HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: khely@ccvax.ucd.ie
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Directing oneself
Date: 28 Jul 92 17:48:48 GMT
Organization: University College Dublin

In article <9207231646.AA06760@csc.Cornell-Iowa.edu>, rjones@CORNELL-IOWA.EDU ("Rick Jones") writes:
> Joe Zitt:
> 
> I'm in the tricky position of directing a dance/theatre performance that
> I appear in (and also wrote, scored, designed, etc, though those aren't
> significant to this problem). For those who have done that: How do you do
> it? It's difficult to see/hear the scene from the audience point of view 
> when you're in the middle of it.
> 
> Any tips?

Get yourself a co-director!

I'm directing What The Butler Saw which I'm playing in also.
I wouldn't dare not have somebody out front to criticise me!
From: rjones@CORNELL-IOWA.EDU ("Rick Jones")
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: RE: Directing Yourself
Date: 27 Jul 92 22:50:00 GMT

A couple of comments in response to
 bprofane@netcom.com (Gert Niewahr):

the complaint is that:
>>> you're all addressing technical points about how to
direct yourself while ignoring the more important question of
whether you should do such a thing.

This simply isn't true.  I haven't saved all the messages on this
topic, but I recall few if any that didn't start with "don't do it if
you can avoid it".  I know mine did.  The fact is that once in a while
it becomes necessary: every time I've been in this situation, it was
because someone (actor or director) pulled out of a project on
extremely short notice: we'd already sold season tickets, advertised,
etc. -- and there wasn't enough time to choose another show.  These
situations are rare: it's happened to me twice in fifteen years (not
counting the one time I took over a role three days before opening
when an actor had to pull out -- I fit the costumes, knew the lines and
blocking, and we had a show to do).  Now, whether the project in question
ought to be configured the way it is, I couldn't say.  Frankly, I
doubt it.  I agree that directing oneself ought to be avoided if at
all possible (and I don't mean simply deciding that "no one else
could be as wonderful as I am").  BUT: once in a while, it happens. 
So does having to fire an actor, or scrapping an entire scene design
concept, or holding the curtain more than a couple minutes after
scheduled curtain time.  The point is that there are ways of making
the most of a bad situation, and getting righteously indignant is
seldom one of them.

>>Do you see any self-directed
shows above the semi-professional level?  No.

NO??? Not often, perhaps, but I seem to recall several self-directed
 productions apiece by the likes of John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier,
 and Orson Welles.  I'll settle for being associated with such "amateurish"
company!

None of this changes the fact that virtually everyone who has spent
any time in the theatre thinks it's a bad idea to direct oneself.  But
let's not overstate the case, either...

Rick Jones
From: tmd@austin.lockheed.com (Tom Davis)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Directing Yourself
Date: 24 Jul 92 12:14:53 GMT
Organization: Lockheed Austin Division, 6800 Burleson Rd, Austin, TX 78744

In article <26kcoB2w163w@zitt> joe@zitt (Joe Zitt) writes:

>I'm in the tricky position of directing a dance/theatre performance that
>I appear in (and also wrote, scored, designed, etc, though those aren't
>significant to this problem). For those who have done that: How do you do
>it? It's difficult to see/hear the scene from the audience point of view 
>when you're in the middle of it.

>Any tips?

I've done it 3 times so far, and the only time I've been successful
was when I had someone stand in for me during the blocking and early
rehearsals, which let me get a whole-stage view of things from the
house. Then, at about lines-off time, I moved up onstage and took over
from there.

[Actually, doing this wasn't my choice -- the "stand-in" was actually
scheduled to _play_ the role, and then wimped out on me.] I imagine
with dance it would be a bit harder to do it this way, but it might
be worth a try.

I _try_ to make it a rule NEVER to act in a show that I'm directing,
precisely because of the effect you describe, but sometimes it's just
not possible.

-- 
   Tom Davis                    Internet address: tmd@austin.lockheed.com
	"Imagine there's no countries; it isn't hard to do;
	 Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion, too."
   [Disclaimer: I speak for nobody but me - and sometimes not even that.]
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: kruger@math.okstate.edu (Valentine)
Subject: Re: Les Mis plot question..
Organization: The Certifiably Insane [aka Mush wizzes] 
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 17:47:19 GMT

In article [snip] whos@ddsw1.mcs.com (Ben Feen) writes:
>In article <l6b8afINNgc0@news.bbn.com> ahsiung@labs-n.bbn.com (Anita Hsiung) writes:

>I agree. BIGTIME.  Fer the love of God, _Gavroche_ was better developed.
>Personally, I would have ditched Cosette for Eponine in about .02 seconds...
>Am I alone in this?  Did anyone else think 'Ponine was better than Cosette?

