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Oh man, this is the thread I've been needing. What's the director scene in this thread like? I'm in my sixth and (finally) last year of school, with a focus in directing, and I'm planning on getting out there to start my own theatre company soon. I have a few connections in Austin so it may prove kinda easy. Also, this isn't really to plug myself (but of course it kinda is), but about a year ago, I directed a show, "dark play or stories for boys," and I really think it could be appreciated not just by the thread but the entire site. To sum it at it's most basic, it's about trolling on the internet, so I think that'll strike a cord. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFimBsXxHms The following parts are in the Video Responses. The opening doesn't translate well to film AT ALL (plus my actors couldn't find their drat light!), so bare with it, it picks up quickly. Also, I guess I should say that it has guys kissing, so I guess if you're that put off by that stuff then you should stay away.
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Jun 15, 2010 14:00
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On the subject of OAP's, my college has a one-act festival every year. I don't know how many people here are from Texas, but it was ran as closely to an actual UIL one-act festival as possible. The plays couldn't have been any longer than 40 minutes or the lights go out and the curtain closes, no matter where you are in the show. I mean, there was a bit of a grace period, but if you still had 5 pages left to go, you were getting the lights turned off on you. There were 32 shows total, spaced out over six nights, with 5 or 6 shows a night. I was required to go to all of them and it was painful. All the shows were good, but 2 and a half hours of theatre for a week straight is too much for anyone.
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Jun 20, 2010 02:56
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David Ives is a good short playwright, but everybody does his work for short play festivals. Same with Eugine Ionesco and Christopher Durang. Not that I don't love their works, but you just see that kind of absurdism done all the time in short play festivals. The best database I've found for finding plays, especially 10-minutes ones is http://www.playscripts.com/. Then a ton of collections of short plays, a lot of times dealing with similar subjects and ranging from absurd to comedy to drama to even musical. Plus, they have full-length scripts, and it's also a really easy-to-navigate site that you can probably find anything you need on. But! The coolest thing is that you can read samples of all the plays, usually getting to read everything but the last fourth. There, that's my long-winded recommendation of Playscripts, Inc. Though, for what it's worth, my favorite playwright is S. W. Senek. You should look for "An Ongoing Examination of the True Meaning of Life."
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Aug 2, 2010 22:22
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antiloquax posted:You know, one of the weird things about directing is that everyone seems to have an opinion they want to give you. It's always funny when they're conflicting opinions given at the same time. I've actually started putting a disclaimer on playbills saying that, if anyone wants to tell me what they would have done better, they need to buy me a beer first. In my experiences with directing, I've found it's these up-and-coming, twenty-something directors (which I am one of) that are the ones that are keen to just tell you how they would have done something, rather than actual criticism or critiques. But maybe that just comes with being young, though I know I do my best to look at a show I'm critiquing through the eyes of the director and try to realize what their own personal concept is. If my peers wouldn't misconstrue it as sounding pompous or full-of-myself, I'd add something like that to my playbills as well.
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Aug 11, 2010 23:27
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trans fat posted:How does an actor from Georgia in his junior year of high school further his career? I have a fairly good résumé; I'm a Thespian, been in several productions with my school, including two competition pieces, and I have been in several community theatre (The Henry Players) shows as well. Does anyone have any advice for a college or a troupe or an agency of some sort? I like Columbus State, but that's sort of reaching for the stars, and I liked Armstrong Atlantic as well. Well, for starters, I'd say that what you do to prepare all depends on what you plan on doing after you graduate. If you're going to college, then here's a piece of advice, stay away from the larger universities. At universities that have hundreds of theatre students, you're nothing more than a number. And good luck getting cast in anything unless you're a grad student. My university has about 100 majors and 4 acting professors, and that's a good size to ensure that you get some exposure and experience. All the acting classes in the world won't do you any good unless you get some stage-time. It might help though to hear what you're gonna pursue before giving any really good advice.
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Aug 13, 2010 04:41
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Golden Bee posted:My advice is nontypical, but it worked for me. I can't really agree with this as good advice. While it may have worked for the poster, the last thing directors (assuming you're looking for stage-work) is something that doesn't get straight to the point. If you're looking for for work in stage, and you decided to make a reel (which isn't actually a bad idea), all they want to see is you standing on a stage, reciting your monologues or songs. The more you try to "spice it up," the quicker they'll lose interest. However! If you're looking to do film, then other methods for reels too. First, if you're gonna use something that's not just monologues on a stage, then be careful about what you choose. I heavily advise against making something up to be directly used for the reel. Odds are you'll end up pandering and making it too obvious what you're trying to show, even if you don't realize it. For example, if you were a decently-made student film, or something local, then that's a great choice. Auditioning for directors is always tricky, and it gets even trickier when you have to use a reel.
