Frayn said Noises Off was inspired after witnessing a backstage fiasco while a farce he had written was going on. "It was funnier from behind than in front," he once said.
Monday, February 29, 2016
What's It Like to Stage-Manage the Most Mishap-Prone Show on Broadway?
Frayn said Noises Off was inspired after witnessing a backstage fiasco while a farce he had written was going on. "It was funnier from behind than in front," he once said.
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This show sounds like an absolute riot-- the kind of riot that I want to be a part of. I've never heard of "Noises Off" before reading this article but upon finishing it, I'm gunning on seeing the show! I wonder if the show will still be running by the time I have a free moment from Pittsburgh. I've seen several shows put on by the Roundabout Theatre Company and let me tell you, I've had a grand ol' ball each time I've gone. The most recent show I've seen by them was "Into The Woods" and I was blown away by the set design and costume work. I think the idea of having a show that exposes the backstage workings of theater is brilliant and just so much fun. Many times, an audience expects a perfect show without any flaws but the real charming thing about live theater is that anything can happen. That is the real spirit of putting on live theater-- that you don't get another take when it comes to the real thing. If someone trips on stage and they weren't supposed to, the only way to go about it is to laugh it off and incorporate it into the script. People mess up and for the most part, it contributes to being a human and not a perfect machine. I love that "Noises Off" embraces that fact of backstage theater and makes it the main point of the script.
I have never not liked a production of "Noises Off" that I have seen. The show is a laugh just when reading it.
I love theatre that's about theatre. It is always a fun time because it shows everyone how it feels, even though in this play it hopefully does not really happen.
GO CMU ALUM: MEGAN HILTY! I can't wait to see the show next time I am in New York. She is one of my favorites.
It must be incredible seeing the show from a bird's eye view. From what it sounds like it what is happening on stage is just as exciting as what's going on back stage (for real). I love to hear that actors take their jobs so seriously right before making their entrances. I also am so happy that this show highlights how imperative management is in all productions at all times. I like hearing about the difficulties in the rehearsal room, moving into the space, and even during the first few months of the run.
I am also in love with the scenery designed by Derek McLane (of course.) Though it is similar to past productions it's well made and and works highlighting the costumes. The Roundabout always produces good work. I cannot wait to see this show, and what's next on the horizon.
Oh this sounds so exciting! I love a show that has something going on all the time, especially as the stage manager. It's a little more difficult as an ASM, since you're always on your feet and turning in different directions to get things done. But as the stage manager, you are sort of above the fray, able to communicate with the correct people at the right time to keep everything under control. The "zen-like calm" that the author describes the stage manager to be experiencing while he calls cues is exactly my happy place. A lot of people wouldn't believe it, but it is actually more calming to me to have a lot of things going on during all times of a show than to have a little going on throughout the show or even a lot going on for a small portion of the show. When I am "on" I want to be really ON, and I think this is a show that provides the perfect opportunity for that.
Wow! even though it sounds like a lot of work, stage managing this show sounds like so much fun. The focus you would have to have while being ready for anything sounds so exciting! I think that this show would be one challenge that would be worth it. I think that especially for this show you kind of have somewhat of a safety net that is all of the space where improve can work. Like the example mentioned in the article, I think that if something were to go wrong, it wouldn't be the end of the world because a skilled actor could be able to handle it with improve. I can understand why the stage manager said that the hardest part was rehearsal. Figuring out the specific sequences are most likely harder at the beginning because that is essentially when you are writing the formula for the play. I would love to stage manage this show because not only does it sound exciting, but it seems like a show that will keep you on your toes and have a lot of challenges that a stage manager can learn from. controlling ciaos sounds wonderful! I love what the stage manager said about what the stage manager should be to the production and the cast. They need to be the source of clam and be able to handle a situation quickly and calmly and I totally agree with that.
Noises Off! is an important play in the theatre lexicon for designers, since it is one of the few shows to show the backstage proceedings to a show as well as the play itself. I can only imagine the pressure on the run crew and stage management to make sure every cue is pitch perfect, because so much of the show relies on visual comedy to portray accurately the chaos that goes into creating a theatrical production, and the natural hilarity that comes along with that. The idea that the actors are capable of making even a simple water bottle rolling out of reach into a massively successful comedic beat is impressive, and reminds me of why I enjoy acting just as much as I enjoy design. I also love that the entire cast gathers around the monitors to watch the show unfold, as it really gives me a sense that they are a company that are locked into their roles and are willing to embody the people they are attempting to portray. It doesn't surprise me that the stage manager refers to it as a roller coaster, since most shows are much less prone to interactions with the audience, things going awry, and everyone having to think on their feet to make it part of the experience for the audience.
I went into this article expecting something totally different, I missed the name of the show and fully expected this article to be about a show that was actually plagued by the problems mentioned in the article. Once I figured out my mistake I wanted to know where this show has been all my life. Noises Off sounds like an amazing show, both to see and to be a part of. It was shows like this that first made me interested in stage management, and if anything is going to lure me back from scenic design its going to be shows like this one. Regardless of what I decide to do professionally I hope I get a chance to work on more farces in my life, the amount of energy they have and how there’s always something happening make them incredibly fun to be a part of, and I certainly hope I get to see Noises Off the next time I’m in New York.
Noises Off must be a very interesting show when it comes to approaching it from a stage management perspective. On one hand, it's got it's list of challenges like any show does, but on the other hand it almost seems like it would need a bit more specificity in terms of how some of the aspects of cue calling and coordination would be handled. The show is supposed to look messy, so while it may be instinctive to coordinate things in the way that comes natural to you, like making everything as smooth and as organized as possible, you may have to take a step back and think of it as making things as smooth and organized as possible while still making it look like an absolute mess to the audience. Obviously acting will go a long way in this case, but then you also have to add in the additional layer of everything having to match with the first and second acts of the show, as it's shown in the first act and then totally reversed in the script. This show definitely presents an interesting challenge.
This is what I love about stage management. I love that no matter what, even on Broadway there are still mishaps every single day, and still things that need to be fixed right that second or the show doesn't go on. I think shows like Noises Off are the reason that I chose the career that I did, because I never want to be bored. I never want to look at my job, and think " I know exactly what is going to happen in the next three hours". I am a firm believer in that people do their best work when they are under pressure, and that is why I enjoy stage management more than anything else. Not only are you always required to be at the top of your game, but you get to watch an facilitate other people in figuring out how to do their best. So much of stage management is more than just calling cues or sitting in the both, it is a consistent stream of problem solving, and shows like noises off are why I love what I do, and why I can not wait to spend the rest of my life (hopefully) doing it.
Having once stage managed this... I concur. Even though it was on Broadway, well, probably more mishaps happened every night. I had never stage managed before, only designed and acted, and this show was enough to make me say "You know, maybe this isn't for me". Stage managing is a tough job, but it's even tougher when your lead actor, who in a scene where he falls down the stairs, REALLY falls down the stairs and takes all the decorations with it. Not to mention I was also the scenic designer. But, I'm sure the Broadway version goes much better than my disastrous production. But really, you do feel like Tim. He's the tech guy who hasn't slept for days on end and keeps falling asleep while fixing things in the rehearsal. We've almost been there.
But, yeah, stage managing this show is so rewarding, but also, so crazy. You have to know exactly where everyone has to be at every moment, and you have to predict what might go wrong, and how one person's onstage pace will affect their backstage pace, since they're performing on both. It's a mess, but its also a great experience.
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