Midsummer curtain call
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3449
Printed Date: 11/03/25 at 8:22pm
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Topic: Midsummer curtain call
Posted By: drose
Subject: Midsummer curtain call
Date Posted: 9/11/08 at 11:48am
| I am about to open our production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and am curious about how the rest of you view the cast in terms of curtain call priority. I know how I feel about it, but would like to hear from the rest of you who you consider "the leads". Don't worry about directoral nuance or artistic details. From the Script - who takes the last bow?...and why? |
Replies:
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 9/12/08 at 12:12am
BOTTOM' 
He'd be more appropriately placed?   ------------- [western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!} |
Posted By: drose
Date Posted: 9/12/08 at 12:47am
| What was I thinking!? I left myself wide open for that one! Thanks Joe! |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 9/12/08 at 8:20am
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In my production, Puck was the final call - though he was onstage throughout the entire play, which isn't usually done. He was the only one who got a solo call. In reverse order:Puck, the lovers together, the mechanicals together, Titania and Oberon together |
Posted By: drose
Date Posted: 9/12/08 at 12:54pm
| That makes sense. I think its an interesting quandry to figure out who, if anyone, should get a solo call...especially the last bow before ensemble. I know that my Bottom (that sounds wrong) believes that he should have the last bow and my Puck doesn't really care, but I don't want to separate Bottom from the mechanicals, but the mechanicals as a whole are behind the lovers...and I refuse to do a straight ensemble only bow, I don't think that's fair. So I am waffling day to day. I have to block the call next week, and I'm sure I'll have it solidly sorted out in my head by then, but right now I'd love to hear everyone's take on it...except my cast's: I refuse to open that can of worms! But it is interesting, I've NEVER had this problem before...it's all those dang plot lines! Maybe I'm just overthinking it. |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 9/12/08 at 2:25pm
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FWIW - which is exactly what you're paying for it LOL - I've seen quite a few Midsummer productions - Bottom has NEVER been the last bow. Sometimes the lovers come after Titania and Oberon (though I think that's a great slight of the lovers). I've also seen the lovers come out last. Never Bottom. Maybe the way to handle it for your egotistical Bottom, LOL, is to have the mechanicals all out at once - and then have Bottom step forward for a brief call of his own, before stepping back in with the rest of the mechanicals. Bottom is really funny - Bottom is really important to the story - Bottom is responsible for the fun in the play-within-the-play. But he's NOT the lead. |
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 9/12/08 at 4:36pm
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The joke is that Bottom BELIEVES he's the lead. To modify tristanrobin's suggestion, have the Mechanicals bow as a group like you've planned, but as they retreat to the sides, Bottom remains, trying to hog a couple more bows on his own. The Mechanicals quickly return to drag him away and the curtain call can continue as writ. ------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: drose
Date Posted: 9/13/08 at 12:58pm
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Based on Topper's suggestion (thank you) and purely out of curiosity's sake, I'm going to start a new thread (but please don't abandon this one! Time is running out for me). Please see the topic "curtain calls: in character or out?"
As to my AMND curtain call, I'm thinking: (in reverse order) Puck, Lovers, Titania and Oberon, Bottom (intruding on T & O), Mechanicals, Theseus & Hippolyta, Egeus & Philostrate, Fairies. Might still switch the order of T & O and Mechanicals...still working on it. Keep your opinions coming!
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