	You are most certainly _not_ alone! I've always thought 'Ponine
was more interesting than Cosete, who always seemed kind of whiny. Also,
her behaviour after the incdient of the barricades seems so thoughtless
as to be cruel. If _I_ were lying in bed having dreams of my dead friends
I would not want my fiancee, however much I loved her, to be telling me
"Oh, don't think about it, after all--you have me!" which was, IMO,
what Cosette was saying during "Every Day"

>Mail whos@ddsw1.mcs.com. | Whos at ddsw1? | Yes! | What? | No, whos! | Huh? |
>Who? | Who what? | No, whos@ddsw1.mcs.com!  | Where? | DDSW1! | Who's there?|
>Right! | Right? | Yes! | Oh, right@ddsw1.mcs.com? | No, WHOS@ddsw1.mcs.com! |
>That's what I wanna find out! | What? | Who! | He's at ddsw1! | AAAAAAAAAGH!|

						C.J.

-- 
kruger@littlewood.math.okstate.edu   |||  "How long can someone wait?
Deirdre@PernMUSH (wiretap.spies.com) |||  Forever's just a little long!"
Delaney@ValdeMUSH (emcnext.tamu.edu) |||      ---Fiona, from BLONDEL
IFGS character of the month: Maria   ||| My opinions. Deal with them.
From: khely@ccvax.ucd.ie
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: What The Butler Saw
Date: 24 Jul 92 14:26:13 GMT
Organization: University College Dublin

I'm directing "What The Butler Saw" by Joe Orton.  I'm (still) trying to come
up with a good set design.

Anybody out there happen to have seen it, or better still, anybody got any
photos of productions?

I'd be willing to pay post/etc. for a photocopy.

Thanks in advance.

Kevin.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: ylnwai@cayley.waterloo.edu (Newton Wai)
Subject: Re: Les Mis plot question..
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 04:40:24 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.003612.7090@ddsw1.mcs.com>, whos@ddsw1.mcs.com (Ben Feen) writes:
[STUFF DELETED]
> 
> I agree. BIGTIME.  Fer the love of God, _Gavroche_ was better developed.
> Personally, I would have ditched Cosette for Eponine in about .02 seconds...
> Am I alone in this?  Did anyone else think 'Ponine was better than Cosette?
> 

	Personally, I found that every Eponine I've seen is prettier than 
Cosette (her name reminds me of the term "coset" in Modern Algebra :-) ).
Just by listening to "On my own" made me prefer Eponine to Cosette.

	However, is the Eponine in the original novel as lovely as the one in
the opera? And how is the original Cosette?

					
							Newton Wai
					U of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: JLOCK00@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (Joseph L. Lockett)
Subject: Translations of Hedda Gabler
Organization: Rice University  
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 05:05:09 GMT

     Theatre Communications Group has recently been publishing new
translations by G. Bamman and I. Berman of Ibsen's plays, of which
I've heard varying reports.  A husband and wife team, both with
theatre experience and one a native Norwegian, they've been striving
to allow the characters and prose to be earthy rather than stilted,
though I've heard some critics claim they go too far.  Depends on
what type of production you want, I guess.  TCG is at:
 
     355 Lexington Avenue
     New York, NY 10017
 
     I don't have a telephone number for them -- sorry.  Best of luck.
Let us know which one you pick!
 
     I am not affiliated in any way with TCG, aside from enjoying their
AMERICAN THEATRE magazine. :)
 
Joseph L. Lockett
jlock00@ricevm1.rice.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: carsontr@dgp.toronto.edu (Carson T Schutze)
Subject: Stars and refunds
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Distribution: na
Date: 26 Jul 92 01:29:48 GMT

A recent piece in the Toronto paper lead me to wonder about whether there are
any official rules or unofficial policies in professional theatre about what
happens when the star of a show is unavailable (sick or whatever) for a 
particular performance.  For example, the Elgin in Toronto reportedly offered
ticket exchanges to people who didn't want to watch an understudy when
Donny Osmond fell ill in Joseph.  Of course, he is a billed star (i.e. the
advertising refers to "Donny Osmond in Joseph ...").  Is that the only case
where refunds/exchanges are offered?  E.g., if Wilkinson fell ill during
Les Miz, would anyone be compensated?  How about planned vacations that are
announced after one has ordered tickets (which happened to me when Wilkinson
took July off from Phantom in Toronto last year)?  Is one relying on the
good will of the theatre in such cases, or are there rules requiring 
compensation?

