#theatre industry

[alikandhoney]

Anyone ever think about the fact that Broadway was dying and we begged and scram about accessibly when the audiences they are trying to curate could come together from far and wide if they only normalized proshots of productions, live streams of productions and made ticket prices affordable to younger audience that were hungry for the content and instead they hand over more and more roles to celebrity cast members and put up musicals about shit 80s movies to try and leech off of their fan base to feed this dying bastion of the arts that almost no one wants to think of and anything but a business any more right? Like god I’m in the theatre industry, I’m getting my MFA in theatrical design, I know what the business side of theatre looks like and what you need to do sometimes to keep a theatre a float but I also know what it looks like when people are actually trying to make fucking art and when they’re not. And recently most of what I hear about how productions update their casts or how they shut down or the new works getting put up tells me that hardly anyone is thinking about the art anymore. You’re casting Orville peck in cabaret? Maya hawke is Eurydice ? Shut the fuck up shut the fuck up shut the fuck up!! Every fucking musical is some movie remake thoughtless trash and we all fucking clap and cheer—I’m TIREDDDDDD im fucking TIRED.

[thestarlightsapphic]

Feeling Safe on the Stage

Mentions of staged intimacy in the form of hugs/embraces, stage kisses, and briefly on intimacy coordinating for more intense staged intimacy. Mentions of staged violence and staged fights

As someone who doesn’t like physical touch, that is pursuing a theatre career where there is quite a bit of physical touch, it can be pretty challenging to navigate sometimes. For myself, I find it difficult to come across as convincingly physical (hugs/embraces, stage kisses, hand holding, etc) when my first instinct in those moments is not really comfortable. Feeling comfortable and safe on stage is so key and important to me, and it’s important for me that others feel safe executing certain scenes on stage that may bring up some discomfort or questions of safety. Especially when it comes to blocking any forms of violence or intimacy.

Of course, if you have boundaries for yourself, you should never feel that you have to cross those boundaries! Many directors are willing to work with your boundaries and you may be approached by the stage manager or director before/after casting asking what your boundaries are for stage intimacy! I’ve been asked several times when offered a role/call-back if I’m comfortable with performing a stage kiss, or what my limitations and expectations would be on how to perform one. Be honest with yourself and don’t push yourself for a role!

For me, I’ve learned that I have a lot of walls that go up. And those walls become ever apparent when I invite physical touch. Physical touch has never been my thing, but based on my personal boundaries, I am willing to perform certain actions on the stage. There are many factors that go into helping me feel safe to perform those actions though, so I wanted to talk about some of the ways that you can help yourself know that you are safe on the stage.

1. Intimacy Coordinators

Intimacy Coordinators are the amazing people who help to block any form of intimacy on the stage. A coordinator I worked with even stepped in to block a simple arm gesture where the other actor would gently brush my arm with his hand. The intimacy coordinator typically will work with the involved actors in a private setting, and will ask all participants what they are okay with, and if there’s anything the coordinator should be aware of for each individual. Their job is to make the blocking as comfortable and effective on stage as possible. Believable for an audience, and safe for the actors. It makes the action feel like choreography, rather than actual intimacy. These are some of the BEST people to work with if you’re nervous about a scene, because they will work with you to ensure you are comfortable. Talk to your stage manager about intimacy coordinating and communication if you are unsure about how blocking will be handled for a scene that is causing you a bit of worry! Your stage manager is your advocate and will pass on the request to the director!

2. Connection/The Power of HOLD

I’ve had some intense scenes that I’ve had to perform on stage. One of those scenes involved a choreographed fight scene with rapiers. Which also involved some choreographed punches and elbows and all sorts of other embellishments. My scene partner and I, before we engaged in any form of choreographed combat, would take at least 5 minutes and connect. We actually did some trust exercises occasionally, which were quite fun. We would walk through the choreo slowly without our rapiers, and would do a fight call with our choreographer at a slow speeds. Eye contact and communication with my scene partner was crucial. I needed to be able to trust that we both were solid on our choreography, and ALSO that we were in sync enough to catch on if there was a slip up!

