Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Different Staging Types

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   I'm now entering my pre-show design phase for our company's upcoming Christmas dinner theater.   We are doing "Miracle on 34th Street."   For our dinner theaters we partner with a local golf club's banquet facility so we have to bring in whatever we're going to use for a stage.

This is the 3rd time we will be doing a show in this space.  The first one we did was very traditionally staged - we had about a 30 foot x 8 foot stage located at the front end of the room.  

Last year for "It's a Wonderful Life", I took a big risk and pushed myself out of the box by doing the show partially in the round.  I had a 20x8 stage up in the front of the room, two 4x8 stages in opposite corners of the room, and an 8x8 in the middle of the room.  Additionally, I staged actors throughout the room during the show - it all created a very cool atmosphere as the show moved fluidly around the room, and the audience really responded to it - we got a number of positive comments about the staging.

Unfortunately, now that puts me in a bind for what to do for Miracle... I don't really want to go back to exclusively the traditional stage - because the room is narrow and deep, so people in the back are quite in the back.  But I also don't want to do the same idea as I did last year, plus I don't completely feel that the show lends well to that approach.

I'm interested in hearing different unique ways you've had of staging shows outside of the traditional - what's worked for you?  What hasn't?  I'm hoping to be inspired by some of your ideas!

Edited by dexter74656 - 8/19/12 at 8:08pm

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dexter74656 Lead Joined: 12/29/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36	Topic: Different Staging Types - Brainstorm Posted: 8/19/12 at 7:53pm
	I'm now entering my pre-show design phase for our company's upcoming Christmas dinner theater. We are doing "Miracle on 34th Street." For our dinner theaters we partner with a local golf club's banquet facility so we have to bring in whatever we're going to use for a stage. This is the 3rd time we will be doing a show in this space. The first one we did was very traditionally staged - we had about a 30 foot x 8 foot stage located at the front end of the room. Last year for "It's a Wonderful Life", I took a big risk and pushed myself out of the box by doing the show partially in the round. I had a 20x8 stage up in the front of the room, two 4x8 stages in opposite corners of the room, and an 8x8 in the middle of the room. Additionally, I staged actors throughout the room during the show - it all created a very cool atmosphere as the show moved fluidly around the room, and the audience really responded to it - we got a number of positive comments about the staging. Unfortunately, now that puts me in a bind for what to do for Miracle... I don't really want to go back to exclusively the traditional stage - because the room is narrow and deep, so people in the back are quite in the back. But I also don't want to do the same idea as I did last year, plus I don't completely feel that the show lends well to that approach. I'm interested in hearing different unique ways you've had of staging shows outside of the traditional - what's worked for you? What hasn't? I'm hoping to be inspired by some of your ideas! Edited by dexter74656 - 8/19/12 at 8:08pm

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edh915 Celebrity Joined: 11/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 8/19/12 at 9:11pm
	How about putting the stage in the center of the room; effectively cutting the audience space in two. If you had a 30'x 8' stage at one end of the room, try putting a 30' x 12' or 16' in the center. That way no one is more than half the length of the room room from the stage. Stage like you would in-the-round; the easiest way being to have the actors staged so they are effectively playing mostly to the sides of the room, so that most of the time they are in profile to the audience (if you see what I mean). You could even have one end of the of the 30' platform raised a step of two to give a little height variance - a great place to put the judges bench, or elsewhere in the show, Santa's chair. Your lighting is obviously flexible, so that's the approach I think I'd take. Break a leg!!!
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