Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with theater

Is there a blog that will tell me what sci-fi movies to see in theater?

rebent — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:11:37 -0800

Can you please suggest a blog or resource that will tell me what under-the-radar science fiction movies I should go see? I did not like the new star trek movie. Hollywood will keep making mass-marketed movies as long as I keep going to see them. But I don't know what else to see.

I'm hoping for a blog that cares about how hard the science is and how strong the plot is.

You and me could write a Stage Romance... (Except that's a BAD IDEA!)

Anonymous — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:00:56 -0800

I have a crush on my stage partner. I know how bad an idea this is, but how do I keep it under control when I'm draped lovingly over him for half the show? Help me do my job without the temptation to, ahem, take work home with me? After 20 years in theater watching others fall victim to stage crushes, it's happened to me. I noticed this guy in the first rehearsal - he's the only other person of my culture in the cast, for one - and I thought I'd like to get to know him as a friend. As rehearsals progressed and the cast members all spent time chatting with each other, that's developed into a full-on crush. He seeks me out to talk to, so hopefully I will have a new friend at the end of the show, at least.

Then we were paired off by the director and things got kinda hopeless.

I've seen stage crushes and romances over the years. I know they're fairly common. It's easy to buy into the act you're trying to convey. I've seen people leave their spouses & kids for their stage partners, let alone single people hooking up. Occasionally the relationships last, but more often they crash and burn - and usually soon enough that the people involved then have to finish out the production run cozying up to their ex every night on stage. Unpleasant for the stage-couple, awkward for everyone around them. I worked out this was a Bad Idea years ago!

I determined early on that I'd do everything I could to avoid it happening to me. And so far that's worked. I have successfully resisted feeling any flicker of interest before now, despite the many gorgeous and lovely people I've been partnered with on stage over the years and the compliments I've received about my convincing stage rapport with my partners. This one, though... Oy vey!

I have butterflies in my stomach writing this question. I'm dreaming about him. I've got it bad. Worse than almost any time before - the last person I felt this strongly about was my husband when we met 15 years ago. So I'm just not used to dealing with this.

Husband and I have an open relationship, so in theory I could ask this guy out when we're not working together. I am NOT letting anything happen until the show is over, though. I don't even want to know if he's available or interested until then because I'm doing my best to view him as off-limits. It's easier to keep the "Not An Option" label on him if I don't know he's single, for example.

But we're dancing cheek to cheek and snuggling up for half our stage time. The director wants me on the prowl in the crowd scene, picking him and then all over him. And while part of me loves that, it's not helping when he pulls me close and smiles into my eyes and I'm thinking "I could take you backstage and jump you right now, my dear..." At least it's making the acting convincing?

Most of the advice I've seen for getting over crushes involves staying away from the object of affection, but that's not an option here. Our job is to convince the audience we're wild about each other. We've got well over a month until the production's over.

The other advice I've usually seen is "picture him doing something really gross" but I worked in healthcare for years and biology just doesn't repulse me. (Things like vile bigotry do, but we've talked enough I know that's not an issue.)

So how do I keep the feelings under control while I'm supposed to be conveying them on stage every night? Help me get over it so I can do my damn job - which is acting like I adore him?

Writing credits for small theater productions.

ErikH2000 — Sat, 11 May 2013 14:54:39 -0800

Are there some established practices for writing credits (cast and crew) on theater productions? In my case, I make weekly audioplays and have five to ten people helping me each week, with some people working in multiple roles. So I don't need to do too much here. But I'd like to present the project and the people that work on it professionally. And I'd like to be fair and consistent in how people are credited, avoiding angst and hurt feelings. Questions arise like, "In what order should cast members be listed?", "If actors adlib, should I list a writing credit?", "What's the industry-recognized term for the work this person did?" Is there something like a Strunk & White Elements of Style for putting credits together? What is a good way to make sure I get it right?

performing arts group in SF for the untalented?

lacedcoffee — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:26:07 -0800

I would like to be involved in a theater or singing group in San Francisco, but I am by no means talented. Where can I find a group where people are dedicated, but will accept practically everyone? Groups that skew towards the 20-30 crowd would be even more awesome. I am mostly doing this for a hobby, and to give me a goal to work towards, so something with a performance at the end would be ideal. I would prefer not to have to pay for classes. Also, please no improv...I've tried it and I hate it. Thanks!

Community theatre for amateurs in Toronto

The Thnikkaman — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:07:35 -0800

I'd like to get into community theatre, but I haven't done any kind of drama since high school. Are there community theatres in Toronto that encourage amateur participation?

