Seventeen Presentation

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14ktJCpsQKx9aONGGLakpjpXWtESDBrsAuRvQ_IJowOQ

Tech Project Proposal

If I were to be the tech director for a single scene from a play, I would want to do the sing “Seventeen” from the musical “Heathers”. I choose this scene because, despite its simplicity, it can be incredibly moving if done correctly. The song transitions from fed up and fiery, to gentle and down to earth, to soaring and hopeful, to cautious and fragile. Applying the different aspects of tech theater can help to heighten these emotional peaks and make the scene unforgettable.

In its original off-Broadway run, the set for “Heathers” was very simple and hardly decorated, just two levels with short stairs on either side of the raised stage. While this abstract set works fine for the show, with the time and budget to expand upon it, I think you could use the location to add to the subtext of the scene. Since this scene takes place directly after the funeral. you could have some decorations to show that Veronica and J.D. are still in the church for the song, such as candles (probably not actually lit), a cross standing or on a wall, a pulpit, etc. With just these few additions keeping the setting in the audiences’ minds as the scene unfolds, it frames the romance as something holy, which tied into one of the show’s musical motifs - “Our love is God”. However, doing this would also make the scene more grounded during the parts where it is meant to transport the audience out of the real world for a moment, to this fantasy real, where the leads’ romance can persist without destroying either of them. 

To keep this effect, I would rely on the sound and lighting. The band/orchestra would have to carry those emotions described in the previous paragraph; listening to the soundtrack, you can see they use lots of strings instruments in this song to achieve that effect. The lighting can make us of the prevalent color motifs in the show as well. Veronica is always associated with blue, while J.D. is associated with black. Another color to use in this scene would be red, which is commonly associated with both love and rage. For the lights in this scene, you could transition from a darker blue/purple to a lighter blue/purple to represent the hope and innocence that the song represents.

Music and Sound Presentation

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13djXO0lbQr4bFsnXaz8snHwzVjRpCN7vFrUvyu2xR_s

Tech Theater Blog #1: Use of Music/Sound in Dear Evan Hansen

When I went to see the musical Dear Evan Hansen in June, there was a song in the program that I hadn’t heard about anywhere else beforehand - a reprise of the Act I finale, “You Will Be Found”, right before the climax of the second act. When the moment came, it proved to be one of the most emotionally effective moments of the whole show, through the contrast between the two versions of the song. In its first appearance, “You Will Be Found” follows the titular protagonist’s sudden rocket to viral fame after his improvised speech at a school assembly about his (fake) friendship with the deceased Connor Murphy. Evan Hansen’s hopeful message reassures both the show’s audience and the many internet commenters we hear sporadically thanking him throughout the song is that, “If you only look around, you will be found. You are not alone.” The pre-recorded commenters all sound genuinely thankful to Evan, and the music has a soaring quality, soft and gentle at times but mainly loud and proud. The use of the chorus, which only appears in one other song in the whole show, makes it feel even more powerful, and all together it creates an image of a joyful community, celebrating their membership in it and inviting the audience to join. However, this positive portrayal of social media as a welcoming, uplifting place was not what the creators of the show were originally going for when they were first shaping “Dear Evan Hansen”. They had planned to take a more satirical approach, showing the evil side of the internet and the destructive power it can rain down on those it decides to target. 

