The Many Styles of Normal

Transcription

TheatreFace.com
• Upgrading for the Nederlander’s Newest Tenants
• Preparing a Portfolio
• Burying the Body at Boston Court
www.stage-directions.com
SEPTEMBER 2009
Next to Normal’s
Composer and Writer
Talk About the Path from
Thesis to Broadway
Table Of Contents
2 0 0 9
Samuel Morgan
Kurt Boetcher
S e p t e m b e r
16
28
Features
10 Portfolios That Wow
Our writer takes you through eight steps to a perfect portfolio.
By Kevin M. Mitchell
19 Sound Policy
A glimpse at the working lives of two of NYC's most innovative
audio service firms. By Lisa Mulcahy
22 Audio Manufacturers and Distributors
Just in time for AES, a directory of audio equipment manufacturers and distributors.
Special Section: New York City
14 The Many Styles of Normal
Next to Normal’s creators share how they brought life and lightness to a serious subject. By Bryan Reesman
16 Everything Old is New Again
Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre gets a beautiful renovation as
well as a technical boost. By Michael S. Eddy
6 In the Greenroom
Arena Stage gets $1.1M to support an ambitious new play development initiative, Livent founders sentenced and more.
9 Tools of the Trade
Some audio gear to keep you sounding good and working well.
28 Answer Box
Using set design to move between locations and help bury a
body. By Jacob Coakley
Columns
25 Show Biz
Times are tight—it’s time to tighten up your grant app, too. By
Tim Cusack
26 The Play’s the Thing
Plays and playwrights that still speak to us—and the human
condition. By Stephen Peithman
Departments
4 Editor’s Note
NYC holds the dubious distinction of being the only city I’ve ever
had to go through security to get to my clean clothes. By Jacob
Coakley
• Upgrading for the Nederlander’s Newest Tenants
• Preparing a Portfolio
• Burying the Body at Boston Court
www.stage-directions.com
SEPTEMBER 2009
ON OUR COVER: A scene from
Next to Normal.
4 Letters
Headset chatter on TheatreFace.com
Next to Normal’s
Composer and Writer
Talk About the Path from
Thesis to Broadway
PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Joan Marcus
Publisher
Editor
Audio Editor
Lighting & Staging Editor
Terry Lowe
[email protected]
Jacob Coakley
[email protected]
Jason Pritchard
[email protected]
Richard Cadena
[email protected]
New York Editor
Editorial Assistant
Bryan Reesman
[email protected]
Victoria Laabs
[email protected]
Contributing Writers Tim Cusack, Michael S. Eddy, Kevin M. Mitchell, Lisa Mulcahy, Stephen Peithman, Bryan Reesman
Consulting Editor Stephen Peithman Art Director Garret Petrov
ART
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Advisory Board
Joshua Alemany, Rosco; Julie Angelo, American Association of Community
Theatre; Robert Barber, BMI Supply; Ken Billington, Lighting Designer; Roger
claman, Rose Brand; Patrick Finelli, PhD, University of South Florida; Gene
Flaharty, Mehron Inc.; Cathy Hutchison, Acoustic Dimensions; Keith Kankovsky,
Apollo Design; Becky Kaufman, Period Corsets; Keith Kevan, KKO Network; Todd
Koeppl, Chicago Spotlight Inc.; Kimberly Messer, Lillenas Drama Resources; John
Meyer, Meyer Sound; John Muszynski, Theater Director Maine South High School;
Scott C. Parker, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film; Ron Ranson, Theatre
Arts Video Library; David Rosenberg, I. Weiss & Sons Inc.; Karen Rugerio, Dr.
Phillips High School; Ann Sachs, Sachs Morgan Studio; Bill Sapsis, Sapsis Rigging;
Steve Shelley, Lighting Designer; Richard Silvestro, Franklin Pierce College
BR
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Stage Directions (ISSN: 1047-1901) Volume 22, Number 9 Published monthly by Timeless Communications Corp., 6000 South Eastern Ave., Suite 14J, Las Vegas, NV 89119. It is distributed free
to qualified individuals in the lighting and staging industries in the United States and Canada.
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Y S
YEARS
OF SERVICE TO THEATRE
OTHER TI ME LE S S C OM M UN IC AT ION S P UB LIC AT ION S
Editor’s Note
Fourth Floor, T-Shirts
Dan Hernandez
O
ne of the strangest things about
my time in NYC is that I lived the
longest on the Upper East Side—a
fluke I can only attribute to the universe
paying me back for having me keep clean
clothes in a self-storage unit while I tried to
find a place to live. Seriously, having to sign
into a warehouse, take an elevator up three floors, find your way
through a maze of darkened hallways and then open a lock the
size of a small dog just to get a clean t-shirt is a little much.
I don’t much talk about the fact I used to live in New York.
It’s immaterial, and frankly, the New York I lived in doesn’t exist
anymore. I don’t say that out of nostalgia, just out of the simple
recognition that New York is constantly re-building itself—both
in reality, and as a concept. New York City is a locus of ideas,
buildings, people, subways and everything else that make up the
metropolis. And it has a particular gravity on theatre practitioners
of all ages. So love it or hate it, we’re spending a little more time
there in this issue, and I’ll be visiting it in reality for AES in October.
This time hopefully I won’ t need to warehouse my clothes.
Jacob Coakley
[email protected]
Letters
Headset and Backstage Etiquette
A recent conversation in the Stage Management group on
TheatreFace.com centered around teaching proper headset
etiquette to students who were on crew. Here are some excerpts
from the conversation.
I'm the "chief cook and bottle washer" for the stage-tech
world at a high school, and I'm asking for your recommendations for online resources regarding backstage etiquette and
(especially) headset etiquette.
Thanks!
Robert
Hi Robert,
As a Production Stage Manager/Show Caller here's my
take: The less experienced the crew, the more important
headset etiquette and general professionalism become. In
my opinion, crews shouldn't become chatty on headset at
all. Crewmembers should be focused on their tracks, not
conversing. Having said that, the SM or whoever is calling
the show should be the final word on the matter.
For young crews, the excitement of doing show with
their friends can be more than they can keep to themselves. It's important to stress to them how important it is
for the SM to hear what is happening onstage without the
distraction of outside conversations. Turning off department-specific channels is not a solution. The SM needs
to have the attention of every single crewmember at a
moment's notice in case of trouble. Chatter is not generally
accepted in the "professional" world. That may carry some
weight with those hoping to continue in this business.
If you do decide to let them converse think about the
following:
-KEEP YOUR MIC TURNED OFF WHEN NOT TALKING.
PERIOD. Nobody wants to hear you chew gum or breathe.
- The exception to this rule is the calling SM. I generally
am the only one allowed to keep my mic open the whole
show, especially if I'm calling a busy show with lots of
cues.
- I never let me crew editorialize what's happening
onstage. If an actor were to stand behind a crewmember
and criticize them during a cue, it would be terrible for
morale. People should keep their opinions to themselves.
You never know who can hear what's being said.
- Headset chatter is a swell way to flirt, but it's really
unprofessional. Save it for the party.
- Obviously lewd/sexist/objectionable subject matter
has no place on headset.
- Save technical notes for after the show. Talking about
what went wrong
www.theatreface.com/join
only distracts from
what is coming up.
To read more hints regarding headset commu- Keep comments
nication, head over to: http://www.theatreface.
com/group/stagemanagement/forum/topics/
positive. Anything
headset-and-backstage.
beyond that can be
written down and
To join TheatreFace, visit www.TheatreFace.
discussed later.
com/join
Shawn Senavinin
TheatreFace.com
4 September 2009 • www.stage-directions.com
In the
Greenroom
Arena Stage has received a $1.1 million grant to support their ambitious
new American Voices New Play Institute
program.
“The Institute’s programs will test
promising advances around the country, with the intention of developing
the infrastructure for new plays and
new voices nationwide,” said Arena
Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith.
“For more than two years Associate
Artistic Director David Dower and
I have laid the groundwork for this
Institute, and now with the support
from the Mellon Foundation, we are
ready to build.”
The Institute will be under the
leadership of Smith, guided by
Dower and will work in partnership with Georgetown University’s
Theater Department, led by Dr. Derek
Goldman.
The American Voices New Play
Institute will begin operation with
a suite of interrelated programs:
Playwrights Residencies, New Works
Producing Fellowships, Audience
Enrichment Seminars and the NEA
New Play Development Program.
The residencies will offer three playwrights—one senior, one mid-career
and one local—three-year residencies
with a living wage to write. The first
Resident Playwright will be D.C. native
Karen Zacarías.
In consultation with the Foundry
Theatre in NYC, the New Works Producing
Fellowships will immerse three budding
artistic producers in a year-long effort
to learn the best practices of creating,
resourcing and managing a new play’s
development path from first impulse
through production by producing the
development processes of the Resident
Playwrights and supporting the producing of the Institute’s public programs.
The Theater 101 Audience Enrichment
Seminar will be an extended seminar
each year to 100 intergenerational audience members interested in deepening
their understanding of the process of
new play development.
The Institute will also house the
ongoing National Endowment of the
Arts New Play Development Program
hosted by Arena Stage.