My partner and I actually did encounter one mistake that led to a minor injury, but because we were both in sync, we were able to HOLD and stop before anything major happened. I miscalculated a distance and ended up taking a hit to the face accidentally. I called for a HOLD and the scene immediately stopped. Which also, for you, is a good reminder that in any scene. Especially in moments of staged violence and combat, and even in intimacy, you ALWAYS, have the power of HOLD. If you ever feel unsafe in a scene, or you KNOW that a scene has lost control, you have the power of HOLD. Confidently and loudly shout HOLD and the Stage Manager or Director will take over. All action around you should come to a halt. This call can also occur during set transitions, dances, etc. Any situation that involves immediate danger is a call for a HOLD.

3. Your Stage Manager

This one might be biased, because I also am mainly a stage manager, but you’ll probably have noticed that I have mentioned their name already quite a few times. Yes! Your Stage Manager is your #1 Advocate. If you’re having an issue with another actor/production member? Talk to your stage manager. Someone is making you feel unsafe/uncomfortable? Let your stage manager know. As a stage manager myself, I am not afraid to confront someone that is hostile or uncomfortable. Conflict management and protecting cast/crew is my job and I will gladly do it. Your stage manager is there to help you, and is there to help you to do the job that you need to do! The stage manager should be able to listen to you and find the best possible strategy to handle the problem. They are the direct form of communication to your director, producer, designers, etc. But unless you give them permission, your business is your business. They are not going to bring up your conflicts to the director unless absolutely necessary. If you want confidentiality when talking to a stage manager, you only need to ask for it. Trust your stage managers though, they are your best resource.

4. Finding What Works for YOU!

When I do a stage embrace or a stage kiss, or any form of staged intimacy, my first instinct is always the walls going up. However, I’ve figured out some little tricks that really help me to better perform these actions on stage. For me, I have certain people that I’m more comfortable hugging than others. And my scene partner during one of our connection talks, learned that one of those people has an association of roses for me. So, I asked very politely if he was comfortable with me using an essential oil stick that smelled like roses to associate the sensation with someone that I was extremely comfortable with. It worked so well, I could clearly envision the person in my brain during our scenes and it helped me to not freeze up on stage and not have like. 10,000 walls go up.

That is just one example though and I have others for when that trick doesn’t work, but really, find what works for YOU! Research and learn about what is helpful to make you feel in a sense, connected with your scene partner for those difficult scenes! My theatre professor shared an experience where she focused on her scene partners eyes, because she said he had kind eyes, and those kind eyes made her think of safety and warmth. So she would conjure up that image for herself to be able to find that chemistry on stage.

For a different purpose, in my rapier scene, my partner and I to establish chemistry and sibling-like tension in our scene, each came up with a unique secret in our heads with the ultimate goal being to try and figure out the secret of the other person. So what we would do, is improv lines during our practices with this back and forth question and answering, and try to figure each other out! And then in our actual scene, we would bring that energy into play with our real lines. It genuinely made our connection much more fun and engaging!

5. Understanding Your Limits

Finally, coming to a close, please never feel the need to push your boundaries! You should never have to push past your limits, ever. You especially should never feel pressured to perform a scene that makes you uncomfortable. If you have values as an actor that you want to keep, talk to your director/stage manager, or even have a section on your resume dedicated to your values as a performer. If you aren’t comfortable with stage kisses or intimacy, you are allowed to feel that way, and you are allowed to make your voice heard on your discomfort. I also would recommend having a spot on your resume for a show where certain roles have those scenes. For example you could formulate it as:

I (am/am) not comfortable performing a (stage kiss/other form of staged intimacy) and (would like/would not like) to be considered for any roles that involve these actions. I am willing to speak with a director or stage manager further on my boundary.

Don’t be afraid to speak with the director/stage manager further if approached! If they really want you for a certain role, they might be willing to work with you on finding a solution. Hear them out, but don’t feel pressured if you still aren’t sure! You can always walk away at the end of it all.

This was an extremely long post, and I’m sure it’s not absolutely perfect, but I appreciate it nonetheless if you’ve gotten this far! If anyone ever has any questions or wants to converse about the theatre industry, please don’t hesitate to contact my inbox or DM’s! Thank you so much for reading and hopefully in some ways this information was helpful?

[t-jfh]

Anchuli Felicia King is a Thai-Australian playwright and multidisciplinary artist. (ABC Arts: Teresa Tan)

Playwright Anchuli Felicia King had to leave Australian theatre in order to conquer it.