How do I contact English, Literature, and Drama teachers in NYC?

grumblebee — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:26:08 -0800

I want to offer super-cheap ($10 to free) Shakespeare tickets to educators and their students in the NYC area. I'm interested in contacting both high school and college teachers. Would they likely welcome this or consider it spam? Is there some kind of message board or other resource I can use to contact these folks.

A reader on the mind-body problem?

HeroZero — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:10:33 -0800

I'm working on a creative project about somebody who gets his brain removed and put in a vat. What should I read? That is, what are your suggestions for readings that would help me flesh this out? Looking for philosophy, literature (particularly drama), journalism, and/or anything else that would fit. I have a very rudimentary understanding of philosophy, so though I know Descartes is a good starting point for mind-body problem stuff, I am frankly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of philosophy of mind writing that is out there.

Can you stage Peter Pan in a way that is respectful to Native Americans?

straight — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:50:51 -0800

Is there a way to stage Peter Pan that is respectful to Native Americans? I recently saw an otherwise lovely production of the 1954 musical Peter Pan, but all of the scenes with the "Indians" were very uncomfortable and embarrassing. I know these are supposed to be the little boy's fantasy version of pirates and "Indians," but this production, at least, wasn't able to get that across in a way that mitigated the awful caricatures.

Is there a way to stage this without racist stereotypes? Would it be better or worse to use authentic Native American clothes and dances?

I'd particularly like to hear responses from people who are Native American or have some contact or background with Native American culture.

Life will find a way. BUT WILL I!?!?!?

phunniemee — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 07:37:10 -0800

OK, guys, Jurassic Park is being re-released on IMAX 3D for ONE WEEK in April, and if I don't see it I will just die of sadness forever. It doesn't appear to be playing anywhere near me, and I live in Chicago, which should have everything, and I'm a-skeerd that I won't get to see it at all. See this? SEE THIS?!?! Awesome, right? Right.

I've called IMAX theaters in Chicago and some surrounding burbs, but it doesn't appear to be playing near me. I've tried calling several theaters, but get stuck in some pre-recorded jerkaround not-theater-specific loop for like AMC or whatever, and I'm not getting anywhere.

Please, please, please help me to find a theater, say, within 100 miles or so that's playing this thing. Please.

What play is this?

ladypants — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:38:46 -0800

In high school theater class, two of my class mates performed a dialogue which, if I remember correctly, involved a street hustler telling his roomate "You get a cold ass from sitting in the fuckin' tub!" For the life of me I can't figure out what play/movie this is from. Any suggestions?

How do we best show our (financial) support for a movie?

getawaysticks — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:51:26 -0800

There was a movie that came out last fall that we spaced about and missed during its theater run. We want to pay to see it now to support movies of this type and by this filmmaker. Within reason, what is the best way to do it? I know we are just two people in one household, and we really can't do all that much. But I am feeling a bit guilty about missing certain movies* in the theater and would like to support these filmmakers however possible.

I know we can rent via various avenues, but I believe the studio doesn't receive much of a cut from that. Is it best to buy the DVD/Blu-ray? Buy a digital copy via Google Play/Itunes? How about On Demand through DirecTV?

*especially Scott Pilgrim, since it was a massive flop

Is this friendship worth saving?

piratesriding — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:38:11 -0800

I have a problem. I have a friend. They're mutually inclusive. Let's call him Greg. Greg and I went to college together, we were pretty tight, part of the same larger social group. Greg's a big dreamer, a hard worker, and that's the kind of person I love to surround myself with. After school he started his own traveling theatre company. I thought it was such a cool idea that I offered to help him get it off the ground. I had a lot of skills that he didn't have, and was willing to do a ton of "grunt" work--making budgets and forms and schedules, as well as physical labor like driving from state to state, hunting down props, building and hauling the set... Really anything that needed doing, I was his right hand woman. I easily spent upwards of one thousand hours over the past two years making his dream a reality. I was sooo happy that his big dream was finally coming true.

Then...something along the way got seriously out of whack. I noticed that he never talked to me about anything other than our shared work. When we relaxed at the end of the day with a cold beer, he would be agitated and unable to relax, still fretting about the next day, the next task, even the next show or the next season. Simultaneously, his attitude towards me was becoming brusque, dismissive, even a little mean. I would show up at an appointed time to work on one of my assignments only to find he'd been there for the past three hours, doing it alone. He seemed defensive of his position as artistic director, snapped at me if I gave instructions to others--even things as small as "guys, don't forget to wear closed-toed shoes tomorrow" or "can everyone get me their schedules for next week?" Things that were, you know, my job.

