HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rad2r@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU (Robert DeLine)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Directing Yourself
Date: 27 Jul 92 20:45:12 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia Computer Science Department

In article <#4lm5bd.bprofane@netcom.com>, bprofane@netcom.com (Gert Niewahr) writes:
> 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.


Hmmm... I presume you're limiting this advice to directing for the
stage?  I for one think "Citizen Kane" is an excellent film and doesn't
suffer from the fact that Orson Welles both starred in and directed it.
Or maybe I have my facts wrong?


Rob DeLine
Computer Science, University of Virginia
deline@Virginia.EDU
From: scott@bbx.basis.com (Scott Amspoker)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Stars and refunds
Date: 31 Jul 92 16:33:12 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: BASIS International, Ltd., Albuquerque NM USA

In article <tvpm5l@lynx.unm.edu> bevans@carina.unm.edu (Mathemagician) writes:
>In article <4pyxakp@rpi.edu> garrem@vccsouth16.its.rpi.edu (Matthew Olsen Garretson) writes:
>>...no one with
>>a clue would want to pay to see an understudy (unless they know it's a really
>>good understudy). Maybe during the stars' vacations, the show should just be
>>put on hold. They could extend the run to make up the lost $$.
>
>I couldn't disagree more!
>
>Oh, I'll admit that billing a star will do nothing but help a show and
>I do often go to see something because a certain person is in it, but
>I won't *not* see a show because the star isn't performing that night
>and it's the only night I can.
>[...]

I agree.  There aren't many shows anymore that I would classify as
"star vehicles".  Sure it would be nice to see a Tony winner do
his/her stuff.  However, I've been to performances where the
understudy kicked butt!  One must be careful with one's expectations.

-- 
Scott Amspoker                       |    
Basis International, Albuquerque, NM |  Too bad ignorance isn't really
                                     |  bliss.  Then it could be outlawed.
scott@bbx.basis.com                  |
From: shaevel@Apple.COM (Jeff Shaevel)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Shear Madness in Austin
Summary: Love this show!
Date: 24 Jul 92 21:01:58 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA

Fulfilling a dream I've had for 13 years, I have just been cast in the
Austin Equity production of "Shear Madness".  Ever since I saw Bruce
Jordan in the original Boston cast (and interviewed him privately after 
the show), I have wanted to be a part of it.  Of course, they keep a
very tight control on the rights and so there was no way I going to
simply wander into a community theatre production of it.

I have been cast in the role of Mikey, undercover cop, who doesn't do a
heck of a lot in the show.  However, the important thing is that I am
understudy to Eddie and Tony, and will eventually move into the role of
Tony when the first actor gets tired of it (and I can only hope that he
does, eventually).  The run is open-ended, and I know of no city in which 
the show hasn't simply been a pertetual smash.

I have several questions for the group:

Having never understudied before, I've never had to keep 3 separate
roles in my head for an entire show (as opposed to playing multiple
roles in a single performance, which is quite different).  Furthermore,
I will be performing one of the roles 5 times a week.  Has anyone out
there been is this position before, and do you have any helpful hints
for how to keep fresh on multiple roles when you don't have many
nights off to review them?  Keep in mind that although this is an
Equity production, *I* won't have an Equity contract and won't be making
enough to eat.  I'll need a full time job as well.

Also, has anyone out there been involved with the show in any capacity
and if so, do you have any helpful hints, warnings, etc., to share.

Does anybody know of an *unsucessful* run of the show, or has anyone
seen a bad production?  Given the incredibly tight control the owners
have on the show (it more like getting a franchise than the usual
rights) I would find that hard to believe, but if it has happened it
could be educational to discuss why it happened.

Anyone been a performer or audience member in a production that had
something *really* unexpected happen?  That might be tough to judge if
you've only seen the show once, but sometimes you can tell that
something was above and beyond the call of normal improvisational
theatre.

Feel free to post, but I love e-mail too....