Livent Founders Drabinsky, Gottlieb
Sentenced to Prison
The Canadian trial of Garth Drabinsky and Myron Gottlieb, a pair who
spent lavishly on massive productions such as Ragtime and Kiss of the
Spider Woman that they presented as money-makers while heads of
Livent, reached its conclusion in August when the two were sentenced
to prison for defrauding investors. Drabinsky was hit with seven years in
prison and Gottlieb was sentenced to six. Both were found guilty of two
counts of fraud each and one forgery charge in March.
Justice Mary Lou Benotto sentenced Drabinsky to four years on one
fraud charge and seven years on the second, to be served concurrently.
Gottlieb got four years on the first count of fraud, and six years on the
second, also to be served concurrently. The forgery conviction for each
man was stayed.
Benotto found that Drabinsky and Gottlieb masterminded a scheme
of fraudulent accounting that started in 1989 when Livent was still
private, and used those methods to keep it afloat as a publicly traded
company from 1993 to 1998. They misallocated pre-production costs to
fixed assets, and hid expenses by moving them to future quarters and
from one show to another, the judge ruled. Drabinsky and Gottlieb still
face prosecution in New York City.
theatre buzz
Arena Stage Receives $1.1 Million Grant
Nominations Open for the 2009 Stage Directions High
School Theatre Honors Program
Stage Directions magazine is performing an encore for its successful High School Theatre
Honors program. The program honors outstanding theatre programs across the country and
Canada. Theatre administrators, students and fans are encouraged to nominate spectacular high
school theatre programs at www.stage-directions.com/tophighschools. Stage Directions will also
survey teachers, professors and recruiters across the country to honor those who excel. The winners from each region (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Northwest, Southwest and Canada) will be
will be profiled in the November issue
“The Crime of the Century” number from Bishop Blanchet High School
production of Ragtime. Bishop Blanchet was the 2008 HS Theatre
Honors winner in the Northwest region.
Skylight
Opera Theatre
Managing
Director Eric
Dillner Resigns
Several weeks after igniting
a local firestorm by eliminating
the position of artistic director
at the Skylight Opera Theatre
in Milwaukee, Eric Dillner
resigned as managing director.
Interim Board President Terry
Kurtenbach made the announcement on August 5, and also said
that Skylight Alums Colin Cabot
and Joan Lounsbery will return
as interim managing director
and artistic director, respectively.
"I had to make many difficult
decisions to streamline the company and it is now best for me
to step aside and let someone
else carry it forward,” Dillner said
in a statement released by the
Skylight Board of Directors. “I
wish the Skylight the best in all
its future endeavors and leave it
in the hands of a capable staff,
and fiscally responsible and caring Board of Directors.”
www.stage-directions.com • September 2009 7
industry news
USITT Announces Celebrity Speakers for 2010 Show
USITT has announced a partial line-up of special speakers and session presenters for its 50th Annual Conference in 2010.
Sally Struthers will kick off the four-day lineup of focused sessions and special exhibitions at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March
31 with her Keynote presentation at the Kansas City Convention Center. Jennifer Tipton, who in 2008 was honored with a
MacArthur Foundation “genius award” will speak on Friday morning to start the Conference day.
With her MacArthur Genius Grant, Tipton was honored as a stage lighting designer who is “pushing the visible boundaries of her art form with painterly lighting that evokes mood and sculpts movement in dance, drama, and opera.”
Heather M. Kitchen
Heather M. Kitchen, now in her
14th season as executive director
at American Conservatory Theater
(A.C.T.), will step down from her
position at the end of August 2009.
Kitchen will remain available to the
company through the end of this
year as a consultant and adviser
during the transition process.
Under Kitchen’s leadership, A.C.T.’s
budget has grown from $11 million
to last year’s high of $19.5 million,
annual fundraising has tripled, the
company is on track to successfully
complete a $30 million endowment
campaign, and 11 of the 13 seasons
she managed ended with the company in a surplus financial position.
The company’s growth has included the development and performance of new work and the addition of a third year to A.C.T.’s topranked Master of Fine Arts Program.
Kitchen joined the company the
same year that renovations to the
historic American Conservatory
Theater were complete; her work
to retire the company’s deficit and
debt from those years remains
among her most significant professional accomplishments.
changing roles
Kitchen Steps Down
as Executive Director
of A.C.T.
Tools of the Trade
Bartlett Microphones TM-125
and TM-125C Stage Floor Mic
Bartlett Microphones TM-125
and TM-125C are supercardioid
boundary mics designed for
use on the theatre stage to pick
up actors in drama or musicals.
Other intended uses are capturing the footwork of dance groups. The TM-125’s miniature capsule technology prevents phase cancellations due to sound
reflections off the stage floor. Other features include a small sized
and rugged body able to withstand footsteps. The TM-125 has an
XLR connector on its side, while the TM-125C is the exact same
microphone with a 6-foot XLR cable permanently attached. Each
unit is tuned and voiced to match others within +/- 1.5 dB. Each
mic is 100% tested by the design engineers, who also offer tech
support on the mic. www.bartlettmics.com
Hosa Technoloy Da-Cappo Da12
The Hosa Technology
Da-Cappo DA12 cardioid
earset microphone features a
European designed and built
capsule with a cardioid polar
pattern designed for vocal
performers and others where
high SPL (sound pressure
level) monitoring would severely restrict gain before feedback.
The capsule incorporates a sensitivity rating of -51 dB and a maxi-
mum SPL rating of 130 dB and provides off-axis rejection by using
a front-facing capsule engineered to be positioned at the corner
of the performer’s mouth. The DA12 Cardioid is available in coffee,
beige or black. A wireless adaptor is sold separately.
www.hosatech.com
Studer Vista Console Software v4.2
Studer has released a software update for the Vista series
of consoles that includes many
features specifically designed
to help sound engineers
and designers in the theatre.
Updates include: Virtual Vista,
Theatre VCA’s, Theatre Mute
Groups, an Enhanced Theatre
Cuelist and others. Virtual Vista allows a duplicate control surface
to be run on a PC running Windows XP or Vista. It can wirelessly
sync with the mixing console so that operators can walk a theatre
and make changes to cues and speaker settings and have those
changes reflected in the console. The Enhanced Theatre Cuelist
adds new events to the cue list, allows for auto-renumbering of
cues, simplifies cue and snapshot creation and updates. By adding
library events, changes in settings can be made, and then applied
to multiple cues—e.g., EQ changes for an actor wearing a certain
costume piece can be made once, then applied to multiple cues
only when actor is wearing costume piece, as opposed to having
to be entered into each cue.
www.harman.com/studer
Feature
By Kevin M. Mitchell
PortfoliosThat Wow
Eight Steps to a Perfect Portfolio
T
Rule 1: Get a Good Camera
“When I first started out, everyone just had rendering and drawings,” says Shane Ayers, associate
professor of English and Theatre at Berea College,
Berea, Kentucky. “Then everybody did 35 mm slides so I had
to invest in a good camera.”
“When I first started putting a portfolio together it was
for graduate school, and I had no idea what I was doing,”
confesses DeVault. “For my first show I didn’t take my own
pictures, so I had to get copies from the department.” She
quickly learned to get a good camera and do them herself.
So take a class if necessary and don’t rely on others. Even
if someone else associated with the play is taking photos,
they are usually for promoting the show as a whole, as
opposed to specifically showing off some aspect of the
lighting, set, or costuming.
Rule 2: The Medium Is the Message
All three point out that technology has been a big boon
to the arts and the days of expensive photo printing and lug-
“We look at
everything very closely.”
—Shan Ayers
ging around a big book is (mostly) over. A digital portfolio
on CD is “the way to go,” says Grindle. “Suddenly if I see the
digital portfolio great young designer or technician, I can
take the CD and show others in the department. I have a
Fred M. Duer, Asst. Professor of Scenic Design, Indiana University
he artisan’s portfolio is evolving, though it’s
importance is not.
Whether applying to college, a gig, or
for a full-time position at a theatre, your portfolio
needs to not just be a haphazard collection of this
and that.
“Think of it as showcasing yourself—your
personality should shine through as well,” says
Kathleen DeVault, head of international theatre
production, production manager, and resident
lighting designer of Ohio Northern University in
Ada.
David Grindle, who created the Stage
Management Program at Indiana University,
Bloomington, points out that these days the
majority of jobs are decided over the telephone,
so having something that is easy to mail and displays your work well is critical. “I have a student
going to China for a year on a phone interview—
he never he met his boss. That’s the way the
world is right now.”
It can help to show work in various stages in your portfolio, so a working process is also documented.
portable document.”
Grindle believes strongly in PDF files: “PDF is the only
format you should send any resume, images, or part of a
portfolio,” he says. “It’s the only way to assure that everything is presented exactly the way you intend to show it.”
Otherwise, if the recipient doesn’t have the font you use, or
has an older version of a program, it might open as a complete mess—if it opens at all.
Rule 3: Choose Wisely
When Ayers looks back on his early portfolios, he thinks
he erred in including everything. “I tell my students they
need to showcase something specific to what they are looking for. Just be ready to show more.” If you’re going after a
position as a Lighting Designer, show your work as that—
just be ready to also show what you’ve done as a technical
director.
DeVault adds to not put a show in your portfolio that
you’re not positive about. If you can’t talk about it in a way
that shows you’re proud of your work, leave it out, because
you can’t be lively or engaging talking about a production
that was ultimately disappointing. She remembers well one
exchange of interviewing someone who when asked about
a particular production in his portfolio, simply said: “I have
nothing to say!”
