Monday, September 26, 2011
Bootleggin' and Bathtub Gin
Pittsburgh City Paper: The 9 p.m. "curtain" is a bit deceptive when Bricolage Production Co. cranks up a Midnight Radio production. Yes, an original radio play -- in this case, Bootleggin' and Bathtub Gin -- starts at 9, but the full theatrical experience begins as soon as audience members arrive. The lobby, tricked out not only to resemble a 1920s speakeasy but also to offer its rudimentary amenities, is a participatory first act. However much you want to get into it, go for it.
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8 comments:
When I read this article one of the things that caught my eye was the part that talked about how the theatre was stripped bare and showed all the tricks to the audience, and I immediately thought "Not Again", but this application I think could really be very brilliant. A radio play is very different than a regular play because there is so much done to create the feel of the play using only audio means. I think that seeing that done is something that is very interesting and doesn't fall into the same Brechtian trap that many shows fall into.
I agree with Calvin that the uniqueness of this "bare bones, bare all" productions sounds like it comes from the radio play nature. I imagine they are producing some live foley effects and things of that nature. I am somehow caught by the idea that it's a radio play. I enjoy when shows trick out the lobby, or other "pre-performance" areas. It could be interesting if the speakeasy radio/background noise was actually coming in from the actors onstage. If they are in there working before the house even opens, so that patrons coming in from the lobby could realize that what they'd been listening to for 15minutes was live, and "radio."
This article is intriguing because I have seen a radio play done before, but you were very distant from the action on stage. The way in which Bricolage Production Co. sounds like they have set up this performance immerses you much more into the action of the play. It doesn't strike me as too far off or something to be weary about when they show you how it is all done, probably because Ive seen a radio play before. I would definitely enjoy this production more than the last radio play by bringing me into the piece from the first time I set foot into the space.
I really like the idea of immersing the audience in the play, its one of the things that in my opinion theatre does way better than other forms of media. Conversely radio only has one sense to convey everything that is happening on the soundstage. The idea of combining the two seems silly at first but then really intriguing. From the article it seems like they really played the two off of each other well. By having the radio bridge the gap between the stage and the lobby/audience and being able to see the folie effects and the actions the actors where portraying I think it would make me feel even more involved in the play.
I appreciate the way "Bootleggin' and Bathtub Gin" has involved the audience in the making of this show. Specifically, how they are participating in the beginning of the show as they enter the lobby. This theatrical experience in a 20's speakeasy is a great example of a theater trying to actively engage, to provoke the audience to think and react. Instead of just asking questions, they are involving them in the actions of the story, the actually questioning!
This is an interesting concept. Artists of the theatre are always trying to create a new experience for the audience. But this effect is rarely achieved. By bringing the audience into the world of the play before they even take their seats sets a new level of expectation. If you are going to create theatre that immerses the audience in the world of the play, you had better make sure that what you are putting on stage is good.
This sounds like a lot of fun. I'm a bit confused, though. Is the play performed entirely like it's a radio play, or is this a play in which the characters put on a radio play?
Either way, it sounds awesome. I'm very interested in radio plays. Being able to watch the actors create unique sound effects and quickly switch in and out of character vocally would be really cool.
I'm also intrigued by how the lobby is described, specifically, "However much you want to get into it, go for it." Does that mean that they have actors in the lobby to interact with? Are they serving drinks?
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