Some stage shows are mounted in large theaters with stages that are huge. Other shows seem perfect for small, intimate theaters with very small stage areas. Main Stage vs. Black Box. Well, it depends very much on how the show is written.
And then, what happens when a stage production is reimagined for the big screen?
And then, what happens when a stage production is reimagined for the big screen?
When I was a young teenager, my mother was asked to accompany a small production of "The Fantasticks" (by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt) at a local college. The show only had six characters, so it was perfect for a Black Box Theater.
They weren't kidding when they called that little theater a "black box." Not only was it shaped like a box, the walls, ceiling, floor, even the seats were painted black. The seats for the audience were raised on three sides of the little square space for a stage. The piano was located off to the side into one of the aisles. This was a very small Little Theater indeed.
But that didn't seem to affect the quality of the show. Though intimate, it was well done. And keeping with the Black Box idea, there was NO SCENERY, just black stage blocks to give a little variety to height and depth. The rest of the work was left to the acting abilities of the cast members and the imaginations of the audience. Costuming was simple but provided color. Inventive stage lighting managed the rest of the focus and ambience.
They weren't kidding when they called that little theater a "black box." Not only was it shaped like a box, the walls, ceiling, floor, even the seats were painted black. The seats for the audience were raised on three sides of the little square space for a stage. The piano was located off to the side into one of the aisles. This was a very small Little Theater indeed.
But that didn't seem to affect the quality of the show. Though intimate, it was well done. And keeping with the Black Box idea, there was NO SCENERY, just black stage blocks to give a little variety to height and depth. The rest of the work was left to the acting abilities of the cast members and the imaginations of the audience. Costuming was simple but provided color. Inventive stage lighting managed the rest of the focus and ambience.
However, I lately watched a movie of this show. The sweeping vistas of the open prairie (it was supposed to be prairie, but clearly was filmed near mountains), were so vast that this intimate tale got lost. The natural background scenery became a distraction, especially since the story was acted as if the cast members were playing on a small stage set.
Comparing my experience watching the two different productions, I have to say that I enjoyed the little theater show much better. The songs and acting were the main attractions and I didn't worry about how bleak the characters lives were living such lonely lives out in that desolate location.
Comparing my experience watching the two different productions, I have to say that I enjoyed the little theater show much better. The songs and acting were the main attractions and I didn't worry about how bleak the characters lives were living such lonely lives out in that desolate location.
So many theatrical productions can be successfully mounted very SIMPLY. And perhaps they should always be, especially in Children's Theater. Small, inexperienced performers can be so easily overwhelmed by TOO MUCH --- too elaborate of sets, overproduced accompaniment tracks, too many extraneous details and moving parts that get in the way of allowing the kids themselves to shine.
As I have been planning my Summer Theater Camp shows for this summer, I have been imagining how best to set up the stage. I haven't looked in my shed yet, but I hope I saved the sets I used before.
For the "Ants and the Grasshopper," they really only need an ant hill. For the "Country Mouse and the City Mouse," They need a representation of the base of an old oak tree and then something to represent where a City Mouse who thinks she's elegant might live. It would certainly save a lot of work if I don't need to paint new sets this year.
For the "Ants and the Grasshopper," they really only need an ant hill. For the "Country Mouse and the City Mouse," They need a representation of the base of an old oak tree and then something to represent where a City Mouse who thinks she's elegant might live. It would certainly save a lot of work if I don't need to paint new sets this year.
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