Active TopicsActive Topics  Display List of Forum MembersMemberlist  CalendarCalendar  Search The ForumSearch  HelpHelp
  RegisterRegister  LoginLogin
Directing
 Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Directing
Message Icon Topic: George Orwell's 1984(Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post Reply Post New Topic
Page  of 2 Next >>
Author Message
chel
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 6/20/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 106
bullet Topic: George Orwell's 1984
    Posted: 3/06/09 at 11:32am
I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into.  A town's art commission needed a Director but hadn't settled on the play, they were considering "You Can't Take It With You".  So I put in my "application" (email, that said, hi I'm interested, here's my experience). 
 
They decided to go with something more edgy.  1984
It's all out of my hands but I'm feeling pretty negative about things.  Forgive me if this is just blowing off steam, I'm sure I'll have more productive things to say at a later time.
 
Why I'm doing it? 
- the opportunity to direct drama
- work with a new group of people in a town that needs a boost when it comes to the theater arts
- I'm a glutton for punishment.
 
Obstacles:
- They don't have much of a theater fan group in their town and they're doing a drama, I can hear the crickets chirping now.
- The theater is 100 years old.  Absolutely beautiful, a real treat to perform in, but don't touch anything! 
- There are no curtains nor can the wings be blocked from view, the audience can see everything backstage.
- There are no flats, we have to make and paint everything at a seperate location and nothing can be screwed into the floor.
- Everything is from scratch.  The production group they used in the past a couple of times is no longer in existance, which means no resources for props, costumes or set pieces. 
- We cannot cover the windows.  There are only shades and we are not allowed to block them (I don't know why, they are very negative with the "can we...?" No.)  So the matinee will have it's own source of lighting. 
- There is a $1400 budget.  25 scripts for $6 a piece, rights for 3 performances at about $65 each.  I have no idea why we need 25 scripts, but that was the Producer's and commission's decision, I don't have a say in that part.
- I am not convinced the Producer understands the creative influence a director has over all aspects of the production. 
 
 
I should have suggested a Reader's Theater at my first meeting.  All I see at night when I close my eyes is a list of things to fix.  I need to make this super minimalistic, and I don't think my efforts will be enough.  And all of this is before auditions, we meet Sunday to discuss a calendar, etc etc. 
 
oi.  Dead
chel

www.windhamtheaterguild.org
IP IP Logged
chelserin
Lead
Lead
Avatar

Joined: 3/02/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 47
bullet Posted: 3/06/09 at 12:16pm
Is the theatre a historic landmark or something? I can understand not wanting to ruin a piece of historical architecture, but these people don't seem to realize how much they are limiting you, and themselves, if you are not allowed to build anything on stage, pull down shades (!)  or attach anything to the floor.
 
Minimalist definately sounds like the way to go. Best of luck and try to find the positive aspects (no matter how small they may seem) to get you through.
To be in the world, and of the world, and never to stand aside and watch.
IP IP Logged
David McCall
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 1/28/09
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 299
bullet Posted: 3/06/09 at 12:25pm
Is there a fly system?
What about lighting?
Not being able to screw into the floor is pretty common, unfortunately.
Our group often uses a church hall with big windows (probably not as big as yours) and I build panels to go over the windows. It works out fine except that we don't get very deep blackouts.
 
When doing minimalist, a cyc with a ground row of cyc lights will go a very long way toward making a pretty picture, and you can silhouette things against it.
David M
IP IP Logged
chel
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 6/20/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 106
bullet Posted: 3/06/09 at 12:39pm
The theater was built in 1902, it's gorgeous. 
 
What is a "cyc"?  We do have the old fashioned foot lights, the rest of the lighting comes from above the stage and is pretty pathetic.  No spots.   The lighting system looks like Frankenstein's lair. 
 
 There is no fly system, I'm hoping to hang some works of art over the stage and one of those lamps that people use for workbenches and such.   
 
I really need to relax, I'm already expecting the worst.  I don't usually have this negative an outlook, it's unlike me when it comes to a play. 
chel

www.windhamtheaterguild.org
IP IP Logged
David McCall
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 1/28/09
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 299
bullet Posted: 3/06/09 at 3:10pm
Cyc is short for cycolorama.
It is a big light blue or white sheet (typically at least 20' high and 45' wide. A ground row is a set of lights that are designed for lighting a cyc.
 
If the lighting controls look like Frankenstein's lair, they may well be old resistance plates (or autotransformers if you are lucky). The bad news is that resistance plates have to be loaded to their full load rating. IE: a 3000 watt dimmer needs to have something close to 3000 watts.
 
