Essay On Modern Theatre

Technology has a critical role in the modern world of theatre. It is what makes productions a possibility. Someone who deals with a lot of this new technology is someone who has a theatre technology major. Practically everything involved with the stage is handled by Theatre Technicians. Whether it be something as simple as a curtain or drop that flies in during a production to something as vast as a mechanically rotating set, someone has to set it up or build it, maintain it, and operate it. It could even be lighting or sound work. Whatever it may be, there is a ton of technology that is used in modern productions that wasnt even close to being invented when old, historical shows were first being introduced. And unfortunately, sets don’t build themselves. And broken or damaged set pieces or components don’t fix themselves. There has to be someone responsible for all of this, all while taking the actors’ safety into the greatest concern. Without Theatre Technicians, theatre would not be as safe, realistic, or technologically advanced as it is today. Theatre Technology plays an extraordinarily large role in theatre which allows older, “ancient” shows the ability to be presented in new ways with modern technologies. Through the use of modern set construction, automation, lighting, and other modern theatre job positions the historic opera, The Barber of Seville is taken to a whole new level.

The Barber of Seville, or Il Barbiere di Siviglia in Italian, is a comic opera originally performed under the title Almaviva o Sia I’inutile [The Useless Precaution] at the Teatro Argentina in Rome on February 20, 1815 (The Barber of Seville, Britannica 1). It was not well appreciated when first produced since it was said to be a copy of Giovanni...

... middle of paper ...

...ly be ‘made’, through it’s use of the set, drops, and even costumes and makeup. This might explain why the sets were so massive and the costumes so extravagant. Today, however, every aspect involved in any show has an equal role in making the production as spectacular as it can be. Through the use of modern set construction techniques, automation technology, modern lighting techniques and technologies, and various other job positions involved in a modern theatre, The Barber of Seville is able to be taken to a whole new level. By using all of these tools, audiences are able to more clearly understand what is happening, which in the end is the main point of any production. Modern technology has revolutionized the way that theatre is presented allowing productions from centuries ago to continue to thrive and be fully welcomed and accepted by audiences around the world.