My wife, Maria and I write a monthly column about theater for Appleton Monthly magazine. The theater is one of the areas of common interest that we have shared from the beginning of our relationship. We went to Attic Theater here in the Valley. Often we traveled to Milwaukee, Chicago and NYC for performance. When we moved to Milwaukee we were season ticket subscribers to Next Act theater and we also went to selected performances at the Rep, In Tandem and so many storefront theaters, I can't even remember all of their names.
Why live theater? I 've heard many of the reasons why not. I just rather watch TV. I don't like crowds. It's too expensive. If the actors were any good they would be in Movies or TV. It's downtown at night that's dangerous.
While all of these excuses sound dismissive they are at their heart just excuses. The funniest reason I've ever heard of about going to the theater is that it's like going to an automobile race. It's possible there is going to be an accident. And while that sounds crazy, if you go to a performance there is the intimacy in watching the live performance that is risky.
I remember watching a performance of "Master Harold and the Boys". It was in a small theater. The seats were in a U shaped configuration, three rows deep. It held maybe a hundred people. The front row where I sat was "can't stretch your legs our you're on stage" territory. One actor in a highly dramatic scene was literally sweating on my shoes. It's like watching your neighbors in a fist fight. You can't ignore the drama. You get the joke. You are part of the play. The audience is the element that separates rehearsal from the performance.
And things can go wrong. Ask any actor nationally famous or local. Actors forget their lines, Props aren't where they are supposed to be, Lighting comes late or in the wrong place. I once saw Marie Osmond, in Green Bay at the Weidner, who was doing a scene with some children. Her microphone suddenly wasn't working. She became aware of it and she calmly picked up one of the children, held the child in her arms and sang into the microphone on the child. After the song was complete, she got a long, loud and enthusiastic applause because many of us realized what she had done. So yes there is the possibility of a train wreck.
Maria, some friends and I traveled to Stratford, Ontario for the Shakespeare Festival, held each summer. Stratford trades on the reputation its famous cousin in England the very theater that Shakespeare originally staged his plays. They perform more than Shakespeare. The town runs its clock on the curtain time of the three venues they perform in. We watched a riveting performance of "Waiting for Godot" in a converted hocky rink.
We toured the state of the art Mainstage. During the tour, a person who was obviously new to stage performance asked, "How come I've never heard of any of these actors?" The guide pointed out that many actors prefer to work on stage and they don't do films or television. And it's true, many highly acclaimed stage actor from Broadway can go anywhere they choose and they will probably not be recognized, no matter how many Tony Awards they have won.
It reminded me of a story that Dustin Hoffman tells. They had filmed a performance of Auther Miller's "Death of a Salesmen" for Public Television. He got a call from Miller before it aired. Miller remarked that Hoffman should be thrilled. He pointed out that when it would be shown, that one showing would be viewed by more people than had ever seen in a theater.
Maybe, I'm a sucker for drama. Maybe... no, honestly there's a lot of envy in me. I wish many times that I had tried acting. But then I wish I was good enough to have played professional golf too. Live theater is an experience that sends you home with questions. It challenges you, entertains you. Like a seductress, it can have you in its embrace before you realize no one is eating popcorn.
Why live theater? I 've heard many of the reasons why not. I just rather watch TV. I don't like crowds. It's too expensive. If the actors were any good they would be in Movies or TV. It's downtown at night that's dangerous.
While all of these excuses sound dismissive they are at their heart just excuses. The funniest reason I've ever heard of about going to the theater is that it's like going to an automobile race. It's possible there is going to be an accident. And while that sounds crazy, if you go to a performance there is the intimacy in watching the live performance that is risky.
I remember watching a performance of "Master Harold and the Boys". It was in a small theater. The seats were in a U shaped configuration, three rows deep. It held maybe a hundred people. The front row where I sat was "can't stretch your legs our you're on stage" territory. One actor in a highly dramatic scene was literally sweating on my shoes. It's like watching your neighbors in a fist fight. You can't ignore the drama. You get the joke. You are part of the play. The audience is the element that separates rehearsal from the performance.
And things can go wrong. Ask any actor nationally famous or local. Actors forget their lines, Props aren't where they are supposed to be, Lighting comes late or in the wrong place. I once saw Marie Osmond, in Green Bay at the Weidner, who was doing a scene with some children. Her microphone suddenly wasn't working. She became aware of it and she calmly picked up one of the children, held the child in her arms and sang into the microphone on the child. After the song was complete, she got a long, loud and enthusiastic applause because many of us realized what she had done. So yes there is the possibility of a train wreck.
Maria, some friends and I traveled to Stratford, Ontario for the Shakespeare Festival, held each summer. Stratford trades on the reputation its famous cousin in England the very theater that Shakespeare originally staged his plays. They perform more than Shakespeare. The town runs its clock on the curtain time of the three venues they perform in. We watched a riveting performance of "Waiting for Godot" in a converted hocky rink.
We toured the state of the art Mainstage. During the tour, a person who was obviously new to stage performance asked, "How come I've never heard of any of these actors?" The guide pointed out that many actors prefer to work on stage and they don't do films or television. And it's true, many highly acclaimed stage actor from Broadway can go anywhere they choose and they will probably not be recognized, no matter how many Tony Awards they have won.
It reminded me of a story that Dustin Hoffman tells. They had filmed a performance of Auther Miller's "Death of a Salesmen" for Public Television. He got a call from Miller before it aired. Miller remarked that Hoffman should be thrilled. He pointed out that when it would be shown, that one showing would be viewed by more people than had ever seen in a theater.
Maybe, I'm a sucker for drama. Maybe... no, honestly there's a lot of envy in me. I wish many times that I had tried acting. But then I wish I was good enough to have played professional golf too. Live theater is an experience that sends you home with questions. It challenges you, entertains you. Like a seductress, it can have you in its embrace before you realize no one is eating popcorn.
Comments
Post a Comment