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Aug 20, 2010 04:56
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Named Ashamed posted:Right now I'm producing and directing a very, very short script I wrote about soldiers at war. It's set in a WW2 style war, but isn't restricted to a precise or specific historical period. This is also a collaboration with a music composition major, who is providing incidental music. On the issue of the guns, it really all depends on the style of the play. If what you're going for is a very realistic style of storytelling, and everything is supposed to be as real as possible. Then you'll want guns that look as realistic as possible. However, since it seems that since you aren't restricting the show to one specific period, then you have some freedom to play around with. Might I recommend the rifles that colorguard teams use during their performances? They have the generic shape and look of rifles, but are basically carved out of a blocked of wood. I've seen those used a great deal in shows and it's always something that has worked for me. As for the sound effects, check out YouTube. You can find a ton of sound effects with pretty minimal searching. When you find something you like, you could use one of the many sites out there that will rip music from a YouTube video and turn it into a mp3 file, and boom, there you go. (I hope that doesn't count as  talk.)
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Nov 4, 2010 03:14
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I think that's always a great set to look at, Company is an amazing show. I don't know if you do the Instant Netflix thing, but it has the live taping of the 2006 revival with Raul Esparza that was filmed for PBS.
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Nov 17, 2010 22:40
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Just my opinion really, but if you would cast men in The Vagina Monologues, then you might as well not do the show at all because what's the point? Likewise, on the subject of the transgender monologue, having anyone else performing it other than a man who is now living as a woman would be both an insult to The Vagina Monologues and transgendered people.
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Nov 19, 2010 11:14
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Just to quickly vent to a non-biased group of theatre people: If my town's theater doesn't hire me as Artistic Director, I will lose my mind. I'm earning my degree in just a few months, which will already make me more qualified than the theater's EXECUTIVE Director. I have qualifications and recommendations out the rear end in a top hat. Plus, as much cash as the theater is bringing, they desperately need some fresh perspective. I cannot watch one more musical that, as amazing as the performers are, consists of blocking that is just everyone standing in clumps onstage as they sing, with no filling action or blocking during musical breaks, so everyone is just standing there waiting to sing. There's not an actual "director" in that entire theater, and it shows. El Tortuga fucked around with this message at 03:27 on Dec 20, 2010 |
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Dec 20, 2010 02:18
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antiloquax posted:That sounds terrible. Here's hoping you can change all that. It's surprising how often the basics of staging are what's screaming to you the most to be fixed. More often the biggest problems in shows are people standing in straight lines, people not cheating out, people not moving when other actors stand in front of them, the list goes on.
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Dec 20, 2010 03:27
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OSheaman posted:Dunno how big your theatre is but often times the AD is so busy fundraising and dealing with administrative bullshit that he/she doesn't get the chance to actually direct any shows! It's pretty big, all those duties fall under the Executive Director. The job of the AD would be direct the artistic vision of the theater, which it needs.
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Dec 21, 2010 02:23
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Anyone here big on the idea of horror in theatre? In my past experiences with it, it's always fallen flat. They do fine enough jobs of telling an interesting story with good characters, but just once, I want to feel scared when I see a play. Everything I've seen fails to really create an atmosphere. I'm the position right now to possibly direct a Halloween show and I'm chomping at the bit to get planning. Right now I'm hovering on maybe adapting Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" for the stage (I know there's already an adaptation of it, but I can't find it, and eh.).
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Mar 8, 2011 00:08
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While the show is a bit dated, everything I heard about Daniel Radcliffe has been saying what an amazing job he's doing. It'd be pretty great to see that character will a Tony for all 3 actors that have played it. I love the set too, as well. It seems like a pretty good modern-take on that 60's mod-style that the original production and movie were chock-full of.