-- 
Jeff Shaevel        :-)-: (comedy/tragedy)    Love may be blind, 
shaevel@apple.com                             but lust is autistic.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: hudu@well.sf.ca.us (Scott Marley)
Subject: Re: Best and Worst in San Diego
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 09:15:57 GMT


While I was in San Diego last week, I saw William Hamilton's =Interior
Decoration=.  He's the New Yorker cartoonist.  As one might guess, the play
is sort of a long cartoon: the characters and situations are broad and
satirical, and the dialogue is largely made up of one-liners.  This sort of
thing only works when the one-liners are very funny, and in this case they
are very funny indeed.

It's a four-character play: a husband-and-wife team of interior decorators,
their client, who is a successful businesswoman determined to have a child
without the entanglements of love or marriage or any of that, and the upper
class man whom she has settled on to be the father of her child.  None of the
characters is particularly sympathetic or deep, but they're all marvelous
caricatures, and there's even a certain interest just in waiting to see what
horrible thing they're going to say or do next.

It's at the Old Globe Theater.

Scott Marley
hudu@well.sf.ca.us
From: zitt!joe@dogface.austin.tx.us (Joe Zitt)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Directing Yourself
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 00:50:54 CDT
Organization: Metatron Press / Human Systems Performance Group, Austin, TX

tcsg3046@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Timothy C. Sozen) writes:

> The focus of this thread has changed, I know, from Joe Zitt's show specifical
> to productions in general, and in the last post (Gert Niewahr) to "modern
> scripts". Getting back to the original problem, just for a minute, do we
> know that's what Joe is doing? His description made me think that his show
> is more like a narration illustrated by dancers. It seems to me that his
> problems are significantly different from problems faced by someone
> directing  a naturalistic play.

That is, in a sense, what my show is, though it may be the other way around
from being narration illustrated by dancers -- the movement came first,
followed by the text and design (we're still developing the music).  I don't
have a whole lot of interest in "naturalism", though I have nothing against
people who do.

One thing I'm finding real interesting, by the way, is that when I wrote the
movement and text, I didn't what know the emotional content of the show was. As 
we rehearse it, it turns out to have a lot of emotion built in, but we only
discover it as we go along. This process of discovery is, for me, one of the
best things about doing the piece.

While I'm directing this myself, by the way, another of my pieces is in the
works in NYC, where I have little control. I've developed the music and text,
all of which will be on tape since it involves some compositional/performance
techniques that couldn't be done live. I've put together a two page scenario
showing what I imagine happens on stage during the course of the show. I don't
know how closely, if at all, they'll use that, and it doesn't bother me.

--
"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
From: rjones@CORNELL-IOWA.EDU ("Rick Jones")
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Translations of Hedda Gabler
Date: 23 Jul 92 19:54:00 GMT

Hello, friends...

I'm doing preliminary work on an upcoming production of _Hedda Gabler_
and am looking for advice on translations.  I've looked at the
translations of Archer/Gosse, LeGallienne, Ellis-Fermor, Fjelde,
Paulson and Reinert.  My temptation is to go with either Ellis-Fermor
or Paulson, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has done the play and
would be willing to share h/h experiences with any given translation. 
And if anyone who actually knows Norwegian could suggest which might
be the most "accurate" (whatever that means), it would be especially
helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Rick Jones
rjones@cornell-iowa.edu.
From: bevans@carina.unm.edu (Mathemagician)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Lynne Thigpen (was Re: Guys and Dolls Question...)
Date: 30 Jul 92 13:17:59 GMT
Organization: Society for the Preservation of E. coli

