Bringing a Puppet Aslan to Life
Paging Aslan! In a fascinating video from 360 Theatre, Head Puppetmaker Max Humphries demonstrates the challenges of creating Aslan for 360's new production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Humphries shows the step by step creation of the beautiful life-size Aslan puppet for the production, which was created from designs (featured in the video) by talented scenic designer Tom Scott.
Puppet Aslan is a thing of beauty when he's brought to life, once again demonstrating how powerful puppetry can be as a theatrical element, with the hard work of Humphries and Scott truly worth the effort (even more so now that the theatre recently announced that Aslan will be voiced by actor David Suchet). Check it out -- it's a fascinating glimpse into the dedication required to meet a theatrical challenge, and -- as with the much-loved War Horse production currently playing in London and New York -- to turn that challenge into the opportunity for unforgettable art.
Adored by all ages, this major new production of the classic C. S. Lewis story has been created by an award-winning team, combining live theatre with Threesixty's ground-breaking surround video and enchanting puppetry performed in a state-of-the art theatre tent (set against the backdrop of Kensington Palace itself). The show has also provided provided a wonderful inside look at the scenic designs by Tom Scutt. Enjoy -- both videos are a must!
Acclaimed actor David Suchet with an earlier incarnation of puppet Aslan, in the upcoming production of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Image courtesy of 360 Theatre. Photo by Alastair Muir.
Pioneering Female Producers Honored for Lasting Legacy
On Monday, May 14, 2012, the League of Professional Theatre Women celebrated the female pioneers who led the way in producing for the American stage, in its presentation of The Legacy Project at the Martin E. Segal Theatre in New York City.
The Legacy Project considers the legacy of those female producers who first forged the way for women in theatre, and who first dedicated themselves to expanding the rolese of women in the commercial theatre. These vital efforts by women who were in many cases also working in multiple roles as actresses, directors, playwrights, producers, and more, helped to create the very bedrock of today's theatrical accomplishments from the regional level, to Broadway and Off-Broadway, from nonprofit, to for-profit.
The Legacy Project was curated by Susan Jonas, who is a co-founder of 50/50 in 2020, and produced by The League of Professional Theatre Women's Ludovica Villar-Hauser.
It's a common refrain from me, but the performing arts is at its most effective when it represents and mirrors the audiences it serves. A lack of female producers, directors and playwrights isn't just sad, it's not representative of the huge numbers of women who often drive a show's successes as loyal audience members, and may very well be impacting ticket sales and audience numbers as a whole. Women need to be leading productions, sparking conversations, and helming just as many production efforts and creative projects as men. Let's make it happen.
Read more about The Legacy Project and the recent awards ceremony from the League of Professional Theatre Women here. You go, girl.
Photo courtesy of © Flickr user B Rosen (From Becky's New Car, Lighting Design by Bryan Rosengrant)
Help for Fledgling Light Board Operators
So you're going to run a light board, but maybe you need a little help or reassurance? Running a board and actually handling the step by step changes in stage lighting can be a rewarding and exhilarating experience -- all you need is a little preparation, organization, and practice. If you're going to be working as a light board operator (or "LBO") for an upcoming production, here are some easy steps to help you learn and handle your duties in everything from running a light board, to handling the cues, and acting with professionalism during the lifespan of a show's run. Have fun -- and if you're an experienced LBO yourself, don't forget to share your own tips in our comments and forums!
© Flickr user B Rosen
A (Much-Deserved) Love Letter to Stage Managers
Far too often, stage managers do jobs that are quietly competent, yet rarely (publicly) rewarded. They don't really win awards or take bows. They're just there -- omnipresent, capable, and fabulous. That's why it was heartening to see TheatreFace's charming and heartfelt "Love Letter to Stage Managers." Posted by M. Yichau, it's basically a list of everything you ever wanted to say, to the best stage managers you've ever worked with, signed with a flourish.
The whole thing has a great stream-of-consciousness feel to it, and there's also some real insight and appreciation, as here:
...you rarely get the love you deserve, because when you're good, you're invisible, quietly smoothing the spinning wheels and cogs.
It's funny, because your job often isn't even defined by any one codified set of guidelines! Expectations of you shift and wobble from gig to gig, from theater to theater. In any relationship, that's not fair--but you take in stride. Actors are there to act, directors are there to direct, and you, you're there doing everything else.
It's not a total lovefest -- Yichau does scold those stage managers with drama queen tendencies (and you know who you are), but the overall impression is of genuine appreciation. Besides, it's not hard to love a sentiment that sums it all up with: "The secret is, although the director seems like the captain of the ship, you're the one who's firing the coal and steering the whole dang kaboodle" (at which point, stage managers reading the post will no doubt nod privately to themselves).
Check it out, and share the love!
