Theatre Corner

Theater 102

By Marci Appelbaum

So you’ve taken the first step and decided to book a theater space for your group’s next improv show.  Unfortunately there’s still quite a lot that is not clear to you about working in a theater.  Here is just a little more information about procedure and equipment to help make the transition from bar to theater easier.

Stopwatch—why your stage manager needs one: One of the most important things that a Stage Manager can have on them is a stopwatch.  It is needed to give accurate call times to the performers.  It is also helpful when communicating with the House Manager about starting the show late.  Most importantly, when the director needs to know an accurate running time (see below) a stopwatch is always better than a wristwatch.

Running time: The exact length of the performance.

Hierarchy—who gives notes?  Who do I complain to?  This tends to be a touchy subject and can cause great confusion and hostility amongst the cast and crew if it is not talked about up front.  In most cases it is in poor form for performers to give notes to one another.  If you have a problem with a fellow performer, tell your stage manager or director and they will pass the note along.  The stage manager answers to the director, so unless the director is not present, such as on a tour, the stage manager will give the note to the director who will then pass it onto the performer whom you have complained about.

The director answers to the producer, so any notes from the producer may come from the producer himself or be passed down through the director.  Unless you have an enormous problem with the director, you should not have any reason to lodge your complaints to the producer.

Scrim: This is a mesh-like curtain that is opaque when lit from the front, and translucent when lit from the back.  A scrim is quite effective for conveying memories or thoughts, as any action occurring behind a backlit scrim has a fuzzy, otherworldly appearance to it.

Drop/backdrop: Large canvas painted to look like a specific location.  While in many theaters the backdrop hangs from stationary the back wall, in larger theaters, the backdrop is dropped down from the space above the theater.

Kinds of lights:

Spot/follow spot: This is a large light on a swiveling stand.  It can be manually moved to follow a performer as they move around onstage.

Fresnel: Short, fat hanging lamp with a beveled lens used as a major source of stage light.  The light beam can be focused in and out for a wide, diffused light or a smaller, clear point of light.

Leko: Long, thin hanging lamp with a smooth lens used as a major source of stage light.  Like the fresnel, the light from a leko can be adjusted in and out.

Scoop: This is a simple lamp like those often used in photo shoots.  It gives off a large pool of light that cannot be adjusted.

Grid: on which the lights Configuration on pipes or bars near the ceiling above the stage and audience are hung.

Dimmers: Slide levers on a panel in the light booth that control the light and dark levels of the lighting units.  Each lamp is hooked up to a dimmer switch and is manually controlled by the technician in the booth.

Gel: Translucent colored sheet that is placed in front of a stage light.  The lamp will then cast light the color of that particular gel.  This is used most often to create mood onstage or to indicate a particular time of day.

Types of stages:

Thrust: The audience is seated on three sides of the stage or playing space.

Proscenium: Most common type of stage, wherein the audience is only on one side of the stage.

Round/Arena: The audience is on all four sides of the playing space.

Black box: This term usually refers to the theater itself, though simply having black walls does not constitute a Black Box Theater.  A black box theater is one in which there is no permanent seating or stage area allowing the room to change configuration for every show. 

“Blacks”: This term refers to the solid black clothing that is worn by the tech crew.  Traditionally the tech crew would wear all black so as not to be seen moving the furniture and other set pieces around in the dark between scenes.  Now wearing blacks is usually a stylistic choice, especially in small theaters where the actors tend to do the set changes themselves.

“What the heck is the Scottish Play?”: The Scottish Play is Shakespeare’s Macbeth.  It has long since been considered bad luck to say the name Macbeth in a theater, so many performers refer to it by it’s nickname.  Stories of the tragedies that have occurred after saying the title before a performance abound, as do the elaborate remedies once you have said it.

Unions: Unions are organizations that are in place to protect performers.  The deal with things such as salaries, theater conditions, and breaks to insure that the performer is working under satisfactory and safe conditions.

SAG: Screen Actors Guild covers all performances on film.  www.sag.org

AEA: Actor’s Equity Association covers stage performances.  Currently AEA does not cover improvisation, except in some very rare instances.  www.actorsequity.org

AFTRA: American Federation of Television and Radio Artists covers voice-overs, radio performers and all performances on video.  www.aftra.org

AGVA: American Guild of Variety Artist covers specialty acts such as jugglers, impersonators and circus performers.  The recent Off-Broadway improvised show Lifegame was produced under an AGVA contract.  home.earthlink.net/~agvala/agva1.html

AGMA: American Guild of Musical Artists covers concert, opera and dance performers.  www.agmanatl.com

Because the tenets of improv somewhat differ from those of straight theater, you may have to invent procedure as you go along.  How tech and hierarchy are handled may actually differ from show to show, and troupe to troupe.  However, many of the conventions outlined above have been in place and working for hundreds of years, so they might be a good place to start.  And of course, don’t forget the Curtain Call: Your chance to take a bow.

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Marci Appelbaum is a contributing writer to Improv Review.  She holds a B.A. in Theater from Florida State University and is Executive Director of Attic Salt Theatre Company, Inc.  Marci is the co-author of Folktale Plays from Around the World to be published by Scholastic Press in 2001.