She also advises to include “smaller” shows, as something done well with no budget in a black box can illustrate
Feature
Shan Ayers
Investing in a good camera is a must for your portfolio; even if someone else takes pictures of
the production they may not show off your design work.
a designer’s creativity. “I did an international show in
Germany where I had only 13 lights to cue,” she tells. “But I
was able to talk about the tour and what I accomplished.”
The not-so-subtle implication was if she could do this with
13 lights, imagine what she could do with 300 . . .
Rule 4: Have More Than One
Grindle has different portfolios emphasizing different
skills and experience. “When I’m trying to get a stage managing job, I have a one for that; as a director, I have a differ-
ent portfolio. I want them to think of me primarily for the
position I most want.”
Ayers adds he has three different versions of his portfolio:
an academic one, a freelance one, and an acting one.
Rule 5: Exploit the Technology
Instead of just showing an especially impressive piece
of scenery during a production, how about a split screen
that also shows the machinery driving it behind the scenes?
Technology allows you to do that and more, Grindle says.
It also allows you to show something in more than one
light—literally and figuratively.
“If we’re hiring a new scenic painting, I want to see white
light effect, while someone else will want to see what it
looks like under the show lights,” Grindle says “The technology available gives you the opportunity to expand what
you can show.”
Rule 6: Clean, Poignant Cover Letters
“We look at everything very closely,” Ayers says. “If the
cover letter is filled with typos, no matter how brilliant
their designs are, it makes you wonder about the person.”
Make someone else proofread it if necessary. Also, cover
letters don’t need to be long, but they need to be specific:
Talk about the highlights, give a specific example about a
specific success you’ve had, and cite the image that accompanies it.
Rule 7: Don’t Rely on Pure Digital
“If you’re going for a face to face,
have a physical portfolio,” advises
Grindle. “Some students have Web
sites and will e-mail a link, but I’m
not a fan of that.”
Grindle encourages his students
seeking stage manager position to
provide paper from the beginning,
middle, and end—the entire run of
the show. This allows him to get
a sense of how he or she handles
each stage. He likes to see how well
someone can anticipate things, how
they prepped.
Rule 8: Tell the Truth
“Don’t ever lie. It’s a small world
and you will be found out,” says
Grindle. He then tells the story of
a colleague being able to refute
someone’s fictionalized resume
because “everyone knows everyone
else.” He also encourages all to give
credit where credit is due. If you’re
a costumer and showing off something from one of your shows, also
include the names of the LD and the
Set Designer, etc.
The Next Thing
DVDs are coming into play.
DeVault says they are becoming
“Don’t ever lie. It’s a small
world and you will be found
out.” —David Grindle
more prevalent but still in their figurative infancy.
“People are still debating if they are good or bad,” she
says. “They are good to see, especially if you’re there in
person to describe what is being shown.”
Ayers is seeing more DVDs. “I think it’s something
we’re going to have to embrace as people become
more technically savvy.” But make sure it works—
which goes for anything digital. Make sure you go
through every chapter or track, ideally on a more than
one computer, to make sure it works.
Grindle, who has built an impressive career as a
stage manager, has an answer for those who fear their
art is hardest to translate to a portfolio. On his campus
they videotaped a rehearsal, but in the place of dialog,
they recorded the headset track. In a particularly harried production of the Nutcracker Suite, the explosion
from the cannon caught a piece of paper on fire as it
fell to the stage. “The stage manager was absolutely
brilliant on how she handled that,” he says. “I actually
use that in class.”
The Many Styles of Normal
Next to Normal’s creators share how they brought life and lightness to a serious subject
Joan Marcus
By Bryan Reesman
Brian Yorkey (left) and Tom Kitt, the writer and composer of Next to Normal
P
art of a new wave of original musicals electrifying Broadway, the Tony Award-winning Next To
Normal is not only a powerful rock musical experience but an emotionally wrenching look into bipolar
disorder and how it affects a family whose mother is
battling with the affliction. Tony-winner Alice Ripley
plays the woman caught by the storm that rages in
her mind, while her family tries to cope with the fallout and to maintain unity. Tony-winning writer Brian
Yorkey and Tony-winning composer Tom Kitt tackle
their subject matter with passion and gusto, utilizing
“What’s most important to me
about Next To Normal is that people see that we’re honoring that
struggle and hoping to shed some
light on it.” —Tom Kitt
a wide variety of musical styles to express the roller
coaster of emotions within the story. Their victory at
the Tonys was a long time coming—Yorkey and Kitt
spent more than 10 years working on this show, which
was originally entitled Feeling Electric. Retitled Next To
Normal, it went through numerous incarnations in different settings, including the New York Musical Theatre
Festival in 2005,
where Wicked prowww.stage-directions.com/n2n
ducer David Stone
jumped on board.
Online Bonus!
Stage Directions
met with Yorkey
For more conversation
and Kitt a few
with Brian Yorkey and Tom
days after their
Kitt, head over to
Tony win downstairs at the Booth
www.stage-directions.com/n2n
Theater.
Next to Normal started small—a 10-minute thesis for the writers in the BMI workshop—and maintains
that intimacy despite the Broadway-sized budget and set.
Stage Directions: There is an interesting assortment
of styles in Next to Normal, from traditional musical
theatre numbers to more bombastic rock numbers.
There’s a little a capella at one point. How conscious
were you of creating this sonic mixture?
Tom: For me, the story always drove the music. It
wasn’t necessarily setting out to do bunch of different
styles so that I could have a different palette. I think it
was really just what’s appropriate. For the pharmacologist number, for example, I remember the day that we
hit on the jazz waltz. I wanted to desensitize the drugs,
almost make it feel like it’s in radio jingle land because
I think there is a sense, especially on television when
you see these ads with a good-looking guy running
along the beach and you hear all of those warnings,
that they do try to desensitize a little bit what they’re
selling. So musically it seemed to me that that wistful,
spring-in-your-step type music worked well for that, as
opposed to saying, “This needs to be jazzier.”
Brian: The flip side, and this is where rock music
comes in, is that the show deals in extremes of emotion, especially extremes of sadness and anger and
frustration, and I think that no kind of music expresses
anger and frustration and being at the end of your rope
the way rock music does. Even the parents in this musical are in their late 30s and early 40s, and they grew up
with rock ‘n’ roll, so that would be the natural way for
them to express themselves musically. They wouldn’t
express themselves in a Harold Arlen song. That’s not
their music. Their music is Bruce Springsteen and Bon
Jovi.
Joan Marcus
What did you learn about mental illness in writing the
show?
Brian: I think I learned how pervasive mental illness is.
Every time I’m at the show I meet someone who’s bipolar
or who grew up with a bipolar parent. Literally every time
I’ve met someone at the show there’s been someone there
You guys have found humor within this tragic tale. Next To
Normal could have been one big downer, but it’s not. There
are times in life you have to laugh, even at the absurdity of
a difficult situation.
Tom: The people you laugh with are the people you care
about.
Brian: The thing about bipolar is it's sad but it's so extreme
that it is kind of ridiculous. There are certain points you have to
laugh at, like when she’s making sandwiches on the floor. You
have to laugh because the alternative is too dour. It’s too dark.
Was your intention to give the son a devilish presence? He
comes off as the villain here.
Brian: I think he’s definitely the antagonist. I think Ben
Brantley in his review said he’s angel and devil both to his
mother. That’s really true. The thing about the character of
Gabe is that he has a very specific job to do. The song “I’m
Alive,” which seems like a great, rousing pop song, is laying out
why he’s there. He’s really there to get them to deal with this
thing that they’re not fully dealing with. Michael and I always
said that he haunts the house the way that grief and loss and
sadness haunt this house and mental illness haunts this house.
This family hasn’t totally faced up to that. They’re trying to take
care of it by dampening it down and keeping a lid on it, and
what ultimately happens at the end is that they have to rip
themselves apart to start healing.
“I think that no kind of music
expresses anger and frustration
and being at the end of your rope
the way rock music does.”
—Brian Yorkey
A moment from Next to Normal, with (left to right): Aaron Tveit, Alice Ripley (who won a Tony for
her performance) and J. Robert Spencer
who says, “This is my story.” I could easily say that I wasn’t
expecting that. In developing the show we met so many
people who responded to what was onstage because it
told their story that they hadn’t seen told, particularly
not as a musical. Learning how pervasive it was and how
many lives have been touched by mental illness was a real
revelation for me.
Tom: I learned to see it in its true form, which is that it’s
a disease. I think there’s a tendency, and I think I was this
way growing up, to say, “Why can’t that person snap out
of it? Why are they acting that way?” Brian has that great
line when the doctor says it’s a disease like hypertension
or diabetes and it must be treated. To look at it that way,
to look at it as a disease that afflicts people and that there
is no rhyme or reason to it and there is no silver bullet, it’s
the struggle to live with it and to take care of it. What’s
most important to me about Next To Normal is that people
see that we’re honoring that struggle and hoping to shed
some light on it.
What was the toughest scene for the both of you work on
together?
Brian: You would think the answer would be the whole
therapy sequence, but it actually wasn’t that hard. We already
had other songs, and I was able to lay the pieces out in a row,
and Tom just took it and made it work. And to give credit
where credit is due, Anne Marie Milazzo, our vocal arranger,
and Michael Starobin, who was the Tony winning co-orchestrator, both got on board to figure out this tapestry and weave
it all together in this way that was amazing. It had no right to
work as well as it did.
