Worskshops

I've been involved with musical theatre for a long time, but I've never understood the concepts of workshops?

What exactly are they? How do see them?

Workshops can happen anywhere. It's more or less a time to work on the script without the pressures of production. It's an incredible way to work on the material before deadlines, budgets, etc. enter the picture.

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no design (usually), but there is blocking and choreography.

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There may be times when a workshop is not being done for the right reasons as MusicMan alludes to, but generally workshops are not the devil as some people have tried to declare in past debates over this topic.

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Though many include time in front of an audience as that is the last component of theatre.

I like the idea of workshopping as you really have to focus on the writing--no one can "fix" it with a big set piece or lighting or special effect. If a show can't work dramatically in a rehearsal room, then there isn't enough meat to it.

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The workshop for Dance of the Vampires was a literary masterpiece... then they hired Crawford and Ives and sabotaged the book

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See...I do have a little bit of a problem with workshopping. I think the languid pace afforded does not necessarily allow for the best product. It gives one too much time to think and to second-guess. When a brilliant tyrant like Michael Bennett was running the show, there was an overarching vision that superceded everything in the room (including the writers). Unfortunately, there are no more Michael Bennetts.

The out-of-town tryout put everyone under the gun...and in front of a paying audience. Decisions were made quickly and in direct response to those audiences. Now, it's 'insiders' who are giving feedback...many with an agenda.

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I would def consider that a misuse of workshopping. My ideal situation comes from the models that Stuart Ostrow, Edward Albee, and the Alley Theatre used while I was in Houston--a time to rehearse and perform a new work without pressure and with honest feedback from the cast, from those aforementioned pros and from average joe audience members. There weren't any industry people involved. In fact, Ostrow had the chance to workshop several high profile new musicals at the University of Houston, but turned them down as he felt the people involved had the wrong intentions--intentions described by MusicMan and robbiej.

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