© Flickr user Rob Lee
Vote for 2012's Biggest Tony Nomination Snubs
The JKTS Awards want you! The popular stage blog offers its own awards to the year's best Broadway shows, and is now seeking to honor the best (and most overlooked) Tony Award Non-nominees for this year's JKTS Awards.
Just as it did last year, JK's TheatreScene is celebrating the end of the official Broadway season with its own honors and awards, and for the second straight year is working to bring recognition and acclaim to performers and productions that didn't make the cut for this year's Tony noms.
As the site notes, "With a large number of productions and a limited number of nomination slots available, some truly spectacular work is bound to go unrewarded." In 2012, the JKTS Awards will honor shows in three different category types:
- Shows that didn't get nominated in Tony categories
- Awards for performance categories that the Tony Awards don't cover
- And, last but not least, technical theatre/media awards
Over at JK's TheatreScene, ballots will be posted on an ongoing basis to allow visitors to vote for or nominate their favorites. While the ballots include a list of suggested nominees in each successive category, voters are also welcome to write in any nominees they feel might be deserving, as well. Visit the JKTS website for more info -- and share who you voted for in our Comments!
Courtesy of the 2012 JKTS Awards
Guthrie's 50th Season Choices Criticized
Joe Dowling over at Minneapolis's famed Guthrie Theater recently found himself responding to unexpected criticisms of the respected venue's fiftieth season. The organization has received some backlash over a lack of both minority and female playwrights and directors as well as for the season's chosen array of works. Catch a complete transcript here of Dowling's recent discussion of the theater's fiftieth season (and its diversity) over at "All Things Considered," then chime in with your own 2 cents. Should every season feature at least some attempt at diversity -- or should the quality of the art speak for itself?
The Exterior of the Guthrie Theater in Downtown Minneapolis. Photo credit: Clara James
Life after 'Face Off'
At its absolute best, reality TV enables viewers to get to see skilled artists do what they were born to do, while learning a little bit of their craft at the same time, and I'm a sucker for the shows that give us these glimpses into artists' approaches, from "Project Runway," to Syfy's terrific "Face Off." "Face Off" is especially addictive, and each season, a talented array of makeup effects artists paint, sculpt, and design their ways through a series of fascinating challenges for a $100,000 prize.
After a smashing second season that further explored the world of special-effects makeup artists (and you can still catch episodes online over at Syfy.com), "Face Off" is a reality TV favorite of mine, challenging the unlimited imaginations that enable makeup artists to create works of living art for stage, TV and film. Each season, contestants are tasked with elaborate tests of skill, from executing full body paint makeup on models to creating their own horror villains. The show's challenges routinely incorporate the full gamut of effects makeup approaches and techniques, prompting skill sets that range from prosthetics, to 3D design, sculpting, eye enhancers, casting and molding, and more. Each episode culminated in incredible reveals of the competitors' finished work, and the drama of one contestant being sent home by the panel of expert and celebrity judges.
In the end, "Face Off" ended its second season this Spring with the spotlight on three finalists -- Rayce Bird, RJ Haddy, and Ian Cromer, culminating in a win for Bird. I recently got a chance to check in with the three finalists, and interviewed them about their experiences and lives after the show -- as well as their upcoming plans, in a series of articles. Read my complete interview with Rayce here, my interview with RJ Haddy here (and Part 2 here), and my interview with Ian Cromer here.
Photo courtesy of Syfy and NBCUniversal
What You Can Learn from Topher Grace
Anyone who works in the performing arts knows the value of being brave, of stretching your skills and reflexes to become better at what you do. With this in mind, there's a terrific interview over at The Huffington Post, from Entertainment Editor Mike Ryan with actor Topher Grace, that really illustrates why it's so important in the performing arts to keep growing and stretching, and to never stay static with your talent or enthusiasm. There's so much to learn!
Grace, it seems, recently edited all three Star Wars prequels into a single film, simply as a learning exercise, so that he could understand more about the crucial role editing plays in different media -- and how he might address and learn from that as an actor. He's now not only a pretty highly praised novice editor (as well as getting a permanent cool card from Star Wars fans), he's also claiming it significantly aided him his acting. For me, this is a terrific motivation, and is something I recommend to everyone in the performing arts. If you envision each production as a geometric shape, every "side" you master will teach you more about the whole.
In the performing arts, I've worked as a performer, stage manager, props master, lightboard operator, playwright, and director, with my abilities ranging from embarrassing to capable. (Okay, mostly embarrassing...) But these experiences immeasurably enriched my understanding of how a production works, from the inside out. I had similar experiences in the media, finagling my way into learning how to do everything, from shooting commercials, to running a camera in-studio, to directing, editing, and more. (And yes, editing is oddly addictive -- I loved it so much that I was actually torn about whether to try to become an editor, at one point -- there's a kind of rhythm and musicality to it.) Was I always the best at each thing? Heck, no -- but I gained a new appreciation for those who were, every time.