Tom: Michael was so great at coming in and saying the
show needs to move quicker and we need to get to that big
moment quicker as well, so Brian and I just kept honing and
changing that sequence. We wrote new songs. For example,
the song Natalie sings at the piano is totally different from
what we had at the Second Stage.
Brian: Even though it feels fizzy and effortless, the
whole “I’m Crazy/My Psycho pharmacologist and I”
sequence was really hard. We worked on that a lot.
All Photography by Samuel Morgan
Everything
Old is New
Again
Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre
gets a beautiful renovation as well
as a technical boost
The audience chamber of the Nederlander after the renovation.
By Michael S. Eddy
W
hen Rent moved into the Nederlander Theatre in 1996,
the venue was in need of renovation. The producers and
designers wanted the space left as it was, however, as part
of the shabby aesthetic of their show. So when Rent closed after a
12-year run, the Nederlander was in desperate need of an overhaul.
Not to mention that the economics of Broadway today dictated that
the theatre be able to handle larger and technically more complex
shows going forward.
Jim Boese, VP of the Nederlander Organization, the theatre’s
owner, hired Sachs Morgan Studio: Theatre Design Specialists, to
lead a comprehensive renovation. The theatre required: roof repairs;
exterior renovation (doors and marquee signage); upgraded technical systems, including a complete overhaul of the rigging system;
installation of a brand new grid; design and expansion of bathrooms;
a redesigned seating plan; architectural lighting; a new concessions
booth; replacement of flooring, as well as carpeting; and paint and
plasterwork throughout the theatre and the lobby to bring back the
original 1920s feel to the space. Rather a large but straightforward
undertaking except for one big challenge—the timeframe. The
Nederlanders had booked Guys and Dolls as the next production, so
they had only five months from when Rent loaded out and Guys and
Dolls came in.
Sachs Morgan’s Founder and Director of Design Roger Morgan, a
Tony-Award winning Broadway lighting designer before becoming
a theatre consultant, had handled a number of historical renovations
and knew how to pull together the right team for such a demanding
project, including: EverGreene Architectural Arts, Inc. for the historical paint and plaster work; Irwin Seating; PRG Scenic Technologies
was the rigging fabricator/installer and handled the front of house
lighting position renovations; Nolan Engineering Services analyzed
the structure; SECOA
provided rigging elewww.stage-directions.com/n2n
ments; Lite Makers, Inc.
reconstructed the cusOnline Bonus!
tom architectural lightFor more before-and-after
ing fixtures; and I Weiss
manufactured the drapcomparison photos head over to
ery.
www.stage-directions.com/
nederlander
Broadway is Bigger
The mandate was to
adapt the Nederlander,
a 1,200 seat theatre—
now 1,232—so it could accommodate modern musicals. Prior to the
renovation it really couldn’t handle today’s bigger shows, especially
from a technical standpoint. Further complicating things was the
fact that although the Nederlander Theatre has not been granted
landmark status, the owners decided to treat it as if it had been, out
of respect for the original design.
Morgan explains the approach they took, “There are always
limits to every theatre design, even new ones. In this space the one
place we could make substantial improvement was on the grid. We
decided to tear out the entire grid and replace it with one where we
could do anything.”
Normally the house staff heads up most technical upgrades
with additional stagehands brought in as needed. Boese knew that
with the tight time frame as well as the extensive grid reconstruction they would need to bring in an outside company. PRG Scenic
Technologies won the contract.
“It was like working with family,” says Morgan. “These guys are
stagehands and they understand deadlines. PRG is terrific that way
plus they have wonderful people working there. Freddie Gallo,
president of PRG Scenic Technologies, is himself a terrific carpenter;
he gets right in there and works with the guys. They’re all there to
support the project and make it work.” PRG’s scope included the
demolition of the old grid, the installation of structural steel; installation of head blocks, rigging hardware and front of house lighting
positions.
Morgan realized that with the new grid they could also put in the
base for a counterweight system in the previously all hemp house,
which each production installs each time it loads in a show on
Broadway. “We decided we should put in a great grid, head blocks
and beams, so any show could put in whatever they want, wherever
they want.’”
One of the big problems was that there was not a clear wall to
put in T-track for a counterweight system. The stage right wall was
full of electrical switchgear and the stage left wall had the loading
door. The decision was made to make room in the basement, move
the electrical gear to the basement, rebuild a fly floor on the SR wall
and put in T-track from SECOA. Now any production can put in
counterweights or use a winch-assist with the counterweights.
The next step was the grid itself. “PRG came up with a clever
solution,” says Morgan. They built a platform that was about
15 feet wide and as deep as the stage, and then rigged it off
chain hoists, like a window-washing scaffold. They could go up
and down stripping out the old grid; installing the new steel
The orchestra seats under the balcony post-renovation.
Theatre consultant Roger Morgan, Founder and
Design Director of Sachs Morgan Studio (right)
discusses design changes.
beams; then put in the new grid floor.
Easier said then done according to
Gallo. “The head block beams were tricky
to install because they had to be put in
at a very high elevation and there was no
way to lift them to that height. Typically
head block beams are put in as the building is being built when they have a crane
outside. The beams were like 70-80 pounds
per foot and they were around 40-feet
long. So we ended up drilling holes in the
roof; put chain motor stands on the roof
sitting on steel beams bridling across roof
structure; and actually lifted the head block
beams into position. We couldn’t put them
in as one piece, we had to put them in
by sections and then they needed to be
welded together.”
Gallo worked closely with Nolan
Engineering Services to solve another rather tricky challenge. “The beams that were
in the building are pre-1920s steel, and the
actual chemical mix of steel was different
then,” comments Gallo. “So that steel has
less carbon in it—which for us meant the
issue was it is very difficult to weld through
it. So all of our connections were done with
a novel approach that the structural engineer came up with, a bracket to connect all
the old steel to the new grid.”
Bringing Electricity
The next challenge to give modern musicals flexibility in design was up in the front
of the house ceiling. “We put in a bunch
of front of house points that didn’t exist
before,” describes Gallo, “so now there are
ways to hang trusses just about anywhere
they want in the front of the house.”
All of the lighting positions in the front
of house also had to be addressed, especially the box booms and front balcony
rail. The Scenic Technologies crew worked
on installing the new rail, which is actually two
parallel pipes.
“I have used this method in about 20–30
theatres,” says Morgan. “I like to listen to the
crew and this makes it easier for them to hang
the clamp on one rail and put the cable on the
other, so if they need to move a light, it saves a
lot of time.”
With all of the renovation of the lighting
positions in the house, a new interconnect
panel was installed backstage. The design
team worked with Union Connector to build
a patch panel that allows the show’s dimmers
backstage to connect to the FOH circuits.
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Swiss-Cheese Orchestra
Seating is obviously important in any theatre, and so too in this renovation.
“The seats had been moved in and out so
much the orchestra floor was like Swiss cheese.
So we redid the floor,” explains Morgan. “Joe
Ferrari, the house carpenter, who is worth his
weight in gold, and the property guy, Billy
Wright, laid that floor in there, they did just a
super job.” They added two layers of ¾-inch
fireproofed plywood for anchoring the new
seats. “Irwin Seating provided the new seats.
They are a company that will never let you
down,” states Morgan. The carpeting was all
redone with a period flair that matched the
new color scheme.
Morgan brought in EverGreene who is well
known for their historical restoration work.
“EverGreene is terrific, we’ve done a lot of work
with them,” says Morgan. “They have their own
plaster shop and we had major plaster damage
here.” They handled both the plaster work and
the painting of the new colors—muted greens,
browns and the gilded gold. Along with the
restoration of the house boxes, coupled with
new drapes and the wonderful faux paint treatments, the theatre has been restored its original scale and beauty.
To ensure audiences could enjoy that
beauty Sachs Morgan brought in Lite Makers,
a custom architectural lighting manufacturer
based in Long Island City, NY. “They did gorgeous work throughout the space,” comments
Morgan. They recreated many of the sconces,
constructed newly designed chandeliers, and
duplicated the ornate exit signs.
“It was great working on this project with
the Nederlanders and Jim Boese, who is in
charge of their real estate,” sums up Morgan.
“He is a true theatre guy and he really, really
cares. In fact he is now the president of the
League of Historic American Theatres. This
being done right was important to him and to
me. It is one of the most rewarding projects I
have ever worked on.”
By Lisa Mulcahy
Sound Policy
| Feature
A glimpse at the working lives of two of NYC's most innovative audio service firms
T
he very best theatFitzgerald says. “We
rical sound design
provide first-rate audio
combines two cruand visual equipment
cial elements: cuttingfor any performance; we
edge, creative technoare able to fill technical,
logical thinking, and
very large and complisolid experience. Two
cated multi-computerTony-winning examples
ized needs.”
of companies embodyAlthough
Sound
ing these standards on
Associates' output has
Broadway and beyond
been a major presence
are Sound Associates,
on the Great White
Inc., and Masque Sound.
Way since the compaBoth companies have
ny's inception in 1979,
pioneered the develFitzgerald leaves room
opment of top-notch
for other projects.
audio equipment, plus
“Our work force hanoffer full manufacturing
dles many expensive
design and installation
projects, but that's not
services. Here's an inside Sound Associates crew at the Metropolitan Opera’s outdoor festival mix position. From left to right: Wally Flores,
to say that we don't take
P.J. Volpe (head of sound for the Metropolitan Opera) and Domonic Sack.
peek at how each firm's
on localized work or
leaders accomplish it all—and some sage advice to help not-for-profits,” Fitzgerald says. “I am extremely proud
any theatre achieve their ultimate sound goals in every of our association with Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall
production.