By Dee Jefferson

ABC Arts - 31 October 2019

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David Koutsouridis is an award-winning Australian comedy writer based in Los Angeles. (Supplied)

Aussie writer on Hollywood picket lines says strike is pivotal for global entertainment industry.

By Mawunyo Gbogbo

ABC News - 7 June 2023

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Our local industry is being shaped and shaken up by the international streamers, including Netflix who produced the reboot of Heartbreak High. (Netflix)

As the US actors' and writers' strike continues, how does the Australian screen industry measure up?

By Hannah Reich for Stop Everything!

ABC Arts - 19 September 2023

[six-costume-refs]

Hey y’all, there’s a good post by Allie Trimm over on Instagram that addresses and gives an example of fatphobia in the industry. Good read for anyone who is wants to better understand how + the industry continues to uphold fatphobia and is alright reading about the topic!

CW for some specifics re lbs and weight loss and specific fatphobic comments.

Here’s the link.

[starlit-mansion]

there's something so poetic about coyote vs acme being the thing that causes wb's 'the producers' ass scheme of shitcanning movies for tax breaks to blow up in their face and cause them to turn to the camera, blink twice, and dissolve into a little pile of ash that their eyes fall down into with a little bounce

[dontbotheraziraphale]

imagine being industry darling david tennant and having been industry darling david tennant for a good few decades and they still manage to misspell your name at the olivier awards - for which - by the way - you've been nominated multiple times now

[marquisecubey]

I have a new dnd character and I’ve been drawing her so much for the past week uuuuuuhhhhhh anyway here’s sister Frenelle I named her after a type of light fixture

(Congratulations! You have clicked on the Read More and you have unlocked her long ass backstory. Enjoy this thing I sent to my dm, which I can only assume that she must have liked because she gave me a free legendary magic item lmfao. Don’t worry if you’re not up to snuff on Eberron specific lore, I catch you up on the important bits.)

The secret child of an elven nobleman and a human scholar, Frenelle Albright was born in the isolated island nation of Aerenal.

Aerenal was not a kind place to anyone who was not a full-blooded elf, and with very few flesh and blood friends to talk to, her mother's wide collection of books became her dearest companions. From an early age, the doctor saw great intelligence and curiosity in her daughter; the tomes she pulled from her mother’s shelves were leagues above her expected reading level, and by the age of eight, she could even hold entire conversations about complex historical topics.

Humans cannot wander freely across Aerenal with no reason, but it was a vital place when it came to Dr. Albright’s research. The goal of the books she was writing was to help the rest of the world gain a greater understanding of Aereni society, and to hopefully encourage them be less afraid of their open practice of necromancy. But sadly, while it was a fantastic place for a researcher, there were also very few opportunities for her bright young daughter to truly flourish and learn at her own pace. So one day, she had a difficult conversation with her daughter: For the next several years, she would stay on the island, while Frenelle would be moving across the sea to attend a boarding school in Fairhaven on her father’s coin.

Frenelle was terrified at first of being alone. She was already a terribly shy girl by nature, and the new city and climate were overwhelming. For the first month, she hardly spoke to anyone at all, not even to her teachers. However, over the next few months as she properly settled into Fairhaven, she was taken aback by how welcoming the new environment was, especially compared to the coldness of her hometown. People actually wanted to talk to her, and they remembered her name. She had peers that she could talk to about all of the math and magic and history that were bottled up for so long, and when she excelled at a topic, she was rewarded instead of scolded.

The most exciting thing about the academy was that she wasn't even the only half-elf there. Or rather, Khoravar as they called themselves, and as they called her too. The main group of khoravar who took her under their wing were a group of rambunctious kids from House Lyrandar, and it was here that she met her best friend, a boy named Leeko.

Leeko was outgoing, kind, and a bit of a hothead, but he was also passionate and smart in the same way she was. He loved all of the flying machines and massive airships that his family was building, and he talked intensely about how excited he was to pilot them one day, proudly showing off the Dragonmark of the Storm on his right hand. Despite them seeming like total opposites at a glance, the two couldn't have been closer. Every time they met up to try and study for classes, they'd end up talking for hours on end about everything from old magic to new technology. For the first time in her life, Frenelle wasn't alone.

Each year, she would return home to her mother for a couple of weeks, but as she continued to thrive in Fairview, she began to notice that the doctor was growing more isolated and depressed each year back on the island of the dead. Eventually, she was able to convince her mother to leave behind her studies, coming home with her daughter, never to return.

