Through December 5 th through the 7 th, I performed in Thornton Wilder’s play of Our Town. The only sets or props that the actors or actresses used where folding chairs for us to sit in, umbrellas to hide Emily (Julie Dumbler), and flats on both sides of the stage to hide the people behind them. The reason for the lack of set is so the audience can use there imagination of what the town of Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire looks like. All the rest of the props that the actors had to use were pan mimed and acted out to the fullest to make it look real. The only other experience with no set was with Miss Henry in Neodesha and it was a disaster so I didn’t know how well this was going to work out. But with the help of our director Peter Ellen stein and the rest of the cast, the pan miming was very successful.
Our performance space was a modified thrust stage. The shape of the stage served us well for this play, but the back stage was horrible. All of the chairs that we had to use were folding chairs that made a lot of noise even if you hardly touched one. One neat thing about the play is that all of the sound affects were made by our backstage manager (Lisa Mitchell) or other members of the cast. In exception for the clock chiming at the end of the play. People who have seen the play tell me that it is a very heart moving play.
I did not get that feeling because I was always backstage or onstage. Ether way I didn’t get to watch the play so I couldn’t see what was so moving about it. The only humor I got was from lines and the funniest person I heard was Professor Willard (Gary Mitchell).
The Essay on Sound Design Audience Play Stage
Sunrise in my Pocket, an American folk drama originally written by Edwin Justus Mayer, but adapted by Jeffrey Hayden for the Play makers Repertory Company recounts the epic adventure of Davy Crockett, Tennessee statesman and frontiersman and his subsequent journey to Texas. Davy Crockett, portrayed effortlessly by Playmaker's leading actor, Kenneth P. Strong, is accompanied by his faithful ...
The audience is led through the entire play by the Stage Manager (Cory Venable).
He literally talks to the audience between every scene explaining what is going on in the story. I thought Mr.
Wilder did a good job in having a Stage Manager do this. The Stage Manager tells and shows us a story a young girl growing up and facing death, even after death. He show us how Emily Webb (Julie Dumbler) first gets to know her future husband George Gibbs (Eric Cole).
It also takes us to when she first knew she loved him, there wedding, and her funeral. I t also fills in the story with interaction with other townspeople in Grover’s Corner. The part that I played was Constable Warren.
Just another towns person that helps to fill in the story. When I started the play I really didn’t like how it was going and was extremely worried that it was going to be a real bust. But with all the many hours put in by the cast and crew, I feel it was a success. One of the new things that I got to work with in this play was the advanced lighting techniques.
Our lighting manager (Ryan McDiarmid) was a genius in getting the stage lit like Peter wanted and in the process taught me some very valuable techniques that might benefit me later in life. After the performances were over, I realized that I am glad I had the opportunity to be in this play under the direction of Peter. I learned many new skills and ways that theatre can work and I know it will benefit me later in my acting experience.