Gang Camp theatre benefits; in 2009, we did their wonderful Lincoln Center performance, which featured Julia
Doing It All
Roberts, among others. It's very important for us to be
It's bright and early in Yonkers, NY and Sound Associates able to serve the community through our services.”
CEO Richard Fitzgerald has lots on his plate. He’s talkTrouble-shooting tough sound design problems is a
ing to clients about his company's Assistive Listening Sound Associates specialty.
Systems and D-Scriptive product line, which offers per“A very memorable project for me was the original
sonal close captioning and description for both deaf and Broadway production of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast,”
hard-of-hearing and sight-impaired theatrical patrons, Fitzgerald recalls. “In building Disney's first show, we
then discussing the successful mixes of hits like Hair faced a very demanding challenge—taking a mega-miland Jersey Boys with their
lion dollar show on, and
sound designers and
using and building new
Sound Associate tech
equipment to help crewizards. Plus, there are
ate a great performance
many ongoing projects
experience beyond any
moving in and out of
theme park mentality.”
the company's bustling
Fitzgerald stresses
production facility to
that no matter what
supervise—not to menthe size or scope of a
tion overseeing the comshow may be, however,
pany's busy Manhattan
a theatre company must
office.
bring both organiza“Our staff is very smart,
tion and self-awareness
very dedicated, and
to the table. “We work
we're a union shop—our
with theatre organizagifted workers are able
tions all over the counto multi-task well, as we
try, very diverse compaoften have three or four
nies, and I find that the
shows running on our Sound Associates CEO Richard Fitzgerald with an I-Caption unit at the Gershwin
most wonderful clients
floor at the same time,” Theatre in front of the set for Wicked
to work with, first of all,
“Most of my siblings and I started working
in the business during the summers as kids;
you coil cable and learn from the ground
up.” —Geoff Shearing
are extremely realistic about their
budgets,” he notes. “You need to
know exactly how much you are
willing to spend before giving your
sound designer a list of your show's
desired FX, before you expect us to
try to build anything. You also have
to be clear about your space, so we
can give you the right new equipment or pack and send available
gear—what we offer is all built to
work together, so you should understand your stage capacity, and be
ready to load in when our shipping
crates arrive.”
Innovating a Legacy
Meanwhile, in East Rutherford,
New Jersey, one of the Manhattan
theatre world's biggest secret weapons is also firing up for the day. Geoff
Shearing, vice president of Masque
Sound, kicks off the morning with
a 10-minute management meeting,
talking over upcoming shows. Then
Shearing walks the company's 70,
000 square foot complex, cheerleading, checking on the audio install
preps in progress, and answering
questions. For the rest of the day,
Shearing monitors cash flow and
purchasing, plus handles phone
calls and e-mails from both customers and Masque's professional wireless office in Orlando, Fla., since, as
he explains, “My job is to pre-empt
problems before they happen, by
facilitating conversations.”
Shearing's M.O. is to seamlessly meld the best new sound reinforcement and equipment breakthroughs with a rich tradition. “The
company was founded in 1936 by
three partners, one of whom was my
grandfather,” he explains. “All of the
partners were theatre people; my
grandfather's strength was running
the crews and the day-to-day business, while his other partners were,
respectively, a technical visionary
and a business expert. All three really complemented each other, and
were able to identify trends in theatrical audio, things like microphones,
which were really cutting-edge at
the time.” Among Masque's earliest
FX triumphs was introducing wireless mics on Broadway in the 1950s.
Shearing himself decided to join
Joan Marcus
Feature
Geoff Shearing, VP of Masque Sound
the company based on his love of the people he'd be
working with. “Most of my siblings and I started working in the business during the summers as kids; you coil
cable and learn from the ground up. What kept me in the
business, though, was the friendships I made—meeting
people who knew my grandfather. I was really mentored
by these people.”
Shearing is equally proud of
the work staff he has nurtured and
mentored.
“We're very blessed to have
a staff of genuises,” he raves.
“Everyone is really good at what
they do. We were very lucky to win
the first Tony for sound design,
for South Pacific, and we're very
proud of that. There were several
different kinds of mixing boards
on that show, and we figured out
how to integrate a lot of elements,
doing a lot of work on delay times,
scene by scene and within scenes,
where the sound really seems as
though it is coming from the actor.
Our staff did this through delay
times and multiple settings. It's
our job not only to figure this kind
of thing out, but figure it out so
the sound FX are stable, so they
work every show, so that there are
backup systems.”
When it comes to making any
theatre company's sound needs
happen, Shearing advocates communicating your creative goals to
an audio firm as clearly as possible.
“Our job is to help theatrical
productions realize their artistic
vision, and in order to do that, we
Masque Sound won the first Tony Award for Sound Design for their work
on the South Pacific revival.
provide the technology they need,” says Shearing. “In the
late '90s, there was a lot of pricing pressure out there,
due to many competitors, and we really made a conscious
decision to focus on quality and customer service.”
Ultimately, Shearing feels that Masque Sound's continuing success all boils down to client satisfaction—
yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Audio Manufacturers & Distributors
360 Systems
31355 Agoura Rd.
Westlake Village, CA
91361
P: 818-991-0360
W: www.360systems.
com
Adamson Systems
Engineering
1401 Scugog Line 6
Port Perry, ON L9L 1B2
P: 905-982-0520
W: www.adamson
proaudio.com
A-Line Acoustics
510 E. Washington St.
Corry, PA 16407
P: 814-663-0600
W: www.a-lineacous
tics.com
ADK Microphones
800 Ne Tenny Rd.,
#110-215
Beaverton, OR 970058999
P: 503-296-9400
W: www.adkmic.com
AFAB Enterprises, Inc.
135 Industry Ave.,
Unit #3
Frankfort, IL 60423
P: 877-229-3601
W: www.avcable.com
AKG Acoustics
8500 Balboa Blvd.
Northridge, CA 91329
P: 818-920-3212
W: www.akg-acoustics.
com
W: www.allen-heath.
com/us
Alesis
200 Scenic View Dr.
Ste. 201
Cumberland, RI 02864
P: 401-658-5760
W: www.alesis.com
Alpha Sound & Lighting Co.
24846 Ave. Rockefeller
Ste. 100
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
P: 800-523-8195
W: www.alphasound
andlighting.com
Allen & Heath USA
5304 Derry Ave., Ste. C
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
P: 866-474-7711
Altec Lansing
535 Route 6 & 209
Milford, PA 18337
P: 866-570-5702
W: www.alteclansing.
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Amx Autopatch
Group
2416 Cheney-spokane
Rd.
Cheney, WA 99004
P: 509-235-2636
W: www.autopatch.
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Anchor Audio
2565 W. 237th St.
Torrance, CA 90505
P: 800-262-4671
W: www.anchoraudio.
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APB-Dynasonics
20 W. End Rd.
Totowa, NJ 07512
P: 973-785-1101
W: www.apb-dyna
sonics.com
Aphex Systems Ltd.
11068 Randall St.
Sun Valley, CA 91352
P: 818-767-2929
W: www.aphex.com
API
8301 Patuxent Range
Rd.
Ste. A1
Jessup, MD 20794
P: 301-776-7879
W: www.apiaudio.com
Apogee Sound International
50 Spring St.
Ramsey, NJ 07446
P: 800-443-3979
W: www.apogeesound.com
Ashly Audio, Inc.
847 Holt Rd.
Webster, NY 14580
P: 800-828-6308
W: www.ashly.com
ATI-Audio Technologies Inc.
154 Cooper Rd.
Bldg. 902
West Berlin, NJ 08091
P: 856-719-9900
W: www.atiaudio.com
Audex
710 Standard St.
Longview, TX 75604
P: 800-237-0716
W: www.audex.com
Audio-technica U.S.,
Inc.
1221 Commerce Dr.
Stow, OH 44224
P: 330-686-2600
W: www.audio-techni
ca.com
Audiocontrol Industrial
22410 70th Ave. West
Mountlake Terrace, WA
98043
P: 425-775-8461
W: www.audiocontrol.
com
Audiovend Wireless
Systems, Inc
923 Knotty Elmwood
Trail
Houston, TX 77062
P: 281-218-8330
W: www.audiovend
wireless.com
Audix Corporation
9400 Sw Barber St.
P.o. Box 4010
Wilsonville, OR 97070
P: 503-682-6933
W: www.audixusa.com
Aviom
1157 Phoenixville Pike
Ste. 201
Westchester, PA 19380
P: 610-738-9005
W: www.aviom.com
Avlex Corporation
6655 Troost Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64131
P: 816-581-9103
W: www.avlex.com
Azden Corporation
P.o. Box 10
Franklin Square, NY
11010
P: 516-328-7500
W: www.azdencorp.
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Backstage, Llc
310 W. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23220
P: 888-644-1433
W: www.backstageva.
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Bag End Loudspeaker
Systems
22n272 Pepper Rd.,
Unit D
Lake Barrington, IL
60010
P: 847-382-4550
W: www.bagend.com
Bartlett Microphones
415 Aspin Dr.
Elkhart, IN 46514
P: 574-293-0366
W: www.bartlettmics.