Ms. Thigpen does, indeed, play the DA on _L.A. Law._

-- 
Brian Evans                |     "Bad mood, bad mood...Sure I'm in a bad mood!
bevans@carina.unm.edu      |      I haven't had sex...*EVER!*" -- Virgin Mary
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: leokr@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (leo.krasnahill..jr)
Subject: Re: Andrea McArdle in EVITA? (was Re: Evita Recordings)
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 11:59:50 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.162343.10849@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> golds_ss@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Stuart S Goldstone) writes:
>
>	I've heard that Andrea McArdle (ANNIE from the original Broadway
>production, and on the original Broadway cast recording) is going to be
>in a production of EVITA somewhere in New Jersey.  Does anyone have any
>more information on this?  Thanks...
>-- 
>         Stuart S. Goldstone	      |      "Christianity is like a shoe;
>Internet: golds_ss@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu |	       if you don't fit into it,
>       BITNET: golds_ss@jhuvms	      |	        we cut your toes off!"
>         GEnie: S.GOLDSTONE1          |


Stuart,
	You are correct.  The production of "EVITA" is at
"Theaterfest", Montclair State College in Montclair, NJ.  Tickets are $20.
I'm going to see it Friday night.

				Leo

	Leo Krasnahill Jr.
	attmail!krasnahill
	Internet:  krasnahill@att.com
From: etrumbul@tjhsst.vak12ed.edu ("Eric W. Trumbull")
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: ACTF, Ryans, (cont.)...
Date: 25 Jul 92 04:59:41 GMT

Eric Trumbull said:
>Just as Love Story and Terms of Endearment cheated the audience with cheap
>appeals to emotion, and just as Equus and Agnes of God defrauded the audience
>with pseudo-intellectualism/spiritualism, and just as Cats proved how little
>substance an audience would accept, today's students may have decided that the

C.S. Osland said:
 
>I was spell-bound by the (late 60s / early 70s) production
>of Equus in London - it was impossible not to believe that the
>(black-jeaned, black tea-shirted) actors playing the horses had
>not added to the gamut of acting techniques - they were a live set.
> 
>There are many means by which 'substance' can be communicated - a play
>is just one of them.  There are many levels at which a play can work -
>substance is just one of them.
> 
>Cheers
> 
>Chris Osland
>Stagelights Theatre Group, Grove, Oxfordshire, UK


I think that's what the whole discussion is about, of course.
What exactly IS theatre?  I made my judgments, but I'm only
me.  All of us may have some quite different ideas about what makes
good theatre--so it's not surprising that some may disapprove
of the content and presentation of the ACFT Ryan scenes.  But
does that mean that there are particular standards that should
be placed in a "philosophy statement" for the Ryan contest?
How many of us would like to be saddled with someone else's
philosophy statment?

Places and holding...
Eric...

-- 
   Dr. Eric W. Trumbull, Associate Professor, Theatre and Speech 
   Northern Virginia Community College --  Woodbridge, VA  22191  
          (703)878-5750................FAX: (703)670-8433
               Internet: etrumbul@tjhsst.vak12ed.edu 
                 Bitnet: nvtrume@vccscent(.bitnet)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: aku@leland.Stanford.EDU (Andrew Chia-Tso Ku)
Subject: Bernstein-Sondheim-Guare's THE ROAD TO URGA
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 06:49:01 GMT

I'm looking for general information about this show, which had a workshop
production in NY in 1987.  What was the show about?  Did Bernstein,
Sondheim, and Guare write the music, lyrics, and book, respectively?
Was any additional work done on the show before Bernstein's death, and 
are there plans to further develop it?

Andrew
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: conrad@brahms.udel.edu (Jon Conrad)
Subject: Re: Show Boat recordings?
Organization: University of Delaware
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 21:14:40 GMT

In article <1992Jul17.182619.29152@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> samc@coos.dartmouth.edu (Scott McElfresh) writes:

>I'm looking for recommendations on recordings of the music from "Show Boat"
>(is it ShowBoat or Show Boat?).

It's Show Boat, though it's not a fatal mistake to run it together as
Showboat -- you'll find it that way in some books.

>I know of three:
>1)  Soundtrack from awful 50's version with Keel, Grayson, Gardner, et al.
>	This just doesn't have enough of the show's songs to be worth it.

And it is, as you say awful in any case.

