Innovations in Theater History

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 6:15am

Hey guys, I've been struggling on what topic to choose for my National History Day project... My teacher said that I could do something in the theater area, but I honestly have no idea what to do it on! It can be any aspect of theater, including a form of theater or method of acting. (Trust me, I've been lying in bed staring at the ceiling trying to figure this one out.)
The theme this year is Innovations in history. The only restriction on choosing the topic is the fact that this innovation must be 10+ years old.
If you guys could figure anything out, it would be greatly appreciated by me and my sleeping habits!
Thanks!
KirbyCat (:

[binau]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 6:26am

All the innovation in theatre IS basically 10+ years old, so you won't have any worries there.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 6:27am

What about the use of automation in production and lighting design? Not only did it completely change how shows could be designed, but it changed how (ie, script style) shows could be written..

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 6:33am

Ooh I like that one! Thanks!
Do you think there's a lot of material to research on that?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 6:44am

There most definitely is! You can find anything and everything out there.. within the past year, I DID read a great piece in Stage-Directions (I believe) about how automation has completely changed sound in Broadway houses because, while individual motors might be silent, numerous winches in the show deck and numerous automated lights and their cooling fans add up to create a level of white noise that causes the sound levels to be boosted higher to cover up that unwanted 'static', and because of that, completely alters how the sound is mixed within the acoustic space.

The book "The Performing Set: The Broadway Designs of William and Jean Eckart" (who are two of my favorite designers of all time and worked on such shows as Julie Andrews' Cinderella, the original productions of Lil Abner, Mame, Damn Yankees, etc) includes great material about how they revolutionized scenic design and were among the first designers to use primitive automation in their sets...

There are also many things out there about it has evolved over the decades - from totally manually operated sets - to hand operated winches - to converyer belt style devices - to the now extremely precise automated scenic movements set by computer...

Many writers have spoken about how you used to have to plan for scene changes and how, essentially, scenes would alternate between a full stage to an in one scene and back to a full stage set so that stagehands could change the sets upstage of the backdrop during the in one scene, but now you have the absolute freedom to let it go because the scenes can "effortlessly" and rapidly flow...

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 6:54am

If I were doing this I would do something along the lines of how certain shows created a trend of similar shows. For example, Hair was new and unexpected and then Rent was highly influence by that and followed by In The Heights or Spring Awakening. Or you can do something about a rather risky show involving race or something like that.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 6:57am

Drunk Chita,
I think that would be a great choice for a paper as well, but couldn't that be considered more as the abb and flow of a trend rather than an innovation?

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 7:02am

Not exactly. Innovate means to introduce something for the first time. Hair introduced a more rock (what exactly would you call that?) based score, that was innovative.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 7:10am

True. Just tossing around and playing Devil's Advocate as I am obviously not familiar with the mindset of teacher, so you never know if the belief has to be debated in justifying the chosen subject. It's quite a wide reaching umbrella of subject matter.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 7:20am

Maybe it's just because I've seen a few articles in the past few days, but what about the introduction of body mics?

[Kad]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 9:11am

Aeschylus adding the second actor.

[Oldschool]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 9:36am

Body mics, yes. Although they have had the detrimental effect (at least in the US) of having actors rely on their mic instead of projecting to the back of the house, they allow directors to stage a scene without consideration that an actor had to be speaking to the audience -- they now could be speaking in any direction and still be heard through the sound system.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 2:48pm

Didn't Aeschylus introduce the third actor (ie: Cassandra and Pylades)?

Posted: 10/29/09 at 2:57pm

I'd go for automation and computers and the effect that had on set design and Broadway. Seth Rudetsky was just talking about all the great "In One" numbers (Songs performed in front of the show curtain) that wouldn't exist if composers didn't have to cover for lengthy set changes.

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 10/29/09 at 3:21pm

Wow! What a response! Thanks so much, guys!
First of all, I'd just like to say that to make this project harder on myself, I've decided to make a mini documentary, not a paper. (I'm terrible at writing in essay format.)
But I would also like to mention, as somebody pointed out before, my teacher is going loose with my choice of theater, because she doesn't know the first thing about it.
If you guys want to know a little bit more about National History Day, check out the official site-http://nhd.org/

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 11/4/09 at 5:30pm

Hey guys, just an update with a quick question...
-First of all, I've decided to make a mini-documentary on how innovative shows such as Hair was a gateway show for so many other successful (and not as successful) shows. My teacher agreed with me that this is a broad enough topic for it to touch on political issues.

-Secondly, I tried to find this on the search, but where can I find hq production shots of shows? I know there was a thread on this before but I just couldn't find it...
Thanks!
:)

[alightinthedark23]

Posted: 11/4/09 at 5:43pm

Good Idea. I would also mention Rent and how it allowed a genre of shows to develop that deal with modern day issues. Obviously Rent deals with AIDS and it sorta paved the way for shows like In The Heights and Next To Normal to be written.

Updated On: 11/4/09 at 05:43 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 11/4/09 at 6:09pm

Lol, yes, ReNt pretty much re-invented Broadway (not). Stick to designs.

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 11/4/09 at 6:22pm

Oh GOD no, Blaxx, I know very well that RENT did not re-invent broadway. Yes, it was a landmark musical (I'm by no means a Rent-head though), but I would only mention how it was an innovative musical just like Hair was, that opened doors up to shows such as Next to Normal and Passing Strange.
I will definitely not go too much in depth with Rent, as I am only given 10 minutes.

But thanks, A Light in the Dark, I will definitely take what you said in to consideration and use what you said and apply it to my project in all! Updated On: 11/4/09 at 06:22 PM

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 11/4/09 at 6:24pm

broadwayguy2: I was fascinated by your long entry explaining at least in part why sound design today has to be louder than it used to be. I loathe the high amount of amplification in use for most shows today, especially the audio boost at the end of musical numbers, often creating a distorted sound. Examples: Audra McDonald's songs in RAGTIME and Patti LuPone's songs in GYPSY. Here are two strong singers that simply don't need the boost. What a waste!

If you are interested in scenic design you might also consider the heavily illustrated book on Jo Mielziner titled "Mielziner: Master of Modern Stage Design" by Mary C. Henderson. It is very readable and informative.

Speaking of famous songs done "in one", probably the best known one is "There's No Business Like Show Business" from ANNIE GET YOUR GUN. And songs in one, at least in the old days, were not done in front of show curtains which were used only during a show's overture, and were behind the house curtain which was in place when the audience entered the theatre. Songs in one were usually performed in front of a plain traveler curtain.