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Behringer USA, Inc.
18912 North Creek
Pkwy., Ste. 200
Bothell, WA 98011
P: 425-672-0816
W: www.behringer.com
Beyerdynamic North
America
56 Central Ave.
Farmingdale, NY 11735
P: 631-293-3200
W: www.beyerdynamic.
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BMI Supply, NY
571 Queensbury Ave.
Queensbury, NY 12804
P: 800-836-0524
W: www.bmisupply.
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BMI Supply, SC
209-b Depot St.
Greer, SC 29651
P: 800-670-4264
W: www.bmisupply.
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Bosch
12000 Portland Ave. S.
Burnsville, MN 55337
P: 800-392-3497
W: www.boschcommu
nications.us
Cad Professional
Microphones
5970 Heisley Rd., Ste.
110
Mentor, OH 44060
P: 440-354-3300
W: www.cadmics.com
Cadac Electronics Plc
One New St.
Luton, Bedfordshire
London LU1 5DX
P: 441582404202
F: 441582412799
W: www.cadac-sound.
com
Menlo Park, CA 94025
P: 800-669-1422
W: www.countryman.
com
San Francisco, CA
94103
P: 415-645-5113
W: www.dolby.com
Crest Audio
5022 Hwy. 493 North
Meridian, MS 39305
P: 601-486-2000
W: www.crestaudio.
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DPA Microphones
2432 Main St.
Ste. 200
Longmont, CO 80501
P: 303-485-1025
W: www.dpamicro
phones.com
Crown International
1718 W. Mishawaka Rd.
Elkhart, IN 46517
P: 574-294-8000
W: www.crownaudio.
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d&b Audiotechnik US
185 Warren Creek Rd.
Candler, NC 28715
P: 828-670-1763
W: www.dbaudio.com
Da-Cappo Micro
Microphones
6650 Caballero Blvd.
Buena Park, CA 90620
P: 714-736-9270
W: www.hosatech.com
Danley Sound Labs
2196 Hilton Dr. Sw
Ste. G
Gainsville, GA 30501
P: 770-535-0204
W: www.dbaudioand
video.com
DAS Audio Of America
6816 Nw 77th Ct.
Miami, FL 33166
P: 888-327-4872
W: www.dasaudio.com
Carvin Corporation
12340 World Trade Dr.
San Diego, CA 92128
P: 858-487-8700
W: www.carvin.com
dbx Professional
8760 S. Sandy Pkwy.
Sandy, UT 84070
P: 801-568-7660
W: www.dbxpro.com
CBI
6152 County Seat Rd.
Oriskany, NY 13424
P: 800-346-3462
W: www.cbicables.com
Denon Electronics
(USA), Llc
100 Corporate Dr.
Mahwah, NJ 07430
P: 973-396-0810
W: www.denon.com
Cerwin-Vega
9340 De Soto Ave.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
P: 818-534-1500
W: www.cerwinvega.
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Clear-Com Communication Systems
850 Marina Village
Pkwy.
Alameda, CA 94501
P: 510-337-6600
W: www.clearcom.com
Community Professional Loudspeakers
333 E. 5th St.
Chester, PA 19013
P: 610-876-3400
W: www.loudspeak
ers.net
Countryman Associates
195 Constitution Dr.
DiGiCo UK Limited
The School House
4 Dorking Rd., Epsom
Surrey, United Kingdom
KT18 7LX
P: +44 1372845600
W: www.digiconsoles.
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DiGiCo/Group One
Ltd.
70 Sea Lane
P: 516-249-1399
W: www.g1limited.com
Drawmer USA
7320 Smoke Ranch Rd.
Ste. G
Las Vegas, NV 89128
P: 702-365-5155
W: www.drawmerusa.
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Dreamhire Llc
36-36 33rd St.
Long Island City, NY
11106
P: 212-691-5544
W: www.dreamhire.
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Eartec Co.
145 Dean Knauss Dr.
Narragansett, RI 02882
P: 800-399-5994
W: www.eartec.com
EAW
16220 Wood-Red
Rd. Ne
Woodinville, WA 98072
P: 425-892-6500
W: www.eaw.com
Selma, OR 97538
P: 541-597-4448
W: www.equitech.com
Eventide
One Alsan Way
Little Ferry, NJ 07643
P: 201-641-1200
W: www.eventide.com
Face Audio
9 Trendland Cove
Sandy, UT 84092
P: 801-233-0740
W: www.faceaudio.com
Focusrite
5304 Derry Ave. Ste. C
P: 866-362-8774
W: www.Focusrite.com
Furman Sound Inc.
1997 S. Mcdowell Blvd.
Petaluma, CA 94954
P: 707-763-1010
W: www.furmansound.
com
Future Sonics Inc.
416 Green Lane, Ste. 2
Bristol, PA 19007
P: 215-826-8826
W: www.futuresonics.
com
Gepco
1770 Birchwood Ave.
Des Plaines, IL 60018
P: 847-795-9555
W: www.gepco.com
W: www.transaudio
group.com/heil.shtml
Green Dot Audio
Electronics
P.o. Box 290609
Nashville, TN 37229
P: 615-366-5964
W: www.greendotau
dio.com
Hilton Audio Products,
Inc
1033-e Shary Cir
Concord, CA 94518
P: 925-682-8390
W: www.hiltonaudio.
com
Harman Pro North
America, Inc.
8500 Balboa Blvd.
P: 818-920-3212
W: www.soundcraft.
com
HM Electronics
14110 Stowe Dr.
San Diego, CA 92064
P: 866-567-8453
W: www.hme.com
Harrison Audio
Consoles
1024 Firestone Pkwy.
La Vergne, TN 37086
P: 615-641-7200
W: www.harrisoncon
soles.com
Hear Technologies
991 Discovery Dr.
Huntsville, AL 35806
P: 256-9222
W: www.heartechnolo
gies.com
Heil Sound
Ste. G
Las Vegas, NV 89128
P: 702-365-5155
Hosa Technology, Inc
6650 Caballero Blvd.
P: 714-736-9270
W: www.hosatech.com
Innovason - USA Inc
750 Cowan St.
Nashville, TN 37207
P: 615-401-7275
W: www.innovason.com
ISP Technologies Inc.
5499 Perry Dr., Ste. Q
Waterford, MI 48329
P: 248-673-7790
W: www.isptechnolo
gies.com
Electro-Voice
P: 800-392-3497
W: www.electrovoice.
com
Eminence Speaker
Llc
838 Mulberry Pike
P.o. Box 360
Eminence, KY 40019
P: 502-845-5622
W: www.eminence.
com
Emtech Electronics,
Inc.
1126 N. 1200 West
Orem, UT 84057
P: 800-371-2102
W: www.emtechelec
tronics.com
Entertainment 1/ E-1
21061 Superior St.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
P: 818-407-1357
W: www.e1llc.com
Digidesign
2001 Junipero Serra
Blvd.
Daly City, CA 94014
P: 650-731-6300
Entertainment Systems Corporation
160 Technology Park
Dr.
Kilmarnock, VA 22482
P: 800-582-2421
W: www.entsyscorp.
com
Dolby/Lake Technology Limited
100 Potrero Ave.
Equi=tech Corp.
P.o. Box 249
18258 Redwood Hwy.
Audio Manufacturers & Distributors
JBL Professional
8400 Balboa Blvd.
P: 818-984-8850
W: www.jblpro.com
Klark Teknik
P: 800-431-2609
W: www.klarkteknik.
com
KS Audio USA Corp.
1062 Cephas Dr.
Clearwater, FL 33765
P: 727-447-9656
W: www.ksaudiousa.
com
L-ACOUSTICS U.S.
2201 Celsius Ave., Unit E
Oxnard, CA 93030
P: 805-6042
W: www.l-acoustics-us.
com
Lab.gruppen
5706 Corsa Ave., Ste.
107
91362
P: 818-665-4900
W: www.labgruppen.
com
MC2
70 Sea Lane
P: 516-249-1399
W: www.mc2-audio.
co.uk
Phonic Ear
2080 Lakeville Hwy.
Petaluma, CA 94954
P: 800-227-0735
W: www.phonicear.
com
RTS
P: 800-392-3497
W: www.rtsintercoms.
com
Switchcraft Inc.
5555 N. Elston Ave.
Chicago, IL 60630
P: 773-792-2700
W: www.switchcraft.
com
McCauley Sound Inc.
16607 Meridian Ave. E.
Puyallup, WA 98375
P: 253-848-0363
W: www.mccauley
sound.com
Porta Phone Co.
145 Dean Knauss Dr.
Narragansett, RI 02882
P: 800-399-5994
W: www.eartec.com
Sabine Inc.
13301 N.w. Us Hwy.
441
Alachua, FL 32615
P: 386-418-2000
W: www.sabine.com
Symetrix
6804 216th St.
Mountlake Terrace, WA
98043
P: 425-778-7728
Metric Halo
5 Donovan Dr.
Hopewell Junction, NY
12533
P: 845-223-6112
W: www.mhlabs.com
Meyer Sound Labs,
Inc.
2832 San Pablo Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94702
P: 510-486-1166
W: www.meyersound.
com
Midas
P: 800-431-2609
W: www.midascon
soles.com
Lectrosonics, Inc.
581 Laser Rd. Ne
Rio Rancho, NM 87124
P: 505-892-4501
W: www.lectrosonics.
com
Millennia Media, Inc.
