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Tips Of the Month |
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September 2008
Listen up When
auditioning actors, director Ted Stricklund listens carefully. "You may
find speech patterns that are unusual and could be used in some way to add
variety to your production," he suggests. Shoes,
which can be elegant or shabby, low-heeled or high-heeled, simple or elaborate,
can be a useful indication of a wearer's stage character. When choosing shoes
for an actor, keep in mind how footwear might help the actor portray the
character. Consider also that few articles are more closely identified with a
period than the footwear of a particular time, and substitutions can look
anachronistic. When you can't provide authentic-looking footwear, it may be best
to use something nondescript that won't call attention to itself. For example, a
black shoe of the wrong style will be less intrusive than the same style in
white. Most
companies announce their season no more than six months in advance. However,
some ask their play selection committee to choose plays for two seasons, so that
at the start of each season, the entire following season will be announced as
well. Why? One benefit is that directors and the rest of the production team for
each show can be chosen well in advance. With the list made public, you
can ask directors to apply to direct the ones they like. They can just put
together a short resume of their experience and send it, along with the shows
you're interested in, to the theatre. Likewise, choreographers, music directors,
scenic designers, set designers, lighting designers, stage managers, etc., can
be encouraged in the same way. Or, in your newsletter: "Interested, but no
experience? Willing to learn? Let us know what you're interested in and we'll
hook you up as an assistant." Sight-reading
is a skill normally linked to musicians, but actors need to be able to read a
script aloud--and confidently--at auditions and rehearsals. As Hugh Morrison
points out in his book Acting Skills (Theatre Arts/Routledge), a good
sight-reader is quick to apprehend the meanings and nuances of a text. When
asked to read, the actor must have time to look over the script, develop a short
strategy, make an intelligent guess at the meaning of the text and the viewpoint
of the character. But where does such a skill come from? From practice. Reading
plays aloud with friends is an excellent way to develop this skill. Perhaps you
or your theater company might want to start a play-reading group. It's not only
a good way to develop sight-reading and other vocal skills, but a good way to
audition plays for possible production. Flint [MI]
Youth Theatre hosted a "Good Times Block Party" on the lawn of its
theater in conjunction with its two-weekend run of Lynda Barry's The Good
Times Are Killing Me. Festivities began with a 5:00 picnic featuring grilled
hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, vegetables and salads.
Guests also enjoyed music, an old-fashioned egg toss and a duck race in a nearby
reflecting pool. The play began at 6:30 p.m., followed by dessert, sparklers and
a chance to meet the cast of the play. According to Glen Cunningham, author of Stage Lighting Revealed (Betterway Books), one common mistake of lighting designers is to use too many effects too soon. It's better to hold back a little, using some of your ideas to give a different look to scenes occurring later in the performance. "If you throw every look into the first few scenes," he writes, "the rest of the show's lighting will seem commonplace and become boring." You also need to allow for the lighting to build with the show's action. If a scene starts out slow or quiet, so should the lighting. "This way if the scene builds in energy or suspense you will be able to reinforce it with your light, building with the scene," Cunningham advises.
August 2008
The Majestic Theatre Trust (Manchester, NH) sends out press releases to every newspaper (including school papers), radio station and TV station in its area for such things as auditions, ticket information, and fundraisers. Quite naturally the company wants to know if the information it sends out is getting posted and published. Thus an article in the company's newsletter asked, "If you see a Majestic ad or info posted, clip it, save it, or let us know! We are interested in knowing who we are reaching and who on our lists are actually receiving and communicating the information." It's always a good idea to create an informal network like this, in order to find out what publicity connections are working for you. Cultivate those, while you work to find out how to make the others more productive as well. Leafy effects When trying to create the illusion of trees full of leaves, try using roll screening sold for repairing window or door screens. It comes in various widths and lengths at hardware and building supply stores. Cut to hang down, with the bottom edges trimmed to resemble leaf edges. Be sure to cut a few holes in it as well where you can "see through" the leaves. Arrange several sheets front to back to give the illusion of thick foliage. Be sure to cut holes in the material where a person would "see through" the leaves; this provides added depth. Phone manners When considering candidates for a position that requires dealing with people (such as a volunteer coordinator, box office worker or fundraising assistant) do your first interview on the phone. Much of their work will be done that way, so it's important to know if they have a good phone personality.
