The comedy film Miss Congeniality and the phenomenal Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! where made possible through the efforts of the script supervisor and stage manager, respectively. This essay will discuss the key skills of communication and organisation in relation to these film and theatre professions and how these skills allow audiences to effectively experience and engage with the content. The script supervisor of Ms Congeniality required excellent communication skills to convey meaning in both written and verbal forms, while the stage manager of Hello, Dolly! needed organisation for management of the production and the cast and crew.
Communication, in a written form, was a key skill required of script supervisor Pam Fuller Vasquez
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The shooting of Miss Congeniality would not have followed the scripts chronology and as such the script supervisor served to supervise the production and ensure that the footage, when edited, was clear and did not emphasise continuity issues (Cybulski 2014, 2). A script supervisor requires verbal communication skills to convey and explain to the cast and crew any issues relating to the script or continuity, as well as how to solve the issue. The verbal communication a script supervisor expresses to others needs to be professional (Miller 1999, 3). The language used by a script supervisor affects how they are received by cast and crew and therefore must be appropriate to the context. A command of verbal communication is an important key skill as a script supervisor because a change in script dialogue by the actor could alter the meaning of a scene and compromise the overall production (Weldon 1946, 333). Understanding how language is manipulated and to be able to understand how these words affect the overall production meaning highlight how important communication is as a script supervisor. Communication and organisation are key skills at the base of both film and theatre productions particularly in the roles of script supervisor and stage manager (Miller 1999, 3; Pallin 2000, 16; Tannahill 2016, …show more content…
(Internet Broadway Database 2017, under Production Staff). Part of the role of stage manager is the administration of the stage management budge (Pallin 2000, 16). Organisation is required to keep the budget on track and to keep record of all transactions. Recording is an essential part of the stage manager’s role, noting transitions and scenography changes to express the vision of the director (ibid). Without this crucial skill, the production would be chaotic and unrefined. Organisation in relation to the stage manager role incorporates “…thinking ahead, anticipating…” (Fazio 2017, 11). For productions like Hello, Dolly! the stage manager must organise for understudies and be ready at a moment’s notice to figure out solutions to any production problems. As stage manager, Zaccardi is responsible for preserving the quality of the show as it continues its Broadway run (Music Jobs 2018, 1). This requires the stage manager to, as necessary, organise further rehearsals as well as to make sure that all changes and corrections are incorporated fluidly (Kincman 2017, 1-2). Organisation is required to make sure that all changes are kept up to date and that rehearsals do not conflict with production scheduling. Zaccardi would also have used his organisational skills for the management of cast and
Most people that work in theatre have a pretty good idea of what a stage manager does during rehearsals - at least, the things that can be seen. We take blocking notes, cue lines, keep track of the time, coordinate presets and scene changes, answer the questions, and solve the problems. Yet, there are so many things a stage manager does, so many balls constantly being juggled, that many elements of the stage manager’s job go unnoticed. So, in honor of the unseen, here is a sampling of some tasks a stage manager completes before rehearsal. Early in our morning, we check our phone.
In Dialogue: Theatre of America, Harold Clurman said, “we make theatre out of life” (27), and it was precisely this view that motivated him to help create a uniquely American theatre. Clurman, considered one of the most influential directors of the modern American theatre, had a unique vision of what the American theatre could become. One of the founders of the quintessentially American troupe, the Group Theatre, Clurman was a contemporary of Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg, and even married to Stella Adler for twenty years. At a ceremony honoring Clurman, Elia Kazan stated that Clurman’s “greatest achievement [was] himself” (Harold Clurman: A Life of Theatre). An important figure in our theatrical past, Clurman’s theories on theatre and directing require close attention. In this paper, I will first provide a brief biography of Clurman, second, examine his theories of theatre and directing, and lastly, I will explore his criticisms of the then-contemporary theatre, and draw conclusions to the current state of the Broadway theatre.
Key terms will be pointed out and highlighted, as well as described in relation to the examples extracted from the film. To begin with the film started out with a communication climate that was both tense and without verbal communication. This was mainly due to the variance in membership constructs of the characters involved. The character's included the brain Brian, Andrew the athlete, the criminal Bender, the princess Claire, and the basket case Allison. There was a great deal of interesting nonverbal communication taking place between these people. Their reactions and responses to each other demonstrated perceptual errors, which would be shown as the story progressed.
The Stage Manager is a man of many roles. Usually a stage manager is part of the non-acting staff and in complete charge of the bodily aspects of the production. In Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, the Stage Manager goes well beyond his usual function in a play and undertakes a large role as a performer. In Our Town the Stage Manager is a narrator, moderator, philosopher, and an actor. Through these roles the Stage Manager is able to communicate the theme of universality in the play. The main role of the Stage Manager is that of narrator and moderator. He keeps the play moving by capsule summations and subtle hints about the future. "I’ve married over two-hundred couples in my day. Do I believe in it? I don’t know? M….marries N….millions of them. The cottage, the go-cart, the Sunday-afternoon drives in the Ford, the first rheumatism, the grandchildren, the second rheumatism, the deathbed, the reading of the will-once in a thousand times it’s interesting"(699). Here the Stage Manager is giving insight about George and Emily’s future. He is hinting about their life and fate to come. "Goin’ to be a great engineer, Joe was. But the war broke out and he died in France. All that education for nothing" (673). The incidents discussed about are great events in George, Emily, and Joe’s lives. The Stage Manage emphasizes that the short things in these people’s lives are overlooked. There isn’t realization that it is the small parts of their lives that make a difference. His role as narrator differs from most narration. The Stage Manager’s narration shows casualness. The casualness connects the Stage Manager to the audience. "Presently the STAGE MANAGER, hat on and pipe in mouth…he has finished setting the stage and leaning against the right proscenium pillar watches the late arrivals in the audience."(671) The informality is evident since he smokes a pipe, wears a hat, and leans formally against the proscenium pillar. He also greets and dismisses the audience at the beginning and end of each act. The stage manager interrupts daily conversation on the street. The Stage Manager enters and leaves the dialog at will. He is also giving the foresight of death in the play. His informality in dress, manners, and speech, connects the theme, universality, of the production to the audience.