4200-b Day Spring Ct.
Placerville, CA 95667
P: 530-647-0750
W: www.mil-media.
com
Light Viper By Fiberplex Inc.
10840-412 Guilford Rd.
Baltimore, MD 20701
P: 914-489-1427
W: www.fiberplex.com
Monster Cable Products, Inc
455 Valley Dr.
Brisbane, CA 94005
P: 415-840-2000
W: www.monstercable.
com
Link USA
1020 Bunnel Rd.
Altamonte Springs, FL
32714
P: 407-774-0088
W: www.linkusa-inc.
com
Listen Technologies
Corp.
14912 Heritagecrest
Salt Lake City, UT 84065
P: 800-330-0891
W: www.listentech.com
Loud Technologies
16220 Wood-Red Rd. Ne
P: 425-892-6529
W: www.loudtechinc.
com
Nady Systems, Inc.
6701 Shellmound St.
Emeryville, CA 94608
P: 510-6522
W: www.nady.com
Neumann/USA
One Enterprise Dr.
Old Lyme, CT 06371
P: 860-4352
W: www.neumannusa.
com
Neutrik USA, Inc.
195 Lehigh Ave.
Lakewood, NJ 08701
P: 732-901-9488
W: www.neutrikusa.
com
Mackie Designs Inc.
16220 Wood-Red Rd. Ne
P: 800-258-6883
W: www.mackie.com
NTI Americas Inc.
P.o. Box 231027
Tigard, OR 97281
P: 503-684-7050
W: www.minstru
ments.com
Martin Audio Ltd.
P.o. Box 33009
Waterloo, ON N2T 2M9
P: 519-747-5853
W: www.martin-audio.
com/main.html
Peavey Electronics
5022 Hartley Peavey
Dr.
Meridian, MS 39305
P: 601-483-5365
W: www.peavey.com
Presonus Audio
Electronics, Inc
7257 Florida Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
P: 800-750-0323
W: www.presonus.com
PRG-Production Resource Group, Llc
9111 Sunland Blvd.
Sun Valley, CA 91352
P: 818-252-2600
W: www.prg.com
Production Intercom
P.O. Box 3247
Barrington, IL 60010
P: 847-381-5350
W: www.beltpack.com
Professional Wireless
Systems
9468 American Eagle
Way, Ste. 100
Orlando, FL 32837
P: 407-240-2880
W: www.professional
wireless.com
Prosound And Stage
Lighting
11070 Valley View St.
Cypress, CA 90630
P: 800-268-5520
W: www.pssl.com
Selenium Loudspeakers
1720 S. Military Hwy.
Chesapeake, VA 23320
P: 757-424-7516
W: www.selenium-usa.
com
Sennheiser
1 Enterprise Dr.
Old Lyme, CT 06371
P: 860-4352
W: www.sennheise
rusa.com
Sensaphonics Hearing Conservation, Inc
660 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
P: 877-848-1714
W: www.sensaphon
ics.com
Sescom, Llc
626 Pine St.
Wellsville, KS 66092
P: 785-883-3009
W: www.sescom.com
Shure Incorporated
5800 W.touhy Ave.
Niles, IL 60714
P: 847-600-2000
W: www.shure.com
QSC Audio Products
Inc.
1675 Macarthur Blvd.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
P: 800-854-4079
W: www.qscaudio.com
Sound Associates, Inc
560-f Amsterdam Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30306
P: 404-724-9050
W: www.soundassoci
ates.com
Rane Corporation
10802 47th Ave. W.
Mukilteo, WA 98275
P: 425-355-6000
W: www.rane.com
Soundcraft
8500 Balboa Blvd.
P: 603-964-2953
W: www.soundcraft.
com
Rapco Cable
3581 Larch Lane
Jackson, MO 63755
P: 800-325-0266
W: www.rapco.com
Renkus-Heinz
19201 Cook St.
Foothill Ranch, CA
92610
P: 949-588-9997
W: www.renkus-heinz.
com
Roland Systems
Group U.s.
425 Sequoia Dr. Ste.
114
Bellingham, WA 98226
P: 360-594-4282
W: www.rolandsys
temsgroup.com
Stage Sound
2240 Shenandoah
Roanoke, VA 24017
P: 540-342-2040
W: www.stagesound.
com
Stagegear, Inc
411 Leroy Dr.
Corona, CA 92879
P: 714-632-7170
W: www.stagegear.
com
Supreme Audio
P.O. Box 550
Marlborough, NH
03455
P: 800-445-7398
W: www.supremeau
dio.com
Systems Wireless
555 Herndon Pkwy.
Ste. 135
Herndon, VA 20170
P: 800-225-6185
W: www.swl.com
Tannoy/TGI North
America, Inc.
335 Gage Ave., Ste. 1
Kitchener, ON N2M 5E1
P: 519-745-1158
W: www.tannoy.com
TC Electronic
5706 Corsa Ave., Ste.
107
91362
P: 818-665-4900
W: www.tcelectronic.
com
Theatrical Associates, Inc
1013 Kennedy Blvd.
Manville, NJ 08835
P: 888-685-4448
W: www.theatricalas
sociates.com
TMB, Los Angeles
10643 Glenoaks Blvd.
Pacoima, CA 91331
P: 818-899-8818
W: www.tmb.com
Transaudio Group
Ste. G
Las Vegas, NV 89128
P: 702-365-5155
W: www.transaudio
group.com
Turbosound
P: 800-431-2609
W: www.turbosound.
com
Ultimate Ears, Inc.
5 Jenner St., Ste. 100
Irvine, CA 92618
P: 866-837-7734
W: www.ultimateears.
com
Vestax
P: 800-994-4984
W: www.vestax.com
Waves Audio Ltd.
Azrieli Cneter 3
The Triangle Tower,
32nd Fl.
Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv 67023
P: 97236084113
F: 9725466644825
W: www.waves.com
Williams Sound Corp.
10321 W. 70th St.
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
P: 800-328-6190
W: www.wil
liamssound.com
Windtech Microphone Windscreens &
Accessories
7845 E. Evans Rd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
P: 480-998-7140
W: www.olsenaudio.
com
Wireworks Corp.
380 Hillside Ave.
Hillside, NJ 07205
P: 800-642-9473
W: www.wireworks.
com
Worx audio
Technologies
620 S. Elm St., Ste. 315
Greensboro, NC 27406
P: 336-275-7474
W: www.worxaudio.
com
XTA/group One Ltd.
70 Sea Lane
P: 516-249-1399
W: www.xta.co.uk
Yamaha Commercial
Audio Systems, Inc.
6600 Orangethorpe
Ave.
P: 714-522-9011
W: www.yamahaca.
com
By Tim Cusack
| Show Biz
Competing For Every Dollar
O
Times are tight—it’s time to tighten up your grant app. too.
ver the five years of running my company I have, much
to my surprise, learned to actually enjoy the process of
grant-writing—to the point where even if some day
Theatre Askew is fortunate enough to have a full-time development staff, I can’t imagine myself not intimately involved in
the conceptualizing, writing and editing of every proposal that
we put out. Which, I would argue, is how theatre management
should approach this vital component to ensuring the ongoing
financial health of its organization.
As a grant-writer I’ve successfully secured funding from all
domains of the foundational sphere: corporate, private, and governmental—something that I never thought I could accomplish
when I was first starting out. I’ve also served as a panelist for two
years on the Nancy Quinn Fund, administered by the Alliance of
Resident Theatres New York. All of this has taught me a few basic
principles that have made grant writing, if not a delirious joy, at
least a bearable necessity. And while I’ll always prefer doing the
work to writing about it, these tips have helped me gather the
material resources that enable the work to happen.
HONESTLY ASSESS YOUR POSITION. It’s a waste of precious energy to chase after grants that you’re not suited for or
are too big for where your organization is at in its growth cycle.
This may seem obvious, but the temptation to go after the big dough, while
neglecting smaller grants that are more
attainable, can be hard to resist. Just
remember: Funding panels and private
foundations will ALWAYS look at your
organization’s financials, usually for the
previous three years. And the majority
have restrictions in place that prevent
them from funding above a certain percentage of your average annual income
(including box office). Besides, it’s always
easier to write a grant that fits your company’s immediate needs. In addition, big
grants often come with big reporting
requirements—which in itself can be a
full-time job.
KEEP A FILE Once you’ve started
to apply for grants, you’ll soon discover that most funders ask for the same
pieces of information. It will make your
efforts much less stressful if you instantly
know where you can access hard copies
of your bylaws and IRS determination
letter. And always keep handy electronic files of your board of directors, lists
of recent grants received and productions presented (including staged readings, benefit performances, and special
events), and current and projected budgets, all for quick updating, as this information often changes. And while you
don’t need to completely reinvent the
wheel each time, it also pays to…
UPDATE YOUR BOILERPLATE If it sounds stale to you,
chances are very good that it will sound stale to whoever’s reading your proposal. Use every grant as an opportunity to reassess
and clarify how you talk about your work. This is where you have
an advantage over the “pros” because no one can be as passionate talking about the work as you are and that enthusiasm will
be palpable for panelists. However, stay away from exaggeration, boasting, or overselling your work. And be frank about the
organization’s current challenges. The people reviewing your
proposal are usually peers from the field. They can almost always
sense when someone isn’t being entirely honest.