Angels in the audience When Theatre Winter Haven wanted to reward patrons, it sent out this letter: "Dear Angel: A rose by any other name is called an Angel... And like a rose, Angels are very special to us. So we've decided to present you such a flower at the next performance you attend at Theatre Winter Haven. Wear it. Carry it. Just hold it. It is simply our way of saying 'Thank you' for your support this past season. Just stop by the Angel table in the lobby on your journey to see our current production and pick up your gift." Another nice touch was the P.S., which called attention to the theater's new logo, emblazoned on the stationery: "Hope you like the new logo. You're the first to see it." Norman Small, of the Florida company, admitted that the idea for the letter was "borrowed from another theater and dressed up, as all stolen thoughts should be." The flowers didn't cost a fortune, either, he reports. He stopped by a few roadside flower stands to find out where they bought theirs, then went to the same place. The inside scoop Raleigh Little Theatre offered a Backstage Night for all its members, old and new. "Come on over and get the scoop on all the fall shows," explained the newsletter. "There will be tours and games to test your mettle. Sign up to work backstage, in the costume shop, in the office, as ushers--anywhere you'd like. If you're new to RLT and not sure how to get in on the action, this is an ideal opportunity to meet the folks at RLT. And of course, refreshments will be served." A different take on boards An intriguing idea from Liza Zenni in an issue of the Theatre Bay Area newsletter "What if we stopped chasing board members for their access to money?" she writes. "What if we scoured our communities for individuals who could deliver audiences instead? Lasso people who are representatives of and leaders among the audiences we are seeking, ask them to deliver 25, 50, or 100 audience members to each of our productions. How much money would that bring in the door over the course of the season? And what rewards could we reap from community involvement generated by board members whose primary responsibilities to create a bridge between the community and the theater?" Dancing bottles "When my community theater group did Fiddler On the Roof, we had the problem of four klutzes attempting the Bottle Dance during the wedding scene," says Steven Swinkels of Foster City, Calif. "It was clear they couldn't dance with glass bottles on their heads. I ended up using the large green plastic bottles meant for various flavored mineral waters, and created new labels on my computer and printer. They were passable wine bottles from the third row back." 0894 July 2008
Both Sides Now Millions of business cards change hands daily. Make your card into a miniature ad or sales brochure. Use both sides or a fold-over card. Include a discount or other special offer. Scrimping on Scrim? Mosquito netting is a good substitute for scrim, and costs only about five cents a yard. It does not create a moiré pattern when layered, and is more transparent as well. It can be ordered through military surplus stores and outfitters for expeditions. Eating Out South Coast Repertory, in Costa Mesa, California, has offered subscribers a Restaurant Bonus Program. Seven restaurants participated, giving discounts or a free course when the user ordered two or more entrees and showed their SCR ticket for that day's performance. SCR encouraged its subscribers to attend a different restaurant each time they visited the theater. Board Promotion The Maryland Association of CPAs scheduled a Board Matching Night to provide nonprofit groups an opportunity to distribute information and to describe their mission and board needs in order to entice CPAs interested in serving as board members. More than 80 nonprofit representatives and CPAs met at one of these events. Let's See Those Set Changes! Here's a clever idea from Opera!Lenawee of Adrian, Michigan. A special student performance of Die Fledermaus, which was trimmed to about 40 minutes, offered an additional learning experience as well. "In the world of theater, when several sets are called for," explained the event's promotional piece, "the pieces of each must be constructed so that they can roll or fold up and be taken offstage or turned around to reveal a whole new scene. All this must happen in the few minutes the curtain is down between acts. However, during the . . . performance of Die Fledermaus, the curtain will be kept up so students can watch the amazing scene changes take place. (No other Opera!Lewanee audience gets this unique opportunity!)" Words of Wisdom These are some of the 62 words that increase sales, according to Nicholas E. Bade's Marketing Without Money: discover, easy, refundable, look, hurry, today, confidential, yes, reliable, end, safe, personal, exclusive, learn, and tested. The Church Connection Connie Hillesland of Hubbard, Iowa, found the best way to make her high school theater program known was to go through churches. Her speech team and some of her drama students volunteered free performances at church social functions. They discovered a lot of people stopped going to high school productions once their own kids graduated. By sending kids into the town to perform, those people were brought back because they now had someone to cheer for. Result: Audience numbers doubled. 94-07