They operate, maintain and guard the technical assets of the theatre. This includes supervising the use of lighting, sound, communications equipment, and the use and maintenance of stage facilities. They are also in charge of supervising and assisting with set and stage construction and management. They are also the ones who monitor the condition of equipment such as the lights, sound. Finally, they are the ones who arrange for the repair and replacement within budgetary constraints.
In film however, the production is definitely a directors medium as he or she has total control over what parts of the texts are necessary and what parts are not. The director can lead an audience's attention in film by moving the camera to various angles and from various viewpoints whereas on stage this is limited as the only way in which to catch the audience's attention is by moving the spotlight on to someone at a certain part of the stage but even so they can still look around to other parts of the stage. In films their is a different chronology of events and intercutting is often used. This could be because a director feels that it's necessary to have the audience see what's happening in the other character's lives at the time something crucial is perhaps happening in another character's.
Also, to offer and accept good criticism and/or advice about how people can improve their acting abilities. Rounded Rectangular Callout: You will be hearing from us shortly by U.A. Fanthorpe What would you like to work on next? The next thing I would like to try would be to see how prejudice affects people in other ways e.g. at home, school, etc. and to develop a few dramas on that.
On March 31, I had the pleasure of seeing Hello Dolly at Mandeville High School. As a talented theater student at the school, I take the shows that are put on very seriously. Being involved in the show, helping make set pieces, and working at the box office brings light to me as an individual, every little helping hand counts. I want to make sure that my school represents theater in the best way possible. With this production put on, I am proud to say that I am a theater student at Mandeville High.
The director is a very complicated job in theatre. Their job is to bring everything (the script, costumes, actors, set, lighting, music and sound) in the play together. To manage this job, the director has to interpret the dialog, choos...
In addition to taking on a few minor roles in the play, he is also the narrator. The character of the Stage Manager as a narrator serves as a "chorus" who portrays the town's characters not only as personalities, but according to Castellitto, also "as forces" (Castellitto 2). The Stage Manager provides the omniscient point of view. He is one who knows what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen in the future (Konkle 142). For example, at the beginning of the play, the Stage Manager predicts the deaths of three characters, and two of them are major (Konkle 135).
Despite the provision of stage directions, however, a play is not simple to adapt to a cinematic form. Plays rely heavily on dialogue to communicate emotion to the reader whereas film allows for close visual representation. Filmmakers can explore creativity in adaptation in many ways unavailable and impractical in the theater. In order to maximize the emotional impact of a dramatic work, the filmmaking team can make use of several simple yet effective tools, such as the composition of frames and the variations of the camera shot. In the 1961 film adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking play A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Daniel Petrie, the filmmakers use these techniques in creative ways to communica...
“The theatre was created to tell people the truth about life and the social situation,” says Stella Adler. Theater is unique and intriguing because it blends literary and visual arts to tell a story. Throughout the course, I have learned that understanding aesthetics and sociopolitical history is essential for appreciating and applying theater in the real world. Brechtian and musical theatre styles, such as applying musical theatre in RENT, are effective methods to convey crucial historical and social messages, utilizing theater as a platform outside of the arts and for a greater purpose of positive social change.
“The theatre was created to tell people the truth about life and the social situation,” says Stella Adler. Theater is unique and intriguing because it blends literary and visual arts to tell a story. Before Theater 10, I viewed theater on the surface level: cheesy plot lines with dramatic scenarios for entertainment purposes. Throughout the course, I have learned what it means to appreciate theater, such as understanding Brechtian and Chinese theatre; however, I believe understanding theater’s ability to convey crucial historical and social messages, such as in the production of RENT, is more relevant and important for theater appreciation.
The Lion King musical is a well-known musical that has taken the stages of Broadway, West End and the rest of the world by storm (The Lion King, 1997). Regarding the process of the musical, Artistic Director Julie Taymor’s first thoughts for choosing the Lion King as the next big thing on stage, was classed as ‘impossible’ due to the film’s lack of theatrical material (The Lion King, 1997). Therefore, staging this particular work contained a great deal of uncertainty and the need for taking huge risks. Taymor (1997) suggests how ‘the Lion King was the worst idea possible to create a stage show.’ It has become evident that a number of significant barriers had to be overcome to secure the practicality of the production. In view of this controversy, this dissertation will critically analyse the success of the Lion King by exploring two significant aspects that have helped to make the musical a success. Firstly, the essential components that make up this theatrical production will be explored and secondly, the roles of each producer within the Lion King and their combined and individual influences they have had from the production will be evaluated. By analysing these two central themes, this paper will show how and why this musical has developed and achieved its phenomenal success.
“Acting is not about being someone different. It’s finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.” ― Meryl Streep. I love exploring and gaining knowledge about the beautiful craft of acting. During my journey of being an actor, I notice there are two types of actors: stage and film. Stage and film actors are different in their times of rehearsal, their relationship with an audience, and their emotional challenges.