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Carson T. Schutze                 Dynamic Graphics Project
               			  Computer Systems Research Institute
(416) 978-6619			  University of Toronto
				  Toronto, Ontario, Canada   M5S 1A4

Internet:	carsontr@dgp.toronto.edu
UUCP:		...!{uunet, pyramid, watmath, ubc-cs}!utai!dgp!carsontr
From: zitt!joe@dogface.austin.tx.us (Joe Zitt)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Directing Yourself
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 23:33:06 CDT
Organization: Metatron Press / Human Systems Performance Group, Austin, TX

bprofane@netcom.com (Gert Niewahr) writes:

> Don't be fooled by so-called performance artists.  Directing yourself
> is not innovative, it's amateurish.  Do you see any self-directed
> shows above the semi-professional level?  No.  It's axiomatic that
> in even the smallest Equity theatre there will no self-directed
> shows.  Why?  Because professionals know that that is the kind of
> ego-driven stunt that invariably results in a poor production.

Hmmm... I'm not sure what you mean by being "fooled by so-called
performance artists". 

I have a feeling that your axiom against self-directing may be true for
those putting on plays (i.e. things with plots, characters, etc), but
in most theater that I see (by which I mean things where people are on
a stage performing things for other people), the director is up there
somewhere. It's rare, for example, that I see a musical, dance, or poetry
performance that does not include its director. (My show, by the way, is
not a plot-and-characters piece, but is more of a merger of poetry reading
and dance/movement. The inspirations are pieces by Robert Wilson, Meredith
Monk, Mabou Mines, and the like.)
--
"Go to an extreme and then retreat to a more useful position"  --  Brian Eno
Joe Zitt 	       ...cs.utexas.edu!kvue!zitt!joe  	       (512)450-1916
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: kskinner@kean.ucs.mun.ca
Subject: MUSIC THEATRE PROGRAMS
Organization: Memorial University. St.John's Nfld, Canada
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 15:08:28 GMT


Hi, a friend of mine graduated recently with a music degree and is
interested in a career in music theatre - the performance end. If
anybody has any information on any schools, particularly in Canada and
the United States, that offer a good Music Theatre program could you please
mail it to me at the above email address.

Thanks in advance for any help.               
                                                 Kathy Skinner

Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: bprofane@netcom.com (Gert Niewahr)
Subject: Re: Directing Yourself
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 19:11:29 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

Look, folks, you're all addressing technical points about how to
direct yourself while ignoring the more important question of
whether you should do such a thing.  And the answer is: Stop, do
not pass go.  Do NOT direct yourself.  There are very compelling
technical and aesthetic reasons that the director should not act in
the piece they are directing: You cannot, as a director, achieve
the external perspective from which you can objectively analyse your
show; You cannot, as an actor, maintain the focus necessary to do
proper character development.  The are basic facts that every
professional knows.  If you don't believe me (and I have an MFA in
directing), go ask any professional director (one who works
regularly in Equity houses) about self-direction.  

Don't be fooled by so-called performance artists.  Directing yourself
is not innovative, it's amateurish.  Do you see any self-directed
shows above the semi-professional level?  No.  It's axiomatic that
in even the smallest Equity theatre there will no self-directed
shows.  Why?  Because professionals know that that is the kind of
ego-driven stunt that invariably results in a poor production.

Standing at a lectern, sitting in the audience in "Six
Characters"...hanging from the rafters, even, it doesn't matter.
Video cameras or putting mirrors up around the stage, it doesn't
matter.  No technical tricks can allow you to be two people
simultaneously.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: GA.EDI@isumvs.iastate.edu (Marie Mayer)
Subject: Phantom of the Opera tour
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 23:09:41 GMT

Since this group seems quite knowledgeable, I'm going to try to get an
answer here first.