I was startled and hurt in these situations. We would talk it over at the time, reach an agreement, then he'd wander back into the "barking orders at me" mentality. So I backed off, only came when I was called, avoided even the appearance of wanting to usurp his authority. And when he noticed my enthusiasm level had dipped, he more-or-less accused me of not working hard enough, took many of my duties away from me, and gave me mindless drudge work for the rest of the season: namely, I became queen of the laundry.

Now I should say that I'm one of the most confident, self-respecting women I know. In the workplace I have no problem with setting firm boundaries, pushing back against oppressive behavior, asking for raises when I've earned them--all the stuff that women are supposed to struggle with. Point is, I'm nobody's pushover.

...Except for my friends. I will go to the ends of the earth and back if you're my friend, just to keep you company, give you boosties up the obstacles in your way, congratulate you when you reach the top.

After the last season wrapped, I decided I needed to take a lot of time away from our working relationship to rebuild and focus on the friendship. He must've felt a similar need for a break, because he stopped contacting me for a few months, including canceling a meeting we had to air our professional grievances. So we entered a mutually cool period, and I found that the less time I spent with Greg, the happier I felt. I have a boyfriend who's just the coolest cat in the universe, like literally nicer than Goku. We adopted a dog together and love nothing more than lying around doing nothing together. The rest of my friends are all so supportive and thoughtful...we watch movies and play board games and embark on failed cooking experiments together. I have a new job with a huge salary hike and a breezy commute. My mom survived stage 3 cancer, my little brother's graduating high school next year...

...Basically everything in my life is coming up Milhouse! I'm so happy, I go to bed every day with a smile and wake up the same way. Except the days where I have to interact with Greg. He's like a high-maintenance raincloud that won't take a hint. When we're at social functions, he dominates the conversation towards theatre, specifically his theatre, or acting in general, or plays in general...and many of my friends are, as I said, art school kids, they get sucked in even if they're tired of talking about it. If we're watching a movie, he opens up his laptop and works or falls asleep on my couch. I've tried walking our dogs together but it somehow becomes a therapy session that's focused on him-him-him. I'm basically exasperated that I let myself get suckered in by a guy who is clearly a serial taker.

At this point you must be thinking: why? Why bother? Piratesriding, you should just ease him out of your life and never look back. And the truth is I'd like to, but here's the catch: he has responded to my general coolness by involving the rest of our friends. I had a movie night planned with a half dozen friends, and one of them didn't show up despite RSVPing. Turns out Greg found out there was a gathering he wasn't invited to and basically guilted her into taking him out instead. I felt awful and couldn't apologize enough for putting her in that position, even if it wasn't intended as a snub--I just didn't want to hang out with him, as should be pretty understandable at this point.

(I should say that all his friends would agree with my assessment of his character: high-maintenance, needy, self-involved, fickle, generally ambitious and interesting and occasionally really fun, but all-in-all a total handful. Honestly many of them have confided to me that they're very exasperated with him, but almost all of them have some degree of a working relationship with him and his company, and they can stomach him as long as they keep him at arm's length.)

Fast forward to this morning. He's asked for a meeting. It's in a local coffee shop, our designated sit-down-and-work-things-out area. He's going to ask my why I've been cold to him, why I haven't been inviting him to 100% of my get-togethers among friends, why I haven't volunteered to work more hours. And the truth is, at this point, I don't care to go over the hurts and angers of six months ago that he hasn't made himself available to talk about until just now. They're old, healed wounds for me, provided he leaves them alone and just doesn't pick at them. I will never do work for him again, because he was such an asshole to me, and as Dubya so wisely said, "fool me twice, can't--can't get fooled again." I'd like to tell him that I just don't see the value in trying to repair a really broken friendship that with someone that doesn't offer me much in return.

But we are neighbors. His friends are my friends, and their industry is his industry. He will still come over all the time, to talk with or hang out with my roommates. I don't want it to be a pick-sides event, nor a they-can't-be-in-the-same-room-together outcome. There are tons of birthdays and weddings and house parties that we'll both be in attendance at, and I'd rather just greet each other politely, chat about the weather, and move on to greener pastures. But I don't see a way that can happen now that he's finally forced the issues.

I feel that if I refuse to tell him why I was upset so long ago, the mutual chilliness will continue because he'll feel I'm being evasive and unfair, and he'll badger my friends (even my boyfriend) for clues.