I'm assuming that the overhead lights are strip lights (if there are no spots).  If you find that there are dimmer handles that don't do anything, there may be extra circuits for Olivette's (big flood lights). If that is the case you could connect some lights to those circuits. The sockets will probably be rectangular holes in a metal box mounted to the walls backstage or recessed in pockets in the floor. These are called stage plugs. We've pretty much given up on those connectors, but the motion picture business hung on to them a little longer.
 
Your best bet would be to survey the theater with an old tech guy to see what might be possible.
 
Where are you located?
What is the name of the theater?
 
David M
IP IP Logged
chel
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 6/20/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 106
bullet Posted: 3/06/09 at 3:23pm
see my pm about theater details. 
 
Thanks for the tips I'll write that down and go ask. 
 
I don't have a cyc.  They have a black backdrop, and I don't want to bother changing it, when I have bigger problems to tackle.  There is some hung curtain-like set pieces that cannot be moved, they are greenery, not really 1984 ish either, but at least I can take down the ones on the sides of the stage. 
chel

www.windhamtheaterguild.org
IP IP Logged
jayzehr
Celebrity
Celebrity


Joined: 8/11/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 537
bullet Posted: 3/07/09 at 12:46am

YOU CAN DO IT!! It's not as hard as you think, if you've got some people helping you. I'm assuming lights aren't a problem as you didn't mention it?
Originally posted by chel


Obstacles:
  - There are no curtains nor can the wings be blocked from view, the audience can see everything backstage.


Build some walls out of flats to create hidden space.

Originally posted by chel


- There are no flats, we have to make and paint everything at a seperate location and nothing can be screwed into the floor.


Flats aren't that hard to build. We have to build and paint everything at a separate location and can't screw into the floor.  It can be done. We build full box sets with nothing attached to the floor.


Originally posted by chel


- Everything is from scratch.  The production group they used in the past a couple of times is no longer in existance, which means no resources for props, costumes or set pieces.


You can pull it together from scratch. Looks like you have a big enough budget. What kind of technical requirements do you have? It would be fairly contemporary costume requirements wouldn't it? You can pull that together pretty cheap.
 
Originally posted by chel

- There is a $1400 budget.  25 scripts for $6 a piece, rights for 3 performances at about $65 each.  I have no idea why we need 25 scripts, but that was the Producer's and commission's decision, I don't have a say in that part.


If you don't have to pay for theater rental out of that, that's a do-able budget.
Originally posted by chel


- I am not convinced the Producer understands the creative influence a director has over all aspects of the production.
 
Then let the producer build the set!Big%20smile
 
Seriously, you can get it done. I've done just what you're describing a number of times with only a few people helping me and I didn't know what I was doing. Still don't!Big%20smile
IP IP Logged
chel
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 6/20/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 106
bullet Posted: 3/08/09 at 4:38pm
Thanks for the encouragement.  I really need it. 
 
To me $1400 can be gone through like water.  I live on the East Coast, USA so things are pretty expensive here.  I know people do it for less, I'm impressed when they figure that out.
 
Do you know where I can find pictures of how to build these box sets?  (I sketch, not construct) In addition to directing my background is in acting and props.  Actually, I won't be doing any of this myself because the theater is a long drive from my house.  I think the commission is happy to have their locals do this.  I guess I would like to go into the production meeting, when we finally have official people for these things, with several ideas.  To sketch out only a box set might be limiting. 
chel

www.windhamtheaterguild.org
IP IP Logged
imamember
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 8/18/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 121
bullet Posted: 3/09/09 at 6:39am
Are you doing this version?

http://www.dramaticpublishing.com/p1029/1984/product_info.html

It says bare stage with props and if you're not doing this version, perhaps you should be if you want to stretch that $1400.
IP IP Logged
tristanrobin
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 4/25/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 704
bullet Posted: 3/09/09 at 10:52am
I did a production of Mother Courage in a space which had no returns and the entire backstage area was visible to the audience.

First, I used the backstage space as environmental atmosphere - the cast was always somewhat in view (though  highly shadowed) - no drinking, eating, touching up make-up, reading scripts, etc allowed.

Secondly, we installed large screen closed circuit monitors (worked out a deal with a local electronics store for loads of publicity), which always focused on a close up of the actors on the stage. Not only did it give the audiences a much better view than usual of the actors' faces!, but it also diverted attention from the backstage area, both by somewhat blocking it, and the light coming from the screens distracting the actors backstage.

Good luck - imamember's idea of bare stage with props seems like the way to go!
IP IP Logged
Page  of 2 Next >>
Post Reply Post New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump 		You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums version 8.05
Copyright ©2001-2006 Web Wiz Guide
buy generic cialis are in line cialis canada outcome for yourself viagra sales cost saving benefit viagra uk convert your buy phentermine online pay phentermine cod payment Lenders Everything xanax online your existing xanax overnight absolute must free incest stories online The value gay incest advance The key free dog sex pics cash flow dog sex the reduced noise free gay college guys of the period gay guys