You Know It's Community Theatre When...- Page 8

[ashley0139]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 2:06pm

One of the productions I worked on had a massive set with a whole upstairs (Rumors). The techies brought a playstation and built this whole little playstation world onstage but under the set. They proceeded to call it Narnia and hang there for hours. You obviously couldn't see it, and it wasn't distracting so it wasn't a big deal at all. It was funny though.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 2:09pm

Exactly, as long as it doesn't distract the actors/crew or hinder the performance it's totally harmless. And a good way to keep people off stage distracted and quiet.

[misschung]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 2:19pm

3 words: Waiting For Guffman

[WickedForever2]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 2:49pm

They try to do ACL when only two people in the show are trained dancers (and only one of them ends up on the line) and the director is excited about "sparkly mylar gold streamers" coming from the fly space during the Finale...

[iliketheater]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 2:58pm

- you're excited when you have wigs

- "stage make-up" means something different to every actor/actress

- *or* there is designated "boy make-up" that is the standard for male actors, anything else is excess & sexuality will be questioned.

- it's someone's first show (or first show since high school)

- the show was not selected according to what's appropriate to do with the given talent, and it's very evident.

- the ensemble consists of people who didn't get the lead they wanted, and are now trying to get in with the director.

- there are less than five dancers, and everyone's in awe of them.

[PersonofInterest]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 3:06pm

You know it's comunity theatre when..

people are doing it for the pure joy of doing it.

(Sorry, I'm just a person who wouldn't be working in this industry today if I hadn't started in community theatre)

[DezBryner]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 3:22pm

You choose the show based on which kids are seniors this year.

[misschung]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 4:21pm

"You choose the show based on which kids are seniors this year."


hahahahaha sooooo true!

[Kringas]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 4:51pm

... the female love interest is overweight, and her being overweight has nothing to do with the plot.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 4:57pm

Curly is gayer more effeminate than Aunt Eller.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 5:04pm

"... the female love interest is overweight, and her being overweight has nothing to do with the plot."

If she's good, why can't she be overweight? What's wrong with that?

[Kringas]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 5:19pm

Where did I say there was anything wrong with that?

[singingbackup]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 5:51pm

...your dad makes the lighting effects for the Miss Electra in "Gypsy" because he works for a battery company (Exide/Raovac)

...the ratio of people in the audience to the people on stage is 6 to 1, in favor of the actors!

...you are cast as one of the black children in Showboat and have to use burnt cork as 'Black Face'

...a cast member shows up drunk for the matinee and you have to replace him for the evening show...no notice, no rehearsal, your lines written all over the stage and you have to duck out of a scene early, run around and throw on a tux to come back in the same scene as a different character

...the 10 or so Aggies in "Best Little Whorehouse..." consist of 4 guys, two in their 40's and two in their teens or 20 at most and they put the two out of shape 40 year olds in jocks to prance about awkwardly.

...you are understudying Magaldi in "Evita" and he's suddenly fired, but they haven't had the time to recast you in the chorus, so you have to layer your clothes to be a slaucho dance then run behind a door and pop out as Magaldi, so you have to do Buenos Aires number feeling like the Michelin Tire Man!

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 6:05pm

Kringas - Then what did you mean by it?

[HumATune]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 6:24pm

Singingbackup, please tell me that blackface one isn't real. Where in the world is that kind of crap still accepted?

[Kringas]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 7:13pm

Kringas - Then what did you mean by it?

I meant exactly what I said. Unless I'm missing the plethora of professional shows in which a heavy woman plays the love interest when her weight has nothing to do with the plot.

[BtMartin25]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 7:18pm

Wow.. i must be really lucky with my community theatre? These all sound so horrible.

if you're interested go to www.gaylafoxphoto.com and click on Grand Rapids Civic Theatre for production photos, you'll be surprised i hope

[gypsiedtokill]

Posted: 3/26/07 at 7:31pm

Speaking as someone who's been doing community theatre for nearly 17 years...since I was 2:

...everyone thinks you're crazy nerdy for doing theatre, but when you get to skip school (and be counted present) for school peformances, they're suddenly asking when they can audition.

...when you go back to see a show after you've left for college, you see at least 5 or 6 costumes that you've worn before.

...everything in Waiting for Guffman makes perfect sense. For the 150th birthday of my town, we had a guy that is sort of a legend around town because he played piano for a few Broadway tours write this show for us called "The Heart of Catawba County." It was dreadful, but Guffman was 12 times funnier after living through it.

...when you're usually doing 3 or 4 shows at once.

Community theatre was the reason I made it through high school. It was my creative outlet, and the place my friends and I were most at home. I loved almost every minute of it.

Posted: 3/26/07 at 7:46pm

Amen gypsie, community theatre is the reason why i made it through high school as well. Its a wonderful experience, and soo much fun. I wouldnt be where I am now if it wasnt for community theatre.

[Meadowlark109]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 1:53pm

I know this is an old posting but I had to share...

...you have been told it is considered "bad staging" to cross your arms, use your downstage hand or have your back turned to the audience.

...facing full front to the audience the entire time is considered "good staging."

...it is okay for actors to give other actors notes.

[kyleorlando]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 2:31pm

... Joseph spins and all the rhinestones go flying off his dreamcoat into the audience.

... the same darned lighting plot is used for every show.

... you are saddled with actresses in A Chorus Line who won't drop the F-bomb or say Jesus Christ

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 2:39pm

When the Narrator role in Joseph is split into three parts.

[Meadowlark109]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 2:49pm

Hahahaha! Yep! I was one of two narrators in Joseph. It was so dumb.

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 3:03pm

"Your show stars one of the rejects from "Grease: You're the One That I Want""

I actually did a show with one of the "rejects". Kelli Lavelle was my Ariel in Footloose. She was great actaully. Seriously some of these are dreadful Im fortunate the few community theatres around here do great work.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 3:10pm

Actually, I think a production of Joseph with a 3-person "girl group" of Narrators would work really well.