I feel that if I do tell him why I was upset so long ago, he's going to get incredibly defensive and upset, as he always has when he perceives that I'm criticizing him.

Somebody help me. I just want Greg to chill out and let our once-close friendship wither into acquaintanceship. I don't want to excite his defensiveness, but I also refuse to let him take one more step over the boundary that was drawn between us when he was too self-absorbed to look down at my feet. What would you do, random strangers of the internet? We're meeting tomorrow at 6PM, so I need guidance.

Favorite Gel Color Combos

Navelgazer — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:03:42 -0800

I'm designing a show this week (Iolanthe) which is far from my first lighting design, but I've never really gotten to experiment much with different gel color combinations. Which are your favorite combos (front, fill, back, side, etc.) for different set-ups. I'm looking for both the classic standards and less common combinations you've come across and enjoyed. I'm going to have a bit of free reign with this, so I'm curious to see what new (to me) things I might want to try. Rosco colors preferred.

Fake a lipstick treatment

edbles — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:20:38 -0800

We're doing a show that requires a character to write on a laminate surface every night with what is supposed to be lipstick and are looking for some work-arounds to deal with expense and time. The actual lipstick has starting breaking every night and it's no longer a tenable solution. We were using oil pastels for a while, but those were proving too costly in terms of time to clean off and beginning to remove the aging on the set piece. Does anyone have thoughts on how to remove and oil pastel mark from a laminate surface or thoughts on an alternate substitute for either lipstick or an oil pastel. Soft pastels seem to break easily as well, would they be any easier to clean?

How to make smaller versions of puppets or find two sizes of puppets?

DMelanogaster — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:54:22 -0800

How can I make smaller versions of these vintage puppets? I am going to use vintage puppets like these for a project. But the storyline involves having smaller versions of this type of puppet. In other words, the puppets will be given smaller versions of themselves to use.

How can I make some plausible small versions of these puppets? I can zerox the front, back, and sides, I guess, and glue those pieces of paper together, for very very crude versions. I could even incorporate into the story that that was the best I (or the puppets) could do to make smaller versions of themselves, but they're making do with what they have available. Or something.

But I'm just wondering if there isn't a way to do this in a better-looking, (slightly?) more professional-looking way.

OR -- are there puppets that come in two different sizes? so far, looking on the internet, I haven't been able to come up with anything that approaches the niceness of the vintage Childcraft puppets I have.

Showtimes a few days before?

bluefly — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:28:17 -0800

Movie theaters seem to only post show times on their websites for Friday-Thursday on Friday which makes it difficult to make advance plans for Friday night. Is there some other website/service that posts the times earlier? (I vaguely remember finding some site that did that, but I can't find it now). Also, why do theaters do things this way? I'm in the DC/MD area if it matters.

Help me name my: Children’s Theater Edition

subsupra — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:15:35 -0800

I’ve been teaching private voice and piano lessons for children for the past five years, and am about to embark on the next stage of the plan: opening a children’s theater! Most of my ducks are in a row with one large exception - the name. The idea is that I will produce musicals which are performed by the children, and continue to give voice and piano lessons out of a ‘black-box theater’ type space. I’d like the name to sound modern and fun, and evoke the feeling of kids being free to express themselves creatively. The trouble is any combination of “expression,” “creative,” and “kids” ends up sounding horribly cheesy. Also, since there will be a theater class portion and a private music lesson portion, the name has to do a double duty. Below are some of my ideas, but I’m not in love with any of them in particular:

♯♭♮ Accidental Theater and Music
The Magic If (Children’s Music and Theater)
Possibility Theater Company
Night Sky Children’s Theater
Creative Cosmos (Children’s Music and Theater)

I’m in a major metropolitan area, and the [City] Children’s Theater name is already taken.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

What is the difference between musicals and operas?

jamincan — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:27:27 -0800

I understand that a lot of musicals are basically theatrical performances with lots of music; however, what about musicals like Les Miserables that are told entirely through song? Why don't we call them operas as well?

Recordings of R-rated language in a General Australian accent?

lemoncakeisalie — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:06:30 -0800

I'm learning a monologue with a General Australian accent, but I'm having trouble finding resources to check my pronunciation of the R-rated language in the monologue. Can you point me to recordings that may help? I'm in a production of The Vagina Monologues, in which I'll be playing "My Angry Vagina," (NSFW language), a humorous monologue. For various reasons my director and I have decided that I'll learn the monologue in a General Australian accent.

