
The theatre is all about perspective. Depending on how you look at a song or characters, the entire arc of the story can change. Take Grease for instance. On one side it's viewed at as a fun, teenage musical about falling in love and getting through high school. On the other hand, it's a cautionary tale, making the statement that it's okay to succumb to peer pressure to get the boy of your dreams.
By looking at some of these shows in a different light, it allows us to see through the eyes of a different character. One musical that comes to mind is Oklahoma!
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You've Been Accepted To Your College Theatre Programs, Now How Do You Pay For Them?
Many of you may have been accepted by various colleges all over the country. So let me first say, congratulations!
But unless you have the means to not worry about such things, with every college acceptance comes the same question, how do I pay for this?
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The Actors and the Crew Should be Friends
While attending the Vancouver Web Fest this March, I discovered a brilliant web series called “Empty Space.” This comedic look at the inside world of theatre features a full-out fight between the actors and the technical crew, each blaming the other group for the play’s issues.
As a theatre artist, this moment was both hilariously extreme and bitingly realistic. Why does it so often seem like those in all black and those donning costumes stand at opposing sides of the stage?
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An Open Letter to My Old High School Drama Club
It’s hard to believe it has been years since I left you. A little part of me still remembers the last curtain call for the last show I ever did with you.
What’s even harder for me to believe is how far I’ve come, and how much I’ve done since then. I’ve graduated from college, where I got a degree in the same subject that you first got me into. I’ve slowly transitioned from acting to playwriting. Now, I’m living in New York City, in the hopes of following some of the very same dreams that you first made me think were possible.
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Why Do We Applaud Kicklines?
Months ago, I was watching a musical that included some very impressive choreography. It didn't hurt that this local production also had quite a number of talented dancers in the ensemble.
One moment in particular that I found most impressive was a group tap number, but even when the company did synchronized wings, the audience hardly reacted. However the moment that four characters did a kickline, you would have thought they were receiving a standing ovation.
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10 Revivals That Could Work Next Year
Is it just me or are revivals of shows on Broadway, getting better and better these days? With the early praise of Once on this Island and the soon-to-open productions of Carousel and My Fair Lady, revivals are becoming the must-see productions nowadays. Here are 10 more we'd love to see come back sooner than later.
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The Ten Do's & Don't's of Shakespeare Auditioning
A couple of months ago an article was posted on the site about 10 mistakes that actors should avoid when auditioning for a show. The items in this list are generally helpful but it occurred to me that having sat on the other side of the Shakespeare audition table for several years that I could add some items to this list that pertain specifically for a Shakespeare audition. So the items listed in this article can help you If you’re already into doing Shakespeare, however, this list can also apply for those actors who don’t normally audition for Shakespeare.
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6 Roles I'd Love to See Gender Flipped
Everyone has a role they would love to play but “can’t” because it is not their gender. This writer feels that there are plenty of roles that could be gender flipped and would have no negative effect on the show, and may even make the show better. Hamilton was revolutionary because it changed the race of famous figures who were white. That’s an excellent start for growing the diversity on stage; but I believe we can take it one step further. By changing the gender of certain roles, it gives a production a completely new take. It can make a show you’ve seen for years suddenly feel brand new, like you’re seeing it for the first time.
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A Community Theater Board of Directors' Letter to Santa...
Dear Santa,
We, the Board of Directors of Anywhere, USA's Players' Club Community Theater would like, this year, to make something of a special request. We've been quite happy over the past few years to have a few of our technical requests granted. The digital light board is working fine, and those new fixtures (I think the 'techies' call them 'instruments') just make everything on stage look great. I'm not sure our patrons are noticing, but we are.
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Avoid the "The-Original Broadway Cast-Did-It-That-Way-Syndrome"
While there has been some positive change in the theater world, there is a growing issue of things staying the same.
For the sake of ease, I’ll refer to it as The-OBC-Did-It-That-Way-Syndrome; that is to say directors forgoing their own artistic input and simply recreating the original Broadway production. It’s an issue I’ve noticed a lot recently, especially at community theater productions or amateur shows. Everything down to the costuming, set, mannerisms and blocking are taken almost 100 percent from the libretto. There is nothing inherently wrong with this – those choices were made with the original creative team and are in the script for a reason – but far too often it impedes directorial creativity and makes the amateur version feel like a pale imitation of the original. The thrill of seeing your child/brother/friend/parent on stage aside, these copycat productions do little but offer the same nostalgia as watching The Wizard of Oz on late-night television for the hundredth time.
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