>2)  The Raitt/Cook/et al recording

Cook recorded it again for a Lincoln Center recording, with Stephen
Douglas as Ravenal, and RCA recorded it; it's been reissued on CD.  The
best thing on this recording is Constance Towers's singing of Julie's
music.

There are a bunch of other recordings of it too, but disregard them,
because:

>3)  The somewhat recent 3 CD  release of "original cast"  recordings, plus
>	a bunch of other stuff.

One correction: this is not at all an original cast recording, nor does
it pretend to be.  It's a studio recording, and a wonderful one.

This (on EMI) is my recommendation.  Get the whole 3 CDs, you won't
regret it.  It includes all the music Kern wrote for Show Boat, in any
of its versions, and is the only recording that does (some of the songs
have had no other recording).  Also, the performance is fabulous.  It
has an impeccably chosen mixture of opera singers (good ones) for the
"legit" roles, and theater performers for other roles.  It includes the
important underscored dialog, and is near-ideal in every respect.  This
is a classic recording.

Jon Alan Conrad
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: conrad@brahms.udel.edu (Jon Conrad)
Subject: Re: Guys and Dolls Question...
Organization: University of Delaware
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 17:57:06 GMT

In article <1992Jul30.162938.32959@watson.ibm.com> rubin@watson.ibm.com (Bill Rubin) writes:

>In  <1992Jul24.133111.11100@leland.Stanford.EDU>  aku@leland.Stanford.EDU (Andrew Chia-Tso Ku) writes:

>> Curiously, Josie DeGuzman had the experience of being fired from a show
>> herself, when she was dismissed during previews of Nick and Nora.

>That's interesting, I didn't know that (not that it was a big loss for her
>not being able to put N&N on her resume :-) ).

It gets even more interesting than that.  I don't think we need to
identify Nick and Nora plot revelations as SPOILERS at this late date?
Anyway, a big revelation halfway through Act II was that the De Guzman
character had been having a sexual relationship with Lorraine, the
murder victim.  Lorraine being played (in numerous flashbacks) by none
other than -- Faith Prince, her current costar in Guys and Dolls!

Aside from all the problems of Nick and Nora itself (I saw an early
preview, before she was fired), Josie de Guzman was well out of that
role.  The lesbian scenes were embarrassing -- not, need I clarify, for
their basic content, but for the smirky, ooh-aren't-we-daring way in
which they were required to be played.  And Josie's role itself was a
bundle of Chiquita-Banana Hispanic cliches that I'm surprised she
accepted; maybe it seemed in advance that they'd be spoofed enough to be
funny, but they weren't.

An early credit for Josie De Guzman was Maria in the around-1980 revival
of West Side Story on Broadway.  The career of the Tony of that
production, Ken Marshall, never quite took off despite the boost of
playing Marco Polo on tv.  (He also was in the movie Krull and was the
prince in the San Diego run of Into the Woods.)  However, the Anita of
that production certainly did well for herself since:  Debbie Allen.

Jon Alan Conrad
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: aku@leland.Stanford.EDU (Andrew Chia-Tso Ku)
Subject: Re: Lynne Thigpen (was Re: Guys and Dolls Question...)
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 09:42:08 GMT

In article <1992Jul25.011740.7427@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> golds_ss@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Stuart S Goldstone) writes:
>In article <1992Jul23.223326.8519@ncsu.edu> calexan1@eos.ncsu.edu
>(CHRISTOPHER  ALEXANDER) writes:
>>
>>She plays the "chief," and is one of the best parts of the show, the a capella
>>rock group (appropriately named Rockappella) being the other. If you have
>>time on your hands, watch it. It's for a children but every once in a while 
>>is a great deal of fun for those of us older than 10 as well.
>
>	I too watch this show, which is really a great kids' game show.
>Makes me wish I was 10 again!  Now, what else has Thigpen been in?  My
>friend told me she has been in quite a bit of theater, but I've never seen
>her in anything, though she certainly looks very familiar.