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Mar 30, 2011 03:37
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So I've recently been cast as Leo Bloom in the first ever coastal bend area of Texas production of "The Producers". And that's pretty awesome, and I get to cross off one of my dream roles. One big problem I've found is that I'm really struggling to get a grasp of my character. Now, obviously the original cast of the musical and the movie-musical are pretty cemented as the portrayals of the characters. I know that I'm definitely a good enough actor to get over this, but it's still difficult to get around a character who is so cemented to people as being a certain way. Anyone else have any experiences with that? As awesome as this is, it's put a hold on my directing projects. A friend of mine has started a theatre company down in Corpus Christi, and I was slated to direct, but now it's been pushed back to the fall. While I am aching to direct another show, a chance to be in The Producers is an opportunity I'd never get again.
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Jun 3, 2011 19:01
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I'm actually watching both movies over and over. Not so I can get ideas of what to do, but so that I know what NOT to do. I wanna make sure everything I'm doing is my own. It's incredibly hard with the "blue blanket" scene, which I consider one of the greatest comedic scenes on both film and stage. It's been done brilliantly twice before, and I just did whatever Wilder or Broderick did, then yeah it'd be funny, but it wouldn't be original.
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Jun 3, 2011 20:49
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I know I love it when a show comes to a halt because some of the cast can't keep it together because one actor is purposely over-acting, being so loud and distracting that there's no way you can watch anyone else, and all but giving the audience a wink as he "saves the show". One thing I hate is hearing actors talk about how they single-handedly "saved the show".
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Jul 4, 2011 20:08
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I saw that production of "Company" as well, and loved it. Despite knowing what a staple of musical theatre the show, this was my first time hearing any of the music and it was a fantastic experience. It was a brilliant conception and it has definitely become a musical I will direct only when I feel like I've received enough education. Speaking of theater education, I plan on shooting for the stars when I start applying for grad school soon. Anybody got any views on CalArts they can share? El Tortuga fucked around with this message at 09:05 on Jul 10, 2011 |
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Jul 10, 2011 05:28
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Let's not get ahead of ourselves, I actually haven't applied at all, nor do I know when I will be. I plan on going for their directing program. However, CalArts accepts only two directing grad students per year, so at this point it's just a pipe-dream. I was just really seeing if anyone had any opinions about it. And grad school is definitely what I want to pursue. I'm about a semester away from graduating (finally, in my seventh year), and all I've been taking is the remaining core classes I have. With all my theatre courses out of the way, I've realized just how much I like actually learning about theatre. Regardless of what I do about grad school, when I get my B.A. in Acting and Directing, I may just end up trying to get in at CalArts at the bottom level and earning a degree in straight-up directing.
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Jul 11, 2011 03:32
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Wolfgang Pauli posted:The big thing to focus on while being a college techie is experimentation. One should go out of his way to play with things then, because there's not nearly that much leeway commercially. Seriously, I cannot say how valuable college theatre is in the right environment. Speaking as director, it's so important to get that experimentation in your style done before you get out in a world with people telling you what show you're going to direct, who you're going to cast, and what style you'll be working with. Of course, it's not like that at the top-tier of directors, but I guess we can't all be Broadway directors. Every director has to attend college, when you can direct Hamlet and throw so many metaphors, color imagery, and montages-to-music that it's practically unrecognizable.
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Jan 2, 2012 22:50
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So I've got nothing to contribute to any discussions at hand, but this is the only plays to talk shop in all of SA. Anyone in the thread based out of Austin? The wife and I are moving there next month and I cannot wait. There is nothing for me in my current city. It's got a great college theatre department, but community theatre-wise, it's lacking, especially for a director. The large theater is (was, as of recently) ran by an ego-manic that's afraid of anyone with an ounce of talent and education. And the small one doesn't have a real good grasp of what it means to actually run a theater. But the small theater is the only one willing to let me direct anything. Even if all it means is that since January of last year all I've gotten to direct has been a production of Little Shop of Horrors, and Into the Woods. Now, granted they've been great experiences and production, I am losing my mind. Actually, that's stretching the truth a bit, Into the Woods was, and will probably always be, one of the toughest experiences of my directing-life. I had to direct a production of Into the Woods in a 100-seat theater with minimal lighting and backstage areas. While the show turned out great, I've had to take like a six month directing break. tl,dr - I'm moving to Austin because I want to do some theatre besides community theatre musicals.
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Jun 8, 2013 03:22
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 12:35 |
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Rap Game Forum Mod posted:Isn't it suppose to be spelled "theater"? Can we get a mod to fix the title please? "Theater" is for when you're talking about the building you go to watch plays and movies in. "Theatre" is the actual art of acting, directing, stage managing, all that stuff. So yep, the thread title is correct.
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Jun 13, 2013 07:06
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