So with the bigger picture in mind, if you're normally a performer on the community level, and have a little time, why don't you look into stage managing your next show, or in simply working in the props or costume shop, or assisting with the show's PR? If you're a designer, meanwhile, why not stretch a bit by helping to run the lightboard or sound effects, or by taking a small part or chorus role in the next production? Even if you're a pro, never miss an opportunity to sit in the booth, or to pop into the costume shop. It doesn't have to be a huge change, and it doesn't have to put you center stage. But exploring other aspects of a show's production process can really give you added insight into what collaborative art is all about -- and when you return to your usual role and talents, you may find yourself doing so with added perspective and enthusiasm.
Enjoy the interview -- The HuffPo piece doesn't feel like the usual PR sit-down -- it feels like a real and organic conversation between two genuinely fascinating and driven people who love what they do (and who, of course, also love Star Wars). While it's enjoyable and interesting in its own right for the way it touches upon Grace's newest movie The Giant Mechanical Man (currently showing at the Tribeca Film Festival), as well as his experiences during the underrated Spider-man 3 (yes, I liked it, feel free to throw things), it's ultimately really valuable simply as artistic inspiration. I highly recommend it as an incentive to get out there and learn a new aspect of your art or stagecraft -- you just might learn more about your own than you ever expected.
Trust your feelings. You know it to be true.
Topher Grace as Venom in Spider-Man 3. Photo © Sony Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Why the Drama Desk Orchestrations Drama Matters
I love little reminders that the theatre world takes care of its own. Trish Causey, the Theatre Guide here at About.com, deftly covered the Drama Desk Awards' important decision to reinstate the award for Orchestrations earlier this week, thanks to a passionate outcry from those in the theatre community, along with tweets, petitions, and boycott campaigns (led by, among others, Tony-winning composers Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jason Robert Brown, and more). Especially in a season with so many rich and offbeat musical styles, stagings and instrumentations, the ill-advised omission of orchestrations as a category from the Drama Desk Awards made no sense at all, and was a slap in the face to professionals who (as Brown pointed out in his blog post of April 27, 2012) actually have to work harder these days, and often with lower budgets and smaller orchestras, to make their shows sound as lush and amazing as yesteryear.
Which brings me to my follow-up beef with theatre awards: Just as orchestrations don't magically write themselves, neither do props suddenly materialize fully-realized and ready to go in Harry Potter fashion. So why aren't more of the major tech/designer roles given their fair share of respect? Scenic and costume designer nominees are already given minimal attention (and even the winners get a "blink-and-you-missed-it" clip on the Tony Awards now), same with choreographers -- meanwhile, props masters get no love at all, and continue to be overlooked by most major awards despite playing a crucial and often highly creative and difficult role in the creative process of a show.
I'm proud of the way the performing arts community rallied here to make sure orchestrations were given their proper awards respect by the Drama Desk panel -- now I just wish they'd go a step further and include props masters, as well as effects awards on a case by case basis. These tasks are not accomplished by magic, and deserve every bit as much respect as other key roles in creating a show. Work in the performing arts is already too often a thankless job in today's tough times, but awards make the successes all the sweeter, signifying respect from our peers and the performing arts community at large. Let's give thanks where we can.
Actor, composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, from his onstage performance in In the Heights. Photo Credit: © Joan Marcus
'Once' Leads Tony Noms
The Tony nominations are in, and it's already clear that Once will likely rise above its name when it comes to awards numbers. Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 66th Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards were announced on Tuesday, May 1, with Once leading the way with eleven nominations. The nominations were announced by Tony and Emmy winning-actress Kristin Chenoweth, alongside Emmy and Golden Globe winning-actor Jim Parsons, at the official Tony Award Nominations Announcement.
Marking 66 years of excellence on Broadway, the 2012 Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, and will be broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre on CBS, on Sunday, June 10, at 8 p.m.
Scoring multiple nominations were the musical adaptation Once, with eleven, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, as well as Nice Work if you Can Get It, with ten, Peter and the Starcatcher, with nine, and with eight for Follies and Newsies. Scoring seven nominations were Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, and the popular UK import, One Man, Two Guvnors.
I was also really delighted to see the diversity represented in the design nominations, from Eiko Ishioka's sadly posthumous nomination for her gorgeous and innovative costume designs for Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark, to ESosa's truly unique work for The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess. Lighting designer Natasha Katz scored two nominations in Lighting Design for a Musical, with her work for Once as well as the revival of Follies, and multiple winner Bob Crowley was also nominated for his ingenious set design work for Once.
The 2012 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. Go here for a complete list of all 2012 Tony nominees!
Kristin Chenoweth and Jim Parsons at the 2012 Tony Awards Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM on May 1. Credit: J. Countess/WireImage.com. Courtesy of the Tony Awards.