Her most recent stage appearance was in Manhattan Theatre Club's revival
of Athol Fugard's BOESMAN & LENA, which had a ran several months ago.

Andrew
From: junet@informix.com (June Tong)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Re: Les Mis plot question..
Date: 22 Jul 92 02:29:57 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

(Ben Feen) writes:
>(Anita Hsiung) writes:
>>Scott McElfresh writes:
>>>Nora writes:
>>>> Then again, I have
>>>>always regarded Marius as one of the biggest twits in musical theater, so
>>>>this may have something to do with my view on the subject. Anyone agree
>>>>with me about the 'twit' reaction?
>>>
>>>Hmmm, I have always said that Cosette was one of the most boring characters in
>>>musical theater. 
>
>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?

I liked Eponine better than Cosette, but couldn't help thinking that Marius and
Cosette deserved each other.  Both twits.  Eponine was much too good for
Marius.

June
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
From: garrem@vccsouth16.its.rpi.edu (Matthew Olsen Garretson)
Subject: Re: Stars and refunds
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 22:32:05 GMT

In article <1992Jul25.212947.657@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> carsontr@dgp.toronto.edu (Carson T Schutze) writes:
> 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)?

   Same damn thing happened to me!  $#@$%  At least Colm will be doing it for
another 15 months. But I don't know whether PHANTOM is worth seeing again, even
with Colm in it. Especially since I gotta drive 8 hours to get there. :(

> Is one relying on the good will of the theatre in such cases,

   Yes, probably. It's just one of those things.

>... or are there rules requiring compensation?

   There should be. But that would put theatres in a pinch since no one with
a clue would want to pay to see an understudy (unless they know it's a really
good understudy). Maybe during the stars' vacations, the show should just be
put on hold. They could extend the run to make up the lost $$.

-- 
Matt Garretson                       :-)                          garrem@rpi.edu
From: ethchen@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Edwin T. Chen)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Ticket Purchases
Date: 31 Jul 92 16:31:37 GMT
Organization: Princeton University
Originator: news@ernie.Princeton.EDU


Does anybody know what the best way to purchase student tickets is?
Previously, the policy was that in order to purchase the $15 tics, you
had to go directly to the box office.  However, with the ads now
advertising seats $15-$65, is it possible to order over the phone?

Totally unrelated, who's playing Kim in _Miss Saigon_ now?

Thanks,

Ed
From: bigk@cs.uq.oz.au (Kathy Williamson)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Joseph Heller
Date: 21 Jul 92 23:58:33 GMT
Reply-To: bigk@cs.uq.oz.au


Does anyone know who holds the performance rights to Joseph Heller's
Catch-22 (his play script that is)?

And, excuse my ignorance, by do you have to pay for rights to perform
Bertolt Brecht plays?  If yes, to whom do you write for this?

Please email me:  bigk@cs.uq.oz.au

thanks in advance for any help.
From: joe@zitt (Joe Zitt)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Directing Yourself
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 23:33:12 CDT
Organization: The Shekhinah Project, Austin, TX

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?
--
"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
From: jimkelle@girtab.usc.edu (Jim Keller)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Cosette vs. Eponine (was Re: Les Mis plot question)
Date: 21 Jul 1992 13:32:17 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: girtab.usc.edu

In article <1992Jul21.021919.12384@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> csquared@coos.dartmouth.edu (Christopher M. Cohen) writes:

>Well, yeah except for the fact that every Eponine _I_ have seen or heard
>has WHINED throughout the entire show.  Not too becoming for my tastes.
>

Popular problem with the English translation; it leaves Eponine open to that
interpretation.  The woman who did it in Philly did it right, playing her not
as a whining girl, but rather as a young woman who has been dealt a hard and
sudden blow but will recover.  In French this interpretation is explicit in
the lyrics (e.g. <<Il aime Cosette, je l'accepte>>), so this mistake is not
possible.  She is definately more powerful when done right.

--Jim!