I know that "Phantom of the Opera" is currently playing in Boston.
Does anyone know where it will go from there or if it will come
anywhere near the Midwest in the next year (as in Chicago, Kansas
City, Minneapolis/St. Paul...)?

Any info is much appreciated.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Marie Mayer, Publications Editor
101 Durham Center                   (515) 294-2787
ISU Computation Center              ga.edi@isumvs.iastate.edu
Ames, IA  50011-2041
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
From: fielden@spot.Colorado.EDU (j.a. fielden)
Subject: Re: Olympic Triplecast
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 15:15:08 GMT

In article <14nb2aINNjh9@darkstar.UCSC.EDU> unknown@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (tuu) writes:
>
>In article <1992Jul23.203205.26727@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> jxs52@po.CWRU.Edu (Jonathan Sheir) writes:
>}I was just wondering has anyone actually forked out $125 to watch the
>}Olympics on four different channels?  Am I the only one who plans on
>}watching none of the Olympics at all?
>
>	Well the newspaper said that like 60,000 people have bought the 
>Triplecast.. That doesn't mean they've all bought it all though, I would 
>presume..  I would guess that that's the number of people who have
>bought *any* of the Triplecast.. (day/weekend/whole thing)
>

	Hmm, my newspaper said last week that they had only sold 5,000 
nationwide and that if sales didn't take off NBC was going to take
a major bath on the triple cast. I guess that's reason I saw an ad
last night with Bill Cosby promoting it.



Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
From: amd@space.mit.edu (Ann M. Davis)
Subject: Re: Battle of the Planets   was:(G-Force)
Reply-To: amd@space.mit.edu (Ann M. Davis)
Organization: MIT Center for Space Research
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 21:00:47 GMT


>, mec@acsu.buffalo.edu (Marie E. Copertino) writes:
> 
> 	YES!!  My sis and I used to get up and watch this at 7am every morning!
> 
> 	It's actual name was "battle of the planets", and the crew was called
> 	"G-Force" .... that what they all chanted went they went into action.
> 
> 	Mark was the handsome and intelligent leader,
> 	Jason was his second... moody and stormy personality.
> 	Princess was the girl (I think she used to be one).
> 	Tiny was the big goofy guy.
> 	And the little stuttery one had a weird name, I forget it.
> 
> 	Zoltar was the slender insect-like humanoid villian... I thnk he
> 	ended up to have long blonde hair (and be a girl?) though Mark was
> 	the only one who ever saw him/her unmasked.
> 
> 		What memories!!
> 
Just some extraneous trivia. In the original Japanese version, the scenes
involving Jason were usually very violent and bloody.  That's why you
usually only see him driving the car.  The rest of the scenes were
edited out.  Keeyop was the one who stuttered  I think this was also
something different from the original, but I can't remember exactly.  

The only stupid thing was when they added the robot 7-zark-7  who looked
an awful lot like R2D2.  I surmise he was added to capitalize on the Star
Wars hype.

	Ann 
are him driving a car are because the
> 
> 				Marie
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
From: trh@newsance.att.com (Thomas R. Horner;79A-301B;407-875-4136)
Subject: Anyone tape this Carson Funeral skit?
Organization: AT&T IMS, Maitland FL
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 17:23:20 GMT


REPOST: ANYONE HAVE THIS??

During the next-to-the-last week of the Tonight Show (with Carson), on
May 14th I believe, they showed a tape of a skit that Carson did a
few years ago that I would like to have a copy of.  The skit involves
Johnny giving a eulogy in a funeral where he says various forms
of "kick the bucket", "bought the farm", etc., etc. on and on until
the audience (of the funeral) gets up in disgust.

If anyone happened to tape this skit, I would love to have a copy of it.

Please email me if you have a copy, and we can arrange how I can pay for
the tape, etc.  I am not a regular reader of this newsgroup.  If your
email bounces, PLEASE call me at 407-875-4136 (leave a message with your
phone number if I am not there).

THANKS in advance!!

P.S. One person who answered my first post said:

"You are talking about the funeral at Roget's Thersarus Company"
-- 
				Thomas R. Horner @ AT&T, Orlando, FL
				Office: 407-875-4136  8am-5pm Eastern
				trh@newsance.att.com
From: APUCORLE@IDBSU.IDBSU.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
Subject: RE:  PPV Olympics
Date: 30 Jul 92 21:37:02 GMT


Concerning the discussion of having four or five cable channels
taken up with Olympic coverage.....