Frenelle quickly rose to become one of the top students in her class, graduating from her boarding school with honours and moving on to study divination magic and history at the University of Wynarn. By then, Leeko had left for the island of Stormhome to train as a pilot, but the two continued to write long, cascading letters to one another every single week.

Her unconventional background gave her a unique perspective when it came to her studies at Wynarn. This was all well and good, until it led to her constantly interrupting professors during lectures to question their biases. This was especially true when it came to the taboo field of necromancy, which she had grown up seeing as a very normal thing in her culture. Eventually, however, she quickly grew wise to the fact that if she wanted to succeed as an academic, she would need to suck up to her less worldly professors every now and again. After all, if she wanted to make her point of view known, she should attempt to hear them out as well.

While working on one of her Master's degrees, Frenelle's work ethic and passion managed to attract the attention of a temple of Aureon in Arcanix, where she was offered a position as a novice. She was hesitant to quit her studies at first, but at the urging of Leeko, who just had gotten a job as an air shuttle pilot at the floating towers, she dropped everything and accepted the massive opportunity.

In fact, the chance to see Leeko again may have been her biggest reason for moving to Arcanix, because it turns out, she had started to develop romantic feelings for him. And, as she would later come to find, he felt the exact same way. She would even learn that he had planned on marrying her, which was no small deal of course. After all, Leeko wasn’t simply just her best friend, he was an heir to House Lyrandar, the Half-Elven dynasty who controlled the rapidly growing industry of air travel across the civilized world, using the Dragonmark of the Storm that ran in their blood.

A proper, pure Dragonmark gives a person tremendous power. Most importantly to those in the twelve Dragonmarked houses, it is a predictable power. However, the same cannot be said of the unpredictable power that results when people from two different houses produce a child. Unpredictability is volatility, and volatility is danger. For the sake and the preservation of society, all marriages and sexual relations between those with different Dragonmarks are strictly prohibited.

Frenelle didn't actually notice her mark for the first few days. She had figured it was some benign skin condition, a small rash around her eye. When it didn't go away, she went to see one of the healers at the temple, who laughed when she said she had no idea what it was. When he realized she was being serious, he explained that she was a foundling, a Dragonmarked person with no previous ties to a house.

He explained that her Dragonmark of Detection was an incredible thing.

With the power of her newly manifested mark, Frenelle became an obvious standout among the rest of the clergy in ways she hadn't even thought were possible. She could look into people's thoughts, see entirely new creatures from beyond the material world. She could protect people from danger.

The royal family of Aundair was in search of a governess for their children, but not just any regular teacher would do. They needed a cleric, a person who could embody the very will of Aureon, the god of magic, knowledge, and the law itself. Their job wouldn't be just to teach, but to physically protect the future of the kingdom. And, who in the world could possibly be better for that than the gifted foundling who just landed on the steps of Arcanix?

Frenelle walked past the cockpit as she boarded the air shuttle. The pilot smiled as he called her name and waved with a childlike excitement. She lowered her head. Words that he’d never get to speak reverberated through her skull. She felt his heart sink like a rock through her own chest. He wanted to marry her.

Vows of celibacy aren't necessarily a requirement for becoming a cleric. However, many choose to take them on in an effort to avoid mortal matters clouding their judgment. It's not as though she had much of a choice in the matter. After all, when the queen who funded your schools and the god who bestowed you these powers give you a call to action, to uphold and protect the law, you listen.

So, as a cleric with a high stakes mission, Frenelle simply chose to take that mission very seriously. And you see, it's actually fine. She's fine. They're fine. It’s fine. He’s fine. They’re fine. They're all fine. She's fine. It’s fine.

[389]

[thewhizzyhead]

I'm back in my hadestown phase again and yes I have yapped about this every damn year but I will not stop yapping about how a FILIPINO prod of hadestown that is contextualized with capitalism, climate change, and the plights of the peasantry can actually wORK and will not stop yapping about how hadestown can potentially be translated into filipino

[reginalds]

The Australian premiere of The Grinning Man, a tragicomic musical based on Victor Hugo's novel 'The Man Who Laughs'. Book by Carl Grose, music by Tim Phillips, Marc Teitler and lyrics by Carl Grose, Tom Morris, Tim Phillips and Marc Teitler.

