Saturday, July 07, 2012
Theater Talkback: Making An Entrance
NYTimes.com: With its reliance on pyro, flying rigs and muscled ensembles of backup dancers, the modern pop performance is the place to look these days for the dramatic stage entrance. Lady Gaga hatching from an egg or zip-lining to the stage above the heads of fans — now that’s a way to start a show.
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There are many ways for a person to get physically from point A to point B. They could walk, run, jump, skip, and so many other ways. Have you ever thought about the importance or even the reason behind the way that you travel. Alexis Soloski from the New York Times explain why a character’s entrance is important. Soloski says that compared to pop artist’s entrances (example: lady gaga hatching from an egg) entrances in a play are nothing. I agree with this because directors often choose to use a very simple entrance that reveals a character’s motivation for entering the scene. The only occasion in my opinion that requires a big grand entrance is in a big over the top musical dance number. However the audience learns a lot about both the character and actor from how they get on stage. A good actor will become the character, and that includes the character’s. If an actor is not as good than than they will be out of character during their entrances an exits.
Entrances can be magic for an audience if done right. As this article mentions, the entrance of a given person gives insight into their character and the show overall. When done correctly it can engage the audience like nothing else, especially if unexpected. For instance, Galinda’s entrance in the bubble in Wicked helps to cement the idea of this magical world that you are now in. As this article also alludes to, entrances can really be a time for designers to make some pretty big decisions. Even if it’s not something like pyro, a decision to have someone walk on without clothes gives just a much of an impact. On the other hand though, in really big productions or concerts hydraulics, pyro, and other special effects can send the message that this is a big show and is going to be crazy, which is often what is being sought in a concert setting. I also want to mention that I think that a character’s final exit can be just as important as their entrance. It’s the last image the audience remembers of that character and can color their mind for the rest of the show. One of the most powerful exits I still remember is when Moritz shoots himself in Spring Awakening and disappears into the darkness. So although I recognize the importance of the entrance, I think the exit is equally important.
Every aspect of a play, and the performance of such, can really make or break it. I had never really consciously thought about it until this article brought it up, but entrances and exits can really reveal the character as much as dialogue, sometimes even more. My favorite entrance of all time isn't from a stage show, it's from the series Doctor Who. In the first first episode of the new series, all hell is breaking loose. The heroine is trapped and afraid, and all of a sudden a mysterious Scottish man is holding her hand, introducing himself, and telling her to run. This is a man so confident in what he's doing, so impeccably sure that it'll end up okay, that he completely ignores the impending danger and asks a girl her name. I agree with Trent on the exit front. Moritz's exit in Spring Awakening was a jarring, deeply affecting experience. Entrance and exit are telling experiences, that can really give one a sense of the character and her/his attitudes from the very start.
Every aspect of a play, and the performance of such, can really make or break it. I had never really consciously thought about it until this article brought it up, but entrances and exits can really reveal the character as much as dialogue, sometimes even more. My favorite entrance of all time isn't from a stage show, it's from the series Doctor Who. In the first first episode of the new series, all hell is breaking loose. The heroine is trapped and afraid, and all of a sudden a mysterious Scottish man is holding her hand, introducing himself, and telling her to run. This is a man so confident in what he's doing, so impeccably sure that it'll end up okay, that he completely ignores the impending danger and asks a girl her name. I agree with Trent on the exit front. Moritz's exit in Spring Awakening was a jarring, deeply affecting experience. Entrance and exit are telling experiences, that can really give one a sense of the character and her/his attitudes from the very start.
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