Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with stagecraft

Arts and Cultural Appropriation

divabat — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:19:50 -0800

How have issues of cultural appropriation, stereotypes, and diversity been tackled in art and popular culture? I'm in the early stages of working on a performance piece on cultural appropriation and identity in the arts, and I'm looking for inspiration from others that have done the same. So far I am only familiar with Guillermo Gómez-Peña and his Living Museum of Fetish/ized Identities, and the SF/fantasy RaceFail debacle.

I am especially interested in these issues as they occur in burlesque, circus, and theatre, since that's what I'm working with, but any creative field would be good too.

what is the correct term for musician jump kick

planetkyoto — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 05:27:00 -0800

What should I call it when a band is finishing a song and the guitarist hits the last chord while jumping in the air and jack knifing his/her legs back? I guess it's a way of putting an exclamation mark on the song, and, I suppose, to make sure that the other members of the band know that the song is ending here and not going around again. Should I just call it a "jump kick" or is there some preferred term among musicians. Any other insights into this practice are welcome, since I'm not a musician. This is for a documentary.

How can I elevate a platform safely?

grabbingsand — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:15:19 -0800

StageCraftFilter / EngineeringFilter. What is the best way to safely elevate a 4' x 8' rigid platform (theatrical) to about five feet from the stage? Currently, I have it situated atop four 4x4 posts, each five foot tall, each at a corner, bolts through the frame of the platform and the post. The posts are connected by 4' long 2x4s in front and back (about halfway down), and 8' long 2x4s on either side (halfway down). This works, but only just. It is not stable. I'm not putting an actor on a wobbly platform. So what else should be done to stabilize this contraption? I have had several ideas, up to and including some kind of tension wire system (!), but time is of the essence and I'd rather call on experience than experimentation.

Oh, and I should mention that this needs to be built in a way that allows the platform to be removed from the "stands" after each night's show and restored before each show.

Help me tar and feather someone on stage!

minervous — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:39:19 -0800

I'm directing a play that calls for an actor to be tarred and feathered on stage. It's a powerful moment, and I'd love to do it. But ... how? Complicating factors:
- the theater we're working in has no on-premesis shower (there is a large mess sink, but no floor drain) and no possibility of altering the building to have one

Things in our favor:
- the actor is game, and largely bald, and willing to be stripped to skivvies
- we have a large metal tub (several, actually) in which to contain the tarring and/or clean-up
- we have a fair budget, so costly-ish solutions need not be ruled out
- this is the climax of the play, and we can make a feathery mess without worrying about later scenes

Any and all ideas welcomed with open arms. Thanks!

Are they really puffing in Mad Men?

Dag Maggot — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:42:34 -0800

Are the actors on Mad Men really smoking? This show seems to revolve around smoking. There are very few scenes without a lit cigarette. I'm wondering if they hired actors who smoke or if they use some kind of stage ciggie?