There’s an old theatre chestnut — that is basically misunderstood — that goes a little something like this: “Every scene needs to end on a button.” Sometimes you’ll even see a director pacing at the back of the theatre asking out loud, “How do I button this scene?”
One of the first thing I teach my theatre students is how to properly applaud. I don’t mean when to applaud during a live performance — I mean I teach them how to bring their hands together to make a proper and appropriate sound. Righteous applause should should have the tart sound of exploding gun powder and the retort of a shotgun.
It may seem curious to argue for authenticity in an aesthetic arena created on falsity, fantasy and the imperiled facade — but we all must strive for the authentic over the gimmick as we dare to present the world on stage.
There is no greater moment of trepidation for a Playwright — or any author, really — when you’re dealing with a Director or an editor who replies — “I’ll know it when I see it” — in response to your asking for clarification on a change they want made.
There was a time in the live theatre when actors did not wear microphones. Actors were required to develop a strong ability to project their voice in song and dialogue. It was magnificent to hear a live voice singing with a live orchestra. Today, the actors wear microphones and, for many Broadway shows, the entire orchestra is artificially amplified because the stringed instruments are playing live from a different floor in the theatre and they watch the conductor via closed-circuit television.
Continue reading → Amplification Made the Live Theatre the Radio
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