This dark underbelly is put on full display in the “You Will Be Found Reprise”. For context, after Evan realizes how his lies have been ruining the few genuine relationships he has, he’s convinced himself that there’s only one way out of his situation. To prove to his friend Alana that his friendship with Connor was real, he shows her Connor’s suicide note that was addressed to Evan; what he doesn’t tell her is that this is actually a letter he wrote to himself as an assignment from his therapist. Unfortunately, not only does Alana believe Evan, but she almost immediately releases the letter online, despite Evan’s protests, to bring the attention of the public back to Connor. Here the reprise kicks in, but this time instead of creating a feeling of community and acceptance within the audience, it awakens feelings of dread and true fear. It’s hard to recall from memory exactly what the music was like, but I recall it being mostly the same while still somehow sounding harsher, sharper, and more dissonant, as though you’re standing in the middle of a battlefield. The commenters have all turned on the Murphy family after reading the “suicide note”, and call each one of them out for failing to get Connor the help he needs. They use crude and cruel language, holding nothing back - I specifically recall one person calling Connor’s sister Zoe a “bitch”. The lyrics are the same as the ones quoted in the previous paragraph, but with everything else combined, they take on a new meaning: There is nowhere you can hide from the ever-watching eyes of the Internet. There are other factors that play into making this moment so impactful, such as the lighting and graphics, but it’s the use of the music and other sounds that bring this moment to life in a horrifying relatable way.

TiP Chapter 8 Notes (Technical Theater Unit)

• If the play is set in a different culture and/or time period, do research to find references for costumes and set
• You can make a simple model of the set with figurines to represent the cast (held to make it to scale)
• Mark out the “stage floor” in the rehearsal room, as well as where any large furniture will be, with tape
• Have everyone involved come up with an idea for what the essence/message/main theme of the play; can help you figure out color pallets, which moments that tie into that theme should be highlighted with lights or sound, etc.
• Pick out moments where you can afford to get extra creative with staging without distracting from the scene
• If you’re going to have music, make sure it fits the setting and tone of the play; the music you play before the show starts and during intermission should also fit with the play to keep the audience from being pulled out if it
• Set should help express the story; functionality > flashiness
• Consider where you cha use special effects (again, to enhance the story, not distract from it)
• Make sure the light and sound operatives know the power cues before the technical rehearsal
• Have sound effects saved in order, all in one place
• Position lights before actors arrive at rehearsal to save time
• Try running through just the cues so that the light and sound operatives have time to practice and get used to it
• Consider visual and audio motifs that can be used to tie the whole play together

Rakugo Presentation Reflection

Having worked on my World Theater Traditions research project for two or three months at this point, it’s somewhat difficult to step back and look at the full picture. While I am satisfied with my final presentation, there are certainly areas where I could have improved it, had I made better use of my time up until that point. I’ve been fortunate enough to rarely suffer from stage fright in my many years of performing, but I think my nerves did get to me somewhat when recording my final presentation. Part of it was because I hadn’t fully memorized the script, so I ended up skipping over some of the more repetious lines of setup at the start. I also made the notecards late in the process of preparing for the presentation, so I wasn’t as comfortable using them as the could have been. The rest of my nervousness came from knowing that this will make up a significant portion of my IB grade for this class.
While the presentation could have gone a bit better, I am proud of what I accomplished with the project itself. Other than talking about my time physically practicing my convention, which I forgot to mention, I feel that I covered all of the required topics sufficiently, and in good time. If I were to do this project over from the beginning, I’d try to narrow the focus of my research more from the start, and make the notecards alongside the slides, so that I’d have more time to practice presenting and performing.

First Thoughts on Technical Theater

Having now been through four plays here at Cheshire Academy, and having seen eight plays on Broadway, I understand that technical theater includes multiple essential aspects of putting on a professional show. These include set design, props and costumes, lighting, sound, and stage management. The stage crew is there during the show to make sure that everything runs smoothly; props have to be in the right place, costumes have to be where people change in and out of them, and scene changes have to be fast without forgetting or breaking anything. 

All the other aspects of technical theater are mainly there to heighten the setting and atmosphere, immersing the audience as much as possible. If a character is meant to be holding a book, it might pull the audience out of the scene for a moment if the actor doesn’t have a book prop. If the play is meant to take place in a certain location and/or time period, then not having relevant costumes can be distracting as well. While plenty of shows can work with a simple set, having a set that’s beautiful and complex will leave a big impression on the audience. Still, the set should prioritize functionally over pure awe factor. Lights can highlight a specific character or object, or set a mood.