Where the original production employed the use of puppets to portray the childhood of the lead characters, Salty Theatre has cast two disabled artists in the roles. Seventeen year old blind musician Lilly Cascun as Young Dea and disability advocate Matthew Hearne as Young Grinpayne.

They are joined by a brilliant ensemble of artists, guided by disability consultants and nurtured by the blossoming Melbourne based independent theatre company that is Salty Theatre.

The Grinning Man is now playing at the Alex Theatre in Melbourne until May 19th. Photography by Ben Fon.

[90stvqueen]

Can somebody tell me how you write a good cover letter and resume for a job you're maybe-maybe-not qualified for

[funhomes]

i’ve always been like “i love musical theatre but i’m not a performer/actor” which has largely been true cuz i don’t have the training blah blah blah but now i’m also like. but what if i love it too. what do i do about that at 29

[t-jfh]

Dual strikes by writers and actors brought Hollywood to a standstill this year.

(Photo: Mark Abramson for The New York Times)

Striking Actors and Hollywood Studios Agree to a Deal

The agreement all but ends one of the longest labor crises in the history of the entertainment industry. Union members still have to approve the deal.

By Brooks Barnes, John Koblin and Nicole Sperling

The New York Times - November 8, 2023

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/business/media/actors-strike-deal.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

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[timaeuslover001]

If they didn’t want to use “little people” in the Woked movie because of. “Offensive reasons”

They should have just used children!

I mean we saw it in the Santa Clause ? Or better yet just twice them the CGI budget to just shrink Grown men down to 4ft tall?

What’s the issue here?!v

And as much advertising I have seen for this movie I know they’re expecting a huge box office bus return for this film even if it’s not from the general audience they know that the loyalty from the Broadway audience might give them the return and sales that they were expecting because of Broadway itself, and how dedicated and loyal fans to this particular musical.

So why does Hollywood continue to change the audience and insult their intelligence as well as insult their own wallets people are using their free time fund money on an experience and a luxury we don’t have often and when we put our money towards that luxury, we wanna make sure it was worth our time because we’re not gonna see that again for a long time after.

😑

and let me solve the Boq problem before y’all start flaming my comment section: he could just be the rare munchkins that grow to be as tall as a human. He doesn’t have to be 6 feet. Obviously he could just be 5 foot seven or 5 foot six.

And it could just be extremely rare thing that happens in munchkin land, and the way they deal with it is that his parents could just build a home for him in the back like how some homes have pool houses or guest houses that could’ve been his.

BOOM! Problem SOLVED!

[dinosaursmate]

There has been zero fangirls talk I know nothing pls share

it’s a new musical from Australia that is currently playing in London which is about girl who is a fan of a boyband… whose lead singer is called Harry… they are British and all auditioned for a tv talent show and were put together as a boyband…

anyway so she is 14 and writes self insert fanfiction. She co-writes a fic with a male fan from America called @ saltypringl (the best character in the show) about Harry and the fan going on the run so he can escape his evil management who are working him to death (fan girl says she can see depression in his eyes) (also Salty throws in a mention that management are concealing “multiple queer relationships in the band”)

fan girl kidnaps Harry irl and tries to convince him to go on the run with her but he’s like wtf is wrong with you, you’re disgusting

so she and her friends decide to drug him and throw him in the woods to be found and she will magically not go to jail

he then goes back on tour but halfway through his show realises she was right and leaves the band.

there’s a lot more to the story than this and it is quite mostly played slapstick (as I’m sure you’d hope, reading that synopsis) but it lowkey offended me. The writer was inspired by the reaction when Zayn left 1D and wanted to write something that portrays how strong and valid teenage girls and their feelings are

but imho she fell short of that and the belittling and patronising she did to fandom and fic writers through it undid all the good she might’ve done.

It was written from yes, a sympathetic, but ultimately an outside perspective and offended me as a lifelong fic writer and boyband fan.

I will defend fan fiction strongly and anything that reinforces the idea that all fic is teenagers writing self insert is damaging to our community

[johntorrington]

not really doxxing myself bc if you all don’t know i’m canadian and work in theatre by this point that’s a you problem. but the stage manager i’m working with on my show later this summer has done 40 seasons at the stratford festival. what the fuck.