June 2008
Listen Up When
considering candidates (volunteer or paid) for a position that requires dealing
with people, do your first interview on the phone. Listen carefully. Much of
their work will undoubtedly be done on the phone, to it's important that they
come across well. An idea from
the newsletter of the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association: Approach a local
advertising agency to design a season ticket brochure for nothing. Such a
project gives them the chance to be innovative and creative, as well as
something they can enter in a design contest. You get a great mailer. Just be
sure to agree in advance that any design they come up with can be produced at a
reasonable cost. The San Luis
Obispo [CA] Little Theatre used the occasion of its move to a new location as a
fundraising theme. "The San Luis Obispo Little Theatre is a Very Moving
Experience," says the handsome two-fold brochure. "The new location is
our interim theater until our permanent facility is completed.... Our
community's financial support has always kept our curtains rising, and now with
the approximate cost of $72,000 for the remodeling, we need your help more than
ever." The brochure has a detachable panel that gives various donor
options, and the entire piece gives the impression of an organization on the
move--literally and figuratively. The best way
to get a good response from an ad is to announce a free offer in your headline.
This shouts to readers that they can get something without charge. What you
offer doesn't have to be expensive. For example, you might offer a pen with your
theater logo on it, a calendar, or some other inexpensive item. Or offer a free
ticket for every three purchased for a weeknight performance. When
attempting a cold reading at an audition, expect that you may fluff a line or
two, and don't apologize. Directors know that mistakes will be made. Instead,
concentrate on the next line to be read. Don't go back and correct yourself,
either. You spoil whatever momentum or character you've created. Imagine how
painful it must be for directors to witness an actor's obvious distress. Don't
aid in making them uncomfortable--you want to create a positive feeling about
your work. Scouting for
theater space in a storefront, warehouse, or other nontraditional space? Assess
your space needs by listing the types of plays you plan to present. Determine
what size audience you want to reach, and allow for reasonable expansion in the
future. Define cast and crew requirements for backstage space and storage. Be
honest as you undergo this assessment. Once you're in a space, it may be
difficult to change if you find it isn't adequate for your needs. 94-06
May 2008
Three Little Words Three
words to avoid when dealing with ticket buyers over the phone: "That's our
policy." It's better to prepare explanations that sound credible to your
customers; hiding behind policies only turns them off. If,
as a lighting designer, you find that the rest of the production staff say they
are too busy to meet with you and go over plans for lighting, prepare a synopsis
of your design for circulation. A synopsis is a list of cues, but in a general
sense. Since people often find it easier to edit than they do to fill in a blank
sheet of paper, you can expect the synopsis to come back with alterations and
annotations that can be reconciled into a master synopsis. Before
quitting for the day when working on a project, such as blocking a scene or
preparing a report, write yourself a few notes on where you go next with the
undertaking. That will make it much easier when you pick up the effort again. When
dealing with a know-it-all, don't attempt to be a know-it-all in return. When
you disagree with know-it-alls, they will immediately freeze their ideas and
won't budge--and then you've created a standoff. It's better to ask questions
about the idea, since know-it-alls love to answer questions. As they look for
answers, they might just discover that some ideas you present could be useful.
In fact, they'll probably blend some of your ideas with theirs and think they
came up with all of them. If you're trying to create the effect of a radio or television playing on the set, use the unit's original speaker if possible. Many old TV and radio speakers had a thin, tinny sound that is hard to create artificially. It's usually as simple as disconnecting the leads that link the electronics inside the unit to its speaker and running your own speaker line to the built-in speaker. Make sure that the rewired speaker works properly, and that it plays as loudly and clearly as you need.
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