I'm quite excited about this because I've been wanting to learn Australian accents for several years, and I think this will add a lovely dimension to a character that can be tricky to pull off because she can come across as generic and annoying. Last year the actress, who is Indian, did the character extremely well in a strong Indian accent, so there's hilarious precedent.

I've already bought two accent CD courses and have been practicing for weeks, but I'm having a lot of trouble "translating" the specific words in the monologue. I'm afraid my vowel modifications are too exaggerated, not exaggerated enough, or just plain wrong for certain words. I don't have access to a dialect coach to critique what I've learned. I'm aware that this is an extra layer of difficulty, but as an actress I think I'm ready.

My question is this: where can I find clips of people saying things like "vagina," "p***y," "motherf***ers," and similar words that are unlikely to be super common in recordings, so that I can check that my pronunciations are right?

And this is a long shot, but are there any Australians or dialogue coaches on this site who would be willing to record these words / the text of the monologue and post it here for posterity? I have the text available and can send it to someone if that is a possibility.

YouTube videos and clips from films, radio interviews, TV shows, etc. are all equally welcome.

Thank you in advance!

MORE LIKE Lucille Lortel, please

nancoix — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:50:53 -0800

Dear NYC-Hive: Visiting in Feb and would like to find listings of theatres whose offerings are like Lucille Lortel Theater in the Village. Would prefer Manhattan locations (over other boroughs). They just did "Volpone" and are doing "She Stoops to Conquer" soon. But they also do new works as well. What are similar theaters? And bonus points if you can give me a link to calendar/listings.

Interesting scifi / glam rock makeup looks?

lemoncakeisalie — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:55:32 -0800

Can you point me to some (non-prosthetic) scifi/fantasy makeup looks? I've landed a volunteer position as a makeup designer for a production of a beautifully campy show. For a few of the characters, who are aliens, the director wants a glam rock look, something like Alice Cooper meets Ziggy Stardust.

I'd like to mix it up a bit further by looking at designs from science fiction / fantasy TV and film, glam rock, fashion / modeling / photo shoots, and theatre of all sorts.

I'd especially like to see campy designs for aliens, like from Star Trek: The Original Series or from old scifi films. I don't have access to prosthetics, and I don't want to, say, paint someone completely green or something.

I've already looked through all of www.themakeupgallery.info and gathered some inspiration from the scifi series Farscape. Can people offer further resources, photos, links, or suggestions?

Thank you!

Monologue for a 10 year old

latkes — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 10:25:33 -0800

Monologue for a 10 year old's audition? My daughter and I have to choose a two minute monologue from a published play (not from "101 Monologues for Young People") for an audition to an arts middle school. My daughter has to read the whole play and be able to discuss the meaning of the monologue and why she chose it during the audition.

She's very literate so no problem reading, but the themes should have some relevance to a 10 year old. She's very resistant to playing across gender but could possibly be convinced. She'd much rather do something funny than something "messagy".

Apparently, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown is really played out in these auditions already.

Which Boston-area theater/performance/arts subscription should I buy?

teditrix — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:46:29 -0800

Which Boston-area theater/performance/arts subscription should I buy? We are a young couple that likes occasionally having reasons to leave the house and go on a proper date.

My fiance just bought us a subscription to the A.R.T. season. I would like to buy something similar but complementary: another theater series, or a concert/dance series, or ... really anything that will get us out of the house once every month or two. I think my top leaning right now is a set of World Music/CRASHarts concerts.

I am open to things like museum memberships, as well, but it's probably best for us if we are committing to go to a specific event on a specific day. Wackier things -- cooking classes? drawing lessons? -- are on the table, too -- again, as long as we can commit to a set of them in advance.

We are in Somerville; anywhere subway-accessible would be good. The organization doesn't have to offer a formal subscription program; patching together a series of tickets to make our own is fine. We tend toward random hipsterish pursuits, but we don't mind pretending to be adults occasionally, either. Probably looking to spend about $100-200 per person.

Speak the speech, I pray you

lizifer — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:25:45 -0800

Hit me with your favorite monologues for women, 25-35, 3 mins or less. Dramatic, comedic, film, tv, theatre... don't care. I want exceptional, chewy material for a monologue slam.

Looking for theatre plays with important light prop

landonmoon — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 14:17:27 -0800

I'm looking for major theatrical plays, set no later than 1950, that feature a lamp, flashlight, or other luminous prop as important to the story. If possible, please summarize the prop's usage including where in the story the prop is used. Thanks in advance!