United Artists Cable is offering a free month of premium
service or one free PPV event to all subscribers because
of the inconvenience.

The offer was made in small print on the back of a little
advertisement for the TripleCast.  Most people probably
threw it away, but I called and asked, "What's the catch?"
No catch, they said.  Got a free month of HBO!  Didn't
have to do anything else.

And now we're getting part of this TripleCast for free?
Great deal!

+========================+=====================================+
| Phil Corless           | Bitnet: APUCORLE@IDBSU              |
| Boise State University | Internet: APUCORLE@IDBSU.IDBSU.EDU  |
+========================+=====================================+
|    Cat:  A pygmy lion who loves mice, hates dogs,            |
|          and patronizes human beings.                        |
+==============================================================+

Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
From: fgn@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (frank.g.neves)
Subject: Re: "Pluck the Magic Twanger, Froggie"
Summary: Froggie the Gremlin, et al...
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 10:50:46 GMT

In article <92202.094254BROSE@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU>, BROSE@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU writes:
> Does anyone out there remember the show that featured
> "the Frog" and the cat "Midnight" - a feature called Tim Tyler's Luck
> "Spider Web" was also featured.  I would like to
> know the name of the show if you can help.  It was
> televised in the early 50's (maybe late 40's).
> 
> Any leads would be appreciated.
> Thanks
> BRose

I don't know if anyone's responded yet, but the show was "Andy's Gang", and
starred Andy Devine.  Other features in the show included the serial, "Ramar
of the Jungle".

Froggy's famous saying, "Hiya kids, hiya, hiya, hiya!"

Frank
-- 
*************************************************************************
 Frank G. Neves, R.Hy.                   | "Immanetize the Eschaton..."
 Discl: No wife, no horse, no moustache  |    "Credo Quia Absurdum"
*************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
From: shrum@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Richard Barry Shrum)
Subject: Re: "Pluck the Magic Twanger, Froggie"
Organization: NASA Ames Res. Ctr, Calif.
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 16:07:33 GMT

In article <141140001@hpcvra.cv.hp.com> johna@hpcvra.cv.hp.com (John Allen) writes:
>The Andy Devine Show - "Pluck YOUR magic twanger, Froggie!"
>

SCHWING!!!


                            R ****
                             I
                              C
                          **** K
From: huot@cray.com (Tom Huot)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
Subject: Re: Dennis Miller is coming back?
Date: 30 Jul 92 19:03:08 GMT
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.

In article <1992Jul30.170154.6495@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> aa716@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Scott Fields) writes:
>
>
>I read that more than a few cable networks are interested in picking up
>Dennis Miller's show for air in the Fall.  Can anyone confirm this rumor?

No, but we can hope for the best that it is just that! A rumour.

-- 
_____________________________________________________________________________
Tom Huot        			       
huot@cray.com 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
From: gck@hector.uucp (24641-kemmerling)
Subject: Re: XXV Olympiad Opening Ceremonies
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 11:41:23 GMT


I really hate to tell you all this, but......











On the NBC news this morning they reported that there in fact was 
a switch in case the arrow missed the stream of gas.  Well...it did
and they hit the switch.

Sheesh, I haven't felt this bad since I found out there was no Santa
Clause.  I'm serious, I thought the arrow was a real neat idea and I
was very disappointed when I heard the news.


Gayle
From: "tom betz" <tom.betz@execnet.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
Subject: freberg and son
Date: 30 Jul 92 00:15:34 EST
Reply-To: "tom betz" <tom.betz@execnet.com>
Distribution: rec
Organization: Executive Networks Information

SR>In article <1992Jul21.210126.15364@athena.cs.uga.edu>
SR>Chuck Jordan writes:

SR>>with that delightful kid from the Encyclopedia Britannica commercials.
SR>>

SR>GHOD, I HATE THAT KID!!! I can't believe he got paid for that
SR>commercial!! Do you think his daddy owns Encyclopedia Brittanica??

No, his daddy >produced< the commercial.  It's his daddy (Stan Freberg, one
of the most brilliant minds in radio and advertising history) whose
disembodied voice holds discourse with that annoying kid.

You may remember Freberg's "banana split the size of Lake Michigan" radio
ads from the Sixties... or you may not.

Look out for those giant Maraschino cherries!

---
  OLX 2.2  "I drank WHAT!?" - Socrates
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