ONE PERSON TO DRAFT, TWO TO EDIT I’ve found that
writing by committee never works. Rather, one person should
be tasked with setting down a first draft, no matter how rough.
Then at least one other person should read it over and offer comments. Every proposal we’ve ever submitted has gone through
at least two major revisions. So start early, and whatever you do,
proofread your work several times. Many funders will deduct
points for grammatically sloppy, typo-ridden language.
I’d love to hear your tips and best practices for grant-writing. You can share them with me at TheatreFace.com, Stage
Directions' networking site.
|
Classics—Ancient and Modern
The Play's the Thing
By Stephen Peithman
Plays and playwrights that still speak to us—and the human condition
G
reek playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides
each wrote three plays about the blood-drenched
Atreus family, but only Aeschylus's full set has survived.
Now, poet/translator Anne Carson combines an Atreus work
by each author—Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, Sophocles’ Elektra,
and Euripides’ Orestes—to provide a coherent but very different account of the classic trilogy of vengeance. In An Oresteia,
Carson combines elements of contemporary speech with the
traditional structures and rhetoric of Greek tragedy, as a way of
opening up the plays to a modern audience. Her language is
clear and comfortable for the most part, although the modern
turns of phrase are sometimes jarring (Helen of Troy, for example, is referred to as a “weapon of mass destruction”). Those
looking for a new slant on an old story may find here an intriguing possibility for production. [$27, Faber & Faber]
Violence also plays a pivotal role in Susan Glaspell’s oneact play, Trifles, written in 1916. Farmer John Wright is found
dead in his home, strangled in his bed. The sheriff immediately
suspects Wright’s wife, but wonders how such a meek-acting
woman could commit such a horrendous crime? While the men
bluster and tramp around the farmhouse searching for clues,
the women discover bits of evidence in the ‘‘trifles’’ of a farmer’s
wife—her baking, cleaning and sewing. Because the men ignore
the women’s world, they remain blind to the truth literally lying
in plain sight. Based on a true story that Glaspell covered for
a Des Moines newspaper, Trifles still has the power to hold an
audience. The new published edition includes an informative
introduction by Patricia Robinson Jordan. [D’Arts Publishing,
dramaclassics.com]
James Purdy, who died at age 94 earlier this year, is best
known for his remarkably off-kilter novels, but was also author
of nine full-length and 20 short plays. Tennessee Williams called
him a “uniquely gifted man of the theatre,” and readers can
decide for themselves with the newly released James Purdy:
Selected Plays. The collection’s four works (Brice, The Paradise
Circus, Where Quentin Goes, and Ruthanna Elder) explore a wide
range of emotional and familial tangles: fathers betray their
sons and squander their inheritance; siblings vie for parental
affection; husbands and wives work to salvage meaning from
their broken marriages. [$18.95, Ivan R. Dee]
Paul A. Firestone’s The Pulitzer Prize Plays: The First Fifty
Years, 1917-1967 provides a series of readable, straightforward essays, organizing them into major themes: family
life, social protest, political heroes, the spiritual condition of
humankind, and morality in a materialistic society. We often
tend to view plays in isolation, but Firestone makes a strong
case for seeing them as reflecting America's changing (or
steadfast) cultural values and mores. [Limelight Editions,
$19.95]
Romulus Linney: Maverick of the Theater, by John Fleming,
provides the first book-length examination of the life and career
of the American playwright. Making use of extensive interviews
with Linney, and access to his personal files, Fleming provides
critical insight into the history plays (Sorrows of Frederick, Childe
Byron and 2), the Appalachian plays (Holy Ghosts, Heathen Valley
and Sand Mountain), plays that explore American views and values (Love Suicide at Schofield Barracks, Democracy, A Lesson Before
Dying), one-act plays (F.M., April Snow, Tennessee, Akhmatova)
and Linney’s adaptations (Gint, True Crimes, Unchanging Love,
Going After Cacciato). The book also includes an annotated chronology of the playwright’s career, and many photos. Fleming's
interviews and analysis will help directors and actors better
understand the forces that motivate the playwright’s often complex characters. [$19.95, Smith & Kraus]
Spalding Gray (1941-2004) was an American actor, playwright, screenwriter, performance artist, and monologist primarily known for what one critic called his "trenchant, personal
narratives delivered on sparse, unadorned sets with a dry, WASP,
quiet mania." Author William W. Demastes provides the first full
study of Gray’s life and work in Spalding Gray's America, tracing his life and work from his days with the Performance and
Wooster Groups to his career as creator of the groundbreaking monologues Swimming to Cambodia, Gray's Anatomy and
Monster in a Box. Gray’s onstage stories make up a quirky, fullcolor portrait of America—poignant, touching and often troubling, but also vividly insightful and invariably funny. Demastes
deftly captures Gray's essence, revealing the deep but conflicted
passion behind his work. [$19.95, Limelight Editions]
As a man of the theatre, Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) is not
usually considered an experimentalist, yet Our Town and The Skin
of Our Teeth are works of high modernism that have had great
influence on American theatre. The Selected Letters of Thornton
Wilder vividly documents the range of his friendships, showing
him roller-skating with Walt Disney, attending an inaugural reception for FDR at the White House, describing his life as a soldier
in two World Wars, mentoring younger writers, and dining out
with Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. More important are
his conversations with Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald,
Gertrude Stein. Noël Coward, Max Reinhardt, Alexander
Woollcott, Laurence Olivier, Ruth Gordon, Garson Kanin,
Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and Edward Albee, among
others. Wilder was a born storyteller and dramatist—a talent
that emerges in scenes and incidental dialogue found in
these letters. [$19.99, Harper]
Classified Advertising
Employment
For more information about the companies advertising in Stage Directions®
and serving the theatre profession, go to the links listed below.
If you think classifieds don’t work...
why are you reading this?
Call 702.932.5585 for more info
Advertiser
Angstrom Lighting
Arena Drapery Rentals
Atlanta Rigging
AudioVend Wireless Systems
Barbizon
Bartlett Microphones
Ben Nye
Bulbtronics
Charles H. Stewart & Co.
Chauvet Lighting
Checkers Industrial Products
Demand Products
Eartec
Elation
ETC
Full Compass
Graftobian
Graham Swift & Co/ Theatre Guys
HME
Hofstra University
JR Clancy
Light Parts
Light Source, The
Production Advantage
Pro-Tapes & Specialties
Sapsis Rigging
Sculptural Arts Coating
Stagelights.com
SUNY - Fredonia
Theatre Wireless/ RC4 Wireless Dimming
University of Southern California - USC
Page
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Answer Box
|
By Jacob Coakley
Filing Cabinet Headstones
Kurt Boetcher and Boston Court bury the body
All Photography by Kurt Boetcher
Kurt Boetcher's filing cabinet floor set design allowed for quick changes in location as well as traps to hide
props and even dispose of a body.
T
he Theatre at Boston Court produced the world
premier of Laura Schellhardt’s Courting Vampires
in May. Set Designer Kurt Boetcher stopped by
TheatreFace.com for a chat interview to talk process and
how they solved the problem of burying a body onstage.
Jacob Coakley: For your last show at Boston
Court, Courting Vampires, the set floor was filing
cabinets. Which, as near as I can tell, isn't specified in the script. So how'd you come to that choice?
Kurt Boetcher: The description of the set in the
script is literally something like "The courtroom
of Rill's mind" and the time is "before, during,
after.” It's difficult to boil down, but director
Jessica Kubzansky (who is amazing) and I sat down for
three hours and just broke down the script and tossed
around ideas. We had to figure out what the “Courtroom”
of this rigid character's mind would look like, feel like, etc.
So we came up with filing cabinets that could also feasibly double as a “graveyard”—so they also represent
morgue drawers. The script moves REALLY fluidly from
courtroom (files, paperwork) to graveyard (graves) and
the scenic elements couldn't slow down the movement of
the text at all, or something is lost. The lighting designer,
Tim Swiss and the projection designer Jonathon Stearns
also contributed enormously to the look of it all.
Kristen Sabo-Foures: Would you say there is
more technical skill or artistry involved in scenic
design?
Kurt Boetcher: Well I think different designers
bring different strengths to the table. I think I
work more in the “artistry” department; and I
A moment from Courting Vampires
love to have a really wonderful technical director on board
to help me solve any complicated technical elements.
Jacob Coakley: What was the most complicated bit
in Vampires?
Kurt Boetcher: The floor that was made up of filing cabinet faces was also full of traps, so there
were drawers that pulled up to reveal props
(because everything in the world had to come
from this character’s mind). And we also had to shoot and
bury an actual person/vampire into the floor. So Pete Sauber,
the tech director at Boston Court, built a slide that, when
revealed, led down to a crash pad in the trap room. Two of the
files pulled up to reveal a grave full of dirt that one of the
actors got “buried” in.
Jacob Coakley: Was that a box of dirt, and then
the whole box slid down?
Kurt Boetcher: No. Pete found a place in the LA
area that makes faux mulch and dirt out of recycled tires. It
comes
in
various colors, so we
To
read
the
transcript of the whole converhad that layered on
sation, head over to www.theatreface.com/
top of thick black
boetcher.
spandex that had a
To take part in the next online chat interview,
slot in it that the actor
go to www.theatreface.com and watch for
could squeeze through
announcements!
without letting light
Not a member yet? Get on the band wagon!
out. And it's not messy
so that's great for the
actor.
TheatreFace.com

The Many Styles of Normal

Transcription

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